Chapter 1 Soon, Michelle

• As soon as the school bell chimed, signaling the end of class, students swiftly gathered their books and personal belongings, eager to vacate the classroom as if they'd been sitting on pins and needles and couldn't wait to get off. Michelle, as usual, was the last to exit the class.
• After gathering all her items, she made her way out of the class, her thoughts consumed with one person, Ryan Luis Collins. She had been counting down every second until now. Not that thinking about him hindered her studies, though.
• ‘What was going to happen when she got home? She was now 18, and she wasn't going to take no for an answer from Luis. He had promised to make her his woman when she turned 18. Now she couldn't wait to meet him, the love of her life.’
• She hurriedly made her way to her hostel, as she had already packed her stuff. All that was left was for her to say goodbye to Alan before she left for the airport.
• Alan is Michelle's professor and friend. He had approached her when he first arrived at the school, and it sparked a flurry of rumors suggesting an inappropriate relationship between the two. Rumors spread that she was warming his bed, and she couldn’t blame them.
• Alan's charm, manly qualities, and young age among all the teachers made him the center of attention, leaving all the girls vying for his attention; they all wanted him for themselves. So they couldn't come to terms with the fact that Alan approached Michelle, a girl who tends to keep to herself and has rarely made friends.
• Alan walked out of his office when his eyes caught a glimpse of a distracted Michelle approaching from the opposite direction. With a sly glint in his eye, he deliberately walked into her.
• "Hey, watch it, damn it!" Michelle exclaimed when a figure suddenly crossed her, and she collided into the person's firm chest, causing her to almost lose her balance and fall. However, the person was quick to wrap his hands around her waist, holding her in place.
• 'Damn it, Luis would kill whoever it is if he had seen this,' Michelle thought. But she immediately pulled away upon hearing Alan's masculine voice.
• "I'm sorry, Michelle; I was checking something on the phone and didn't see you,” Alan said, holding Michelle's gaze. 'Damn, she is fucking pretty,' he thought as he released his grip on her and slipped his phone into his pocket. Luckily, he was holding his phone, so he used the excuse of looking at his phone. And judging by the way Michelle's gaze shifted to his phone, if she had doubted him, she believed him now.
• "Professor... I didn't realize it was you." Michelle stuttered, feeling embarrassed for doubting Alan and also for cursing at him earlier. 'Of all people, why did she have to bump into him?' She cursed internally, looking down.
• "Hey, I told you to call me Alan; aren't we friends?" He asked.
• "I'm sorry, Profe... I mean Alan." Michelle murmured, still avoiding eye contact. Alan smirked at her action. Alan gazed longingly at Michelle, his longing palpable in his voice as he spoke.
• "Michelle, look at me," he urged, his fingers itching to reach for her chin and make her glance back at him with her clear, captivating eyes that seemed to suck him in. Michelle looked up with a forced smile.
• "There, that is the smile I have come to admire so much," Alan said, even though he could see Michelle's effort to conceal her true feelings by forcing a smile at him. His eyes darted over to the wine-colored suitcase next to her, and a pang of anger and jealousy surged through his veins as he realized she was all set to leave already. ‘What had this mysterious boy done to her that made her oblivious to his deep-seated affection for her?’ These thoughts swirled in Alan's mind, creating a storm of emotions within him, but he quickly concealed it.
• Michelle could swear she saw Alan's jaw tense when he shifted his gaze to her luggage, but he was quick to conceal it and asked in a teasing tone,
• "Already packed, huh?" Michelle, acting ignorant, smiled and nodded with a small,
• "Yes,” and added, “I was actually on my way to see you before I left."
• "Do you need a ride to the airport? I can take you," Alan offered, already reaching for her suitcase. But she pulled it away from his grasp and quickly said with an awkward smile, "I already booked an Uber, thanks."
• Michelle knew of Alan's romantic feelings for her but decided to feign ignorance. She appreciated their friendship and was determined to avoid any situation that might urge him to declare his love to her. She knew if Alan were to propose, it would create an uncomfortable and awkward aura between them. Hence, she made sure to avoid being alone with him.
• "Okay," Alan replied with a forceful smile. He fucking needed to vent his anger; he wanted to punch something or someone. Michelle was rejecting him once again, and he was running out of time.
• Michelle could sense the sudden change in his demeanor. He wasn't pleased with her action, and she felt bad. But it wasn't her fault; she loved Luis and didn't want to give Alan high hopes, and she didn't want rumors to spread again. She bumping into him earlier might have sparked rumors already, and to mention riding in his car. She smiled uneasily and said,
• "See you after spring, Professor." Intentionally emphasizing the 'Professor' so the many girls who were eavesdropping on them would hear.
• After Michelle walked away, Alan followed her at a distance, making sure to remain unseen. As he watched her vanish into the distance, a chilling expression appeared on his face, and in a hushed, eerie voice, he whispered,
• "Soon, Michelle, you will belong to me."