"Are you looking for my replacement? You didn't have to go to that lengths Luke. Have you forgotten our agreement?" Ivan asked with feigned hurt.
Luke cleared his throat and asked the other students to excuse them for a while.
They booed and clicked their tongues in disgust but still walked out all the same when they saw the angry expression on Luke's face.
"Ivan, this club doesn't operate as per your demands. You need to always remember that. I was helping you, and it seems you have sorted out your issues already," Luke said in a soft threatening voice, and Ivan nodded sarcastically.
"Sorted out my issues? No, I was actually here to ask for your help again," Ivan stated as a matter of fact, and Luke started shaking his head in denial even before knowing what Ivan wanted to say.
"I'll double the pay," Ivan said, and Luke looked at him sharply in confusion and anger for what seemed like a century.
"We need to draw the line. I'm your lecturer, not your puppet," Luke said in an authoritative voice, and Ivan broke into a fit of a sarcastic laugh.
"You're right about that. I think we will just do it the honest way, right?" Ivan asked, deciding to blackmail Luke instead emotionally.
He always got what he wanted, and to him, the end justifies the means.
With each passing minute, he realized that he had to get Steph back in his good books since his father was already threatening to take action against him.
Vera also hadn't let him breathe in peace, always knocking by his and Steph's house, an act that forced him to switch off the lights and electronics and act as if he wasn't at home even when he was.
Vera talked nonstop on Stacy's show about her and Ivan's relationship, with each word she uttered ruining Jackson's surname even more.
She still remained adamant she didn't want a paternity test, just like Noah was adamant he had never had any interaction with Stacy Lund.
Ivan had suggested that they file a defamation complaint against Stacy and Vera, and though able to do so, Noah had vehemently refused, an act that made Raquel and Ivan convinced that he was hiding something.
Ivan heard the news the day before that Max and Travis were safe and that the police were still on a witch hunt for the culprit, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
He has even tried calling Steph, but she still didn't pick up his calls.
"What do you mean by that?" Luke asked, daring Ivan to reveal the truth he had claimed to know.
"You think I don't know about you and Venus, the head of finance?" Ivan asked.
Luke swallowed saliva hard as he shut his eyes and, in a low voice, asked Ivan what exactly he wanted to be done.
"Okay," Luke answered back, and as Ivan majestically walked out of the room, Luke thumped the floor in frustration as he hit the wall repeatedly until he started bleeding.
"Wait!" He shouted when Ivan reached the door. "How do you know about that?"
"I make it my business to know everything. Just do as I ask, and you'll be safe, okay?" Ivan answered as he smirked and walked out.
"Aaaarg," Luke groaned in frustration as he ran his fingers through his head. He fumbled to remove his phone from his pocket and hastily dialed Venus' number.
"How is it possible that Ivan knows about us? Have you mentioned something to anyone?" Luke asked direct to the point, and without answering, Venus disconnected the call.
"S*it!" Luke cursed as he tried calling Venus' number again, but he received a notification that she was on another call.
Looking around aimlessly and his mind jumbled up, he stormed out of the room and half ran, half walked towards the office of the head of finance.
For a while, he stood outside, wondering whether or not he should walk in, but he got his answer soon enough as Venus hurriedly walked out of the office, her phone in her hands and irritation clearly visible on her face.
Acting as though she hadn't seen him, Venus moved past him, making Luke more annoyed.
"Hey, what the hell is going on?" Luke whispered in a harsh voice as he moved to squeeze Venus' arms to demand her attention.
"Let me go!" Venus hissed back, determination written all over her face.
"I asked you a question. Didn't you hear me?" Luke thundered.
"Excuse me! Who do you think you're talking to? I asked that you let me be!" Venus hissed back, and luckily for her, a few other staff walked out of their respective offices.
Luke, slowly and in embarrassment, let her go.
"We aren't done yet," Luke hissed as he hurriedly walked away.
Venus rolled her eyes and clicked her tongue as she hurriedly walked towards the parking lot.