Celeste Ardent

The dim glow of the surveillance monitor could be seen inside a small security room. The grainy footage displayed a tall and graceful figure standing in front of a convenience store shelf.

The person was dressed in a long navy trench coat, its high collar partially hiding her face. She was also wearing a dark cap that was pulled down to hide her eyes. Though a few loose strands of her brown hair slipped out beneath it, framing her pale feature.

The woman's eyes darted around nervously. She was looking around though her gaze never rested in one place for too long. Though she appeared to be browsing through the store, her stiff posture and hesitant movements said she were unease.

Then, her hand stopped.

She had found her target, It was a sleek, silver-plated pocket watch.

The watch was displayed inside an elegant glass case near the counter, reflecting the store's bright yellow lighting.

The woman's fingers twitched slightly. Her head turned ever so slightly, scanning the whole store. The tension in her shoulders grew as she confirmed that no one was paying attention to her.

Then, for a swift movement her slender fingers slid through the small gap in the display case. In a single practiced motion, she retrieved the watch and slipped it deep into the folds of her coat

A flicker of unease crossed her delicate face.

She exhaled softly, then reached into her bag, rummaging through its contents to make it seem like she was merely searching for something. To further conceal her actions, she casually grabbed a few pieces of jewelry, flipping them over to inspect their details.

Moments later, she straightened her posture. She took a slow and measured breath, and began walking toward the exit, her steps were carefully controlled.

Click.

The video paused.

A young man leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable. His fingers hovered over the screen of his phone as he watched the paused video on the screen.

The young man already knew who she was.

Celeste Ardent.

The esteemed professor from Edenhurst University—his professor.

- - -

The Next Day

The long hallway of Edenhurst Academy was lined with towering lockers. In there, a young man moved cautiously through the corridor, his thin frame barely making a sound.

He hesitated at a door marked as Professor's Office – Celeste Ardent.

After a deep breath, he raised his fist and knocked twice.

"Come in."

The voice inside was calm yet firm.

The man swallowed hard before pushing the door open. Inside, the office was pristine. Bookshelves lined every wall, filled with neatly stacked volumes of research papers and old bokes.

Behind the desk, a woman named Celeste Ardent sat with an air of quiet authority, flipping through a set of documents.

Without looking up, she spoke.

"What is it?"

"Professor," the student said, his voice uneven, "the foreign transfer student… he stole my money."

Celeste finally lifted her gaze, her silver-rimmed glasses reflecting the light of her office. Her striking blue eyes locked onto the student, narrowing slightly.

She had never thought highly of foreign students. They came to Edenhurst, claiming intelligence and ambition, but in the end, they were all just bunch of people who wanted to run away from their own country.

And this particular transfer student had already been a thorn in her side.

"Are you talking about Ethan Cross?" she asked, her tone was sharp but also expectant.

The student, Nathan Wren, nodded stiffly.

"Yes, it was him."

Celeste exhaled slowly, setting her pen down with deliberate precision.

"I see. Bring him to me."

A small grin appeared on Nathan face before he nodded quickly and left the office.

In the lecture hall, Nathan scanned the crowd until his gaze landed on a young man sitting near the back.

Ethan Cross was the kind of person who wouldn't stand out in any crowd, not because he wanted to, but because he was being ignored by everyone. 

Taking a deep breath, Nathan walked over and forced a polite smile.

"Hey, Ethan… Professor Ardent wants to see you."

Ethan Cross was tall and lean, with sharp and chiseled features. He is cold with piercing gray eyes. However, despite his good looks, people weren't fond of him. Instead, he was getting weird looks and was getting teased. 

Ethan merely raised an eyebrow when he heard his name. 

"For what?"

"She didn't say…" There was cockiness in the boy's tone as he answered. There was also a hint of mischied on his face, as if he were trying hard to suppress something.

Among the people in their university, Nathan was the person who made fun of him the most. Nathan was the typical popular guy in the class for his good looks. 

However, Ethan only cowered his head and nodded.

'Oh? Before I could go looking for her, she called for me first? How convenient.' despite having a meek expression, Ethan was glad in the inside. 

Without a word, Ethan stood up and made his way to Ms. Celeste's office, not seeing the playful grin that appeared on Nathan's lips. 

Ethan quickly arrived at Ms. Celeste's office. 

*Knock 

*Knock 

"You may come in!" 

Hearing the indifferent and cold voice, Ethan pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Celeste sat behind her desk, her posture was as poised as ever. She was dressed impeccably in a white long-sleeve shirt and a skirt suit that accentuated her slender frame.

She was also wearing a pair of black leather heels which completed her commanding presence. From her neatly pinned brown hair to her cold, analytical gaze, everything about her screamed authority.

[Name]: Celeste Ardent

[Age]: 31

[Gender]: Female

[Reputation]: 100.

[Appearance]: 100 < Impeccable and sophisticated, always well-dressed>

[Occupation]: Professor at Edenhurst University

[Personality]: Cold, calculating, and authoritative.

As words magically appeared in front of Ethan's face, a small smile played on his lips.

'Cold, calculating, and authoritative?' 

The description just fit the woman welll.

"Mr. Cross," Celeste's voice was cold as she stared at Ethan with indifference. "You've been accused of theft." she was direct with her words. 

However, Ethan's gray eyes didn't waver. He already knew that this was about to happen.

He has already gone through this same exact same incident. 

"That's a serious accusation, Professor. I assume you have proof?" He asked, his tone was calm and measured.

Celeste didn't answer immediately. She was surprised by the guy's confidence. 

'Shouldn't he be scared now?" Celeste wondered. "Maybe he was just trying to be courageous.' With that thought, Celeste silently nodded as he thought of those words.

She grinned and merely clasped her hand, her gaze was unyielding.

Ethan chuckled softly and reached into his coat pocket.

A grainy surveillance video flickered to life on the phone screen.

The woman in the video was dressed in a long navy trench coat. Her dark cap concealed most of her face, but the unmistakable shape of her fingers and the subtle movements of her hands couldn't deny it.

The video clearly captured how the woman hesitated before the glass case, her fingers twitching. Then, with a swift, precise motion, she slipped the silver pocket watch into her coat.

Celeste Ardent's breath hitched.

Her fingers curled against the desk, but she quickly steadied herself.

'Got you,' Ethan leaned forward, his smirk widening.