✪ ASHLEY LEE A witty, sharp-minded 21-year-old university student, her intelligence and quick thinking have earned her an assignment unlike any other-a covert mission to investigate a high-profile case entwined with money laundering, smuggling, and trafficking. Amidst this dangerous pursuit, she encounters the enigmatic Prof. Demon, Professor D'Souza-someone destined to be her absolute "not-so-favourite." ✿ MRS. D'SOUZA A 35-year-old university professor of unyielding rigor. Cold, detached, and unfazed by the world, her stoic demeanor alone could silence a room. Emotionless, calculating, and formidable-she is a force few dare confront. ✯ PROLOGUE ✯ In the bustling halls of academia, Ashley Lee walks with a secret. Posing as an ordinary student, she is, in truth, a covert agent tasked with unraveling the hidden darkness lurking within the university's archives. With a trusted friend at her side, she collects fragments of truth, each revelation drawing her closer to the heart of a conspiracy. Yet the path is anything but simple. Enter Professor D'Souza-stern, intimidating, a wall of unyielding control. Their worlds collide: in classrooms, in corridors, in moments neither can predict. Two minds, two perspectives, clashing yet intertwined, as secrets, ambitions, and perhaps something far more fragile begin to weave together. ✷ FOR LOVE, LIKE TRUTH, IS NEVER NEAT-IT IS ALWAYS, UNDENIABLY, MESSY. 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 #𝟐 𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐆𝐁𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 #𝟐 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤, 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟. 𝐅𝐢𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞. 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝. 𝐈𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐞. 𝐔𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐓𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧. 𝐀 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐭. 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬- 𝐲𝐞𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐠𝐨.

𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿, 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗩𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀. 𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘆-𝗳𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 - 𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗽𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗶𝗲𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀, 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 - 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗯𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸. 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗮 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱, 𝗔𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲 is a story of forbidden attraction, emotional awakening, teaching love - and breaking hearts.