Author's POV
The engineering lecture hall slowly filled with the familiar noise of a Monday morning class.
Backpacks landed on desks.
Laptop lids flipped open.
Students talked about assignments, weekend plans, unfinished lab reports, and the professor's habit of giving surprise quizzes.
For Meera Narayanan, mornings like this had already become routine.
Three months ago, the entire environment had felt foreign.
A new country.
A new academic system.
A campus filled with strangers.
But gradually, the rhythm of student life had settled into something predictable.
Classes.
Assignments.
Coffee breaks with Marcus Johnson.
Late-night studying in the dorm.
And occasionally, strange encounters with an irritating man named Ethan.
The thought made her frown slightly.
She still didn't understand him.
He had appeared suddenly in the courtyard.
Argued with her for twenty minutes.
Refused to answer half her questions.
And somehow left her feeling both annoyed and strangely curious.
But she hadn't seen him again since that day.
Which meant he had probably just been a random stranger after all.
Good.
Her life was complicated enough already.
"Morning, Meera."
Marcus slid into the seat beside her with his usual relaxed energy.
"Morning."
"You look like you're planning someone's murder."
"I'm not."
"Good."
He placed his backpack down.
"Because I left my will at home."
Meera rolled her eyes.
"You're dramatic."
"I'm realistic."
The professor hadn't arrived yet, so the room was buzzing with conversation.
Marcus leaned back in his chair.
"So."
"So?"
"Did the suspicious suit guy ever show up again?"
Meera groaned.
"Please don't remind me."
"That's a yes."
"That's a no."
Marcus blinked.
"Wait really?"
"Yes."
"Huh."
He shrugged.
"Maybe he wasn't stalking you after all."
Meera crossed her arms.
"He was suspicious."
"That's not illegal."
"He liked trees."
Marcus laughed loudly.
"Still thinking about that?"
"It was a terrible excuse."
"Maybe he actually likes trees."
"Marcus."
"Okay, okay."
He raised his hands in surrender.
"Suit guy remains mysterious."
The door at the front of the lecture hall opened.
Their professor walked in, carrying a stack of papers and a tablet.
The room gradually quieted.
"Good morning everyone."
Students murmured greetings.
The professor placed the papers on the desk and adjusted his glasses.
"Before we start today's lecture, we have a small announcement."
Several students groaned.
Marcus whispered, "Please don't say extra assignments."
But the professor continued calmly.
"A new student will be joining the class today."
That immediately caught everyone's attention.
Joining this late in the semester was unusual.
The professor gestured toward the door.
"Come in."
And that was when the door opened again.
The entire class turned.
Meera did too.
And the moment her eyes landed on the man standing there—
She froze.
Standing near the door, looking completely comfortable in a casual hoodie and jeans, was Ethan Moretti.
Except he wasn't introduced that way.
The professor gestured toward him.
"This is Ethan… Carter."
The name hung in the air.
Ethan stepped forward calmly.
His expression was composed.
His posture relaxed.
But his eyes moved through the classroom with quiet awareness.
Several students seemed to recognize him.
Or at least feel that they should.
A few whispered to each other.
But no one spoke openly.
Ethan reached the front of the class.
The professor nodded.
"Go ahead."
Ethan turned toward the students.
"Good morning."
His voice carried easily across the room.
"My name is Ethan Carter."
The name sounded smooth.
Practiced.
Natural.
But there was something in his tone that made people instinctively listen.
"I transferred into the program recently."
A few students nodded.
That explanation sounded normal enough.
Ethan's gaze moved briefly across the room.
And for a split second—
His eyes met Meera's.
Her jaw dropped slightly.
Oh no.
No no no.
This could not be happening.
But he continued speaking.
"I joined the semester late."
His voice remained calm.
"But I plan to catch up quickly."
Then he paused.
Just long enough to make the room quiet again.
"There's one thing I'd like to say."
The professor looked mildly curious.
Ethan's eyes swept across the students again.
"If any of you feel tempted to investigate my background…"
His tone remained polite.
But something underneath it turned colder.
"Don't."
Silence fell over the room.
The warning wasn't loud.
It wasn't threatening.
But it carried a strange weight that made people instinctively uncomfortable.
Then Ethan smiled lightly.
"And we'll get along just fine."
