CHAPTER 435: CHAPTER 435: ANTON

Lately, Adriana had been thinking far too much... so much that even her closest friends had started to notice.

Normally, Adriana was composed, attentive, and elegant during lectures.

She always wore a gentle, polite smile and listened to the professors with unwavering focus.

But now... it was as though she were floating somewhere among clouds.

Her eyes would drift. Her mind would wander. She wouldn’t even hear the professor calling her name.

"Adriana? ...Adriana?"

She didn’t respond.

The entire class watched as the professor’s expression tightened in irritation.

Adriana, lost in her thoughts... thoughts of Peter, of small moments, of warm glances... didn’t even realize attention was on her until her friend nudged her sharply.

She blinked awake and sat up straighter, cheeks flushed. The professor sighed and told her to write a reflective assignment to submit the next day.

It wasn’t really a punishment... Adriana was brilliant, and the professor knew this behavior was unusual. So, the reprimand came lightly.

He even asked Adriana in person later if she was going through something she couldn’t explain. It was only after Adriana’s repeated assurance did he heave a sigh of relief.

When the lecture ended, Adriana stepped out of the classroom, and there he was.

Peter.

The moment her eyes fell on him, her face bloomed into a smile.

It happened naturally now, without thought. Peter felt a warmth spread through his chest. Seeing that expression... that softness directed at him... almost made him dizzy.

It had taken so much patience to reach this point. To slowly warm her. To gently earn her trust, her fondness.

’She really is beginning to like me,’ he thought, and his heart beat a little faster.

He wanted to pull her close, kiss her forehead, tell the entire world that he had finally reached her heart, but he stopped himself. If he rushed, everything could collapse again.

So instead, he simply reached for her hand.

And this time, like a quiet miracle, Adriana didn’t pull away. Their fingers intertwined naturally, palms warm against each other.

"How was your day? Did anything memorable happen?" Peter asked in his baritone voice, while his eyes stared at Adriana as if she was the mystery made for him to solve.

Adriana looked up at him, and her lashes fluttered as she remembered the embarrassing moment from the lecture. She closed her eyes briefly, wanting to hide her face in his chest.

Peter noticed the gesture, the small shame, the way her shoulders curled inward. He almost teased her, but he stopped himself. Instead, he gently stroked her hand with his thumb.

"I’ll be leaving for a business trip," he said softly. "I’ll be gone for a week."

The warmth in Adriana’s eyes faded abruptly. Her shoulders dropped visibly. It was as though all the light in her had suddenly dimmed.

Peter’s chest tightened painfully, and yet, at the same time, joy flickered inside him. ’So she really does care. She doesn’t want me to go.’

He kept his voice low and reassuring, "It’s only a week. I’ll be back before you even realize it. I’ll bring back something nice for you too."

Adriana nodded, but her expression remained faintly clouded.

The two of them walked together to the cafeteria. Just as they were settling in, another boy slid into the seat beside them without asking.

He didn’t greet them. He didn’t excuse himself. He simply began eating as if the seat had always been his.

Peter’s brows drew together in a slight frown. Adriana glanced at the boy but didn’t react beyond that. She simply placed her hand lightly over Peter’s, wordlessly telling him not to mind.

The boy, clearly aware of the tension, finally turned to Adriana with a bright, charming smile.

His blonde hair reflected the cafeteria lights, his complexion pale and striking, and his features sharp and almost too beautiful.

"Adriana, right?" he asked, his voice smooth. "I’ve heard about you. I’m transferring to your department. I thought I should introduce myself today." He smiled, confident. "You’re the top student in Fashion Design. I’ll need your guidance."

Adriana, unfazed, replied calmly, "If you have questions, you can ask the professors. That’s what they’re hired for."

Peter had to bite his lip to hold in a laugh.

Hey, whenever his girlfriend’s sharp tongue wasn’t directed at him... he found it adorable! Especially seeing a handsome guy who is clearly interested in her, getting insulted!

