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Nash and Emely flinched simultaneously, as if they hadn't heard it until now, and Nash rose from the armchair.
I thought I heard Alarik sigh, but my focus on everything and everyone in the room vanished as I stared at Rebecca's agitated expression.
“Professor Copeland!” she exclaimed. “How dare you...”
“What exactly is your problem?” Alarik laughed and turned around completely. He seemed slightly manic yet completely calm at the same time. “You should relax. I recommend bourbon.”
He raised his glass and toasted her. Miles, standing next to her at the door, grinned, which Rebecca noticed.
She gave him a punishing look and he let his grin disappear, straightening his shoulders under Larissa's warning glance.
Rebecca's head shot back to Alarik and she raised her finger to point from Miles to me, without even glancing at me.
“These two beasts have been fighting and you want me to...”
She paused. And it was as if all the hysteria disappeared from her gaze.
I wanted to focus on something other than her face, for example, on the black skin-tight pencil skirt or the leopard-print blazer she was now wearing over her blouse instead of her coat.
She looked at me.
I was at her mercy.
“You.” She narrowed her eyes behind her glasses, which made her look older than she actually was. “What is your name?”
I... couldn’t. She would find out who I was... Everything would fall apart...
Despite all the pent-up aggression in my chest, I couldn’t get a word out.
She waited for an answer. And I already knew she had recognized me from campus.
Two different plans formed in my mind. On the one hand, I felt the urge to simply rush past her and out of the room, and on the other, I wanted to spit in her face and make her pay.
My hands clenched into fists again.
“Is this of any relevance?” Alarik asked from behind me. “I've already discussed the matter with them. They may leave.”
She tore her gaze away from me.
Only then did I realize I had stopped breathing and gasped for air as unnoticeably as possible.
My eyes met those of Larissa, who was looking at me with confusion.
Everything about this was wrong. She should never have seen me so vulnerable.
My self-loathing grew.
“You want to let them go?” Rebecca laughed, sounding as if Alarik had made a bad joke. “These two young men deserve to be punished! And honestly, I don't care who they are, because under my laws, they are all the same.” She looked at Miles, then at his sister. “Annoying little troublemakers.” And finally, at me. “And those who don't follow the rules will be punished, because that's the only way to maintain order in this institution.”
My fists clenched. Slowly but surely, my anger was getting the better of me, even though I felt paralyzed.
“Rule 87,” she continued. “Fighting is prohibited. Punishment may and will include suspension.”
Alarik snorted morosely.
“Rule 111,” he replied, and out of the corner of my eye I saw Emely raise an eyebrow. “Members of the IT security team and candidates in an ongoing election are exempt from this type of punishment.”
Emely now raised both eyebrows, staring at Miles, who in turn looked triumphantly at Rebecca.
