ARIA

I have no idea why the professor behaved like that at the office.

Maybe he was in a fowl mood.

I brushed the thought off and went for my remaining classes.

When the school day was over i met up with Laura again and we went to my place together.

She prefers staying with me than at her dorm. She said the students there were crappy.

I would invite her to live with me but she already paid for the dorm until she graduated.

"Ugh, our first semester exams is in 2 weeks" she said as she flopped on my bed.

"Yeah, after this semester we have one last semester before we graduate" i said.

"Fucking finally, i'm so tired of this darn school" she groaned.

"Aren't we all" i rolled my eyes.

"There's a party next weekend..."

"Laura please tell me you're not thinking of going to that party, we need to prepare for our upcoming exams" i said turning to face her after removing my hoodie.

"It's a school party. Besides the school wouldn't host it if they thought it would be of any harm to the students"

"Laura..."

"Pretty please" she said giving me the puppy dog eyes.

"You're such a party freak Laura"

"And you love me anyway" she smiled as she rolled on the bed.

"Whatever" i muttered and climbed onto be with her.

"Your boobs are so perky" she said touching them.

I slapped her hands off.

"Don't make me think you're a lesbian now" i said eying her.

We spent the remaining day ordering takeout and watching TV until Laura was fast asleep.

I checked the time and it was 11pm, and i was still wide awake.

Thinking about the professor.

He seemed so mysterious though. Nobody knew his background.

Like what was his previous job?

Is he married?

If he was, he'd be wearing a ring.

Does he have a girlfriend?

Why does he look so sexy and young?

Laura googled him before, but nothing came up.

No social media, no university press, no LinkedIn, nothing but a mare Westbridge staff profile account... which had no photo and only said "Visiting Professor, Department of Literature."

That's it?

Who the hell has zero online presence in 2025?

Unless... he was hiding something.

Or someone.

Now i was curious and wide awake.

They say he's 38 but i hardly believe it. Maybe I do, i just didn't want to accept it.

'God why did you decide to punish me like this'

I shouldn't be thinking about my professor. That man wants nothing to do with me, at least he made that clear. But that only annoyed me.

I picked up my phone and googled: how to seduce older men.

"God i'm so stupid'

I scrolled and clicked on the first link.

#1. Be confident.

Right. That was already a disaster.

I could barely walk into his class without tripping over my own anxiety. I literally used a textbook to hide my face like a 12-year-old at confession.

#2. Make eye contact. Hold it. Let it linger.

Have they met Professor Carter?

His eyes could swallow me whole. One glance and my brain short-circuits. I'd rather eat chalk than hold his gaze longer than five seconds.

#3. Dress mature, but alluring.

Does hoodies and jeans stained with coffee count?

I sighed, dropping my phone onto the bed beside me. Laura was snoring gently on the other side, her face half-buried in a pillow, legs tangled in the sheets like she'd gone twelve rounds in her sleep.

Must be nice... being carefree.

Me? I was wide awake and spiraling over a man who clearly didn't even like me.

Worse? He looked through me. Like I wasn't even there.

Except in that office.

The way his fingers brushed mine when he handed my textbook back to me. It was brief, probably nothing.

But i swear i felt something electric. Or maybe that was just my blood pressure reacting to his cologne.

I reached for my phone again, flicking the screen back on.

"God, I'm really stupid," i whispered to myself, but still, i clicked on the next link that read:

"Older Men Crave Power: How to Seduce Without Trying Too Hard."

I blinked.

Power?

I kept reading.

"Many older men, especially those in positions of authority, are drawn to women who make them feel powerful and needed. It's not about being weak... it's about knowing when to step back and let him take the lead. Men love mystery, softness, and subtle submission in a relationship."

I reread that part.

Subtle submission?

My face flushed instantly, and i dropped my phone on my chest.

Why was my heart suddenly racing?

I wasn't some fragile, submissive girl who needed a man to lead her. But then again... when i pictured his sharp green eyes, his cool commanding voice, his intense presence and his touch that burns.

I couldn't help but wonder what it'd feel like to just... let go.

Let him lead.

Ugh. What was wrong with me?

I sighed.

"Nope," I whispered. "Not going there."

Still, I picked up my phone again.

And kept reading.

*****

I tried to concentrate, I swear.

But the more Professor Carter talked about Romantic literature, the more my thoughts drifted... not to the syllabus, but to the man standing at the front of the room.

Why was he so... composed? Why did he never smile?

Laura was beside me, jotting down notes like her life depended on it. James sat on my other side, and every now and then, he leaned in to whisper a sarcastic comment about the reading.

I laughed quietly but Professor Carter looked up at that exact moment.

Our eyes locked. Just for a second.

Long enough for me to forget how to breathe.

"Miss Giovanni," he said, "if there's something humorous about Frankenstein, please, do share with the class."

Heat rose to my face like a fire alarm had gone off in my bloodstream.

I lowered my gaze.

"I'm sorry, sir." i muttered.

He didn't reply. Just turned back to the board and continued with the lecture like i didn't exist.

