Page 77 of Corrupt Educator (The Syndicate Academy)

I see her read it, but she doesn’t reply. If Dimitry is stopping her from answering her phone, he’ll be lucky to survive this night.

“Principal Byrne,” two drunk girls approach me, fluttering their eyelashes. One of them puts her hand on my arm. “Are you here to party with us?”

I shake her off. “No, out of my way.” I push past them and search the crowd for any of Eva’s friends. There’s no sign of Natalya, Adrianna, or Camilla at this fucking party.

I can feel my patience wearing thin until suddenly my phone dings.

Sorry. I didn't have time to reply. I am by the fountain. Come quickly.

Ipush through the crowd toward the fountain, and my stomach churns when I see about a hundred students, most of them making out or worse.

Dimitry Jakov bought her back here to take advantage of her. I feel my body shake as I search for Eva and the Jakov boy, irritated that I still can’t see them.

And then I hear her.

“No, Dimitry. Please stop,” she cries, her voice coming from the further corner. I rush toward her, adrenaline pulsing through my veins.

“I said stop,” she shouts, and they come into view just in time for me to see him forcefully hiking the skirt of her beautiful blue dress right up to her hips and reaching for her panties against her wishes.

I see red, and before I know what I’m doing, I plant my first firmly between his eyes, knocking him out cold before he even fucking sees me.

Eva’s eyes widen, and then relief sags her shoulders as she pulls the hem of her skirt down and sinks onto a rock, tears flooding her eyes.

I stand motionless, staring at my pupil knocked out cold on the floor. The principal of the school should not go around knocking out students. And yet I can’t find it in myself to regret it one bit. Dimitry was assaulting her against her wishes, and I did what any sane, red-blooded man would do to protect his woman.

I groan internally the moment that thought enters my head. Eva can’t be my woman. She’s a fucking student, for God’s sake.

When did everything become so complicated?

26

EVA

My heart skips a beat as I stare down at Dimitry, who Oak knocked out with a fierce right hook.

Everyone is so drunk and consumed by whatever they’re doing that they didn’t notice the principal of the school swoop in and save me. His aqua eyes blaze with barely contained rage, which scares me.

I reach for him, but he takes a step back. “Not here.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Leave this party and meet me in the classroom where we have leadership strategy.” He turns around and marches right out of the party, ignoring that students are drinking and doing drugs in his presence.

Once Oak is out of sight, I rush in a different direction toward the main school building, leaving Dimitry knocked out on the floor. I swallow hard and glance at Dimitriy, who’s still out cold. Hopefully, no one noticed Principal Byrne rush in like my knight in shining armor.

My heart hammers so hard it makes me feel sick as I rush down a pathway and take a side door back into the school. A faint sound of music is still coming from the main hall, but most of the students are down at the ruins.

I walk toward the classroom where Oak and I had sex. My palms are sweaty, and my stomach twists with anxiety as I reach the door, noticing a dim light coming from beneath it.

Oak’s already there. I consider knocking but decide against it.

Instead, I reach for the door and push it open, finding him standing in the center with his back to me. His powerful shoulders rise and fall as he takes jagged breaths.

“Oak,” I say his name, and he turns.

There’s such a dangerous mix of emotions in his eyes that I don’t dare utter another word. Instead, I shut the door behind me and turn the lock.

He rushes for me, crashing into me and pulling me against him. “Do you know how scared I was, baby girl?” He asks, his nostrils flaring. “You were in the hands of a fucking Bratva heir, and I couldn’t find you. If he had—”

I reach up and cup his face in my hands, making him look me in the eye. “Don’t talk of ifs and buts. He didn’t, and that’s all that matters because you saved me.”

“Only just,” he mutters, grabbing one of my hands and placing it on his chest. “Can you feel how fast my heart is racing?”

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