She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother Chapter 355: Classroom 204

Classroom 204 felt hollow, the air heavy with the aroma of aged paper and the persistent morning chill.

Alex pushed the doors open, his boots announcing his arrival with rhythmic clicks against the floor.

The chamber resembled a graveyard for failed aspirations. The tiered benches, typically crowded with boisterous elites and their sycophants, stood largely deserted.

A few students were scattered across the rows, carefully avoiding eye contact. William and Brad’s habitual spots remained vacant. Alex registered their absence without faltering in his stride.

He knew precisely where they were.

Those two were still enduring their penance, likely still feeling the physical and mental toll of the lessons he had inflicted upon them.

Then, his focus drifted to the middle row.

Madison and Emma sat together at the same desk. When Alex entered, their heads snapped upward simultaneously. Their gazes ignited with a sudden brilliance—a volatile blend of raw hunger and pure devotion.

Madison’s fingers tapped restlessly on the desk, while Emma’s breath hitched, her pupils widening as she observed his newfound, magnetic aura.

Despite the fire burning in their eyes, they remained motionless. They were perfectly disciplined.

They understood the risks; they dared not expose their secret allegiance in a room filled with prying eyes. They maintained the facade of typical students, yet their attention never drifted elsewhere.

As he walked down the aisle, a few students offered hesitant, respectful nods of acknowledgment.

Among them sat Jenny Alvarez in the front row. Unlike her peers, Jenny relied not on family prestige; she had consistently been a top performer, her intellect matching her ironclad self-discipline.

Alex had always held a high opinion of her; she was one of the few who earned her place in this room strictly through merit.

Alex stopped beside her desk, a looming presence.

"It is quiet today," he remarked, his voice cool and low. "Where is everyone?"

Jenny looked up, her expression a mix of awe and intrigue at his refined aura.

"Most of them are not like us, Alex," Jenny replied, her tone carrying the clinical detachment of a high-level strategist. She gestured toward the empty chairs with a dismissive motion of her pen.

"They possess families wealthy enough to sustain them regardless of their academic effort. To them, these seats are merely placeholders until they inherit their fathers' boardrooms."

She leaned toward him slightly, her eyes locking onto his with a rare hint of respect. "As for the others? They are hiding in the library, desperately scrambling to recover their GPAs."

Alex offered an appreciative nod and strode toward his seat. Mike sat down beside him.

Behind them, Danny and Sarah claimed their seats with synchronized, calm movements.

The door swung open, and a female professor entered, radiating professional energy as she gripped a stack of pamphlets. She surveyed the sparse room, her smile wavering momentarily at the poor attendance.

"I see only a few of you have arrived today," she began, her voice reverberating through the spacious room.

"However, that is understandable." She paused, sweeping her gaze over the rows with a mix of realism and encouragement.

"Most students here have their destinies pre-written for them. But you... all of you in this room... are the ones who must actually earn your spots. You do not come from families that cleared your paths. You are the architects of your own futures."

She leaned over the lectern, eyes gleaming.

"Yet, take heart; the moment you have anticipated has arrived. Recruitment season is officially open. This represents your premier opportunity to gain the notice of industry titans... to accelerate your careers and build a legacy that no one can strip away."

She proceeded with a passionate discourse on the corporate ladder, but for a specific cohort in the room, her words were merely background static.

Alex eyed the chalkboard, his expression unreadable. He had no need for the assistance of these corporations. He was not pursuing mere employment; he aimed to acquire the very buildings housing those jobs.

Beside him, Mike did not even bother to retrieve his notebook. Danny and Sarah traded a silent, knowing look. They had already abandoned the traditional path.

Alex had promised them something superior—something tangible—and their trust in him eclipsed any corporate representative.

Across the aisle, Madison and Emma were entirely checked out; the professor might as well have been speaking in parables.

Their entire universe had narrowed down to the man sitting just a few feet away.

