Page 92 of The Ruthless Rivalry

Sylvester seemed to consider my words for a moment, his expression shifting into something thoughtful. Then, without another word, he stood up, his face a little less guarded than before.

“I think I know where you can find something that’ll help.”

“You do?” I asked, rightfully skeptical. “Why should I believe you?”

“Well, for starters, there’s a lot you don’t know about me, babe.” Sylvester’s grin was almost too smooth for my liking.

“If this ends with you dragging me into another one-on-one with Professor O'Donnelly, I’m walking the other way. Permanently.”

His mouth quirked to one side, clearly amused.

“I mean it,” I added. “Last time, she thought I was you and... I’m still recovering.”

His grin only widened. “In my defense, she has excellent taste.”

I clucked my tongue. “In delusion, maybe.”

He laughed, but there was a flicker of apology in his eyes—quick, subtle, but enough.

Still, that didn’t make it okay. He might’ve found the whole thing normal, but I hadn’t. Being mistaken for him and then hit on by a professor wasn’t just awkward—it was deeply uncomfortable. And the fact that he could joke about it so easily? Yeah, that rubbed me the wrong way.

“And anyway,” he said, gesturing for me to follow, “you happen to be in the presence of someone who knows every nook and cranny Altair has to offer.”

I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. He crossed an exaggerated ‘X’ over his chest, as if that was supposed to make him more trustworthy. Something clicked in the back of my mind. When I’d found the vault under the greenhouse, Atlas had mentioned how he hadn’t seen someone down there in ages. I couldn’t help but wonder if Mister Self-Proclaimed Expert knew anything about that little secret.

“Okay, so what’s the catch?” I asked, still cautious.

“No catch. Just me, you, and some potentially interesting places.” His tone was casual, but there was a gleam in his eye, like he knew I was already caving in.

My skepticism was still on high, but the idea of getting access to something—anything—close to what I had at my old school, especially if it meant not being stuck in this auditorium, was a hard offer to ignore.

“So what do you say?” Sylvester asked, leaning in just enough to make it feel a little more personal than necessary.

I shrugged, and he immediately took it as a yes, not bothering to pack up our things. Before I could stop myself, I was followinghim across campus. In hindsight, it probably wasn’t the smartest decision—it was dark, and he was a Legacy, for crying out loud. But I was curious, and to be honest, I really did miss getting to examine plants up close.

I couldn’t help but think how other people got abducted—lured by puppies or candy. But no, not me. My story would be about getting kidnapped for a microscope. Classic.

“So how exactly are we getting into the science building?” I asked, glancing around the dimly lit campus, still half-expecting some hidden catch to all this as we come to a stop outside the doors.

Sylvester shot me a sly grin and pulled a key from his pocket, dangling it in front of me like some sort of prize. “This should do the trick,” he said, his tone far too casual for someone who just whipped out a key to a locked building.

“How do you have a key to the science building?”

He shrugged with a smirk, clearly enjoying himself. “I’m very resourceful. A few well-placed compliments, a stolen glance here and there, and—voila!—I’ve got keys to places most students could only dream of.” He leaned in, his voice dropping a bit lower. “I mean, when you’re as charming as I am, doors tend to open…in more ways than one.”

I shot him a deadpan look.

Sylvester laughed, the sound easy and unbothered. “Alright, alright. You got me. The truth is, when we had to change locations from the auditorium to the science building that first week of class, they gave me a key, since I’m a student teacher. And they never asked for it back.”

Right. That was after I took the stagecovered head to toe in mud, creating the whole “mudslide” incident. I wasn’t exactly this university’s shining star.

I blinked, not entirely sure if he was still messing with me. “Really?”

He nodded, looking oddly proud of himself. “Well, mostly. And it helps if you have a duplicate made ahead of time, just in case.”

I gawked at him. “You made a duplicate?”

“What can I say? You’d be surprised how much easier it is to sneak around when you’re not restricted by little things like rules.”

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