The hallway buzzed with confusion after Emily ran. Dozens of eyes stayed fixed on me, whispers rippling like fire through dry grass.
She said I'd get hurt. Why? What did she mean?
I forced myself to sit down, ignoring the stares. My heart was a drum against my ribs, restless and loud. I tried to steady my breathing, but my mind kept replaying the way her voice cracked, the fear in her eyes.
It wasn't indifference. It wasn't rejection. It was something else—something that chained her tighter than any "no" ever could.
But the rest of the day passed without her. She didn't return to class. By dismissal, her desk sat empty, mocking me with silence.
I walked through the drizzle outside, ignoring the driver waiting at the gate. My shoes splashed through puddles until I found myself wandering the same street we had walked together last night.
Her street.
Her house loomed at the end. A modest home, two stories, curtains drawn tight. A single light glowed faintly upstairs.
Should I go? Should I knock?
My pride screamed no. My heart whispered yes.
I lingered across the street until my phone buzzed in my pocket. A text—from my secretary.
"Sir, the board requests confirmation for tomorrow's video call. Several investors grow restless about your… absence."
My jaw tightened. Investors. The board. My other life tugging at me, reminding me I didn't belong here.
I typed back quickly: Confirm it. I'll join tomorrow night.
Then I pocketed the phone and looked up again at her window.
Emily… why are you so unreachable?
---
The next day, she came.
The classroom hushed when she entered, her shoulders stiff, her face blank. She sat without looking at me, without acknowledging anyone. The seat beside her remained empty—her silence was a barrier thicker than stone.
But I couldn't keep quiet forever.
When the teacher left for a short break, I stood and walked over. Dozens of eyes followed me, but I didn't care.
"Emily," I said gently.
She didn't turn.
"Please. Talk to me."
Her pen scratched against her notebook. Cold. Detached.
"Yesterday," I pressed on, lowering my voice. "What did you mean when you said I'd get hurt?"
The pen stilled. Her hand trembled just slightly before she set it down.
"Don't you get it?" she whispered, her voice tight. "You don't belong near me. If you care about your future, stay away."
I knelt a little, trying to catch her eyes. "That's the thing, Emily. I don't care about the future. I care about now. And right now, I can't walk away from you."
Her gaze snapped to mine—sharp, angry, wounded.
"You're insane," she hissed.
"Maybe," I admitted. "But I'm not wrong."
Her chair screeched as she stood abruptly. The room froze. She stormed toward the door, but I followed.
In the hallway, I caught up. "Emily!"
She spun, her fists clenched. "Why? Why are you doing this? Don't you have anything better to do?"
"Yes," I said simply. "Running companies. Signing billion-dollar deals. But none of it matters here. Not when you're in front of me."
Her breath hitched. For a second, her mask slipped, pain flashing in her eyes.
"Stop it," she whispered. "You don't know what you're asking for."
"Then tell me," I urged. "Let me in. Let me understand."
Her lips parted, but footsteps echoed down the hall. Other students appeared, and whatever she was about to say vanished. She turned away sharply, retreating before I could press further.
I stood rooted, frustration burning in my chest.
She's hiding something. And I can't let it stay hidden.
---
That evening, I returned to her street.
This time, I wasn't alone.
Two men stood outside her gate, dressed in dark suits that didn't belong in this neighborhood. They whispered in low voices, glancing toward the house.
My instincts flared. I'd seen that kind of presence before—bodyguards, debt collectors, rivals' spies.
But here? At her home?
I moved closer, careful, my footsteps masked by the sound of the street.
One of them pulled out his phone, muttering, "She better not cause trouble again. The boss won't like it."
The other nodded. "Keep an eye on her. No mistakes this time."
A chill ran down my spine. Trouble? Boss?
Before I could get closer, the men left, disappearing into a black car parked down the street.
I turned my gaze back to the house. Emily's shadow moved across the upstairs window, restless, pacing.
Something wasn't just wrong. It was dangerous.
And she told me I'd get hurt if I stayed near her.
Now I understood—she wasn't pushing me away because she disliked me. She was protecting me.
But from what?
---
The next day, I cornered her after class.
"Emily," I said, firm this time. "Enough running. I saw them."
Her eyes widened just slightly before she masked it. "Saw who?"
"The men outside your house. Suits. Talking about some boss."
Her face paled. "You shouldn't have been there."
"Why?"
"Because it's none of your business!" she snapped, louder than intended. The class turned to stare, murmurs rising.
She grabbed my wrist suddenly, dragging me out into the empty stairwell. Her grip trembled, but her eyes blazed.
"Listen to me," she hissed. "You don't know what you're getting into. Those men… they're dangerous. My family owes people money. A lot of money. And if they find out you're connected to me, they'll use you. Hurt you."
Her voice cracked at the last words.
For a moment, silence hung heavy.
Then I smiled faintly. "So you were protecting me."
Her jaw tightened. "Don't twist this. I'm warning you. If you're smart, you'll walk away now."
I stepped closer, lowering my voice. "Emily, I'm not afraid of them. Money, power, threats—I've dealt with worse. But walking away from you? That's the one thing I can't do."
Her eyes wavered, just for a second, before she shoved me back.
"You're impossible," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Completely impossible."
She stormed off, leaving me alone in the stairwell.
But this time, I wasn't frustrated. I was certain.
Because behind her anger, I had seen it—the flicker of something she couldn't hide anymore.
She cared.
---
That night, my phone rang. An unknown number.
I answered.
A voice growled through the line: "Stay away from Emily. Or next time, it won't just be a warning."
Click.
The call ended.
I sat in the dark, phone trembling in my hand.
So it was true.
She was trapped in something bigger than I realized. Something that had claws, that reached even to me now.
And they thought fear would drive me away.
But they didn't know me.
Alex Carter doesn't run. Not from boardrooms, not from rivals. And not from love.
I set the phone down, my decision burning like fire in my chest.
If Emily's world was danger, then I'd walk straight into it.
No matter what it cost.
---
The next morning, I entered class. Emily looked up, expecting me to be distant, afraid.
Instead, I smiled at her calmly.
And whispered as I passed, "I got your warning. But I'm still here."
Her eyes widened, her breath catching. She opened her mouth to speak—
But at that exact moment, the classroom door slammed open.
The two men in suits stood there.
"Emily Carter," one of them said coldly. "You're coming with us."
Gasps filled the room.
Emily froze, her face drained of color.
And I felt my blood run cold.