Page 17 of Ravaged Devotion

“I didn’t get my project back.”

“That’s because I never received it from you.”

Rue stared at him, momentarily confused before insisting, “I handed it to you on the due date. You looked me in the eye and thanked me.”

Professor Rain sighed and set the tablet he’d been holding down on the podium, then gave him a stern look. “Are you insinuating that I’m lying to you?”

“No, I just—”

“I do not have your project, Mr. Vadim, which means you will be receiving a failing grade. Instead of blaming me, maybe you should take this opportunity to consider the mistakes you’ve made.”

“Excuse me?” Rue’s brow furrowed. “I handed it in. We both know that I did. Why—”

“When you see your stepbrother, please tell him that letter of recommendation he requested has been sent out.” Professor Rain stared at him pointedly.

Oh.

The professor nodded. “I see you’ve finally gotten it. Then I believe we’re done here. Good day, Mr. Vadim.”

Ryker.

The Black Harts had full control over the school. If Ryker ordered Professor Rain to lose his project, there was nothing the professor could do but follow the command. Rumor was Ryker was a particularly cruel Black Hart to boot, and with his temper, Rue believed it.

For a minute he debated whether or not to confront him over it, but concluded against it. If Ryker wanted to mess with his university grades let him. If Rue ended up failing, at least that would mean he didn’t have to join Hart Holdings like Rhys and his mother expected.

Rue collected his things and then left, decided to skip lunch and head to the music building instead. He needed to clear his head, and the best way to do that was to throw himself into his major. While he was currently focused on sound engineering, his true goal was to become a producer. Most of his time was spent in the recording rooms.

As he exited the building and made his way across the quad, he thought about how excited his mom had looked, talking about the retreat. She must have attended the past two years, but prior to that, the two had been business partners, but her main focus had been on their own company. It wasn’t until the wedding that she’d merged Vadim Enterprise with Hart Holding.

Rhys wanted them to present as one big happy family for appearances, and Rue knew his mom wanted the same thing for much the same reason, but there was a part of him that also hoped she wanted Rue to be happy. That she thought bringing them together like this would help Rue find happiness.

They weren’t close, but he wouldn’t say they were distant either. It was more that they each went about their own lives. He didn’t know anything too personal about her, and she never asked about him past his grades or whether or not he’d had a good day. At twenty-one, he’d wanted to get his own apartment when he returned to the planet, but she’d insisted he stay with her at the Hart estate. Her reasoning had been that she’d missed him, and like an eager child, he’d eaten that excuse up, even knowing it most likely wasn’t true.

Aside from meals, however, the two barely spoke, even living under the same roof.

The commotion got his attention on the second floor of the main music building before he turned the corner and caught sight of the crowd. With a frown, he picked up his pace, pushing his way through until he was standing in front of the entrance to the studio room he tended to use.

His mouth dropped open when he saw what everyone was upset about.

The recording studio was trashed. Red paint had been poured all over the soundboards and smeared over the glass divider separating it from the recording booth.

“Which one of you pissed off a Black Hart?” Siena, the president of the music club, asked the crowd.

Rue’s gaze moved to the corner of the glass where a heart had been drawn with a finger through the paint.

He was pushing his way back out before he knew what he intended, racing through the halls and down the stairs, practically taking them two at a time. His feet took him to the section of campus nearby, where the hypovolley team was doing their early afternoon practice.

It was easy enough to pick Ryker out from the rest of the team, even with them zipping across the field. Rue almost took a ball to the head, ignoring the gasps and the calls to watch out.

That got Ryker’s attention and he turned from where he’d been doing drills with his friend, and fellow Black Hart, Ellery.

“What—” Ryker caught Rue’s backpack when he flung it at him, then stumbled when it was swiftly followed by Rue’s right fist.

Ellery snorted but didn’t come to his friend’s defense.

The rest of the team went quiet.

Ryker dropped Rue’s bag to the ground and then prodded at his split lip with his thumb, growling when it came back bloodstained.