After the first lecture ended, the second one began with a drag. The professor droned on about economic theories, but Niklaus? Nik was utterly bored.
He leaned his chin on one hand, eyes fixed—not on the board, not on the professor—but on Elizabeth . Like she was the only thing worth studying in this entire universe.
Elizabeth , focused on her notes, felt the intensity of his stare like heat on her skin. She looked up, and there it was again—that teasing, roguish smirk that had the power to mess with her perfectly organized brain.
She arched an eyebrow and muttered coldly, "Look at the board, not at me. Or you might not pass the exam."
Nik tilted his head. "I am learning everything… just by looking at you."
Elizabeth's pen paused mid-word.
She inhaled sharply through her nose, turning back to her notes like he was dust in the wind. But before she could write anything, a sharp voice cut through the air.
"Mr. Devilson," Professor Hargrove snapped, squinting over her glasses. "Since you're clearly done with whispering sweet nothings and are SO confident, why don't you solve this problem for us?"
The entire class turned. A few students were already grinning. Sarah's eyes widened like she was watching a live soap opera.
Nik raised a brow, slowly stood up, and gave Lizzie a wink. "Watch and learn, Ice Queen."
He swaggered to the front, snatched the marker like it owed him money, and began scribbling across the board. His handwriting was fast, sharp, elegant—like he was composing music. Everyone stared. Even the professor's mouth parted in disbelief.
Two minutes later, he dropped the marker on the ledge with a dramatic flair, turned to the class, and bowed slightly.
Elizabeth stared, speechless.
He walked back to his seat, brushing invisible dust off his sleeves. Before sitting down, he leaned closer to her.
"Told you," he whispered, "I learn by looking at you."
Elizabeth's ears turned red. Thankfully her hair covered it, but the moment he softly added, "You're beautiful, by the way," her cheeks turned full crimson.
She immediately turned her face to the window, lips tightly pressed, cold expression back in place—but Nik could almost see steam rising from her scalp.
He giggled—an actual soft giggle.
Elizabeth heard it and clenched her fist. The steam intensified.
Professor Hargrove, still trying to piece together what just happened, cleared her throat and turned to the class. "Copy that answer. It's… correct."
The class erupted in murmurs.
"Damn, he just embarrassed Professor Hargrove."
"Did you see how fast he wrote that?"
"He's hot AND smart. I can't handle this."
As whispers swirled, Elizabeth peeked at Nik from the corner of her eye. He had his arms behind his head, leaning back like a smug prince.
"You should thank me," he whispered without looking at her. "I just made you the muse of a genius."
She finally turned to him, eyes sharp as ice daggers. "If you talk again, I'll make sure you end up being the muse of a black eye."
Nik smiled like he was falling in love with every threat. "Violent. Mysterious. Beautiful. You're ticking all my boxes."
The bell rang for lunch break. Students began filing out. Elizabeth gathered her books calmly, but her eyes were screaming, "What kind of chaos have I just invited into my life?"
Nik, still lounging, looked at her with a sparkle in his eyes. "Going somewhere, Snowflake? Mind if I follow you like a loyal puppy?"
She shot him a glare sharp enough to cut glass.
"I'll take that as a 'maybe,'" he said, getting up.
And with that, the storm of chaos named Niklaus Devilson trailed after her like a shadow, grinning like a man with a dangerous plan…