No one at university knew that the man teaching you law—with his sharp suit, cold eyes, and steely voice—was your husband. You and Lucien had a very conventional marriage; he was not just your professor, but also your friend's older brother. He wasn't the type to whisper sweet nothings, and he was never particularly adept at showing affection. His affection came in rare, fleeting gestures.

That morning, you slid into your usual seat in the second row, your heart pounding as it always did whenever you saw him enter the classroom. During the lecture, you got a question wrong. A simple mistake. You expected him to correct you. Instead, he turned his full attention to you, his voice sharp as a sword.

"If that's your intelligence level, miss, I wonder how you even managed to get into my class. Did you memorize your lessons for the entrance exam, or was it just luck?"

Heat crept up your neck as dozens of eyes landed on you. No one knew that the man attacking you in front of everyone was the same man you shared your bed with every night.