= Sarah POV =

The door swung open with a force that made both Ms. Jun and me flinch. Before I could fully register who had barged in, a firm hand clamped around my forearm and yanked me to my feet.

“Chris—” I started, but the words died on my lips as I looked up into her face.

Her jaw was tight, her eyes burning with barely contained fury. She didn’t spare Ms. Jun so much as a glance as she spun on her heel, dragging me along.

“There you are. I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” Chris said, her voice low but taut, each word clipped. “Your shift ends at 4 p.m. Or did you forget you promised me a ride home?”

I stumbled behind her, trying to keep up as she pulled me out of the room. “I—I was just finishing—”

Chris didn’t let me finish. Behind us, Ms. Jun gave me a small, startled wave, her lips parted in confusion as I was unceremoniously hauled away.

The door slammed shut behind us with a sharp crack, and before I could steady myself, Chris pushed me up against the cool metal of the dance studio door. The suddenness of it stole my breath.

“I heard everything,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper but carrying enough weight to make my stomach twist. Her hand came up to the door beside my head, the other tilting my chin so I couldn’t look away. “I’ve been standing outside for thirty minutes, waiting for her to stop talking. She never shuts up, does she?”

Her words were biting, but it was her eyes that held me captive. They burned with something deeper than anger, something raw and consuming.

“S-So, you know what—”

“I know she pulled you in,” Chris interrupted, her voice dropping lower, sharper. “What I don’t understand is why you didn’t pull away.”

Her words cut through me like a blade, and my breath hitched as she leaned closer. Her thumb brushed against my jaw, a deceptively gentle touch that only made the intensity in her eyes more unnerving.

“I thought you were working on falling in love with me,” she said, her tone soft but laced with danger. “Wasn’t that the plan? Or have you already forgotten who you belong to?”

The way she said it—low, possessive—sent a shiver down my spine. My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat reverberating through me as her gaze pinned me in place.

“Why do you care?” I shot back, my voice shaky but defiant. I grabbed her wrist, trying to push her hand away from my face. “You said if I couldn’t fall, I should find someone else to teach me. Isn’t that what I’m doing? Exploring my options?”

Chris’s eyes narrowed, her hand slipping from the door to my waist, pulling me an inch closer. “Options?” she repeated, her voice dripping with disdain. “You think she’s an option for you?”

Before I could respond, the door handle rattled. Chris stepped back abruptly, giving me just enough space to breathe as the door creaked open.

“Uh, sorry to interrupt—” Ms. Jun’s voice wavered as she glanced between us, her brows furrowing in confusion. “I didn’t realize you two were… dating.”

Chris let out a cold laugh, the sound cutting. “We’re not,” she said, her tone dismissive. “If she’s yours for the taking, go ahead. But we have an arrangement. She lives under my roof, and I expect her to hold up her end of the deal.”

Her words were as sharp as glass, and I felt a pang of humiliation that made my cheeks burn.

“Oh, and Ms. Jun?” Chris continued, her tone suddenly light but no less cutting. “Let me know when the next audition for the twilight shift is. I’m looking forward to working with you.” She smiled, but the gesture was hollow, her eyes hard as stone.

“Arrangement?” Ms. Jun echoed, her voice tinged with disbelief, but Chris was already pulling me away, her grip on my wrist firm.

“We’ll be leaving now,” Chris said without looking back.

Her steps were long, purposeful, and I had no choice but to follow. My heart raced, the weight of her words and her touch lingering as Ms. Jun’s voice faded behind us.