The final bell of the afternoon echoed sharply through the lecture hall, triggering a loud wave of shuffling feet and zipping backpacks. Sophie stood up from the back row, her expression perfectly composed into her professional demeanor as she marched down the steps toward the podium.

Alexander was already standing in the aisle, his dark eyes tracking her movement. He was about to intercept her right there, but he stopped, a slow, amused smirk touching his lips as Sophie stepped right up to the front desk, clearing her throat to command the room’s attention.

"Excuse me, everyone! Please don’t leave just yet," stated Sophie, her voice ringing out with absolute clarity across the auditorium.

The students paused, several groans echoing near the exit as they turned back to look at the class representative.

"As you all know, the annual campus festival is just around the corner, and our department’s performance is absolutely crucial this year," Sophie announced, gesturing toward the massive poster Alexander had helped her pin earlier. "Our funding allocation depends entirely on our pitch and execution. This isn’t just about selling snacks or putting on a basic show; we are pitching a fully integrated cultural experience to the student board. We need to maximize our fundraising goals to secure our department’s budget for next semester."

Alexander leaned back against one of the desks, crossing his arms over his chest as he listened to her speak. She was laying it on thick, utilizing her standard managerial persona to rally the unmotivated crowd. Since he couldn’t corner her while she was in the middle of a public speech, he decided to play along, keeping his eyes locked onto her flushed face.

"I know everyone is busy with midterms," Sophie continued, her eyes intentionally avoiding Alexander’s direction. "But I’m asking for volunteers to stay behind for a brief assembly right now to organize the preparation committees. We need hands on deck."

"Come on, Sophie, we don’t have cash to throw at decorations, and we can’t just give you money and do nothing," shouted one of the guys near the middle row.

"I’ve already accounted for that," stated Sophie immediately, striking back with a sharp, pragmatic tone. "This isn’t about just donating money. If you can’t contribute financially, your hands and your time are just as valuable for the pre-production phases. But to make this work, everyone who signs up must actively participate on the actual day of the event."

The crowd still looked entirely skeptical, most of them eager to hit the parking lot. Seeing the hesitation, the professor—who was still at the main desk packing his laptop into his briefcase—suddenly cleared his throat and leaned toward the microphone.

"Listen to your representative, everyone," stated the professor, his deep voice carrying weight across the hall. "The administration is taking this festival very seriously. To motivate active engagement, I’ve agreed with the department head to award two extra points on the current partial exam, and one full bonus point to the final course average for any student who participates actively in Sophie’s committee."

A sudden, intense murmur rippled through the entire room. After the absolute nightmare of the three unexpected exams they had just taken, the promise of extra credit was an absolute lifeline. Students who had been halfway out the door instantly turned back around, scrambling to find a seat as the atmosphere shifted into a focused, highly cooperative assembly. 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

Alexander let out a low, quiet chuckle, his eyes narrowing as he watched Sophie’s lips twitch into a victorious smile. She had the room right where she wanted them—and he was more than happy to sit back and watch her play her part.

Sophie thanked everyone who decided to stay behind, her eyes shining with a sense of accomplishment as she began to hand out sign-up sheets for the various committees.

Alexander glanced at the screen of his watch. The afternoon was slipping away. He was supposed to head over to the theater club soon to keep training his two desperate puppies, and he had also planned to drop by the library to look for Lilly. But as he looked down at Sophie, he decided he wasn’t going to let this little bird slip out of his hands so easily. He needed to plant the seed right now.

He stayed in his seat, quietly listening to the debate for a few more minutes, casually voting on a couple of minor layout choices for the festival booths just to blend in.

Sophie, noticing his presence, saw her chance to make things difficult for him. She walked down the aisle, her eyes sharp as she looked straight at him. "Since you’re so eager to help, Alexander, I’m assigning you to the main stall management. We need someone reliable to stand there for the entire twelve hours of the event."

Sophie was clearly trying to trap him as a punishment, but Alexander just let out a low, smooth chuckle, completely unfazed.

"I’d love to help with the stall, Sophie," stated Alexander, leaning back with a relaxed smile. "But I actually have a scheduled performance with the theater club that day, so I won’t be able to stay trapped behind a counter. I have to be on stage."

Sophie bit her lower lip, visibly frustrated that her attempt to corner him had failed so easily. Before she could speak and try to assign him a different, tedious chore, Alexander smoothly stood up from his seat, towering over her.

"However," stated Alexander, his voice drawing the attention of the students nearby. "I can support the department financially to speed things up."

Sophie blinked, caught completely off guard by the offer. She quickly adjusted her glasses, trying to maintain her cold, professional distance. "Financially? Well... we are trying to keep costs down. We expect the total budget for decorations and supplies not to exceed 950 dollars. The plan is to return the money to the investors from the total sales profit at the end of the festival, assuming we—"

"Don’t worry about the math," interrupted Alexander smoothly.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, tapping the screen to open his bank application. He took a step closer, completely invading her personal space until she was forced to look up at him. "Give me your phone," commanded Alexander, his voice low and completely steady.

Sophie hesitated for a fraction of a second, but under the heavy, intense pressure of his gaze, she submissively unlocked her device and held it out. Alexander scanned her payment code, typed in a quick sequence, and hit confirm.

A sharp, digital chime echoed from Sophie’s phone. She looked down at the notification screen, her amber eyes widening into absolute, breathless shock as she read the numbers.

He had just transferred 5,000 dollars directly into her account.

Before she could scream or question the massive amount, Alexander leaned down, his broad shoulder completely blocking her from the view of the rest of the room. He pressed his lips right against her ear, his warm breath sending a sharp, involuntary shiver down her neck.

"Use whatever you need to buy the absolute best materials," whispered Alexander, his deep voice carrying a dark, possessive melody. "I expect our department to be the absolute best, because I want you to always stay right at the top. Count on me for everything, princess."

He pulled back, giving her a slow, wicked smirk as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. Leaving Sophie completely frozen, her face burning a deep, bright crimson as she stared at the screen, Alexander turned around and casually walked out of the lecture hall.