Cruel Desire

15.

(Belle's POV)

I sat beside Lavinia in the lecture hall, my attention fixated on the professor's incessant ramblings. My fingertips traced the smooth grain of the wooden oak table, and in my introspection, I failed to notice Lavinia's gaze upon me, lost as I was in my own thoughts. Memories flooded back, transporting me to a few nights prior with Vivienne.

I found myself increasingly curious about what Vivienne meant when she said she would "take care of it." How exactly? My mind was awash with countless questions regarding her ominous words that had instilled such fear in him. I had never witnessed such a reaction from him before—ever.

While I genuinely appreciated her assistance, an insatiable curiosity gnawed at me. It was an enigma I longed to unravel. My reverie was abruptly interrupted as I felt Lavinia's hand resting atop mine, prompting me to raise an inquisitive brow. She responded with a gentle smile, a beacon of warmth amidst the chaos of my thoughts.

"Would you like to grab lunch with me?" Lavinia asked, her voice imbued with her characteristic warmth. I simply nodded in response. The lecture had concluded, and we both rose from our seats. It was lunchtime, and afterward, she would have her next class, a prospect that filled me with a rush of longing and excitement at the thought of seeing her again.

Lavinia and I strolled to the cafeteria, where we each selected our meals before settling at a table nestled in the far corner, a relatively secluded spot.

"So, how have you been?" Lavinia inquired, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Hmm, I've been okay. How about you?" I replied, and Lavinia hummed softly in acknowledgment.

"I've been well too, though we haven't had much chance to talk lately. I've missed you," she said, her smile gentle and her eyes locked onto mine. I returned her smile, blissfully unaware of the glint in her gaze that I did not recognize.

"I'm sorry; I've been quite busy. Perhaps we could arrange to meet up one day?" I suggested, twisting my fork into the spaghetti and lifting a mouthful to my lips.

She nodded in agreement. "We should definitely meet up, yes." As she concurred, she began to chew her own food.

My gaze wandered around the room, observing the various groups of people until it landed on Vivienne. Her eyes were already fixed on me, narrowed in intensity as she subtly shifted her gaze toward Lavinia, who remained blissfully unaware of the icy stare directed at her. It was clear to me that Vivienne held a strong dislike for Lavinia.

Lavinia hummed contentedly as she savored her meal, pulling my attention away from Vivienne and back to her. She smiled at me, her eyes drifting over my features before settling back on mine.

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity before resuming my meal. Before long, we both finished our lunches and rose from our seats. As we made our way out of the cafeteria, I felt Lavinia's hand brush against mine. It must have been an accident, so I chose to ignore it. We approached Vivienne's classroom, and just as I was about to halt my movement, I inadvertently bumped into someone exiting the room—Vivienne herself.

Vivienne's hand wrapped around my arm to steady me, and I nearly squealed, startled by her sudden appearance. My heart raced before gradually calming down. She chuckled at my reaction, rubbing soothing circles on my arm to help me relax. However, her gaze quickly shifted to Lavinia standing behind me, narrowing with an intensity that starkly contrasted the gentleness she had shown me. I glanced between the two, noticing Lavinia's eyes also narrowing in response, and a wave of confusion washed over me. What was going on between them?

"My apologies for bumping into you, Belle," Vivienne said, redirecting her focus to me and softening her gaze with a slight smile. I returned her smile, grateful for her warmth.