Starved for air, Georgia Thorne’s face was an unnatural shade of red.

He released Georgia Thorne’s lips and ordered in a husky voice, "Drive!"

Owen Sawyer was still sitting in the front seat.

Nearly a week had passed since her blind date with Zane Lennox.

It was Friday again. Georgia Thorne got a call from Elliot Sheridan, who said he was free and would pick her up from school today.

He also asked her to buy something important.

"Georgia Thorne, you’re a girl, and you’re buying something like this?"

"What I’m buying is none of your business!" Humiliated and furious, Georgia Thorne snatched the item and stormed out.

Head bowed, Georgia Thorne rushed out of the pharmacy. Zane Lennox, standing by the entrance, watched her figure disappear into the teeming crowd until she was out of sight...

’She has a man?’

’But doesn’t she like me?’

Zane Lennox frowned and chased after her without a second thought.

A rage simmered in his chest, threatening to boil over if he didn’t let it out.

He even forgot he was there to buy medicine for his roommate.

Georgia Thorne jogged all the way to the usual spot to wait for Elliot Sheridan.

A black car slowly pulled up. Georgia Thorne opened the door and got in.

She was covered in sweat. Elliot Sheridan glanced at her. "Did you run all the way here?"

Still catching her breath, her face flushed, Georgia Thorne nodded. "I was afraid I’d keep you waiting!"

That was only half-true; she was also afraid Zane Lennox might have followed her.

’Of all the rotten luck, he just had to see me.’

Her gaze seemed distant, and he suddenly found himself wondering what—or who—was on her mind.

’Who is she thinking about?’

He suddenly recalled the man he’d seen arguing with Georgia Thorne in the hotel lobby the other day.

After a satisfying meal, Georgia Thorne lay exhausted in Elliot Sheridan’s arms, her eyelids so heavy they felt like they were at war.

’I’m so unlucky,’ she thought. ’Not only do I have to cook for him, but then I get devoured by him.’

Meanwhile, back at Portmire U, Zane Lennox chased her all the way to the girls’ dorms, only to realize something.

He only knew her name was Georgia Thorne. He knew nothing else about her, much less which dorm she lived in.

The phone in his pocket rang. It was his roommate, asking why he hadn’t returned with the medicine yet.

Zane Lennox muttered, "I forgot," and hung up.

Gazing at the girls all around who kept glancing his way, he felt like he was possessed.

’Otherwise, why would I have chased her all the way from the pharmacy?’

At noon the next day, Zane Lennox spotted a familiar face in the cafeteria.

"You’re...?"

Zane Lennox looked at her. He didn’t know her name, but he knew she was always with Georgia Thorne.

They had to be good friends.

"I’m Nancy Hughes!" Nancy was so excited she felt like she might faint. Her campus crush was finally talking to her.

"Georgia Thorne’s roommate?"

Nancy Hughes nodded. "Mr. Lennox, I..."

Just as she worked up the courage to confess, Zane Lennox cut her off. "Where’s Georgia Thorne? Was she in her dorm last night?"

"No, Georgia goes home every Friday." A flicker of disappointment crossed Nancy’s face. Why did Zane Lennox keep bringing up Georgia Thorne?

’Could he have a thing for Georgia?’

"Mr. Lennox, what’s wrong with Georgia? Are you...!"

"Shut up! Don’t you dare mention her name in front of me!"

His voice was a furious roar and his expression turned vicious. Nancy Hughes trembled in fear.

Georgia Thorne spent the entire weekend being thoroughly worn out by Elliot Sheridan, leaving her drained of all energy.

So she had Elliot Sheridan drive her back to school. The gates closed at ten, and they reached the usual spot at nine-thirty.

Before she got out, Elliot Sheridan grabbed her by the wrist and kissed her fiercely.

She blushed the entire walk back.

She was at the entrance to the girls’ dorm and just about to go inside when a voice stopped her.

"Georgia Thorne!"

The voice came from behind her. She turned to see Zane Lennox storming toward her, his face a thunderous mask of anger.

Before she could react, he seized her wrist and started dragging her away!

