"Go on..." he said.
I pulled out an instrument, a thermometer a minute later and checked and I was right. He has a mild fever. I looked at him and saw him smiling at me 
 "Tell me, what are your findings, doc?" His calm tone echoed like a soft melodic tune ringing in my ear. 
I could feel my cheeks getting flustered and looked at him once more “You have a mild fever, a few medicines will be appropriate. I'm sure there's stocks for your fever to heal quickly” I said. 
"I see. I guess I'll do that then," he replied.
I smiled. "You should also check yourself too," I advised.
"I was too busy; I don't have time for myself every day," he said.
"It's not an excuse," I said firmly.
He chuckled. "Well, I guess I'll just ask you to take care of me then." 
My eyes widened in shock, speachless from what he said. I looked away, feeling my face grow hotter.
"Well, I'm not a professional doctor; I'm just your student," I said.
"My students are the best," he replied, standing carefully and walking toward me. 
"You're one of them. If I were to be your patient, I’d hope to be sick all the time."
His eyes remained locked on mine, his voice husky and whispering, yet I could hear him. Silence filled us and I was praying that he wouldn't hear my heart that was beating so fast. He rose from his seat, still our eyes still locked on each other, we didn't dare to break our gazes. 
“Thorne…” A whisper escaped from my mouth. Our eyes locked together, those raven eyes of his hypnotizing me to be drawn to him more. 
"Yes, flower?" he called me with that endearment again
I swallowed, struggling to maintain my composure. His hands crawled to my cheek swaying tangles of hair on my face. His touch made me shiver and my heart was beating intensively. 
"You're as beautiful as winter," he whispered.
He was just a few inches away, his heavy breaths filling the space between us.
“I—” I stammered, words caught in my throat.
He stayed still, his gaze fixed on me, as though savoring the sight of my flustered state.
“I—I’m sorry... I should go,” I blurted.
Before I could think, my feet moved on their own, carrying me out of his clinic in a rush. My heart thundered in my chest like a stampede.
Oh my God.
I was in my room staring at the ceiling as the words of Thorne echoing in my mind. My heart still raced. I was tossing and turning myself in the bed, my cheeks were hot as Thorne’s words replayed in my head.
"You're as beautiful as the winter” 
"Oh God, stop it!" I shot up from bed, pulling at my hair like a lunatic. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. 
"You're fine," I whispered, as if saying it aloud would make it true.
I looked around my messy room. Clothes were scattered, books lay open on the floor, and the clock glared at 12 a.m. Sleep was a distant thought. I couldn’t even remember how I got back to my dorm, but at least I was here, safe.
The memory of earlier in the clinic crept back in. His words, his actions—it was all so strange. The way he treated me, as if he... liked me. That shouldn’t be it. I should be angry, furious even. But why wasn’t I?
Thorne. He’s arrogant, a womanizer, and worst of all, my professor. And I’m his student. That’s it. That’s all it should ever be.
Yet I couldn’t deny his charisma. I hated myself for feeling the slightest pull toward him. I’m just a normal person, right? Admiring someone isn’t wrong. But the way he acted—it felt so wrong.
I can’t let this continue. I can’t. For both our sakes, I need to stay away. I won’t let my career and dreams be ruined by some scandalous mistake.
Standing, I went to the closet and pulled out a small box. Inside was a picture frame—the only photo I had of my parents’ wedding. I had taken it from my aunt’s mansion long ago.
I sighed, gripping it tightly. "Yeah, Zai. Remember why you’re here," I whispered, as if reminding myself could chase away these unwelcome thoughts.
The next morning, I kept my composure and blended in with my colleagues. 
Fortunately, I was assigned to storage duty today, which meant I wouldn’t have to be near him like I was last night.
Thorne was seated across from me, along with Caden and Arthur. Our glances met briefly, but I quickly looked away, focusing on the window as the carriage moved. 
I had spent last night working on two chapters of my paper and planned to finish the rest after our clinical duty.With only two more days of clinical duty left, I was eager to wrap things up. 
I also heard about a family celebration next week, but I wasn’t sure what to expect. I should ask the girls for more details so I can be prepared.
