CHAPTER 56: BAD INFLUENCE

Alexia POV:

Okay, so I wasn’t exactly listening to what the professor was saying. My mind was way too busy—first, with my very empty and very angry stomach, and second, with the brand-new super expensive phone sitting on my desk, just begging to be explored.

I sighed, sneaking a glance at Lucy, who was seated beside me.

And what was she doing?

Drawing doodles on top of her open book.

I almost laughed. Great. Just great. The universe had gifted me a lazy best friend, just like me. There went my chances of borrowing notes when I inevitably zoned out in class. Guess the saying was true—birds of a feather flock together.

I let out a small groan and dropped my head onto my desk. My life was truly doomed.

Okay, so I wasn’t exactly listening to what the professor was saying. My mind was way too busy—first, with my very empty and very angry stomach, and second, with the brand-new super expensive phone sitting on my desk, just begging to be explored.

I sighed, sneaking a glance at Lucy, who was seated beside me.

And what was she doing?

Drawing doodles on top of her open book.

I almost laughed. Great. Just great. The universe had gifted me a lazy best friend, just like me. There went my chances of borrowing notes when I inevitably zoned out in class. Guess the saying was true—birds of a feather flock together.

I let out a small groan and dropped my head onto my desk. My life was truly doomed.

Just when I thought my life couldn’t get more tragic, my stomach decided to betray me with a loud growl—one so aggressive that the people sitting nearby turned to stare.

Lucy, the traitor, stifled a laugh beside me. "Hungry much?" she whispered.

"No, I just love making weird noises for fun," I muttered back sarcastically, clutching my stomach. Stupid Aiden and his banana-and-apple nonsense. I needed real food, not a rabbit’s diet!

I glanced at the clock—still thirty minutes to go. I swear, the professor was deliberately stretching out the lecture just to torture me. Every word that left his mouth sounded like gibberish at this point. Something about economics and market strategies. Who even cared? Right now, the only strategy I needed was one that would get me to food ASAP.

Lucy nudged me. "Hey, let’s sneak out."

I turned to her in surprise. "What?"

She grinned mischievously. "You’re starving. I’m bored. We can totally slip out while everyone’s focused on the board."

Okay, she was growing on me. I liked the way she thought.

"Won’t we get in trouble?" I asked, already half convinced.

Lucy waved her hand dismissively. "Please, Professor Boring up there wouldn’t even notice if half the class disappeared."

I peeked towards the front of the class. She wasn’t wrong. The professor was so absorbed in his scribbling that he probably wouldn’t notice if we just phased out of existence.

"Alright," I whispered, packing up my stuff as quietly as possible. "Let’s do this."

We waited for the perfect moment—when the professor turned to face the board—and then we slipped out like two professional escape artists.

The moment we were in the hallway, I let out a relieved sigh. "That was way too easy."

Lucy smirked. "Stick with me, Mrs. Timberlake, and you’ll learn all the ways to survive college without actually suffering."

I snorted. "Sounds like a dream."

We made our way to the cafeteria, where the glorious smell of food filled my senses. My stomach practically sang in joy. We grabbed our food—finally, something that wasn’t a damn fruit—and sat down to eat.

Just as I took my first bite, feeling like I had ascended to heaven, a very familiar and very unwelcome voice rang through the cafeteria.

"Well, well, well... if it isn’t the gold-digger skipping class."

I groaned, not even bothering to look up. Because of course it had to be her.

Eloise stood in front of our table, arms crossed, smirking like she had just won the lottery. And next to her, looking just as smug, was Sebastian.

Great. Just when I thought my day was getting better.

I sighed, setting down my fork. "What do you want?"

Eloise scoffed. "Oh, nothing. Just amazed that you have so much free time for a scholarship student. Oh wait, my bad—you’re not a scholarship student. You just married rich."

I rolled my eyes. "You say that like it’s a bad thing."

Sebastian smirked. "So, you admit you’re just here riding Aiden’s money?"

I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "I admit that I married a billionaire, and now I get to eat in peace while you waste your energy trying to insult me. Sounds like I won."

A few people around us snickered. Eloise’s face reddened. "You little—"

"Oh, and before you embarrass yourself further," I added sweetly, "you might want to check your reflection. Your mascara is smudged."

Eloise’s eyes widened, and she immediately grabbed her phone to check.

She fell for it.

Her shriek of frustration was music to my ears.

Sebastian clenched his jaw, taking a step closer. "You think you’re funny, don’t you?"

I smirked. "Oh, I know

I’m funny."

