Forbidden Equations: Love In the Dark
Episode 1: The Tutor Assignment
Crestwood University Library | Monday Afternoon
Lila Evans adjusted her glasses, sunlight streaming through arched windows as she organized chemistry textbooks. Her best friend Chloe burst through the glass doors, cheeks flushed.
Chloe
"You won’t believe this! Dean Briggs assigned *you* to tutor Damien Black!"
Lila froze. *Damien Black.* The name alone made students whisper—rumors of expelled students, midnight motorcycle gangs, and a sneer that could freeze lava.
Lila Evans
"Why me? I’m not even on the tutor list!"
Chloe
"Because you aced Advanced Calculus. And because," she lowered her voice, "nobody else volunteered."
Across the room, golden-haired Noah Reed waved from his study table. Football captain. Honor student. Lila’s three-year crush. He approached, smelling like citrus and ambition.
Noah Reed
"Problem, Evans?"
Lila Evans
"Just... tutoring duty."
Noah Reed
"Ah. Black." His smile tightened. "Be careful. My frat brother saw him dismantle a car engine with a pocketknife."
Damien leaned against rusted railings, leather jacket open over a torn band tee. His gaze pinned Lila like a specimen.
Damien Black
"So. You’re the sacrificial tutor."
Lila Evans
"I’m here to help you pass Calculus. Not to be intimidated."
He laughed—a low, gravelly sound.
Damien Black
"You think *you* scare me, Goldilocks?"
Lila Evans
"Start with derivatives. Page fifty-two."
Damien Black
"Why’d you take this job? Reed warn you about me?"
Lila Evans
"Noah’s a friend."
Damien Black
"Noah’s a porcelain prince. One crack, he shatters." He snatched her pen, scribbling equations faster than she could blink. "Done. Now tell Briggs I ‘tried.’"
Lila Evans
"Wait! You solved it perfectly. Why fail on purpose?"
For a heartbeat, his icy mask slipped.
Lila Evans
"Because wasting talent is tragic."
He stared. Wind whipped his ink-black hair
Lila Evans
"Same time tomorrow. Don’t be late."
Campus Café | Next Morning
Noah slid into Lila’s booth, tray clattering.
Noah Reed
"Black didn’t harass you, did he? I warned security."
Lila Evans
"He’s... intense. But not cruel."
Noah Reed
*(gently touching her hand)* "You see good in everyone. It’s why I—" He paused. "Why I value you. But Black’s dangerous. Transfer students vanish around him. Literally."
Lila’s phone buzzed. Unknown number.
**Text:** "Library’s closed. Rooftop. Now. -D"
Noah Reed
*(noticing her frown)* "Him?"
Lila Evans
"Tutor reschedule. I should go."
Noah Reed
"I’ll walk you."
Damien Black
"Private tutoring, Reed. Scram."
Noah Reed
"I stay where Lila’s uncomfortable."
Lila Evans
"Just teach me what you did yesterday. Please."
Damien demonstrated fluid dynamics using rainwater on a table. Noah watched, jaw clenched. When Damien’s finger brushed Lila’s over a diagram, Noah stood.
Lila stepped between them
Lila Evans
"Stop! Damien, show me the Riemann sum again."
Damien Black
"You heard her. Bye-bye, prince."
After Noah left, Damien muttered
Damien Black
"He’s wrong for you."
Damien Black
"You need fire. Not a polished statue." He leaned close. "And you *are* fire. Buried under books and manners."
Lila answered pounding at her door. Damien stood drenched in rain, knuckles bleeding.
Damien Black
"Need first aid."
Damien Black
"Your boyfriend’s buddies ambushed me. Said I ‘touched his girl.’"
She cleaned his wounds silently. His eyes never left her face.
Damien Black
"Why help me?"
Lila Evans
"You helped me today. With the equations."
Damien Black
"I’m not the villain here, Goldilocks. But I’ll be whatever you need."
Outside, thunder roared. Closer than before.
Tell your thoughts guys ❤️
Please give lots of love❤️
Episode 2: "The Warning"
Crestwood University Courtyard | Tuesday Morning
Lila clutched her coffee, the steam curling into the crisp autumn air. Last night’s encounter with Damien replayed in her mind—his bleeding knuckles, the way he’d called her *Goldilocks* like it was a challenge.
Chloe
(sliding onto the bench) "You look like you fought a hurricane. Was Black that bad?"
Lila Evans
"He’s... not what I expected."
A shadow fell over them. Noah stood, his letterman jacket pristine, his smile strained.
Noah Reed
"Lila. We need to talk."
Chloe excused herself with a knowing glance. Noah waited until she was out of earshot.
Noah Reed
(voice low) "Quit tutoring Black."
Lila Evans
"I can’t. Dean Briggs assigned me."
Noah Reed
(gripping her wrist) "He’s dangerous. Last year, a girl from Sigma House disappeared after arguing with him."
Lila Evans
(pulling free) "That’s just a rumor."
Noah Reed
"Then why does security have a file on him? Why does he vanish for weeks?" His eyes softened. "I care about you. Let me protect you."
Before she could reply, a motorcycle roared past, spraying gravel. Damien leaned against his bike, watching them with a smirk.
Damien Black
"Aw. Is Prince Charming giving warnings?"
Noah Reed
Stepping forward) "Stay away from her."
Damien Black
(ignoring him, to Lila) "We’ve got a session. Now."
Noah Reed
"She’s not going anywhere with you."
Damien Black
(coldly) "Try to stop me."