As we arrived at the clinic, I headed straight to the storage with Thalia. She was friendly and talkative, and Secretary Shin handed us a list of supplies to check.
Thalia was sorting through the herbal medications while I organized the vials. We were also rearranging some items since they were disorganized. The door opened, and Caden walked in.
"Hey, I need this," he said, holding a slip for Secretary Shin.
I quickly handed him two vials. 
"That's odd," Thalia said, catching my attention.
"What's wrong?" I asked.
"Well, last time I visited Arthur to get some medications, I noticed that one particular medication was quite expensive," Thalia explained.
"What medication?" I inquired.
"Macana Root," she replied. "I remember that only one was missing last time since I gave it to a patient."
"How many Macana Root bottles are listed?" I asked.
"24," Thalia said. "It was 25 before, but I gave one away."
I checked the paper and counted the inventory. The list was updated daily, and the last people assigned were Keegan and Arlo. If Caden had made an error, the products should total 24. But there were only 23 left.
"No one requested this medication today, right?" Thalia asked.
I shook my head. Macana Root is expensive and hard to find at some pharmacies.
"I should report this to Secretary Shin," Thalia said.
"You should," I agreed.
As Thalia left, I continued checking the vials. The stock was a bit low since Thorne had limited the supplies to reduce responsibility. In most hospitals, the vials would be fully stocked.
When I spotted the vial of Eluvar, I was taken aback—it was rare and usually only available in selected hospitals. How did Thorne manage to get two bottles of this?
I counted again, confused by the lone potion sitting on his shelf.
"That can't be right," I muttered.
I double-checked the request papers for the medications we’d gathered so far. There wasn’t a single order for this vial.
Just then, Thalia returned with Secretary Shin.
"One vial is missing," I said, my voice uneasy.
Thalia and Secretary Shin's eyes widened in shock..
"Who was here last night?" Thalia asked.
"Professor Thorne and I," I replied, quickly adding, "But I left first."
A tense silence followed as we all processed the situation.
As the day ended, we were all gathered in the kitchen after our shift. Thorne entered the room, his eyes briefly meeting mine before I quickly looked away.
"So, what's this I hear about missing medications?" he asked, sitting on the edge of the table with a calm demeanor.
"Zaira and I were checking the inventory, and one bottle of Macana Root was missing," Thalia explained, her voice steady. "It’s a valuable medication—worth three golds and two silvers."
I sighed and added, "The same with Eluvar. One vial is missing."
Secretary Shin chimed in, "There haven't been any clients who ordered either of those medications."
Thorne's expression remained unchanged. "So, the robbery likely happened last night."
He paused before continuing, "I was the one who closed the clinic, and I didn’t take any medications with me, especially not the ones mentioned."
Thalia then turned to me. "Zaira mentioned she was with you last night. Is that correct?"
I raised an eyebrow, feeling a hint of suspicion in her tone. I had already told her, but did she think I was lying?
"Yes," Thorne answered, sounding uninterested. "I reviewed her case study last night and left afterward."
The room fell silent for a moment, tension hanging in the air as everyone processed the situation. I couldn't help but feel a mix of confusion and unease.
"There are two keys to the clinic, one with me and one with Secretary Shin," Thorne stated calmly.
"I was with my son last night; he was sick," Secretary Shin added, her voice defensive.
Thorne sighed. "I'll ask Blackwell to look into this. You're all dismissed."
We quickly packed our things and left with our colleagues. As the carriage moved away, I glanced back at the clinic before turning my attention elsewhere. The carriage was quiet until Arthur broke the silence.
"Who do you think stole the medications?" he asked, voicing what we were all thinking.
"We don’t know," Caden replied. "But Doc seems determined to get to the bottom of it."
Thalia then spoke up, her tone hinting at suspicion. "Well, at least I know who stayed in the clinic last night."
Everyone turned to look at her, and I raised an eyebrow. I can't believe her, she shifted her behavior from a nice one to her bad side 
"We all know what Zaira did last night," Caden said, standing up for me. "I can vouch for her."