Before either of them could respond, Lucy suddenly gasped. "Oh my God!" she whispered dramatically, gripping my arm. "It’s him!"

I blinked. "Who?"

"The Aiden Timberlake just walked in!"

My head snapped around so fast I nearly gave myself whiplash.

And yep. There he was. Walking into the cafeteria, looking effortlessly hot in his expensive suit, like he had just stepped out of a movie scene.

My heart did an annoying little jump.

"What the hell is he doing here?" I muttered, suddenly feeling very conscious that I had just skipped class.

Eloise and Sebastian turned, equally surprised to see him.

Aiden’s eyes scanned the room before they locked onto me.

I gulped.

Lucy grabbed my arm again. "Oh my God, he’s coming this way."

And just like that, my peaceful lunch break was over.

I swear, the entire cafeteria froze the moment Aiden started walking toward me. Conversations died mid-sentence, forks hovered mid-air, and I could feel dozens of eyes shifting between me and my infamous husband.

Lucy clutched my arm like she had just witnessed a royal visit. "Oh my God. He’s walking like he owns the world. What is it like being married to that?"

"Painful," I muttered, straightening up as Aiden closed the distance between us.

Eloise, still fuming from our earlier exchange, smirked as if she had just won the lottery. "Ooh, is the husband here to scold his little wife?"

Sebastian chuckled darkly. "Probably realized she doesn’t belong here and came to drag her home."

I shot them both a glare. "Keep dreaming."

Aiden reached our table, his eyes sweeping over the scene like he was assessing damage. I expected him to glare at me for skipping class—or, at the very least, question why I was arguing with his step-siblings in public. But instead, he did something that shocked the entire cafeteria into silence.

He placed his hand on my shoulder, leaned down slightly, and—get this—brushed a stray strand of hair behind my ear.

I almost choked on air.

Gasps filled the room. Someone actually dropped their tray. Lucy squeezed my arm so tight I thought I might lose circulation.

Aiden ignored all of it. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. "You didn’t eat breakfast," he said in that low, annoyingly attractive voice of his.

I blinked. "What?"

"You complained this morning," he said matter-of-factly. "That you were hungry."

Okay. What was happening? Was this some kind of public experiment to see how fast he could make me die of shock?

Before I could form a response, he reached into a bag

I hadn’t even noticed he was holding and placed a wrapped sandwich and a bottle of juice on the table in front of me.

More gasps.

Eloise’s mouth actually fell open. Sebastian looked like he had just been slapped.

Lucy? Well, she was gripping my arm so hard I was pretty sure I’d have bruises.

I stared at the food, then back at him. "You... brought me food?"

Aiden arched a brow. "Are you expecting a thank-you speech?"

I scowled. "No, I’m just—why?"

His expression was unreadable. "Because if I don’t feed you, you’ll be too busy complaining to focus on your studies. And I’m not paying for your tuition so you can whine all day."

There it was. The Aiden logic.

I rolled my eyes but, honestly? I wasn’t about to reject food. I was starving.

I grabbed the sandwich and took a bite. "Fine," I mumbled through my chewing. "You’re forgiven for the whole water-splashing thing this morning."

Lucy gasped next to me. "He splashed water on you?"

"Cold water," I corrected.

Aiden, completely unbothered, just checked his watch. "Good. Eat fast. I’ll drive you home after classes."

That definitely caught Sebastian’s attention. "Wait—what?" He looked between me and Aiden, like he couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing. "You actually care what she does?"

Aiden gave him a bored look. "She’s my wife. Of course, I care."

Another round of gasps.

Eloise looked furious. "You can’t be serious," she snapped. "She’s not even your type, Aiden! She’s just—"

"Careful, Eloise," Aiden cut her off sharply.

And just like that, she shut up.

It was beautiful.

I smirked, enjoying the way she clenched her jaw in frustration.

Aiden turned back to me. "Finish your food. And stay out of trouble."

With that, he turned on his heel and walked off like some kind of dramatic movie character.

I stared after him, then turned back to Lucy, who was looking at me like I had just won the lottery.

"Did that really just happen?" she whispered.

I took another bite of my sandwich and shrugged. "Apparently."

Eloise made an angry noise before storming off, dragging Sebastian with her.

Lucy watched them go, then turned back to me. "You have to tell me everything about your marriage," she demanded.

I sighed. "It’s a long story."

She grinned. "Good thing we have a whole lunch break."

Great. Now, not only did I have a rich, cold husband, annoying step-siblings, and a new fancy phone to deal with—I also had a very nosy best friend.

Honestly? My life was one giant mess.