The moment the lecture ended, Keeley yanked the suit jacket off her shoulders and clutched it tightly in her hand.
She kept her head down and merged into the moving crowd, walking as fast as she could toward the side exit.
Just as she was about to step through the doors, a massive, oppressive figure blocked her path.
Keeley slammed on the brakes. She looked up and crashed straight into Holland's half-smiling eyes.
Right then, Emilee squeezed through the crowd, a sickeningly sweet smile plastered on her face.
Emilee held out her gold-embossed resume with both hands, trying to engage Holland in a conversation about industry trends.
Holland didn't even blink. His gaze remained deadlocked on Keeley.
An event organizer's aide stepped in instantly, using a polite but firm stance to physically block Emilee away, redirecting her back to the student section.
Emilee stood frozen with her resume in the air. The students around them threw her mocking glances.
Holland ignored everything around him. He held out his large, long-fingered hand toward Keeley.
Using a tone that allowed zero room for argument, he told Keeley to take out her phone and add him on LinkedIn.
Keeley gripped the straps of her backpack tightly. She coldly refused, saying she would dry-clean the jacket and mail it to his company.
Holland leaned in slightly. "I want to discuss your open-source code," he said, his voice dropping to a volume only she could hear.
Keeley gritted her teeth and lied. She said she got a new phone and hadn't downloaded the LinkedIn app yet.
Holland let out a short laugh. "Did you really think the university's emergency contact registry was secure from the man funding their new cybersecurity lab?" His thin lips parted, and he accurately recited a ten-digit phone number. It was Keeley's highly private, brand-new number she had just changed last week.
A chill ran down Keeley's spine. Her fingers tightened around the jacket. He'd found her again. Of course he had.
Holland ordered her to open iMessage and add him right now.
The students in the hallway stopped walking. They looked at Keeley with envious eyes, wishing a tech giant would beg for their contact info.
Crushed by the psychological pressure and the public audience, Keeley's trembling hand reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone. She tried to lock the screen, but Holland was faster.
The second the screen lit up, Holland reached out and snatched the device right out of her hand.
Keeley let out a gasp. She tried to grab it back, but he easily blocked her with his forearm.
Holding her phone in one hand, Holland's long thumb swiped rapidly across the screen.
He navigated straight to her Settings and opened the Blocked Contacts list.
At the very bottom of the long list, a contact named "HK" sat quietly.
A dangerous curve appeared on the corner of Holland's mouth. He tapped 'Unblock'.
Then, he pulled out his own phone and dialed the number. Keeley's phone immediately started vibrating in his hand.
Satisfied, Holland ended the call and shoved the phone back into Keeley's stiff fingers.
He gave her a deeply meaningful look. "See you soon," he said.
Surrounded by the lingering awe of the students, he turned and walked away with unhurried, predatory grace.
Keeley looked down at the glowing screen. A new message from HK popped up: Hi, again.
Her throat closed up. She couldn't breathe.
