25. Leaving.

Esme’s POV

I sent another kick to his side and Charles groaned, the sound loud and ear piercing. I could sense that more than half of the class was looking at us.

Or maybe all of them.

But if there’s one thing I knew about making it a statement, it was that, to make a statement, you had to be early about it.

If I let Charles go today, he would come back tomorrow ready to defend against me.

So, I settle on him, my petite frame pressing his on his thigh while my hands are locked in his.

Without wasting time, I deliver punch after punch at me and regardless of how he’s howling in pain, I don’t stop until the thirty minutes is up.

“How dare you?” Charles growled as he stood up, lunging at me. I dodged to the side and then stretched a leg forward so that when he made his next move, he tripped and landed on the floor with a loud thud.

The whole class became dead silent and I squirm, uncomfortable with all the gazes that were directed at me.

“You are trained,” Joan said in a way that wasn