The professor cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Well… that was straightforward."
A few students laughed nervously.
The professor looked around the classroom.
"Alright, Ethan."
He pointed toward an empty seat.
"Take the seat behind Meera."
Meera almost choked.
Behind her.
Of course.
Because the universe clearly hated her.
Ethan walked down the aisle calmly.
Every step deliberate.
Every movement controlled.
When he reached her row, he stopped briefly beside her.
Meera looked up slowly.
Their eyes met again.
His expression remained calm.
But there was unmistakable amusement in his gaze.
Then he sat down in the seat directly behind her.
Marcus leaned over immediately.
"Wait."
He whispered.
"That's suit guy."
"I KNOW."
The lecture started soon after.
But Meera barely heard any of it.
Because behind her sat the most suspicious man she had ever met.
And now he was apparently her classmate.
That alone was ridiculous.
But the professor wasn't finished yet.
Halfway through the lecture, he spoke again.
"Ethan joined the course late, so he'll need help catching up."
Several students immediately avoided eye contact.
Helping a stranger catch up on weeks of engineering coursework was not an attractive offer.
The professor looked around the room.
Then his eyes landed on Meera.
"Meera."
She looked up.
"Yes, professor?"
"You're one of the top students in the class."
Marcus whispered, "Uh oh."
The professor continued.
"You'll help Ethan catch up."
Her eyes widened.
"What?"
"You'll guide him through the previous coursework."
The class looked relieved.
Someone else had been chosen.
The professor added,
"It's part of a 20-mark component."
Now the class looked jealous.
Twenty marks was significant.
"If Ethan completes the material successfully, you receive the score."
Meera hesitated.
She didn't want to help him.
But twenty marks was twenty marks.
And refusing would look strange.
So she nodded slowly.
"Okay."
Behind her, Ethan leaned back slightly.
A quiet smile formed on his lips.
Everything was going exactly according to plan.
When the lecture ended, Meera turned around immediately.
"You."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?"
"You enrolled here."
"Yes."
"You followed me."
"No."
"You're sitting behind me."
"The professor chose the seat."
"You warned the class not to investigate you."
"That seemed polite."
"That seemed suspicious."
Ethan nodded calmly.
"That's consistent with your earlier opinion."
Meera crossed her arms.
"You came to this campus the day I saw you."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Ethan shrugged lightly.
"I was considering enrollment."
"That's convenient."
"It's also common."
Meera opened her mouth.
Then closed it again.
Technically… he wasn't wrong.
Many students did visit campuses before joining.
Still.
The timing felt too perfect.
"You're still suspicious."
Ethan nodded.
"You've mentioned that."
Marcus leaned over between them.
"Hi."
Neither of them acknowledged him.
Marcus slowly leaned back again.
"Okay then."
Eventually the argument slowed.
Meera sighed.
"Fine."
"Fine?"
"I'll help you with the coursework."
"Thank you."
"But if I find out you're lying about anything—"
"You'll call campus security."
"Yes."
He nodded calmly.
"That seems fair."
Meera grabbed her notebook.
"Meet me in the library after class tomorrow."
"I will."
Then she turned and walked away with Marcus.
Ethan remained seated for a moment.
Students gradually left the classroom.
But his gaze followed only one person.
Meera.
She walked toward the door, talking animatedly to Marcus.
Completely unaware of the storm she had stepped into.
Ethan leaned back slowly.
For the first time since meeting her, he was finally where he wanted to be.
Close.
Close enough to hear her voice.
Close enough to watch every expression.
Close enough to become part of her daily life.
And yet—
Still too far.
Because even sitting this close to her had its own kind of torture.
He could see the soft movement of her hair when she turned her head.
The curve of her neck.
The way her fingers moved while explaining something to Marcus.
But he couldn't touch her.
Couldn't pull her closer.
Couldn't claim her yet.
And that restraint was something Ethan Moretti had never practiced before.
But he would.
For now.
Because bringing someone like Meera into his world required patience.
Care.
Planning.
His world was cold.
Violent.
Ruthless.
And she was none of those things.
Yet.
Ethan stood up slowly and walked toward the door.
Sooner or later…
The innocent girl from India would step deeper into his world.
And when that happened—
Nothing about her life would ever remain the same again.