"How could I have been so stupid?" I said that night as Dimitri and I were getting ready for bed.

Even though hours had passed since Dimitri had come home from his luncheon, we had avoided the discussion, waiting until after dinner, until after we had put Katerina and Levi down for the evening. Dimitri had just returned from tucking Katerina into bed, and Levi had gone down an hour ago.

"Roza, no," he murmured. "You couldn't have known."

My hands were shaking as I plugged in the monitor, placing it on my nightstand.

"That's the thing, though," I said. "I should have known. I should have seen all of the red flags, and I should have known better."

Dimitri patted the bed, and I climbed into his arms, resting against his chest. "The red flags?"

"Well, for starters," I said, "we moved in here the day after I saw the property. I was so used to staying at my dad's properties where I could literally move in whenever I wanted that I forgot that that wasn't how it actually worked. I was so stressed about Adrian at the time that it didn't even cross my mind that it was weird. And the fact that I put an offer in so far under the asking price. I wasn't expecting the offer to be accepted; I was expecting a counteroffer to be presented. And it can't be a coincidence that the house was listed the same day that Adrian escaped from prison. He wanted me to find it. It was perfect for me, and he knew that. I just don't understand how he knew I would go to Austin."

"Did you ever talk about Austin while you were there? About the university here?"

I shook my head. "I was Stanford bound. If I was talking about any university, it was Stanford."

"I don't know what to tell you, Roza," he said. "I wish I had answers for you, but I don't."

"You know we can't stay here, right?"

"I know," he agreed. "I already started looking at houses. Maybe we can get one closer to the city."

I nodded in agreement. "A house closer to the city wouldn't be a bad idea."

"And I talk to Jill, see if she was in on getting you this house," Dimitri said.

My stomach clenched. I didn't want her to be.

"Get some sleep, Roza."

I stayed wrapped up in Dimitri's arms and attempted to fall asleep. I don't know how long it took before I finally passed out, but Dimitri's embrace kept the nightmares away.

We spent the next week searching for a new house and setting up appointments to view new houses. Dimitri also reached out to Jill's realty office only to discover that Jill had stopped working for the company a week after I had bought the house. Nobody had heard from or seen her since. It wasn't exactly the answer that we were looking for, but it might have well been.

Dimitri set up a consultation with a new realty company to start the process of selling our current house. The new company worked on getting it listed immediately, and it didn't take long for offers to start rolling in. After two weeks of searching, we found a new house not far from UT's campus and less than fifteen minutes from downtown.

We started the closing process on the new house, and within six weeks, we were moved into our new house, and the old one was in the process of closing for a few hundred thousand more than what I had bought it for. The new house was five bedrooms; plenty of room for our family, an office, and room to grow.

Less than a week after moving into our new home, I found myself in Makenzie's office.

"I'm done being controlled by him," I said. "I can't spend the rest of my life being controlled by every single one of his actions."

Makenzie sat at her desk, staring at me. "What brought this on, Rose?"

"Everything that's happened recently," I said. "The house was just the tip of the iceberg. My stupid class sessions about my case are this week, and it's been a lot lately.

I sighed. I've enjoyed my classes so far but to say that I was prepared for the upcoming classes was an understatement.

"Dimitri's attending the classes with you, right?" Makenzie questioned.

We had been over a care plan for this week during our last handful of sessions. Dimitri joined us at some of the sessions to help prepare for the coming week.

"He is," I confirmed.

Dimitri had made the arrangements to take off of work for a few hours each of the days that I had class. Lissa was arriving later today, and she would watch Levi and Katerina while we were in class and then would be there as a support system after class. She was staying throughout the whole week.

"Remember what we've been practicing, Rose," Makenzie said. "You have your breathing techniques, and remember that you're always free to leave the space if you need to."

I nodded. "I got this," I whispered.

Makenzie smiled encouragingly. "You got this. But there's no shame if you don't meet your expectations for 'got it'."

I was dreading getting up the next morning. Dimitri brought me breakfast in bed and that allowed me to put off actually getting out of bed for a bit. By the time I got showered, dressed, and said goodbye to Lissa, Katerina, and Levi, we were almost running late.

We got to campus and made it to the classroom with five minutes to spare before class started. I took my normal seat in the back, and Dimitri sat at the desk next to me. A few other students glanced back at us, but most weren't paying attention. Mia took the desk in front of mine instead of her usual one up front by Beth's desk.

"Are you okay?" Mia asked softly.

I nodded. "I'll be fine. Are you okay?"

Mia squeezed my hand. "We'll make it through."

I couldn't help but smile at her words. It was something we used to say to each other – and Aubrey – when we were in the Underground House.

"We'll make it through," I repeated.

Beth stopped by our trio of desks before starting class to check in on me. Mia still hadn't been convinced to tell Beth who she really was, but Beth didn't question her sitting in the back with me.

"I won't introduce you until the next class," Beth told Dimitri. "I figured that it would be best for you just to be here for Rose's support the first day."