"I'm just saying," Thalia continued, "she was near the medications. How do we know she didn't use that paper as an alibi?"
"That's enough, stop blaming her," Caden snapped, frustration evident in his voice.
"Oh please—it's suspicious!" Thalia insisted rolling my eyes. 
I finally spoke up, calm but firm. "Why would I steal Macana Roots and Eluvar?"
"I don’t know," Thalia retorted, "maybe to use it for fevers or sell it."
My brows furrowed, holding my ground. "Before you start pointing fingers, make sure you actually know what those medications are for."
Thalia folded her arms, her tone still accusatory. "And you do? Come on, Zai, we're in the same year. Those medications are way too complex for us."
I looked at Thalia with a blank expression. "Well, I guess we don't have the same brains."
She sneered, "Oh, you're talking like a professional now? Then tell us what those meds do."
"That's enough!" Caden interjected, trying to diffuse the situation.
But I answered anyway. "Macana Root is typically used to increase stamina and sexual health. Eluvar vials are given to patients for faster recovery from disorders."
Everyone was stunned, clearly not expecting that explanation.
"Why would I steal a medication for sexual stamina? And selling Eluvar is illegal in most areas. Black markets aren't exactly easy to find in this city. If I did that, I'd already be behind bars," I added, making my point clear.
"So, tell me, are you still going to point fingers, or are you just insecure?" I asked, staring her down. 
He was speechless looking away, I saw embarrassment crept over her face but she said nothing as the boys sat in stunned silence.
"If I were you, Thalia, I'd sit there and keep my mouth shut. It's not helping," I said coolly.
I caught Caden smirking out of the corner of my eye as I rolled mine and turned to look out the window. The darkening sky was a welcome distraction.
When we arrived at the school, Thalia was the first to get out, storming off in frustration. I didn’t pay her any mind as I walked away.
"Zaira!" Caden called after me.
I turned to face him. "Good job grilling Thalia back there. She was getting on everyone’s nerves."
I sighed, "I didn’t mean to; I was just defending myself."
"Of course you were," he said with a grin. As we walked toward the main campus, he asked, "How did you know all that?"
I raised an eyebrow. "Know what?"
"About the vials and herbal medications," he clarified.
"It interests me," I said simply.
"Really? And that’s it? Do you know all of Ackerman’s vials and medications in his inventory?" he asked, intrigued.
"Not all of them," I admitted.
"But you know some?" he pressed.
I nodded.
"You're incredible!" he exclaimed.
I smiled "I’ve got to go. I’ll see you tomorrow then."
He nodded, and we parted ways, heading to our respective dormitories.
As I walked into my dorm, I suddenly heard a door slam open behind me.
"Zaira!" Ainsley's voice called out.
I turned around just in time to see her running toward me. Then I heard Stella’s footsteps following close behind.
"She's here!" Stella shouted, and before I could even greet them, they both jumped on me, wrapping me in a tight hug
"Oh, we missed you!" Stella exclaimed, her arms still squeezing me.
"C-can't... breathe," I gasped.
They immediately let go, smiling at me. It had been a while since I'd last seen them around, which was understandable since I'd been off-campus these past few days.
I followed them into their dorm, which looked pretty much like mine. Ainsley had baked brownies, and I happily accepted one. We talked, and I filled them in on what happened with Thalia earlier.
"She’s just insecure," Stella said with a shrug. "If Callista were here, I'm sure she’d have stormed off to that girl’s dorm by now."
"Probably," I agreed, taking a bite of the brownie.
Then Ainsley asked, "Any updates about Thorne?"
The memory of last night flooded back, making my heart race. But I couldn’t tell them. Not yet. 
"None so far," I lied.
The truth was, I was still confused about what had happened. But the plan of keeping a distance between us is a good start. I should do it often. 
Stella started talking about her new bodyguard, complaining about how overprotective her brother was after finding out she was going to be sent off somewhere. I tried to focus on her story, but the memory of Thorne and I kept creeping in. It felt like I was stuck in a romance movie, his voice on repeat in my head, refusing to fade away.