I used to think my rebellion was my shield — a wall built high enough to keep everyone out, to make me look untouchable, unaffected, impossible to read. It was easier that way. Safer that way. But that was before Damian Blackwood stepped into my life. My professor. A man with sharp eyes, a colder voice, and the kind of control that makes silence feel dangerous. It was just fear wearing a prettier face. Because Damian Blackwood doesn’t look at me like I’m a problem to solve. He looks at me like I’m a secret he intends to keep.