His Forbidden Obsession

Back to Reality

(Clara’s POV)

The next morning, I told myself I was fine.

I repeated it in my head like a mantra as I got dressed, as I packed my bag, as I walked across campus with my coffee in hand.

“You’re fine, Clara.” I told myself.

Yesterday helped.

It had to count for something.

Time away from the chaos in my head, time spent laughing, breathing, existing without feeling like I was being pulled apart from the inside…it mattered.

It had to.

I wasn’t going to let one man derail everything I had worked for.

Not even him.

Especially not him.

By the time I stepped into the lecture hall, I had convinced myself I was back in control.

Or at least… close enough.

I took my usual seat, placing my iPad neatly on the desk in front of me, aligning it with the edge like that alone could steady my thoughts.

Students filtered in around me, voices low, movements purposeful.

Everything felt normal until he walked in.

The shift in the air was so immediate as everything came to a halt.

It wasn’t loud or obvious. No one gasped. No one reacted dramatically but the energy in the room changed.

Professor Callum Hart stepped inside like he always did…he was calm, composed, completely in control of himself and everything around him.

My fingers tightened slightly around my stylus.

You’re fine.

He didn’t look at me right away.

He set his materials down, adjusted his sleeves, and began the lecture like nothing else existed.

“Today, we’ll be focusing on muscular structure and functional integration,” he said, voice smooth, measured.

Everything about him now was clinical and detached so i focused on that.

On his words as he taught and On the diagrams appearing on the screen.

Anything but the way my body reacted to his presence.

“Miss Stone.” I heard him say my name and my breath hitched in my throat.

I looked up slowly.

His eyes were already on me.

“Define the difference between skeletal and smooth muscle.”

This was simple and easy,i knew this.

“Skeletal muscle is voluntary and striated, while smooth muscle is involuntary and non-striated,” I answered.

He paused and then nodded. “Correct.”

Relief flickered briefly in my chest.

It didn’t last.

“Now,” he continued, his gaze still fixed on me, “explain their functional significance in relation to organ systems.”

My mind blanked.

Not completely but just enough.

I knew the answer—I did—but the words tangled together, slipping just out of reach.

“Miss Stone?”

Heat crept up my neck.

“Smooth muscle controls involuntary movements in organs like the intestines and blood vessels,” I said, trying to steady my voice. “While skeletal muscle supports movement and posture—”

“Be precise,” he cut in.

The interruption was sharp.

My grip tightened.

“It supports voluntary movement and structural stability,” I corrected.

Another pause.

Longer this time.

“Better,” he said finally, before turning away like I no longer existed.

My chest tightened.

That shouldn’t have bothered me.

But it did.

Because it felt like I was being tested for something more than just knowledge.

Beside me, Ethan leaned slightly closer.

“You’re doing fine,” he murmured.

I nodded faintly, keeping my eyes on my screen.

“I know.”

But my voice didn’t sound convincing.

The lecture continued, but I couldn’t shake the awareness sitting just beneath my skin.

Every time Callum moved across the room, I felt it.

Every time his voice shifted direction, I noticed.

Every time he paused—

I waited.

At one point, Ethan reached over again, pointing at my notes.

“You missed that part,” he whispered.

I leaned closer instinctively, our shoulders brushing slightly as he explained something quickly.

“Right here..this connects to the earlier diagram.”

I nodded, adjusting my notes.

“Got it,” I said quietly.

“Good,” he smiled. “You just need to—”

“Ethan”

Ethan froze.

I did too.

Callum stood at the front, eyes locked directly on us.

“Is there something you’d like to share with the class?” he asked.

Ethan straightened immediately. “No, sir.”

“Then I suggest you pay attention.”

His tone was calm.

But there was something underneath it.

Something sharp.

“Of course, sir.”

Silence settled again, heavier this time.

I kept my eyes down, my pulse steady but tight.

That wasn’t normal.

That felt… targeted.

The rest of the lecture passed with that same tension lingering in the air.

And when it ended, I didn’t wait.

I packed up quickly, ready to leave before anything else could happen.

“Miss Stone.”

My entire body stilled.

The room was already half empty.

I didn’t turn immediately.

“Stay back.”

My stomach dropped.

Ethan glanced at me briefly, concern flickering in his expression.

“I’ll catch you later,” he said quietly before slipping out with the others.

The door closed behind them.

And suddenly…

It was just the two of us.

I turned slowly.

He stood near the desk, hands in his pockets, watching me with that same unreadable expression.

“Sir?” I said.

He took a step closer.

Not too close.

But enough.

“You’re distracted,” he said.

Straight to the point.

No hesitation.

“I’m not,” I replied.

His eyes held mine.

“You hesitated on a basic question.”

“I corrected myself.”

“After being prompted.”

My jaw tightened.

“I’m still adjusting,” I said, keeping my voice steady.

“That’s not an excuse.”

Silence stretched between us.

Thick.

Charged.

I hated how aware I was of him.

Of the space between us.

Of everything we weren’t saying.

“I expect better,” he continued.

Something in me snapped slightly.

“I answered correctly,” I said. “You just didn’t like how I got there.”

His gaze sharpened.

For a moment, neither of us moved.

Then he stepped closer.

Too close.

My breath caught.

“You don’t get to decide what I accept,” he said quietly.

The words were professional.

But the tone…

Wasn’t.

My pulse picked up.

“I’m doing my best,” I said, softer now.

His eyes searched mine for a second longer than necessary.

Like he was looking for something.

Or fighting something.

Then—

He stepped back.

Just like that.

Distance.

Control.

“Make sure it’s enough,” he said.

The shift was immediate.

Cold again.

Professional.

Like nothing had just happened.

“Understood?” he added.

I swallowed.

“Yes, sir.”

A beat.

Then he nodded once and turned away.

“Dismissed.”

I didn’t wait.

I grabbed my bag and walked out, my steps faster than I intended.

My heart was racing.

My thoughts tangled.

Because no matter how much he tried to act like nothing had happened…

That moment—

That space between us—

Wasn’t nothing.

And the worst part?

I wasn’t the only one who noticed.

Because down the hallway…

Roxie Cliff was standing there, watching me.

Her eyes narrowed slightly, like she had just seen something she wasn’t supposed to.

And suddenly…

This wasn’t just about tension anymore.

It was about risk.