With an annoyed groan, Ishira pushed every thought of Ivaan out of her head.
At least she tried to.
Today was her first day at Blackwood University, and she refused to spend the entire morning thinking about that infuriating man.
Taking a deep breath, she left her room and headed downstairs.
The delicious aroma of freshly brewed coffee instantly greeted her.
Now that was something worth waking up for.
As she entered the kitchen, she found Kiara already there.
Dressed to perfection as usual.
One hand held a coffee mug while the other arranged breakfast on the dining table.
Kiara looked up.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
Instead of replying, Ishira walked straight toward her and wrapped her arms around her waist.
Kiara nearly dropped her mug.
"What the—"
"God..." Ishira groaned dramatically, resting her chin on Kiara's shoulder. "The smell of your coffee."
A deep breath.
Then another.
"I need it."
Kiara laughed.
"That bad?"
"You have no idea."
Ishira finally pulled away and pressed a hand against her forehead.
"My head is killing me."
"Hangover?"
"No."
"Then?"
Ishira narrowed her eyes.
"Insomnia."
Kiara immediately smirked.
"Oh."
That one word carried entirely too much meaning.
Ishira already knew where this was going.
"No."
"You didn't even let me ask the question."
"Because I already know the question."
Kiara leaned against the counter.
A devilish grin appearing on her face.
"Does his name start with I and end with vaan?"
Ishira groaned loudly.
"Give me the coffee."
Kiara burst out laughing.
"That obvious, huh?"
"Coffee."
"Thinking about him all night?"
"Coffee."
"Dreaming about him?"
"Kiara."
"Coffee coming right up."
Still laughing, Kiara handed her a steaming mug.
The moment Ishira took the first sip, she nearly melted with relief.
Finally.
Something good had happened this morning.
Unfortunately...
The day had only just begun.
And somewhere deep inside, she couldn't shake the feeling that Ivaan's mysterious surprise was waiting for her at Blackwood University.
Ishira was halfway through her second cup of coffee when the headache finally started to ease.
"See?" Kiara said smugly. "My coffee fixes everything."
"Your coffee and your ego are equally strong."
Kiara gasped dramatically.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The two girls finished breakfast amidst their usual bickering before heading upstairs to get ready.
An hour later, Ishira stood before her full-length mirror.
A fitted black top.
Light-wash jeans.
Minimal makeup.
Simple.
Yet effortlessly beautiful.
After grabbing her bag, she headed downstairs where Kiara was already waiting by the door.
"Finally."
"Shut up."
"Someone woke up grumpy."
Someone didn't sleep because a certain mafia king wouldn't leave her thoughts.
But Ishira kept that to herself.
The drive to Blackwood University was surprisingly peaceful.
Rain clouds still lingered overhead, making the city appear darker than usual.
As they approached the campus gates, students flooded the sidewalks.
Luxury cars.
Laughter.
Groups of friends reuniting after the break.
Everything looked normal.
Until it didn't.
The moment Kiara drove through the main gates, the entire campus seemed to be in chaos.
Students crowded around the central courtyard.
Everyone talking at once.
Everyone looking excited.
"What happened?" Kiara frowned.
Ishira looked outside.
"I have no idea."
Curiosity getting the better of them, they parked the car and stepped out.
The second they entered the crowd, random conversations reached their ears.
"Did you hear?"
"I still can't believe it."
"Blackwood's board actually approved it."
"This is insane."
Ishira exchanged a confused glance with Kiara.
Approved what?
Before either of them could ask, a massive digital screen in the center courtyard suddenly lit up.
Every student turned toward it.
The noise gradually died down.
Then a voice echoed through the speakers.
"Good morning, students."
The crowd fell silent.
"We would like to officially welcome our new trustee and Head Professor of Criminal Psychology."
Ishira's stomach tightened.
For some reason...
A very bad feeling settled in her chest.
The screen flickered.
And then—
A familiar face appeared.
Dark hair.
Cold eyes.
That infuriating smirk.
The entire world seemed to stop.
No.
No way.
The crowd erupted into excited whispers.
Meanwhile, Ishira stood frozen.
Because staring back at her from the giant screen was none other than—
Ivaan Mehra.
And suddenly...
