Chapter 30

The moment the teacher stepped out of the classroom, Athasia wasted no time.

With a sharp, precise movement, she grabbed Zamiel by his tie and yanked him forward. The students barely had time to react before they were met with a scene straight out of a movie—Zamiel being forcefully pulled down until his face was mere inches from Athasia's.

The tension was thick.

Dead silence filled the classroom as everyone collectively stopped breathing.

Athasia's emerald-green eyes burned with barely contained rage as she growled, her voice dangerously low, "Do you fucking wish to die?"

The air froze.

Any sane person would be terrified.

After all, this was Athasia—the girl who had beaten an entire gang of thugs without breaking a sweat.

But Zamiel?

He was not a sane person.

Instead of fear, his lips curled into an infuriatingly slow, arrogant smirk.

He tilted his head slightly, his dark-red locks brushing against her cheek as he whispered, "If I die… who else will keep you entertained, Fenice Oscura?"

A shiver ran down the spines of the students.

"DID HE JUST CALL HER… FENICE OSCURA?!" someone hissed in disbelief.

"What does that mean?! What kind of nickname is that?! It sounds dangerous!"

But no one dared to say it out loud.

The entire room was on edge.

Athasia's grip on his tie tightened. Her gaze was ice-cold, but instead of backing down, Zamiel leaned closer, his face now so close that their noses almost brushed.

The air around them sizzled.

Then, just as suddenly, Athasia let go of his tie with a sharp tch.

She exhaled in irritation and muttered, "Just leave me alone."

The class barely had time to process what just happened when—

Zamiel smiled.

A slow, predatory smile.

Then, with a voice dripping with amusement—**and loud enough for the entire class to hear—**he said:

"But, Fenice Oscura, weren't you the one clinging to me? Begging me to keep going that night?"

Silence.

Utter. Silence.

Then—

"WHAT?!"

The class descended into absolute mayhem.

One student screamed so loud the windows nearly shattered.

A boy literally collapsed onto the floor.

A girl gasped and clutched her friend's arm like her life depended on it. "DID HE JUST—HE CAN'T MEAN WHAT I THINK HE MEANS?!"

"HE DID! HE ABSOLUTELY DID!"

"THERE'S NO WAY! ATHASIA?! OUR ATHASIA?!"

Another girl, shaking, turned to her desk mate. "T-Tell me I'm hearing things. That wasn't real, right?!"

Meanwhile, Mira, who had been casually eating her snack, suddenly choked so hard she slammed her fist on the desk.

"ATHASIA—WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO?!" she wheezed between coughs.

Athasia's entire body stiffened.

Her eyes widened, but only for a split second before her expression turned into one of pure, deadly irritation.

She whipped her head toward Zamiel, her gaze burning with murder. "You—"

But Zamiel?

He was enjoying every second of this.

His gray eyes gleamed with mischief, and before she could react, he leaned down, his lips hovering just over her ear.

"What's wrong, Fenice?" he murmured, his breath warm against her skin. "Are you embarrassed?"

Athasia's fingers twitched.

She was this close to punching him into the next century.