The blond boy didn’t seem discouraged. He extended his hand toward her.

"I’m Anton. I’ve been in this university for two years, but only recently realized fashion design is my calling. I’m looking forward to being classmates."

Adriana didn’t even lift her eyes from her plate. "I see."

Anton’s smile froze. He slowly pulled his hand back.

He turned to Peter, perhaps seeking camaraderie, and shrugged lightly, saying with forced humor, "She’s like an ice queen, huh?"

Peter didn’t bother to hide his disapproval. He simply stared back and rolled his eyes, cold, direct, and possessive.

Anton paused. The message was clear.

Eventually, he stood up, picking up his tray. "Well. I’ll see you in the fashion department then."

Adriana didn’t respond.

Peter, however, watched him leave with an uneasy feeling. Something about the boy’s presence felt off, but he pushed the thought aside. Adriana isn’t the type to be swayed. She wouldn’t even look at him.

Once they finished eating, Peter walked Adriana back to her classroom. At the door, they lingered, neither willing to leave.

Peter exhaled. "I’ll be waiting for your calls. Don’t worry about my schedule. I’ll pick up every time."

Adriana nodded slowly. After a small exchange, she went inside, her heart unexpectedly heavy.

During the afternoon classes, as expected, Anton transferred into her department. And instead of choosing any of the other open seats, he sat right beside her.

"We meet again," he said, smiling.

Adriana simply nodded and immediately turned her attention to her sketches. Anton watched her profile for a long moment, expression unreadable, before also pretending to focus on his work.

After class ended, Adriana received a text from Peter.

’I’ll be tied up for a while. I’m heading straight to the airport. Take a cab home, all right? If you want, I can have my driver pick you up.’

Adriana replied that she would take a cab and walked off the campus.

She was just stepping toward the road when whispers drifted from a pair of passing girls.

"Isn’t that the girl dating Peter?"

"Yeah. Tsk. Some people really know how to climb upward. Acting like she deserves him."

A sharp, cold silence formed behind Adriana’s eyes.

Just for a brief moment, she felt cold dread rising in her heart. However, she was reminded of Peter’s gentle words.

’If you ever think that you are not good enough for me... just know this... if I don’t end up with you... Then I will not marry anyone else! Because no one is more worthy of you to marry me!’

She stopped walking and turned to face them, her posture straight and elegance returning to her like armor sliding into place.

"Do you two not have your own lives," she asked calmly, "or have you chosen gossiping as your career path after graduation?"

The girls froze, color draining from their faces.

Adriana continued, voice still even, but her words were razor-sharp.

"While you’re busy discussing other people’s relationships, some of us are actually working toward something. If you have so much free time, perhaps take another elective. Or pick up actual books."

Their mouths opened in shock, but before either could speak, Adriana added one final sentence, her tone cool and absolute:

"However, if you dare speak about me again, I will make sure you are expelled from this university. My boyfriend’s family sits on the board. I will not repeat myself."

The air around her shifted... intense, commanding, undeniable.

The girls scurried away, pale and speechless. In their heart, they cursed. ’What timid girl? This woman was a paper tigeress! She has the audacity to tear off a person if someone dares to insult her!’

Adriana stood there for a moment, chest rising and falling... and realized something startling.

Peter has spoiled me.

She wasn’t always like this. She wasn’t the type to threaten others. She wasn’t the type to speak as if she owned the ground she walked on.

But Peter had given her a sense of safety, of being protected, cherished, and prioritized.

His gentle certainty had wrapped around her slowly, reshaping her confidence, making her feel like she was allowed to take up space.

He had changed her.

Or perhaps, she realized, he had unlocked something that was already there.

"That was a good scolding. You are truly worthy to become Peter’s girlfriend." A familiar voice echoed near her ears, and Adriana arched her brow.

When she turned around... she found Anton standing just a few meters away.

A hint of hostility appeared in Adriana’s eyes, which she quickly masked and asked calmly, "Why? Are you here on behalf Peter’s future girlfriend evaluation center?"