His words from yesterday echoed through her mind.
"Tomorrow is your first day of college."
"And there's a very big surprise waiting for you."
The bastard knew.
The entire time.
He knew.
Beside her, Kiara's jaw dropped.
"Oh my God."
Ishira simply stared at the screen in horror.
While on the screen, Ivaan's lips slowly curved into a smirk.
As if he could already imagine her reaction.
As if this had all been planned.
And somehow...
That made it worse.
Ishira and Kiara stood frozen.
Neither of them could believe what they were seeing.
Out of all the people in New York...
Out of all the universities...
It had to be Ivaan Mehra.
The bastard had planned everything.
Kiara was the first to recover.
She grabbed Ishira's arm and shook it lightly.
"Hey."
No response.
"Ishira."
Still nothing.
"ISHIRA!"
"What?" Ishira snapped.
Kiara blinked.
"You're staring at the screen like you want to murder him."
"I do."
"Good. Just checking."
Meanwhile, students around them were practically losing their minds.
Especially the girls.
"Oh my God, he's so hot."
"I know right?"
"And he's literally Ivaan Mehra."
"The youngest billionaire in New York."
"I heard he owns half of Manhattan."
"No wonder Blackwood hired him."
"I'm definitely attending every lecture."
The girls giggled.
Ishira's jaw clenched.
For some reason, every compliment directed toward Ivaan annoyed her.
A lot.
Way more than it should have.
The girls continued.
"Those eyes..."
"I'd fail every class willingly."
"He looks like a literal mafia boss."
"He is dangerous."
"That's the attractive part."
More laughter.
More excitement.
Something ugly twisted inside Ishira's chest.
A feeling she didn't recognize.
And definitely didn't like.
Why did she care what these girls thought?
Why was she suddenly irritated?
Why did she want them to stop talking about him?
The realization only made her more annoyed.
Kiara slowly turned toward her.
A smirk appeared on her face.
"Oh."
"What?"
"Ohhh."
"What?"
Kiara's grin widened.
"Nothing."
"Kiara."
"Nothing."
Ishira narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
Before she could interrogate her further, her headache returned.
She pressed a hand against her temple.
"I need coffee."
"You already had two."
"Then I need a new brain."
Kiara laughed.
"Come on. Let's go to class."
Ishira shook her head.
"No. I need the restroom first."
"Fine."
Kiara adjusted her bag.
"I'll go to the classroom."
Ishira nodded.
"Okay."
Neither of them noticed the timetable notification that had just appeared on the student portal.
Neither of them bothered checking their schedule.
And neither of them knew one very important detail.
Their first lecture of the day...
Was Criminal Psychology.
And the professor assigned to that class...
Was none other than Ivaan Mehra.
The devil himself.
Meanwhile, Ishira was still in the hallway.
Her attention was completely occupied by her phone as she replied to a few messages.
Completely unaware that the first lecture had already begun.
Back inside the classroom, the atmosphere had changed entirely.
The moment Ivaan Mehra walked through the door, the room fell silent.
Every conversation died instantly.
Every eye followed him.
Especially the girls'.
Whispers erupted almost immediately.
"Oh my God..."
"He's even hotter up close."
"Look at him."
"I can't breathe."
Some stared openly.
Some shamelessly admired him.
Others were already planning reasons to visit his office hours.
But Ivaan?
He couldn't have cared less.
With his black shirt rolled up at the sleeves and his expensive watch glinting under the classroom lights, he walked straight to the professor's desk.
His expression remained cold.
Unreadable.
Dangerous.
The kind of man who commanded attention without asking for it.
Kiara sat frozen in her seat.
Still trying to process the fact that the devil himself was standing in front of the class.
Then Ivaan's gaze swept across the room.
Row after row.
Student after student.
Until his eyes narrowed slightly.
One seat was empty.
Ishira's seat.
The temperature around him seemed to drop.
Kiara immediately noticed.
And so did a few unlucky students sitting in the front row.
His expression darkened.
Not visibly.
But enough.
Enough for anyone paying attention to notice.
Late.
On the first day.
A humorless smirk tugged at his lips.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
Just then—
The classroom door suddenly opened.
Every head turned.
