Unassailable: The professor.

Chapter 22

I was never fond of books.

It was something dreadful, since medicine itself requires a lot of reading and reading comprehension. I loved learning, so I had to put aside my prejudices and create myself a reading habit. Now I read a lot, and you could even find me eyeing some novels on summer breaks.

It was easier for Kate. She was always glued to fan-fiction, young adult, romance, criminal, even horror novels. Something I never understood.

I heard the door slam shut behind me, making me holt back to reality. I had been waiting for Ethan. After we got here, he had excused himself to look for something and now, after seven minutes, he was back.

He walked around my chair, making his way to the other side of the desk, sitting down. I stared at the lit cigarette between his fingers and only then noticed the slight smoke dimming the atmosphere.

He inhaled the noxious thing, diverting his eyes towards mine as I waited, patiently, no words were spoken. His ocean orbs gave away the civil war going inside him. I looked down, a sudden wave of insecurity running down my spine.

We stayed in silence for what felt like an eternity. Ethan took his time, smoking every single bit of his cigarette until it was fully consumed. He pressed it against an ashtray displayed on his desk, the thing completely dying down.

He exhaled smoke for the last time as his stare found mine once again.

"Frederick knows." Were his only words. I analyzed them, realizing what he meant in an instant.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Frederick knows, Amalia."

"N-no. I mean," I searched any trace of emotion in his eyes, looking for answers to see what that actually implied. None was found. "How?"

Frederick Hershel knew about us.

In other words, the principal of this university was well aware of the events happening regarding Dr. Vennberg and his student.

I knew something was wrong the moment I saw him walk in the classroom.

"Dr. Roux." He began. "He was delighted by your performance at the TAVR back in Germany." He almost said this in a sarcastic tone. "So he decided to phone Frederick and tell him all about how great my student was, congratulating him for raising the quality of students." I closed my eyes, flinching at the words. "Of course, what Dr. Roux didn't know was that you were a first year medicine student scrubbing in on a resident worth of surgery." I shot my eyes open to look at him. His stare was completely grim, making me shiver. "And since Frederick knows who you are -you have quite a memorable name-, at the mention of it, he instantly realized what you had done -more like what I had let you done- which is completely unprofessional and immoral coming from me."

I sighed. This was it. The end of his and mine's career.

I could've said no to the stupid TAVR.

Or he could've refused to let me go since he knew Dr. Roux was friends with Dr. Hershel.

Whoever fault's it was, I'm sure he now realizes what a stupid thing we have done. Let our feelings crash morality and ethics. This will most likely cost his job.

"What did he say when he found out?" It was the only thing I could reply as I fidgeted my fingers, looking down.

Truth to be told, I was frightened. I didn't want to know what was going to happen, I'd rather live in uncertainty than having us pay for the consequences of our mistakes.

"He implied a relationship between us. He knows me too well. He knows I would never let a first-year medicine student into an OR, not under my watch." He ran a hand through his hair as he spoke once again. "But he also doesn't know you, nor your talent. So I denied everything. I showed him your essays from my class and some of your research from other classes you take to prove to him I knew what I was doing."