"Zane Lennox, what are you doing?!" Georgia Thorne struggled, trying to slap his hand away.

But the harder she struggled, the greater Zane Lennox’s anger grew, and the tighter he gripped her wrist.

A red mark was already forming on her captive wrist.

"Why did you just grab me like that?!"

Finally wrenching free, she clutched her aching hand, her delicate brows furrowing as she yelled at Zane Lennox.

"Georgia Thorne, are you seeing some other man?! Who is he? Tell me his name!"

Hearing Zane Lennox’s crude words, Georgia Thorne’s face burned with heat.

"What right do you have to ask me that?!" Georgia Thorne shot back.

To Zane Lennox’s ears, that sounded like a confession.

’She’s admitting it! She really is seeing another man!’

"What right? Hah! Have you forgotten that we’re engaged to be married?!"

"Engaged? Zane Lennox, are you kidding me? Weren’t you the one at the restaurant who told me to give up hope, that you would never, ever marry me? Have you forgotten that already?" Georgia Thorne found it hilarious.

’He was the one who rejected me first, so what right does he have to say anything to me now!’

At Georgia Thorne’s words, Zane Lennox was reminded of what had happened at the restaurant.

For a moment, her words left him speechless, unable to find a retort.

"Zane Lennox, you look like a jealous husband when you get angry. Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for me, have you?" Georgia Thorne mocked him with a laugh.

Zane Lennox gritted his teeth. "Never!"

The next morning, as Georgia Thorne and Nancy Hughes were heading to class, Georgia noticed a lot of girls staring at her.

At first, she thought it was just her imagination, until she overheard some girls walking brazenly behind her, gossiping.

"I always wondered what kind of girl Zane Lennox liked. If you ask me, this Georgia Thorne isn’t all that special!"

Georgia Thorne’s temper flared. She spun around and blocked the girls’ path. "I’m sorry, could you repeat that?"

After spending so much time with Elliot Sheridan, she had even started to pick up some of his intimidating presence.

The girl was startled by Georgia Thorne, but she quickly found her courage. "So what? Don’t get all smug just because Zane Lennox said you’re his girlfriend!"

"What did you just say?"

’Zane Lennox admitted she was his girlfriend? That’s completely absurd!’

"Go on, play dumb. The whole school knows! And Zane Lennox is definitely going to dump you!"

"This is insane!"

Georgia Thorne later found out from others that Zane Lennox, that lunatic, had actually announced to the entire school that she was his girlfriend.

Georgia Thorne couldn’t find Zane Lennox anywhere. It was as if he had vanished. He had to be avoiding her on purpose.

Late that night, Georgia Thorne returned to her dorm room to find Nancy Hughes hunched over her computer.

Seeing her, Nancy quickly shut her laptop. "Did you find Zane Lennox?"

"No. I have no idea where the hell he’s gone!"

Nancy Hughes looked at Georgia Thorne’s fuming expression, opening her mouth to say something several times before closing it again.

’Georgia really is beautiful,’ she thought. ’If Zane Lennox really has fallen for her, it wouldn’t be surprising at all.’

Her thoughts drifted to the comments on the school’s online forum, about how Zane Lennox had powerfully declared in front of everyone that Georgia Thorne was his girlfriend.

She couldn’t help but feel a pang of envy toward Georgia. How wonderful it would be if she were the one Zane Lennox liked.

Unable to find Zane Lennox anywhere on campus, Georgia Thorne could only stew in her anger.

She was terrified Elliot Sheridan would find out. He seemed to know everything, and if he learned she was involved with another man, he would surely cast her aside.

After thinking it over, she knew she had to find Zane Lennox and set the record straight.

She had to make him clarify to the entire school that there was absolutely nothing between them!

For the next two days, whenever Georgia Thorne had a spare moment, she ran to Zane Lennox’s department to look for him, but everyone always said he wasn’t there.

’The way people looked at her was so strange. This was all Zane Lennox’s fault!’

On Tuesday night, Georgia Thorne received a text from Elliot Sheridan. He said he had an engagement that evening, so she didn’t need to come to the apartment.

With trembling fingers, she texted back a single word: "Okay." ’Does he already know?’ she wondered.