Chapter 5 - The Revelation

Val

Today was my first day, and the last thing I wanted was to be late. After last night, Chris drove me home, the city lights blurring through the windshield while I sat there smiling like an idiot. It was him. It had always been him.

This morning I woke up with the same ridiculous grin, the memory of his hands, his mouth, his voice still fresh in my body. My cheeks burned just brushing my teeth. I felt like a teenager again—giddy, reckless, alive.

But reality was waiting. He wasn’t just Chris, the man who had once stolen me whole. He was Professor Christopher Cornell. The Head of Business and Economics. My boss.

And now, I’d have to see him again, stand in front of him in broad daylight, at the university… and pretend like nothing had happened. Pretend like he hadn’t just undone me all over again.

“Great,” I muttered to myself. “Just great.”

I took the fastest shower of my life, slipped into my best professional outfit, and hurried out the door.

By the time I reached campus, my stomach was a knot of nerves. The sight of Heartfelt University rising in front of me—its stone arches, tall windows, the bustle of students pouring across the courtyard—should have made me proud. This was a big step, the job I’d dreamed of.

I arrived at the department room earlier than anyone else. The quiet space smelled faintly of coffee and polished wood, and for a moment, the nerves in my stomach steadied. This was it—my new beginning.

Then I saw her.

“Valeria, my dear, you made it.”

Mary Hawthorne’s voice warmed the room more than the morning sun through the tall windows. She was already walking toward me, arms wide open, her smile as bright as ever. I sank into her hug, relief washing over me.

“I can’t believe it,” I murmured against her shoulder. “Thank you, Mary. Truly. Teaching at the university has always been my dream.”

“Ooh, nonsense.” She waved me off but her smile softened. “I just pointed you toward the opportunity. You walked into that interview yourself. You should be proud of you.”

Before I could reply, the door opened. A woman swept in, balancing a stack of folders with ease. She was tall, sharp-featured, with the kind of brisk energy that made the whole room bend to her pace.

“Valeria, this is Penelope,” Mary said warmly. “She’ll be right next to you.”

“Welcome aboard. Finally, another young face in here.” Penelope set her folders down with a practiced thud, then gestured for me to follow. She wove between desks and bookshelves before stopping at a small, tidy cubicle. “This one’s yours. Right next to mine. And don’t worry—I’ll show you where the coffee machine is. That’s the most important part.”

I smiled, grateful for her friendliness. But the sound of the door clicking open again made my heart lurch.

Chris.

He walked in, tall, composed, every inch the department head. His grey eyes scanned the room until they found me. For the briefest moment, a smile tugged at his lips. Reflexively, my teeth caught my bottom lip.

Heat shot through me. God, why did it feel so instinctive?

Penelope noticed. Of course she did. Her sharp gaze flicked from me to him, then back again. She leaned closer, her voice dropping low enough for only me to hear.

“You know Professor Cornell is engaged, right?”

The words struck like ice water. My chest constricted, breath caught.

She didn’t stop, oblivious to the way the floor tilted under me. “To Bianca Sterling. As in the Bianca Sterling. Richard Sterling’s daughter.”

I forced myself to nod, though my throat was too tight for words.

Bianca Sterling. Of course. Sterling—the name etched on skyscrapers, plastered across glossy magazines, stamped onto luxury cars. Beautiful, glamorous, untouchable.

And me? Just Valeria Rowan. A nobody compared to her.

I curled my hands into fists under the desk, forcing a smile that felt like glass splintering in my mouth.

Across the room, Chris’s gaze lingered on me, unreadable.

I turned back to my desk, heart hammering, the taste of last night still on my lips—and the bitter truth burning deeper with every beat.

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