“Are you done with it?” Kayla’s voice came sharp over the phone.

Isabella nodded, trying to catch her breath. “Yeah… I just submitted it.”

“Good. Now come here. Right now.”

“What?” Isabella huffed, frustrated and exhausted.

“I need you to do something for me immediately. Meet us at our usual spot in two minutes. Now.” Kayla hung up without waiting for a reply.

Sighing, Amelia picked up her pace, deciding to run. Walking wouldn’t get her there in time, and she didn’t want to deal with Kayla’s temper if she was late, especially since Kayla held something that could be used against her.

She rushed down the hallway, feeling the breeze of the brush past her. She tightened her hoodie, but in her hurry, she collided with something, and yelped as she fell backward onto her butt.

She groaned low, her face contorted in pain, and she looked up to see a tall, handsome guy standing over her, eyes piercing like he could see straight through her.

She blinked and looked away. Then she slowly stood up from the ground feeling nervous as usual.

"I… I’m sorry,” she mumbled, lowering her face.

Luc noticed her left hand bleeding and reached for it, but Isabella jerked her hand away immediately. “It’s fine. It’s nothing.”

"Doesn’t look like nothing. It should be taken care of,” he said, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.

Isabella looked at him nervously, then back at the floor. “It’s minor. I…I should go.”

As she tried to walk past, Luc gently held her hand, stopping her in her tracks.

They both turned, and faced each other. Isabella was confused, wondering what the man wanted from her.

"I insist. I’m the one who made you fall,” he said firmly.

She shook her head. “But I was the one not paying attention, so it’s my fault. I’m sorry, but I really have to go.”

“Do you have a lecture right now?”

Isabella shook her head. “No, I just—”

“Then let’s get that fixed. Come on.” He reached for her other hand to guide her, but Isabella pushed his grip away, causing him to be confused.

"I…I'm sorry, but I have somewhere I need to be.”Then she ran off.

Luc’s lips curled into a dark, almost amused smile. The thought of being rejected… by a girl… made him chuckle quietly, like it was a private joke only he understood.

“What was that? Another girl you’re gonna break?” someone asked, stepping forward.

Luc turned his gaze away from Isabella, his blue eyes fixed on the girl who dared speak. “And how is that your business?”

The girl scoffed, crossing her arms. “It just seems like you’re tired of strong, confident girls… and now you’re going after the fragile ones.”

"Do you know who she is?" Luc asked, curious.

She frowned, lips pressing into a thin line. “Even if I did, I wouldn’t tell you.”

Luc tilted his head, studying her defiance. The way she spoke, so brash, so bold, yet it didn’t faze him at all.

“Do I know you?” he asked finally.

The girl’s eyes flared in anger, and she raised her hand in an attempt to slap Luc in the face.

But Luc saw it coming, and he gripped her wrist tight. "What were you just about to do?”

Her breaths came out shaky, trapped in the iron grip of his hand.

"How dare you?" Luc angrily uttered.

His grip tightened his face cold, eyes unforgiving, and the girl’s anger shifted to fear as she realized she was completely powerless.

"I… I should be asking you that,” she stammered. “After all our time together… you don’t even recognize me?”

Luc arched a brow, tilting his head slightly. His lips curved into a dark, humorless smirk. “Time together, huh? Then you should consider yourself lucky.”

And with that, he threw her hand aside. It cracked against the air with a sting, and she immediately clutched her wrist, frowning at the sudden pain.

“You’re a devil, Luc,” she hissed through gritted teeth, glaring at him.

He gave her a slow, deliberate look, his expression icy.

"It’s Mr. Draven to you,” he corrected, his voice flat. "And besides… if I did have something to do with you, then you threw yourself at me first.”

The girl swallowed hard, regret written all over her face. Luc was dangerously handsome, the kind of man who left scars without even trying. It broke her that she had become just another girl tossed aside by him. She thought she’d be different. Every girl thought she’d be different. But in Luc’s eyes, no one was special.

He turned away, not sparing her another look. His thoughts were already elsewhere, drawn back to the strange girl he’d run into. He hadn’t even seen her face clearly, yet the image of her lingered in his mind.

She was small, fragile, and… hurt.

He didn't even know when he started walking. Just remembering the scratches and blood on her small hand gnawed at him, twisting inside like an ache.

But how could someone like her stir something in him? Was she really the one for him? How?

Why couldn’t he stop himself from walking even further to find her, to see her again? To know who she was. It felt like she had him under some kind of spell, pulling at him in a way no one else ever had. For the first time in his life, Luc felt something… responsibility.

Meanwhile, across campus, Isabella sat stiffly as Kayla’s palm smacked her cheek, forcing her head to the side.

“Was this what I asked for?” Kayla snapped, glaring down at the pizza box. “Did I say I wanted cheese on it?”

Isabella’s voice came out small. “I was… I was confused. I forgot.”

Kayla rolled her eyes and thumped Isabella’s forehead with her knuckles backward, making her flinch. “God, you’re so stupid. What, you need a shopping list like a little kid just to remember? Pathetic.”

Isabella kept quiet, lowering her head.

“You’re ordering another one,” Kayla said firmly. “It’s like you’ve got money to burn no matter what we make you buy. Are you rich or something?”

Isabella shook her head quickly, forcing out a lie. “I’m not.”

Kayla smirked. “Not rich? Then how come you spend so much in a single day?”

"It's because… because I don’t have a choice,” Isabella murmured, her voice trembling. “You guys keep billing me… and one day…” She hesitated, then looked up at Kayla. “One day I might run out of everything.”

Kelly laughed like it was the funniest thing she’d heard. “Oh, you better not. You’re our credit card.”

Tina nudged Kayla’s shoulder, breaking her out of her laughter. Kayla shot her an annoyed look. “What? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Look,” Tina whispered, her eyes fixed across the courtyard. “That guy.”

Kayla turned, and her jaw dropped, eyes widening as her heart skipped. There he was. The man she’d been searching for.