The second we stepped onto camps, the stares began Whispers floated through the air like grats, buzzing around my head, a persistent, inescapable noise, 11 wasn’t handle why

Niki Vetrov, Alderidge’s most notorious billionaire, walked two steps behind me, carrying myptop bag like some kind of personal assistant. Meanwhile, Iwalked forward awkwardly, my as bandaged and stiff at my sides, trying not to look at anyone.

But they were all looking at me,

sowed hard, my cheeks burning. Why the hell did I think bringing bNiki /bbwas /bba /bgood idea? I could’ve just asked a ssmate. Even if there was basically no one willingly want to bask /bafter the fiasco with Larar. Because people had started avoiding me like the gue.

Not that it was any better before, when I was with Dmitri However, I knew very well that the reason people tended to avoid me wasn’t because of me dating rich guys–though that yed a huge part it was also a mixture of my mixed race and poverty. After all, in a school filled with privileged kids, the underprivileged were always singled out and avoided.

Nheless. I’d been too busy staring at his biceps this morning, too busy letting myself get distracted by the way he looked in that T–shirt and jeans, too busy feeling – grateful that he offered. And now, here we were.

Walking through campus, feeling like a goddamn circus act

kept my eyes forward, face set, ignoring the whispers, the nces, the phone cameras subtly raised as we passed, Was it more humiliating that I couldn’t even carry my own bag or that Niki Vetrow was carrying it for me?

“What?” he said, his volce low, a hint of a smirk ying at his lips. “Regretting bringing me along?”

“Not at all,” I muttered, forcing my eyes straight ahead. “I love being the center of attention.”

He chuckled, and clenched my fists beneath the bandages. Why did hisugh bhave /bto sound so good?

We turned aer, and there he was – Professor Vasily. Standing by the entrance of the lecture hall, clipboard in hand, bsses /bperched on the bridge of his nose. The second he spotted me, his brows furrowed, lips tightening.

“Elena,” he said, his eyes driting to my bandaged hands. “What happened?”

“Car ident,” said quickly, trying to keep my voice steady. “I can’t use my hands. I was hoping to get some help for the presentation today.”

His frown deepened, but before he could respond negatively, his eyes shihed–finally noticing the man standing bbehind /bme.

bNiki /bstepped forward, extending a hand. b“/bProfessor bVasily/b.”

The professor’s eyes widenedically. “M.Hr. Vetrov. I didn’t know you were… here.”

Niki smiled, polite but cool I’m here to help Elena with her presentation. Just a little support”

The professor blinked

drapidly, the color draining from bhis /bbface/b. “Oh, yes, of course. Of course, Had I known, we could have postponed. I mean, I bhad /bno idea the way, injured”

r, I had already sent an email to the professor asking for a little leeway Niki knew that as well

bhikotar’s /bjaw tightened, but his smile remained in ce.”

“it’s alright. My wife was

really looking bforward /bto bthis /bp

presentation. I’m actually

I get to see

her in her eleme

He looked at me then. Looked at me in a way that made my throat close up, my heart stutter. Like he bwas /bactually proud of me. Like he actually believed In me. Like he was seeing ina,

b1/4 /b

touching to my cheeks. What the hell was that?

the ss starts in about thirty minutes. You’re wee to wait inside or wherever.”

hum fainting, just nodded again and hurried off inside.

tension releasing from my shoulders.

God. This was p going to be a long day.

ning in close, his breath warm against my ear “We’ve got some time.”

“The cafeteria” (said, swallowing well you, need to do some finishing touches

t we made our way there. The cafteria was mostly empty – a few students huddled in the corner, some scrolling through their phones, a couple making out by the vending machines tried to ignore the stares. Just keep walking.

in the back corner, and Nikiset my bag down before pulling out a chair for me. I sat down, trying to calm my racing heart as he took

? close enough that nur knees brushed under the table.

~56,” he said, pulling theptop out of the bag and flipping it open. “What now?”

Bookmarks” i said, voice tight. “There’s a Canva link there. Click it.”

knitting together as the slides with diagrams loaded on the screen. My heart hammered in my chest as he scrolled through the

slides his expression growing more and more serious. Finally, he looked up, eyes narrowed.

ually designed this?” he asked, voire lo

That my bottom lip, nodding “reah it’s a safety focused vehicle. My dream car, actually I know people think that just because I’m into cars, I’d want to design something shy and fast, but…I don’t, I want it to be safe. essible, even for the disabled

I didn’t know why I was saying all this. Maybe it was the look in his eyes. Maybe it was because he was actually listening. But once I started, I couldn’t

“When I was a kid, right after the adoption,” I said, voice softening, “mom took me to this y areab. /bBut all I remember was the car ride there. It bwas /bold, but it had AC and music, and it fett like home. My mom kept looking back at me, smiling, answering all my dumb questions. I don’t even remember the y area. Just that car ride. Where an adult, for the first time ever gave me and only me attention. Without getting upset or bmad/bb./b”

When I finally stopped, Niki was just staring His eyes were soft, his mouth slightly open, like he was seeing me for the first time, I swallowed, nerves knotting in my stomach:

smile ying on his lips. “Nothing It’s just… nice. Hearing you talk about something you love.”

My the squeezed. The warmth in his eyes was too much. Top intense looked away, clearing my throat. “Anyway. bThat’s /bit. That’s the presentation.”

“You know,” he said, leaning back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest, “it feels wrong to present something like this in a university ss. It’s too good. The details, the concepts. they’re incredible,”

My heart did a stupid lipou really think sq

He nodded, his expression serious now. “Yeah I’do

I swallowed, feeling a blush creep up my neck, opened my mouth to say that we should get back to work, but the bwords /bcaught in my throat. Instead, I asked, “What about byou/b! Any favorite pamorest”

The question was innocent mough. But the air shifted, the tension lightening like a rope bpulled /btoo tight. Niki’s smile falteredb, /band for a secondb, /bhis Ay went dark. Hard

b2/3 /b

13:13 Fri, 25 bJur /b

He looked away, jaw clenching

minect

And in that mi