Dimitri nodded. "That's smart thinking. Thank you."

Beth nodded and made her way up to the front of the classroom to start class.

"Good morning," she said. "Before we get started today, I want to go over some ground rules for dialogue for our class today as we kick off our "Crimes Against Women" module. I've put them up on the projector so that everybody can follow along as I go over them.

"Rule one is 'participate'. This doesn't always mean sharing or speaking; you never have to speak on a subject that you're uncomfortable speaking about. Participation also means engaging and respecting the ground rules. Listen to the others around you, leave room for more ideas than just your own, and stay open to what you may hear.

"Rule two is 'honor the other'. Everybody needs to respect that there are different viewpoints and that everybody has something important to contribute. Viewpoints do not need to be backed by experience, but they need to be respectful. This very space is an opportunity for folks to learn and gain understanding, but that can't happen if each of us feels attacked by those around us. Honor the others involved here.

"Rule three is 'privacy'. As I said at the beginning of this course, we operate on the 'Vegas Rules' policy. What is said in this room, stays in this room. I ask that what is said here stays here, but what is learned here can leave here.

"Rule four is to 'speak from your own experiences and use "I" statements'. Our goal here isn't to invalidate someone else's story with your own spin on it. Share your own stories and experiences, if you're comfortable. You as an individual are not speaking on behalf of an entire identity group/population. You should be sharing your personal experiences, stories, thoughts, beliefs, ideas, etc.

"Rule five is a 'no discount policy'. We won't be discrediting our beliefs, thoughts, inquiries, stories, etc. What is your truth is your truth. You do not need to start with "this might sound dumb, but…" or anything to that effect.

"Rule six is to 'seek first to understand, then to be understood'. Be open to hearing the stories of your classmates. Listen more than you speak. Be in the present/moment when someone is speaking, as opposed to thinking about what you intend to say next.

"Rule seven is 'both/and rather than either/or/but'. The goal here is not to agree, convince, or dominate – it's to gain a deeper understanding. Multiple perspectives and viewpoints can and do exist simultaneously; no one needs to 'win'.

"Rule eight is to 'take risks – lean into the discomfort'. This is a brave space. Understanding your own limits and comfort levels is essential here. If you need to step away, do so. But come back when you're ready.

"Rule nine is to 'learn out'. Work to gain understanding by clarifying with questions and taking responsibility for your own learning. It is your responsibility to take the steps in educating yourself – do not rely on other identity groups to educate you. Take what you learn from these dialogues to move the conversation, dialogue, and learning forward.

"And rule ten is to 'return'. Our conversation today will end when class is over, but engagement in what you learn shouldn't end just because the class is over. Whatever it may look like, don't let your thinking and learning end when the speaking does.

"Are there any questions about the ground rules before we start our conversation today?"

Beth paused to wait for questions, and when there weren't any, she nodded and grabbed a stack of papers off her desk. Mia stood to help her pass them out and left a copy in front of Dimitri too.

I glanced down at the papers to see that it was part of the court transcript from the trial. Some of the stuff was redacted on the paper, but most of it was there.

"Was anybody unfamiliar with the California v. Adrian Ivashkov case, or as it's more commonly known, the Rosemarie Hathaway v. Adrian Ivashkov case before doing the assigned reading this week?"

A couple of people in the room raised their hands, but almost everybody had heard of the case. I tried to calm my racing heart by practicing the breathing exercises that Makenzie and I had practiced for weeks. Dimitri reached out to squeeze my hand.

"There's always a few," Beth mused. "We're going to spend most of today going over the events leading up to the trial and then part of the trial."

With that, Beth jumped into the pre-trial details, sharing that Adrian was likely experienced at what he was doing before I went missing and that there were numerous other women who went missing over a course of ten years that were suspected to be related to the crime ring that Adrian was running. Some of the information Beth shared was stuff that even I didn't know, and I had to admit that she knew how to do her research.

"What are our first thoughts about these crimes and about what has happened?" Beth asked.

Nobody said anything, and Beth stood there waiting for someone to start the conversation.

"That he was a monster."

I didn't realize that I was the one who had spoken until the words were already out.

Beth took my comment in a stride and didn't linger as others started chiming in now that they weren't the first person to speak.

"It seems that he was methodological." A girl near the front of the classroom was the one speaking now. "Why did it take the FBI so long to catch him?"

"That's a good question," Beth said. "Was Adrian being careful in who he was choosing and being methodological, as Riley suggested, or was it something else?"

"I'd say something else," Mia said. "Maybe it started careful and methodological, but I think he was too much of a psychopath, and over the years, he got greedy and lost that careful edge."

"What makes him a psychopath and not a sociopath?" a guy in the middle of the first row asked.

"Good question, Grant," Beth said. "Anyone know?"

"Well, it seems like he felt little to no guilt or remorse for what he did," Riley said, speaking up again. "From what I'm reading in the transcript, it seems like he ticks a lot of psychopathic tendencies: plans out the crimes, doesn't seem to feel guilt or empathy, can fake certain emotions but doesn't actually have them, etc."

