The professor's secret

Chapter 3 — The Vale Brothers

I barely slept.

Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the same things.

The black journal.

The silver raven.

The words written across the final page.

Adrian Vale knows.

And then there was the message.

MAKE HER STOP.

By seven in the morning, I had convinced myself of three things.

One: I was being paranoid.

Two: I should probably forget the entire thing.

Three: I absolutely wasn't going to forget the entire thing.

I stood in front of the mirror in our dorm room, trying to make myself look like someone who hadn't spent half the night wondering whether she was being watched.

My long black hair fell over my shoulders, still slightly damp from my shower. I brushed it until it settled smoothly down my back.

The woman staring back at me looked tired.

My green eyes were surrounded by faint shadows, and my porcelain skin looked almost too pale beneath the harsh bathroom light.

"Great," I muttered.

Mira appeared behind me in the mirror.

"You look like you saw a ghost."

"I didn't."

"That's exactly what someone who saw a ghost would say."

I turned around.

She was already dressed for class, wearing a black skirt, boots, and an oversized sweater.

"You really don't sleep, do you?"

"Not when my new roommate comes home at two in the morning looking like she's hiding a body."

I froze.

Mira grinned.

"I'm kidding."

"Very funny."

She grabbed her bag.

"Come on. You're going to be late."

I followed her out.

But before leaving, I glanced once more at my reflection.

I wondered what Professor Vale would see when he looked at me today.

And worse...

I wondered what I would see when I looked at him.

---

The university courtyard was crowded.

Students crossed between buildings carrying coffee, books, and backpacks.

I was halfway across the courtyard when someone stepped directly into my path.

"You're Elara Hayes."

I looked up.

And immediately understood why girls were staring.

He was tall.

Not as tall as Adrian, but close.

Dark hair fell messily across his forehead, and his eyes were a warm shade of brown. Tattoos disappeared beneath the sleeves of his black shirt, and a silver chain hung loosely around his neck.

He smiled.

It was the kind of smile that probably got him into trouble.

"Who are you?"

"Julian."

He held out his hand.

"Julian Vale."

My stomach dropped.

Vale.

I looked at his hand but didn't take it.

"You're Professor Vale's—"

"Brother."

He smiled wider.

"Unfortunately."

Mira appeared beside me.

"Oh, no."

Julian looked at her.

"That's a very dramatic reaction."

"You're a Vale."

"That isn't a disease."

"Debatable."

I almost laughed.

Julian looked back at me.

His gaze lingered.

Not rudely.

Just long enough for me to notice.

"You have beautiful eyes."

I blinked.

"Thank you."

"Green?"

"Yes."

"Rare."

I suddenly became very aware of myself.

I was wearing a fitted cream sweater tucked into a dark pleated skirt, with black ankle boots and a long coat.

Nothing special.

Yet Julian was looking at me like he'd noticed everything.

Then a voice came from behind us.

"Julian."

The smile disappeared from Julian's face.

I turned.

Adrian stood several feet away.

Black trousers.

Black shirt.

Long black coat.

His sleeves were rolled slightly, revealing his forearms and the silver rings on his hands.

He looked unfairly good for someone who had spent the previous night terrifying me.

His gray eyes moved from Julian...

to me.

Then back to Julian.

"What are you doing?"

Julian shrugged.

"Meeting someone."

"You have class."

"So do you."

Adrian's jaw tightened.

"Move."

Julian didn't.

Instead, he looked at me.

"I'll see you around, Elara."

Adrian's eyes sharpened.

"She has class."

Julian smiled.

"I know."

He leaned slightly toward me.

"Maybe I'll see you after."

Then he walked away.

I watched him go.

When I turned back, Adrian was staring at me.

"What?"

"Stay away from my brother."

I frowned.

"Excuse me?"

"He isn't someone you should get involved with."

"Neither are you."

Something flashed in his eyes.

I immediately regretted saying it.

But he stepped closer.

"That's different."

"How?"

His gaze dropped briefly to my mouth.

Then returned to my eyes.

"It just is."

My heart stumbled.

For one second, neither of us spoke.

Then someone called his name.

"Professor Vale!"

He stepped away.

The moment disappeared.

"Get to class."

He walked past me.

I watched him go.

And hated myself for noticing how perfectly his coat fit across his shoulders.

---

Professor Vale's lecture was torture.

Not because the material was difficult.

Because I could feel his eyes on me.

Every few minutes.

Whenever I looked up, he was already looking away.

I tried to focus on my notes.

The Gothic hero often hides his deepest fear behind control.

I paused.

I looked at Adrian.

He was writing on the board.

The words suddenly seemed less academic.

More personal.

My pen moved across the page.

What is Professor Vale afraid of?

I stared at the sentence.

Then crossed it out.

A shadow fell across my desk.

I looked up.

Adrian stood there.

His gray eyes dropped to my notebook.

I quickly closed it.

"Something interesting, Miss Hayes?"

"No."

"Then why are you staring at the page like it offended you?"

"I wasn't."

He leaned closer.

His voice dropped.

"You should be paying attention."

"I am."

"Good."

He straightened.

Then his gaze lingered on me for another second.

"See me after class."

My stomach tightened.

---

Everyone left.

I packed my books slowly.

Adrian remained at his desk.

When the last student disappeared, he closed the classroom door.

The click echoed through the room.

I looked at him.

"What do you want?"

He walked toward me.

"You spoke to Julian."

"He's your brother."

"I know."

"Then why are you acting like I committed a crime?"

"Because Julian doesn't take things seriously."

"Maybe I can decide that for myself."

His expression hardened.

"You don't know him."

"And you don't know me."

Silence.

His eyes traveled over my face.

Then my hair.

Then back to my eyes.

"You make it very difficult to protect you."

My breath caught.

"Protect me from what?"

He didn't answer.

"Adrian."

His jaw tightened at the sound of his first name.

"You shouldn't call me that."

"Why?"

"Because I'm your professor."

I looked at him.

"Then stop looking at me like I'm something else."

Silence.

Absolute silence.

His expression changed.

For the first time, I knew I'd hit something real.

He stepped closer.

I didn't move.

He stopped inches away.

His voice was barely a whisper.

"You have no idea what you're asking me to do."

My heart pounded.

"What am I asking?"

His eyes locked onto mine.

"To pretend I don't see you."

I couldn't breathe.

Then he stepped away.

Just like that.

The wall went back up.

"You need to forget the journal."

My stomach dropped.

"So you admit it matters."

"I admit nothing."

"You know who Lydia was."

"Elara."

"You know what happened."

His expression darkened.

"Go home."

"Tell me the truth."

"I can't."

"Or you won't?"

He stared at me.

Then quietly said,

"Both."

I picked up my bag.

At the door, I turned.

"One day, Professor Vale, you're going to have to tell me."

His eyes followed me.

"I know."

I left.

But neither of us noticed the figure standing at the end of the corridor.

Watching.

Listening.

And holding a black envelope marked with a silver raven.

Inside was a photograph of Elara.

Taken that morning.

On the back were four words.

She's getting too close.