✦ Kristen Ford has always been fiercely independent-a trait that threatens her family's reputation. Her father, Evan Ford, decides to send her to Blackwood Academy, an elite school known for straightening out troubled kids. But Blackwood is no ordin...
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Kristen
Emily carefully styled my hair, her excitement barely contained. "Your hair is so straight. I've been dying to try this style on you. You're going to look fantastic!"
I let out a weary sigh. "Honestly, Emily, I'm just going to work for him. Don't get too carried away."
She grinned, waving off my concerns. "Oh, come on! You're working for Professor Alexander. He's not exactly a stickler for rules. You might as well look like you're ready for anything!"
I tried to roll my eyes, but a blush crept up my cheeks. "Seriously? That's not going to happen. And could you please be quiet? The idea of him being close to me is already nerve-wracking enough. He's downright scary. This is going to be anything but enjoyable."
Emily laughed softly, her fingers still deftly working on my hair. "Relax, it'll be fine. He is not going to eat you."
I let my brain wander with possibilities not just about him, but also about staying at this school. My nerves heightened as I remembered the forest scene. Was it Professor Alexander I saw hidden in the dense canopy? My inner voice screamed, "No," but I closed my eyes and let out a slow sigh.
Emily was finally done with the torturous hair makeover. I looked at myself in the full-size mirror. I didn't look too bad. My hair was left open with the top styled in a braid-like design. I wore a black t-shirt with jeans, looking simple yet presentable.
I wandered through the corridor, deliberately stretching out the time. I had already pinpointed the location of his office, not out of fear, as he hadn't given me any real cause for it. Yet, the way he spoke, the intensity of his fingers pressing into my skin, the mischievous smirk, and the dangerous warning in his eyes all hinted at something more beneath the surface.
He seemed indifferent to teaching, but that didn't mean he neglected it. He was undeniably brilliant in his field and conveyed his knowledge effectively. Still, it lacked the fervor that I saw in most other teachers.
To my horror, I was now standing right in front of his door. A part of me wanted to turn and defy him, to prove that I wasn't as easily swayed as he might think. But another part of me, the one that had led me here in the first place urged me to take up the challenge. I inhaled sharply, bracing myself as I pushed the door open.
The office was dimly lit, the blinds half-drawn, casting slanted shadows across the room. He was there, leaning back in his chair, his feet casually propped up on the desk as if he owned the world. And in that moment, it felt like he did. His eyes flicked up to me, a smirk curling on his lips as if he'd been expecting me all along.
"Close the door," he said, his voice low and commanding, sending a shiver down my spine. I did as he asked, the sound of the door clicking shut echoing in the room.
"You made it." he drawled, his voice dripping with amusement.
I swallowed hard, refusing to let him see that he had any effect on me. "like I had a choice and not be your assistant" I replied, keeping my tone as steady as possible.