To their eyes, Alex seemed different today—sharper, more attractive, radiating a level of authority that made their past boyfriends resemble pathetic insects.

They recalled the "idiots" they had previously dated, men foolish enough to challenge Alex, and felt a surge of revulsion.

They had discarded William and Brad in their minds long ago.

Now, they sat in silence, their bodies humming with restless anticipation, waiting for the bell... waiting for the lecture to conclude so they could find a path back into his proximity.

***

Boredom descended upon him like a heavy shroud. Alex reclined, his vision drifting aimlessly as the professor's lecture devolved into a monotonous drone.

To him, these classes were strictly procedural; learning had become remarkably effortless, nearly instinctive, and he simply wished to pass the exams to bypass the university's academic charade.

Regardless, his mind remained active. He had begun identifying those in the room possessing genuine potential—the individuals he wanted in his employ.

The primary candidate on his list was Jenny.

His gaze shifted, finding her exactly where he anticipated. She sat perfectly erect, her posture standing in stark contrast to the slumped students around her, eyes focused entirely on the professor.

She was a resource he intended to acquire, though he knew a woman of her intellect would not join him simply by his request.

He observed the back of her head, his expression void of emotion. He did not need her compliance immediately; he had already meticulously devised the strategy to ensure her agreement.

He allowed his gaze to wander, his dark eyes eventually landing on the desk of Madison and Emma.

As his focus hit them, Madison’s composure wavered. A slow, knowing smirk spread across her lips—a look far too intimate for a lecture hall.

Emma, beside her, bit her lip, her eyes shining with a feverish intensity as she watched him.

Buzz.

The silent vibration of his phone against his thigh broke the spell. Alex retrieved the device, shielding the display from the lecturer’s view.

One notification. Madison’s name.

>It seems you have nearly forgotten that we exist. Or was our "thank you" in the archives insufficient to make a lasting mark?

He looked up without moving his head. Madison held her phone low against her thigh, with Emma leaning in closely to read the screen. Emma dipped her chin in a slight, approving nod.

Alex typed his reply.

>Why would I remember you?

He monitored the delivery tick. He watched Madison’s shoulders shift. She tilted the screen toward Emma, who pressed her lips together to suppress a reaction.

Madison began typing, taking her time.

>That is incredibly cruel, Alex. After everything... we cannot stop thinking about you. Not for a single hour. You have completely ruined us for everyone else.

Alex’s lips curled into a slow, predatory smirk as he observed them through his peripheral vision.

They were practically vibrating in their seats; the tension was so intense it was a miracle the rest of the class remained oblivious.

He typed a response with a casual, devastating flick of his thumb.

>That sounds like a personal struggle, Madison. I do not remember signing a contract to entertain your whims whenever you grow bored in class.

He raised his head, locking his gaze directly onto hers. Across the aisle, Madison did not flinch; she met his stare with a raw, feverish intensity that made the air feel electrified.

Emma leaned in next to her, her face flushed, both staring at him with the desperation of prisoners awaiting a judgment.

A moment later, his phone buzzed again.

>Do not be like that. We can be quite adept at... certain things. Especially together. And surely you have not forgotten William and Brad? That type of experience does not just evaporate, Alex. We can still see the result of it in your eyes.

He raised an eyebrow.

Then another message arrived:

>We could help you release that tension. Just say the word, and we will be very, very obedient.

He placed his phone face-down on his knee.

Across the aisle, Madison had become perfectly still—the stiff, expectant posture of someone waiting for a reply that wasn't forthcoming. Emma leaned in to whisper something in her ear. Madison’s jaw tightened. She reached for her phone once more.

One final message.

>We will be waiting at our usual spot, sir.

Alex turned his attention back to the chalkboard. He allowed a brief, predatory smirk to touch his lips before vanishing.

He did not offer a reply. Instead, he locked his phone and returned his focus to Mrs. Gable, a subtle, cold smile lingering on his face.