A girl walked in without even knocking.
Without asking permission.
Without looking up.
She was too busy staring at her phone.
The entire class went silent.
Kiara's eyes widened.
"Oh no..."
Ishira finally looked up.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
Her brain slowly processed the scene before her.
The silent classroom.
The horrified faces.
The students staring.
And standing at the front of the room...
Ivaan Mehra.
Her eyes widened.
His gaze locked onto hers instantly.
The room felt suffocating.
Dead silent.
Nobody moved.
Nobody breathed.
Ishira slowly lowered her phone.
"...You've got to be kidding me."
A few students nearly laughed.
Kiara buried her face in her hands.
And at the front of the classroom, Ivaan crossed his arms.
His cold gaze never leaving Ishira.
The devil's surprise had officially begun.
The silence was unbearable.
Ishira stood at the entrance of the classroom, still holding her phone.
Meanwhile, Ivaan stood at the front with his arms crossed, staring directly at her.
Neither looked away.
The tension between them was instant.
Dangerous.
And unfortunately for Ishira...
The entire class was watching.
A few students exchanged confused looks.
Others simply enjoyed the drama.
After what felt like forever, Ivaan finally spoke.
"You're late."
His deep voice echoed through the room.
Ishira immediately straightened.
For a second she forgot he wasn't just Ivaan anymore.
He was her professor.
Unfortunately.
"Sorry," she muttered.
Ivaan raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry?"
The class froze.
Nobody had expected him to question her.
"Yes."
"Interesting."
His gaze remained fixed on her.
"Most students usually knock before entering."
Heat rushed to Ishira's cheeks.
A few students tried to hide their laughter.
Kiara looked seconds away from fainting.
Ishira clenched her jaw.
"I was distracted."
A dangerous smirk appeared on Ivaan's face.
"Oh, I noticed."
The class laughed softly.
Ishira wanted the floor to open and swallow her whole.
"Since you're already here," Ivaan continued, "you may sit down."
For once, she didn't argue.
She immediately walked toward her seat beside Kiara.
The moment she sat down, Kiara leaned closer.
"What the hell was that?"
"I don't know."
"You're literally fighting with the professor on the first day."
"He's not a professor."
Kiara stared at her.
"He is."
Ishira groaned.
At the front, Ivaan picked up a marker.
"Welcome to Criminal Psychology."
The room immediately fell silent.
Even the girls who had been admiring him moments ago became attentive.
"Most of you chose this subject because you think it's interesting."
He began writing on the board.
"Movies."
Another word.
"Serial killers."
Another.
"Crime."
Then he turned around.
"And the fantasy that you understand how criminals think."
Nobody spoke.
His presence alone demanded attention.
Slowly, he leaned against the desk.
"The truth is much simpler."
His dark eyes moved across the room.
"Monsters rarely look like monsters."
The class listened carefully.
Ishira tried her best not to look at him.
Failed.
Immediately.
Because somehow his gaze found hers.
Again.
And stayed there.
Just long enough to make her uncomfortable.
"Sometimes," he continued calmly, "the most dangerous person in a room is also the most charming."
Several girls looked suspiciously interested in that statement.
Ishira rolled her eyes.
Of course they did.
Then Ivaan asked the class a question.
"If a criminal walked into this room right now, how many of you think you'd recognize them?"
Almost every hand went up.
Ivaan smiled.
The kind of smile that never reached his eyes.
"Wrong."
The room fell silent again.
"That's why people become victims."
His words carried a strange weight.
A darkness.
As if he wasn't teaching from books.
As if he was speaking from experience.
The thought sent a chill down Ishira's spine.
For the next forty minutes, the entire class remained captivated.
Nobody checked their phones.
Nobody whispered.
Nobody dared interrupt him.
And when the bell finally rang—
A collective sigh escaped the students.
The lecture was over.
But before anyone could leave—
Ivaan spoke.
"Miss Ishira."
Her entire body froze.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
She looked up.
The classroom instantly became interested again.
Ivaan closed the file in front of him.
"Stay back for a moment."
The room exploded with curiosity.
And judging by the smirk slowly appearing on Ivaan's face...
Whatever he wanted to discuss—
It definitely wasn't academic.
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