The weeks following Estelle’s confrontation with Celeste Thorne were a blur of silence and avoidance. The tension that had once charged the air between them seemed to vanish, replaced by a chilling indifference that left Estelle feeling like a ghost in Celeste’s world. Every class, Estelle watched her professor, waiting for some acknowledgment, some sign that their connection—whatever it had been—was still there. But Celeste never looked her way, never called on her, never gave her a single glance.
It was as if Estelle didn’t exist.
Mia had noticed the shift, of course. “She’s stonewalling you,” Mia had said one evening after class, flipping through her notes casually as they sat in their living room. “Classic avoidance technique. She’s probably mad at herself for letting things get as far as they did.”
Estelle had tried to shrug it off, pretending that it didn’t bother her. But deep down, it gnawed at her. For weeks, she had felt the pull of something between them, the strange, electric chemistry that had hung between every glance, every conversation. And now? It was like Celeste had pulled the plug, and the connection had been severed.
But today was different. Today was the day Celeste would announce who had won the coveted internship at Thorne & Associates. Estelle had been working tirelessly on her case submissions, throwing herself into her work as a way to distract herself from the void left by Celeste’s silence. Winning the internship was her chance to prove herself, not just to Celeste, but to everyone. If she could win on merit alone, maybe she could finally get past all of the complications that had been swirling around her.
As she and Mia walked toward the lecture hall, Mia nudged her playfully. “So, how are we feeling? Confident? Nervous? Freaking out a little?”
Estelle let out a shaky laugh. “All of the above, I think.”
Mia grinned. “Well, you’ve got this. You’ve been killing it with your casework, and no one else is as sharp as you are. And Thorne would be crazy not to pick you.”
Estelle smiled weakly. Mia’s support had been the only thing keeping her grounded through the rollercoaster of emotions she’d been riding the last few weeks. “Thanks, Mia. But you know she’s been ignoring me. I don’t even know if she sees me anymore.”
Mia shook her head. “Oh, she sees you. Trust me. This whole silent treatment thing? It’s because she’s too aware of you. She’s just trying to push it all down.”
Estelle rolled her eyes. “Or she’s just mad.”
“Maybe. But that doesn’t change the fact that you deserve this internship. Ignore the personal stuff and focus on that,” Mia said, giving her a gentle nudge as they reached the door to the lecture hall.
The room was already buzzing with nervous energy as the students filed in, all of them on edge, waiting to find out who would win the internship. Celeste stood at the front of the room, her usual icy composure firmly in place, as she organized the papers on her desk. Estelle’s heart skipped a beat when she saw her, but she quickly looked away, not wanting to give anything away.
She took her seat, trying to calm her racing thoughts. This was it. The culmination of weeks of hard work, endless nights of preparation, and the strange, charged tension between her and Celeste. Now, everything would come to a head.
Celeste stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over the room as the students fell silent. Her expression was as unreadable as ever, and Estelle felt a knot of tension tighten in her chest.
“As you all know,” Celeste began, her voice calm and controlled, “today we will be announcing the student who has earned the internship at Thorne & Associates.”
There was a brief murmur in the room before silence fell again.
“I want to commend all of you for your hard work throughout this process,” Celeste continued. “The competition was fierce, and the decision was not an easy one. But as always, this position is awarded based on merit. The student who will join the firm has demonstrated not only exceptional legal acumen, but also the ability to think critically under pressure.”
Estelle’s heart was pounding now, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. This was it. Everything she had worked for was on the line.
Celeste glanced down at the paper in her hand, then looked up, her gaze scanning the room. For a brief second—so quick Estelle almost missed it—her eyes landed on her. It was the first time in weeks that Celeste had acknowledged her existence, and the intensity of that brief look sent a wave of heat rushing through Estelle.
“The student who will be awarded the internship is…” Celeste paused, the tension in the room palpable.
“…Alexander Pierce.”
The room erupted into polite applause, but for Estelle, the sound barely registered. The name echoed in her mind, ringing hollow. She had lost. After everything—after weeks of pouring her heart into this, after the sleepless nights, the strained encounters with Celeste—it had all come to this. She wasn’t chosen.
Mia glanced over at her, her face falling when she saw the look on Estelle’s face. “Oh, Estelle…”
Estelle forced a smile, nodding as if it didn’t hurt as much as it did. “It’s fine,” she said quickly, though her voice was tight. “It’s fine.”
But it wasn’t. Not really.
As the applause died down, Celeste gave a curt nod and began to dismiss the class. “Congratulations to Mr. Pierce. For those of you who were not selected, I encourage you to continue working hard. Your efforts do not go unnoticed.”
Estelle sat frozen, the weight of disappointment pressing down on her. She should have seen it coming—Celeste had been avoiding her for weeks. Of course she wouldn’t choose her. She had probably already made her decision long before today.
Mia gave her a sympathetic look as she stood. “Hey, you did great. I know this sucks, but don’t let it get you down. You’re still amazing, Estelle.”
Estelle nodded, managing a weak smile. “Thanks, Mia. I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
Mia gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze before heading out of the room with the other students. Estelle sat there for a moment, trying to collect herself, but the heaviness in her chest refused to go away.
She stood up, ready to leave and put this whole nightmare behind her, but just as she turned to go, Celeste’s voice stopped her in her tracks.
“Miss Brooks. Stay behind, please.”
Estelle froze, her pulse quickening. The lecture hall was empty now, except for the two of them. She turned slowly, meeting Celeste’s gaze. There was no cold indifference in her eyes now. Instead, there was something darker, something simmering beneath the surface.
“I need to speak with you,” Celeste said, her voice lower, more controlled than usual. “Privately.”
Estelle’s heart thudded in her chest, and without a word, she walked back toward the front of the room, stopping a few feet away from Celeste. The silence between them was thick, the unspoken tension from weeks of avoidance coiling tighter with every second.
“You didn’t win the internship,” Celeste said quietly, though the words didn’t carry the sting of judgment. “But that doesn’t mean I haven’t noticed your work.”
Estelle swallowed hard. “Then why… why didn’t you pick me?”
Celeste’s eyes flickered, her control slipping for just a moment. She took a step closer, the space between them shrinking. “Because it’s complicated.”
Estelle’s breath caught in her throat, her pulse racing. She felt the gravity between them, the tension that had been simmering for weeks finally bubbling to the surface. “Complicated how?”
Celeste’s gaze bore into her, and for the first time in weeks, she didn’t look away. “You know why,” she whispered, her voice barely above a breath.
Estelle’s heart pounded, her mind spinning. “No, I don’t. Tell me.”
Celeste’s jaw clenched, her expression tight with emotion she was clearly struggling to contain. “Because you make me lose control.”
The words hung in the air, heavy and charged, and Estelle felt a surge of something she hadn’t expected—anger, frustration, and… desire. Everything between them was bubbling over, no longer hidden behind the cold exterior that Celeste had so carefully maintained.
“I’m not a problem you can just ignore,” Estelle whispered, stepping closer. “I’m not going to disappear just because it’s ‘complicated.'”
Celeste’s eyes darkened, and before Estelle could say anything else, the professor closed the gap between them in one swift, heated motion. Their faces were inches apart, the air between them crackling with tension.
“You’re not a problem,” Celeste said, her voice low, “but you are a temptation.”
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