Lila shoved between them.
Lila Evans
"Enough! Noah, I’ll be fine. Damien, let’s go."
As she climbed onto Damien’s bike, Noah’s voice turned icy.
Lila Evans
"You’ll regret this, Lila."
Abandoned Train Yard | Noon
Damien tossed her a helmet
Damien Black
"Reed’s got a real hero complex."
Lila Evans
"He’s worried. People say you—"
Damien Black
"That I what? Killed someone? Sold drugs?" He kicked a rusted rail. "I don’t give a damn what they say. But you? You’re smarter than that."
Lila Evans
"Then tell me the truth. Why were you really expelled from your last school?"
He hesitated, then pulled a folded newspaper from his jacket. The headline: *Local Student Vanishes After Fraternity Party.*
Damien Black
"This wasn’t the first. And Reed’s frat is involved."
Lila Evans
(shaking her head) "Noah wouldn’t—"
Damien Black
"Open your eyes, Goldilocks. The pretty ones are always the cruelest."
Library Basement | 3:00 PM
Lila scrolled through archived campus news. Missing students. Covered-up assaults. All linked to Omega Phi, Noah’s fraternity.
**Noah’s Text:** *Emergency meeting at the frat house. Please come. I’ll explain everything.*
Damien’s warning echoed in her mind. But Noah deserved a chance to explain.
Omega Phi Frat House | 6:00 PM
Noah greeted her at the door, his smile too bright.
Noah Reed
"You came. I knew you’d trust me."
Inside, frat brothers eyed her like prey. The air smelled like bourbon and sweat.
Lila Evans
"What’s going on, Noah?"
He led her to a locked room. Inside, files were spread on a table—surveillance photos. Of her. Of Damien.
Noah Reed
"Black’s using you to get to me. He’s obsessed with tearing me down."
Lila Evans
(backing up) "You’ve been *watching* us?"
Noah Reed
(grabbing her arm) "I had to! He’s manipulating you!"
The door burst open. Damien stood there, eyes blazing.
Damien Black
"Let. Her. Go."
Noah Reed
"Or what? You’ll fight us all?"
Damien Black
(to Lila) "Run. Now."
She fled as fists flew behind her.
A knock. Damien leaned against her doorframe, lip split, knuckles raw.
Damien Black
"Told you he was a bastard."
Lila Evans
(bandaging his hand) "Why were you there?"
Lila Evans
"What do you want from me?"
Damien Black
(cupping her face) "Everything."
Episode 3: "The Missing Girl"
Crestwood University Archives | Wednesday Afternoon
Lila’s fingers trembled as she scrolled through microfiche records. Damien’s accusation about Noah’s fraternity haunted her. The screen flickered with a decade-old campus newspaper headline:
**"Sophomore Vanessa Cross Missing After Omega Phi Party"**
The grainy photo showed a smiling girl with Damien’s piercing eyes. *His sister.*
Chloe
(leaning over her shoulder) "Whoa. That’s Black’s sister? I heard rumors but..."
Lila Evans
"Noah swore his frat had nothing to do with disappearances."
A shadow loomed. Professor Hayes, the faculty advisor for Omega Phi, snatched the film.
Prof. Hayes
"These records are restricted, Miss Evans." His grip whitened. "Some things are better left buried."
Off-Campus Diner | 8:00 PM
Damien slid into the vinyl booth, his leather jacket creaking. Lila pushed a chocolate milkshake toward him—the same order Vanessa had scribbled in a margin of her notebook.
Damien Black
(freezing) "Where’d you find that?"
Lila Evans
"Archives. They’ve erased almost everything, but..." She showed him a photocopy. *Vanessa’s handwritten note: "If I disappear, check the boathouse."*
Damien Black
"I searched there. Nothing."
Lila Evans
"What if we missed something?"
His phone buzzed. Unknown number. A photo of Lila leaving the archives flashed onscreen with a caption:
**"Stop digging. Or she’s next."**
Lakeside Boathouse | 11:30 PM
Moonlight bled through broken windows as they pried up floorboards. Rotting wood gave way to a rusted lockbox.
Damien Black
(voice raw) "Vanessa’s diary."
Pages fluttered open to a final entry:
*"Noah promised me a scholarship. Lies. Saw them bury something in the quarry. If they find out I know—"*
A flashlight beam cut through the dark.
Noah Reed
(from the doorway) "I knew you’d come here."
Behind him, three frat brothers advanced.
Lila Evans
"You knew about Vanessa?"
Noah Reed
"She was hysterical. Accused us of crazy things." His smile didn’t reach his eyes. "Give me the diary, Lila."
Damien stepped in front of her.
Branches lashed Lila’s arms as she fled, the diary clutched to her chest. A hand yanked her behind an oak tree.
Chloe
(panting) "I followed you! What the hell—"
Lila Evans
"Noah’s involved in Vanessa’s disappearance!"
Tires screeched on the road below. Noah’s Range Rover sped toward town.
Chloe
"We need proof. That diary’s not enough."
Lila flipped to the last page. A map of the quarry, marked with an X.
Damien burst in, shirt torn, blood trickling from his brow.
Damien Black
"They have friends in the police. If we go to the quarry—"
Lila Evans
"We’re going. Tomorrow."
Damien Black
"Why risk it for me?"
Lila Evans
(softly) "Because someone should’ve risked it for Vanessa."
His lips crushed hers in a searing kiss—desperate, grateful, terrified.
Download MangaToon APP on App Store and Google Play
