One Night With My Alpha Professor

Chapter 77 Audrey

1 blinked, taken aback by Mr. Black's question. “L. I'm not sure Lunderstand,” I stammered, leaning forward in my chair to peer at my open portfolio. "My portfolio showcases my best work, but I also have other accomplishments. I've won several design competitions, including the Brooks Designs fashion show and the Grayspring uniform design contest, and that was just this semester. Last year, I also interned with-" Mr. Black waved his hand dismissively, cuting me off mid-sentence. "That's not what I meant, Miss Thatcher. Your portfolio is... adequate. I suppose. But it's hardly impressive by industry standards. And let's be honest, you're a human. Working with you might not look good for my company

I swallowed hard, my throat suddenly dry. The way he said human made it sound like a dirty word. "I don't understand..."

He leaned forward, his eyes glinting with a predatory gleam that made my skin crawl. "Perhaps you should do some research on how humans and half-bloods typically get jobs in this industry. It's not just based on merits, you know. It's more.. hands-on"

As he spoke, his cold eyes flicked over my body-ultimately coming to rest on my cleavage, which was just barely poking out through the top of my shirt.

At that moment, the implication hit me like a slap to the face. My cheeks burned as I realized what he was suggesting

"Are you... are you implying that I should sleep with you for this opportunity?" I sputtered.

Mr. Black shrugged, a smug smile playing on his lips. "I'm merely suggesting that there are other ways to make yourself.... valuable to the company. Ways that might compensate for your human limitations. What do you say, Miss Thatcher?"

"No. I'm not interested."

My curt, straightforward response seemed to leave Mr. Black taken aback, clearly he wasn't used to being told 'no. But I wasn't about to put my own integrity-or my safety-at risk for his mentorship. "Come now, Miss Thatcher," Mr. Black said, still eyeing me huskily. "Everyone knows that human girls are desperate to be with wealthy, older werewolf men such as myself. And if your thesis is so important to you, don't you want to do anything you can to get ahead?"

Rising from my chair so abruptly that it scraped loudly against the floor, I shot Mr. Black a disgusted look.

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"You're a pig," I spat, snatching my portfolio off his desk. My hands were shaking with rage. "I wouldn't work with you if it was the last job on earth"

I stormed out of his office without another word, slamming the door behind me with enough force to rattle the frosted glass in its frame. The receptionist looked up from behind her desk, startled, but I didn't stop to explain.

Thankfully, Mr. Black didn't follow me. Striding down the hall, jabbed the elevator button repeatedly, desperate to get out of there, to breathe air that wasn't tainted by that disgusting mans presence.

When I finally burst out of the building a few minutes later, gulping in fresh air in an attempt to steady my reg nerves, I was surprised to see that Edwin's car was still parked at the curb He hadn't left. He had waited for me.

My anger faded slightly, replaced by a wave of relief at the sight of a friendly face.

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Edwin rolled down the window as I approached, his brow furrowed when he saw my pained expression. "That was fast. How did it go?" he asked.

I hesitated, unsure of where to even begin. I wanted to tell him everything, to let out all the anger and disappointment I was feg. But before I could speak, Edwin continued.

"I hope it went well. You know, Mr. Black and I have a long-standing business partnership. I even own significant shares in his company.

I was g going to tell him everything, but at that moment my words died in my throat. How could I tell Edwin that his business partner was a sleaze? Would he even believe me? The thought of Edwin being associated with someone like Mr. Black made me feel sick, but that wasn't the biggest issue here. Surely he didn't know. Surely he didn't... condone that sort of behavior.

"Audrey?" The sound of Edwin's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. "Are you alright? How did the interview go?"

I forced a smile, hoping it didn't look as fake as it felt. "It was... fine," I lied "Just fine."

Edwin's brow furrowed deeper as he studied my face. "Are you sure? You look a bit shaken up." He glanced down at my hand, which was gripping the edge of his window. "You're even shaking." he said, abruptly reaching out to touch my fingers.

The warmth of his touch was both shocking and comforting, and 1 felt some of the tension from the interview leave my body-although it was immediately replaced by a new sort of tension thanks to the sensation of his large palm spread across

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Still, I couldn't bring myself to tell him the truth. "I'm just nervous, I guess, I lied, hating how easily the deception came.

For a moment, he stared at me in disbelief and I was worried he might see through my lie. But then he nodded before pulling away, and finally I felt like I could breathe. "I think I have a cure for that. Do you have any other obligations today?"

I shook my head. "No, I'm free."

"Good," he said, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Get in."

I didn't argue this time. Once I had settled into the passenger seat. Edwin pulled away from the curb. We drove in silence for a while, eventually leaving the city behind us. I watched in mild confusion as the tall buildings gave way to cookie-cutter suburbs, quaint picket fences and the scent of freshly mowed grass.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my curiosity finally getting the better of me..

"You'll see," Edwin replied cryptically. "Sometimes, the best way to clear your head is to just... drive."

With that, he turned onto a winding back road that had trees lining both sides. He picked up the pace, and soon we were gliding along the open road and all hints of the city had disappeared behind us.

I couldn't help but stare in awe out the window. The scenery was beautiful, all lush greens and wildflowers-something that was easily forgotten within the confines of the city. It was a stark contrast to the sterile office I had just left and the ugly- encounter with Mr. Black.

Suddenly, Edwin pulled over on the side of the road and put the car in park.

"What are you doing?" I asked, confused.

He smirked slightly, an expression I rarely saw on his usually serious face. "Putting the top down. It's too nice a day to waste."

As the convertible top folded back, the warm spring air washed over us. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the sun warm tay face and trying to forget about Mr. Black's leering gaze. Although, it was hard to relax when this felt awfully intimate.

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Without a word. Edwin put the car in gear and took off down the road. The wind whipped through my hair, splashing cool. refreshing air across my skin.

"Here" Edwin said suddenly along a particularly long stretch of road, taking my hand and placing it on the gear shift. "You

shr. 11 work the clutch"

I stared up at him, surprised by the unexpected offer. "Are you sure? I've never driven manual before"

He nodded encouragingly "Just follow my lead. It's easy once you get the hang of it"

As we sped along the winding road. Edwin called out the gear changes. At first, I was nervous, afraid I might mess up and damage his car. But after a few successful shifts, I found myself grinning, the thrill of driving pushing away the last remnants of my encounter with Mr. Black

"That's it," Edwin encouraged. "You're a natural"

Suddenly, we took a sharp turn, and I couldn't help but let out a wild yell of glee. The wind rushed past us, drowning out everything but the rour of the engine and the sound of my laughter.

"Having fun?" Edwin asked, his deep voice carrying over the wind.

"This is amazing" I shouted back. "I've never felt anything like this!"

As we rounded another bend, I looked over at Edwin, and I felt my cheeks turn an impossible shade of red. There, on his usually serious face, was an uncharacteristic grin.