I hated that. I hated how invisible he made me feel and how badly i wanted him to look at me again.

God help me.

I tried writing something down, but I realized all i had scribbled was his name.

Pathetic.

James leaned in again. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," i whispered. I wasn't.

"Before we end today's session," he said, placing the marker down and turning fully to face the class, "I have an announcement."

DAMON

Everyone stilled.

My tone changed, more formal, more sharp.

"By friday, I'll be selecting a student to serve as my class assistant. This role will include helping with grading, compiling student presentations, and organizing notes for the upcoming exams."

Murmurs rippled across the room.

"A notice will be posted by that Friday, stating who it will be," i added, scanning the room.

My eyes flicked past everyone... then rested on her.

Barely a second.

"I expect punctuality, responsibility... and silence during lectures."

I didn't say her name, but the emphasis was clear.

When the bell rang, everyone started packing up.

I packed my things and went straight to my office.

Aria.

She looked different today.

She wasn't in her usual Jeans and top, but she was wearing a long dress that clinched to her body.

She's been coming late to class. It's becoming a habit.

Is it because my class was her first class in the morning?

What was she staying up late for, is she partying out with boys?

I felt like punishing her, like removing her from my class.

But if my wife were here, she'd tell me to forgive the younglings.

"We're supposed to teach them, not yell at them" she'd say.

Rose.

My dear Rose.

"There was an accident on the main bridge"

"You wife... was in the accident, her car went through the bridge and into the water"

I was in my office that day, an important board meeting, and as the CEO and owner of Carter & co legal group, i had to be there.

She had told me to drive her, but i couldn't. I was too busy at the office.

"It seemed like it was planned" Will had said.

I had enemies everywhere, but at the time i had just one person who had threatened me.

My old partner.

It was my fault she died. It was all my fault.

I miss my wife.

I can't keep fantasizing about a kid.

It had been 5 years and i still wasn't wasn't over my wife.

I can't even bring myself to go to her grave.

I was deep in thoughts when a knock came through my door.

I leaned back in my chair and breathed before saying "come in".

The door swung open and Will came inside.

Williams Caviar.

My right hand man. My best friend. Rose's Brother.

"Hey professor" he said with a sly smug on his face.

"Will, what brings you here?" i asked.

"Can't a friend come visit" he said seating down on the chair opposite mine.

"What are you really doing here William" I asked, my voice stiff. I rarely use his full name.

"The company is drowning" he said with a serious look.

"And?" i asked uninterested.

"What do you mean "And"?. Do you know what it took to build up your company worth billions?" he said.

I had nothing to say, i just fiddled with the pen in my hand.

"Look Damon, i get it, you're still grieving your wife, she's my sister too"

I gave a half laugh, half scoff.

"She wouldn't want you to waste your life, seeking after revenge like this" he continued.

"Well, she's not here to tell me that" i said dryly.

"You have to come back to work. You spent 4 years oversees, drowning in self pity, looking for an invisible man" he said with... pity.

"Then you came back, i thought you were done mourning. Just for you to come to this school" he said gesturing his hands around my office.

"Did you come here to sweet talk me into going back to the company, Will? Because if so, i wont."

"Oh, how the mighty has fallen" he said, his voice sharp.

"Look..." i tried to say.

"The investors are withdrawing, we lost 15 million last month and another 10 million last week. The boards are worried" he countered.

I sighed, readjusted the tie on my neck which suddenly felt too tight.

Pressure.

So much pressure.

"If you have nothing else to say, you can leave Will" i said turning my face away from his.

"I will leave, but i'll be back"

He stood up and turned toward the door to leave. But as his hands touched the door knob, he paused and looked over his shoulder, then he spoke again. Words that seemed like venom.

"Have you even visited her grave?"

As he got no reply from me, he shook his head in disappointment.

"I thought so. Coward"

Then he opened the door and left.

Coward.

I wasn't used to being called such things. Maybe i had indeed been a coward.

'oh, how the mighty has fallen' his razor sharp words rang in my head.

I dragged my chair backwards and stood up. Took my suit jacket and wore it.

I took my office bag. And then i left the office.

I walked through the hallway of the school, heading towards the car lot.

When i made a turn, i saw Aria.

She looked at me but i dragged my gaze away from her and walked past her like she didn't exist.

I didn't have the time to fawn over her. I had other important things, other important people.

I got to my car and drove straight to my mansion.

The moment i got into the house... the house i hadn't been in... in days because it reminded me of her.

The interior design, the couch style, the painting.

Everything was her idea.

I gave her everything she wanted, and yet, i took everything away from her, her life.

I dragged my feet up the stairs as i traced my hands through the stair's wooden railing.

The one she had picked.

I stopped at the top of the stair and looked at her... her picture, it was as if i was staring right at her.

Finally i got to the bedroom. The bed, the curtains, her vanity set was still there, her wardrobe. I hadn't touched it or removed it. I didn't let the maids touch it too.

I didn't have the heart to remove her things from the room... our room.

I couldn't.

