I had already stepped into the hallway when Adrian caught the door before it closed.

—Emma.

I kept walking.

Behind me, Isabella laughed lightly.

—Professor Reed, should I come back later?

Adrian didn’t answer her.

His footsteps followed me instead.

That made me stop.

The hallway was crowded now.

Residents.

Nurses.

Students.

Exactly the people he had spent three months making sure never saw us standing too close together.

I turned.

—Professor Reed, is there something else?

His jaw tightened at the title.

—Don’t call me that right now.

I almost smiled.

—What should I call you?

He went silent.

There it was again.

That ridiculous contradiction.

At home, he remembered which tea I liked.

At the hospital, I might as well have been a stranger.

I lowered my voice.

—You wanted this marriage hidden, Adrian. I’m helping you hide it.

Then I walked away.

That evening, I decided not to attend the welcome dinner.

At seven thirty, Lucas texted me.

“Everyone is already here. Professor Martin says you should come. I saved you a seat.”

I stared at the message.

Then another appeared.

“And I bought milk tea again. Less sugar this time.”

I laughed despite myself.

Maybe that was why I changed clothes and went.

Not because of Lucas.

Because I was tired of arranging my entire life around a secret marriage Adrian had requested.

The restaurant private room was already full when I arrived.

Lucas waved immediately.

—Emma! Over here.

I sat beside him.

Across the table, Isabella was next to Adrian.

Of course.

She was telling a story about their years abroad.

Everyone laughed.

Adrian barely smiled.

Then his eyes found me.

And stopped.

Lucas slid the milk tea toward me.

—Thirty percent sugar.

I took it.

—You remembered.

Across the table, Adrian put down his glass.

A little too hard.

Professor Martin looked at him.

—Everything okay?

—Fine.

Lucas leaned closer to show me something on his phone.

The chair across from me scraped backward.

Adrian stood.

—Dr. Bennett.

Lucas looked up.

—Yes, Professor?

—You haven’t submitted tomorrow’s case notes.

Lucas blinked.

—They’re due at nine tomorrow morning.

—Submit them tonight.

The entire table went silent.

I stared at Adrian.

Lucas slowly nodded.

—Okay.

Isabella smiled.

—Adrian has always been strict.

Then she looked at me.

—Especially with students who become distracted.

That did it.

I stood.

—Excuse me.

Adrian’s eyes followed me.

I went toward the terrace.

The door had barely closed when it opened again.

Adrian stepped outside.

—Why are you avoiding me?

I turned around.

—I’m not.

—You left my office.

—Because your friend arrived and apparently you had a dinner to discuss.

—Isabella isn’t—

—I don’t care.

That stopped him.

I continued:

—You asked me to hide our marriage. Fine.

—You pretend not to know me at work. Fine.

—But you don’t get to act jealous every time another man talks to me.

His expression tightened.

—Lucas likes you.

—Maybe.

Adrian looked genuinely offended.

—Maybe?

I folded my arms.

—Why does that bother you?

He didn’t answer.

I stepped closer.

—You wanted a practical marriage.

—You wanted privacy.

—You wanted nobody here to know.

I paused.

—So act like I’m single properly, Professor Reed.

He stared at me.

For several seconds, neither of us spoke.

Then he said:

—I don’t like it.

—What?

—People thinking you’re single.

I almost laughed.

—Whose fault is that?

His ears turned red again.

Before he could respond, the terrace door opened.

Isabella stood there.

She looked between us.

—Adrian, the dean is asking for you.

Then she smiled at me.

—Emma, right?

I nodded.

She leaned against the doorframe.

—Adrian doesn’t usually get involved with students’ personal lives.

I looked at her.

—Apparently today is special.

Her smile thinned.

Then she turned to Adrian.

—Are we still leaving together?

Something in me cooled.

Adrian frowned.

—Leaving together?

—You promised to drop me home.

I looked at him.

He didn’t deny it.

So I nodded once.

—Goodnight, Professor Reed.

I walked past Isabella.

This time Adrian didn’t follow me.

That hurt more than I wanted to admit.

I went home alone.

At eleven twenty, I heard the apartment door open.

Adrian entered.

I was sitting at the dining table with my laptop.

He placed his keys down.

—You’re still awake.

—Obviously.

He stood there.

Then:

—I didn’t drive Isabella home.

I kept typing.

—I didn’t ask.

—Lucas drove you.

My fingers paused.

—Professor Martin asked him to.

—You could have called me.

I looked up.

—Would I call Professor Reed or my secret husband?

His face changed.

He walked closer.

—Emma.

—Why did you hide our marriage?

He stopped.

Finally.

The question I had avoided for three months.

—I told you. Workplace complications.

—That’s not enough.

Silence.

I closed the laptop.

—Is it because you were embarrassed?

—No.

—Because I’m your student?

—You’re not directly under my supervision.

—Then why?

His gaze shifted away.

That was when I understood.

There really was another reason.

—Isabella?

His eyes returned to mine immediately.

—No.

Too fast.

I stood.

—Then tell me.

For once, Adrian looked uncertain.

Then his phone buzzed.

He glanced at the screen.

A hospital group chat.

Several messages were appearing rapidly.

Someone had posted a photograph from dinner.

Lucas and me sitting beside each other.

His milk tea in front of me.

The caption said:

“Looks like Dr. Bennett finally has competition-free access to Emma Morgan.”

Then another resident replied:

“About time. Everyone thought she was single.”

Adrian stared at the screen.

His expression became unreadable.

I folded my arms.

—Congratulations. Your plan worked.

He looked at me.

Then did something I didn’t expect.

He opened the department group chat.

Typed.

And sent.

My phone buzzed.

So did his.

I looked down.

Adrian Reed:

“Emma Morgan is not single.”

My heartbeat jumped.

Another message appeared almost immediately.

Professor Martin:

“Since when?”

The typing indicator beside Adrian’s name appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

I stared at him.

—Adrian.

He didn’t look away.

And before I could stop him, another message appeared.

“Since three months ago.”

The group exploded.

Question marks.

Shock.

Calls.

Lucas:

“What?”

Isabella:

“Adrian, what are you saying?”

My hands went cold.

I looked up.

—What did you just do?

Adrian put his phone on the table.

His ears were completely red.

But his voice was calm.

—Corrected a misunderstanding.

I stared at him.

—You told me we had to keep this secret.

—I’ve changed my mind.

—Because Lucas bought me milk tea?

He looked offended.

—This isn’t about milk tea.

I raised an eyebrow.

—Really?

He went silent.

That was answer enough.

Then my phone rang.

Professor Martin.

I answered.

—Emma.

His voice sounded shocked.

—Please tell me Professor Reed is joking.

I looked at Adrian.

—He’s not.

Silence.

Then Martin whispered:

—Oh my God.

Before I could respond, another notification appeared.

This one from Isabella.

Not to the group.

Directly to me.

A photograph.

Adrian and Isabella years ago.

Standing together outside a hospital abroad.

On the back, someone had written:

“Engagement dinner — Reed and Lane families.”

I stopped breathing.

Then her message appeared.

“You should ask your husband why he really wanted your marriage hidden.”

I slowly raised my eyes toward Adrian.

His face changed the moment he saw the photograph on my screen.

And suddenly, his jealousy wasn’t the biggest secret in our marriage anymore.