"Let's move on to the transcript.

I glanced down at the first page and saw the transcript of Eddie's questioning of Adrian while he was on the stand. I had skipped court that day, so this was my first time seeing what Adrian had said. Beth gave us a moment to read over it.

EC: "Did you drug Miss Hathaway in the club?"

AI: "Of course not."

EC: "Why did you tie Miss Hathaway up?"

AI: "Because she wanted it. Some people like being tied up during sex."

EC: "If she wanted it, then why are there scars marring her wrist?"

AI: "Consequences of the lifestyle. It is rough, kinky sex."

EC: "Lifestyle?"

AI: "The BDSM lifestyle, of course. You do know what BDSM stands for right? Bonda—"

EC: "I know what it stands for. Miss Hathaway was locked away in your house for three years, correct?"

AI: "She wasn't locked away in my house. She could leave anytime she wanted, and she damn well knew it."

EC: "If she could leave any time she wanted, why do you suppose that she stayed there for three years?"

AI: "Because we were in love."

EC: "You were in love?"

AI: "Yes, I just said that."

EC: "And do you have proof that Miss Hathaway was there as of her own free will, and not being held captive?"

AI: "As a matter of fact, I do."

"If you flip to the next page, you'll find a photocopy scan of the "evidence" Mr. Ivashkov was talking about during his testimony," Beth said a few minutes later.

I flipped to the next page and quickly read over the scanned document there. It was a BDSM contract that had my signuature forged on it.

"What does this transcript tell us about Mr. Ivashkov in relation to our previous conversation about psychopath vs. sociopath?"

"It adds to the argument that he was a psychopath," a girl towards the front of the room said. Riley was sitting next to her and nodded along in agreement.

"Why would you say that, Kirsten?" Beth asked.

"He clearly planned that out to discredit Miss Hathaway in the courtroom," Kirsten said. "It falls in line with classic psychopathic tendencies."

"That's a good observation. Any other observations?

A guy sitting in the corner near the door spoke up. "Everybody's acting like he was such a horrible person. Maybe Hathaway deserved it."

My head snapped up. I didn't even need to look at Dimitri to know that he was bristling with anger. Mia spoke before Dimitri could say anything.

"None of us deserved a single fucking thing that monster did to us." There was almost a level of righteous fury to her tone. "None of us deserved to be raped and abused for years. Nobody deserves that."

Beth's eyes widened as she realized what Mia's words meant. She glanced at where Mia, Dimitri, and I were sitting before she turned her fury on the guy that spoke.

"Mr. Jansen, your comment was beyond inappropriate. You've broken not only our class rules but also the ground rules for dialogue."

He glared at Beth. "How was I supposed to know one of his bitches was in the class?"

Dimitri nearly leaped out of his seat, and the look on his face screamed of murder.

"Mr. Jansen, that is enough! Please see yourself out. You've shown that you're not mature enough to be in this class," Beth snapped. "If you refuse to leave, then I'll be forced to find someone who can assist you in leaving."

Dimitri looked like he was on the verge of volunteering to be that person.

The guy rolled his eyes and grabbed his stuff. He left the room without another word but glared at Mia as he walked out.

"I think that wraps up our conversation for today. If anyone else shares Mr. Jansen's perspective, there's the door. Those types of comments will not be tolerated in my classroom," Beth stated, shutting down the computer.

Nobody said anything for a moment, and then slowly, the class started conversing in small groups as they packed up their laptops and notebooks. Mia, Dimitri, and I stayed where we were, still too stunned to say anything. As the class filed out, Beth made her way back to us.

"I'm so sorry that happened," she started. "I'm usually good at vetting out students like that from my classes, but he must have slipped through the cracks. And Mia, I'm sorry that I wasn't able to better prepare you for this."

"Beth, it's not your fault. I made the conscious decision not to tell you when I agreed to be your TA and when I saw the syllabus," Mia said, giving Beth a small smile.

"And Rose, Dimitri, I'm sorry to you both as well."

"I won't lie and say that it's okay," Dimitri said, "but I appreciate the way you handled that."

I glanced at him. "I thought you were going to jump the desks to pummel that kid."

Dimitri glowered. "It was a very tempting thought."

"Thursday's class will go better," Beth promised.

"Thank you," I said softly.

Beth nodded and walked back to the front of the classroom. Dimitri took my hand as we stood and pulled me close. I wrapped my arms around him, seeking comfort.

"Are you okay?" he whispered.

"We'll make it through," I said, glancing over at Mia.

She smiled. "We'll make it through."

I apologize for the delay in updating this story. I had a couple of busy weeks on top of preparing for Hurricane Ian. I'm hoping to move updates to every couple of weeks as I continue writing this story. Hope y'all enjoyed the chapter!

P.S. I've heard rumors that is shutting down soon (no clue of how valid they are), so if you're interested in still following my stories (if does shut down), I'm also posting on Archive of Our Own under the same username - shadowkisseddhampir