I smiled sweetly at the boy who approached me. "Hey!"

Thank God, I didn’t have to make the first move. The boy had blond hair that sparkled under the classroom lights, and there was an easy confidence about him that was hard to miss.

"I'm Dimitri. You're the new girl, right?" he asked, his eyes bright with curiosity.

I nodded, returning his smile. "Yes! I’m Isabella."

Dimitri raised his brows in a way that made my heart skip a beat. I had to admit, Italian boys had an undeniable charm; they exuded a natural sexiness that was impossible to ignore. Without asking, Dimitri took my hand, his boldness catching me off guard. But instead of pulling away, I let him do as he pleased, curious about where this would go.

He brought my hand to his lips, pressing a warm kiss on it. "Nice to meet you, beautiful. I hope we’ll be good friends."

I pressed my lips together, trying not to show how flustered I was by his forwardness. "Yes, sure," I managed to reply, my voice tinged with excitement. "I’m looking forward to it."

Before Dimitri could say anything else, the classroom suddenly stood up in unison. I quickly followed suit, looking around to see what was happening. A man stood at the front of the room, his back to us. I narrowed my eyes, wondering if he was the professor and what subject he was going to teach.

With a sigh, I lazily opened my notebook, not particularly eager for the class. I rested my chin on my hand, half-heartedly scribbling on the paper in front of me. My mind was still reeling from the unexpected encounter with Dimitri when the professor's voice snapped me back to attention.

"Good morning, everyone," the professor said, his voice smooth and commanding. "Today, we have a new student among us."

I looked up from my desk, expecting to see a typical professor. But as soon as my eyes landed on him, I froze. My heart dropped into my stomach, and I felt a rush of disbelief.

Wait… what?!

It was Ezekiel

My mind raced as I tried to process what I was seeing. How could this be possible? Ezekiel.... standing there, about to teach a class I was in?

"Miss Isabella!" Ezekiel’s voice rang out across the classroom.

I nodded in shock, my voice shaky as I responded, "Y-Yes!"

Slowly, I stood up, my heart racing. All eyes were on me, and the weight of their stares made me feel awkward and exposed. Ezekiel’s hands rested on the desk in front of him, his gaze steady as he gestured for me to continue. "Please," he prompted, his voice calm and composed.

Clearing my throat, I introduced myself, "I’m Isabella."

I briefly spoke about myself, my words tumbling out in a rush. When I finally dared to look at Ezekiel, he appeared completely different from the man I had known at home. He wore glasses that made him look even more sophisticated, his sleeves rolled up to reveal the veins on his forearms, and his hair slicked back in a way that was both professional and incredibly attractive.

He offered me a slight smile, one that only added to my nerves.

"Please have your seat," he said, his tone gentle yet authoritative.

I nodded quickly and sat down, my face burning with embarrassment. My ears felt like they were on fire. This meant my mom had enrolled me in Ezekiel’s college. The realization made me bite my lower lip in nervousness—I was going to have to sit through his classes from now on.

I tried to focus on his lecture, but it was impossible. Ezekiel was teaching us about economics, speaking fluently and confidently, but I couldn’t grasp a single concept. My mind was too distracted, caught up in the way he moved, the way he spoke, and the way every girl in the room seemed utterly captivated by him.

A handsome man like him shouldn’t be a professor. It was too distracting.

Every time our gazes met, my heart skipped a beat, and I had to look away, too nervous to maintain eye contact.

The class dragged on, and all I could think about was how I was going to survive the rest of the semester with Ezekiel as my professor.

The class finally ended, and as soon as Ezekiel walked out of the room, I bolted from my seat, my heart still racing. I had no interest in attending any more classes that day. My mind was too scattered, too focused on everything except what I was supposed to be learning.

As I descended the stairs, I heard someone call out my name. “Isabella!”

I turned around to see Dimitri hurrying after me, a curious look on his face. “Where are you going?” he asked, catching up to me.

“Ah… I’m not feeling well,” I lied, forcing a small smile. “So I’m leaving.”

“Wow, bunking classes on your first day?” he teased, a playful grin spreading across his face.

I shook my head, trying to keep my tone light. “Actually, I need to meet my mom. But hey, can we swap our Instagram?”

“Of course,” Dimitri replied without hesitation, pulling out his phone. We quickly exchanged IDs, and I felt a small sense of relief. At least I’d made a friend, even if the day hadn’t gone exactly as planned.

With that done, I left the campus as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to run into Ezekiel again, not after how flustered I’d been in class. I hailed a cab and gave the driver the address of my mom’s office. I couldn’t exactly call Ezekiel and ask him to drive me home again, it would be too awkward after everything.

As the cab pulled away from the university, I leaned back in the seat, closing my eyes for a moment.

I would be in a mess if I remained in touch with Ezekiel. I would tell mom to change college.