ARIA

I was home alone after thursday's classes. Everyone was anticipating who the new class assistant would be.

I sat on my bed, my legs crossed, surrounded by half eaten snacks.

I was on my laptop.

I was supposed to be studying, but instead, i was on my laptop watching a video on youtube that says: how to read a man's body language.

Not like i needed that specific knowledge.

And it's totally not because i was trying to figure out if professor Carter's jaw clench and look yesterday meant anger or something else.

I sighed and removed my socks from my leg and threw it on the bed. The sock bounced and landed on the pizza box from last night.

"God i really need to get my life together" i groaned and rolled on the bed.

My phone beeped and i checked, it was a text from Laura... i mean who else do i really know?

Laura: Are you alive? Or buried under textbooks... call me.

I smiled softly but i didn't reply to her text immediately.

I leaned on my bed frame.

"Why wouldn't i just fall for a normal guy?" I muttered to myself.

'Wait. Fall?'

'Did I say fall? That's impossible'

I can't fall for professor Carter. He is my... professor.

Was that my only excuse? So what if he wasn't my professor, would i fall for him then?

No no no.

Ugh.

I closed my laptop and headed downstairs because i thought i heard voices.

Maybe it was Laura and the maids trying to put food in my fridge.

But when i got there, i was met with a warm look, red eyes... eyes just like mine.

The only other person i've seen with red eyes... my father.

"Dad?" i managed to say.

"Aria, my dear" he said as he hugged me tightly.

"Oh my God, dad, what are you doing here?" i asked, stunned.

"I came to see my daughter after 5 years and she's asking why i'm here', i'm a little hurt" he smiled.

"No dad, that's not what i meant" i said, hugging him again, "i'm really glad you came"

"I have missed you Aria" he said with his hand on my chin, "you look just like your mother"

"You always say that, but i took your eyes" i said holding his hands.

"Please come upstairs dad, there's plenty of rooms, i'll arrange one for you immediately" i said and was walking away but i stopped in my tracks when he said,

"I can't"

My heart broke, i knew that he couldn't. The reason he was here was because of... saturday.

The anniversary of my mother's death... five years ago.

But he never once went to see her at the real date. He always came earlier.

He seemed like he was hiding, or hiding something. He never told me where he was, he never calls. Just occasional indirect messages and a bank account filled with money.

"Dad, why are you doing this?" i said, hurt.

"It's not something you should worry about, Aria. And maybe in due time, you'll find out"

"Dad..."

"I have to go Aria. I love you." He said already walking out.

I followed him.

"I love you too dad" i replied in a slightly higher tone.

He turned back and smiled at me. The he went into his car.

He has a lot of body guards... too many. What were they protecting him from?

It feels like i would never find out.

I went back upstairs and slept on my bed.

Everything was too overwhelming for me. I lost my mother five years ago, and my father pretty much went into hiding.

I tried to think of what it could be. What the problem was, but couldn't.

I might be smart academically, but i didn't have foresight.

'I can't go into the past and find out what happened'

'I can't read my father's mind either'

"This is all so frustrating and infuriating" i groaned but my eyes stung a little.

I tried to blink the growing tears away.

I tried not to think too much about the whole situation, but sleep finally took me in.

*

*

*

"Aria" i heard someone call my name.

"Aria"

"Wake up" the hands tugged on me gently.

I slowly opened my eyes to see the intruder.

"What do you want Laura" i asked my voice hoarse.

"Let me sleep" i whined, pulling the sheets up my body.

She pulled the sheets back down and dragged me off of the bed.

"What do your want" i groaned.

"Wake up, i'm bored" she said in a pitiful tone.

"You woke me up because you're bored?" i asked, but she only grinned at me.

"What happened to your boyfriend... Jack"

"His name is Diego, Aria... DIEGO"

"Whatever, leave me aloneeee"

"If you don't get up, i'll go downstairs and take all the boxes of clothes and shoes i spotted on my way up" she said.

"Wait, what?"

"You didn't know, did someone break in?" she said with a worried look, "Wait, no... that isn't right. Do you have a secret admirer?"

"I highly doubt that" i muttered, more to myself than her.

I stood up and rushed to the bed again.

"ARIA!!"

"You can go pick anything you like in there, they're from my father. He came earlier" i said half asleep.

"Woah, he did? Your dad is so mysterious"

"I know right"

"Anyways, can i use your laptop?"

"Sure" i said absentmindedly.

Then it dawned on me. I didn't close my search tab. Once she opens the laptop she is going to see what i was googling.

I sprang from the bed and went for the laptop before she could reach it.

She looked at me with suspicious eyes and asked what i was hiding.

I opened the laptop and quickly deleted my search history.

"Wait, were you watching porn?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at me, then her phone dinged.

"Is that Jack" i said teasingly.

"Diegooo. Check your phone, they posted in our class forum that professor Carter has chosen his new class assistant"

I rushed to get my phone and clicked on our school's app, then scrolled through the forum to find who he had chosen.

The name was written in caps lock.

ARIA GIOVANNI.