Addicted to the enemy

Her mother’s death was no accident.Her past was full of shadows she could never escape.And now, on her first day at a new school, one stare from Damian Cole threatens to unravel the invisible life she worked so hard to build.“They said your mother’s death was an accident,” one nurse whispered in the hall.“An accident? Please,” another muttered. “Accidents don’t leave shadows in corridors.”Aria pulled her blanket tighter. She hated the whispers. She always heard them, even when they thought she couldn’t.The hospital had been her whole world. Machines. Charts. Hushed conversations. Always whispers.Dr. Adrian Cole was the only one who spoke to her without pity.“You don’t have to listen to them,” he told her once. “You’re not their story, Aria.”She looked at him. “Then whose story am I?”“You’re your own,” he answered. “And that’s enough.”But it never felt like enough.That night in her dorm room, her laptop screen glowed against her face.“Focus, Aria. Assignments. Not distract

Monday morning arrived too quickly. The slap she had delivered in the hospital still pulsed in Aria’s mind like a spark she couldn’t shake off. She told herself she didn’t care, that Damian Cole could drown in his arrogance, but the memory of his eyes locking on hers refused to fade.On campus, the atmosphere buzzed with the lazy energy of the first day of the week. Students clustered in groups, laughter spilling into the air, sneakers scuffing against pavement. Aria hugged her books tightly to her chest and lowered her head. She wanted to melt into the crowd, to vanish into anonymity. But whispers followed her like shadows.“That’s the girl from the hospital, right?” a voice floated behind her.“I heard she slapped Damian Cole,” another answered, disbelief thick in his tone.“No one slaps Damian and survives,” someone else muttered darkly.Aria bit her lip, her pace quickening. Her heart thudded in her chest, each whisper like a dart thrown at her back. The walls of the campus sudden

The courtyard buzzed with whispers, the air thick with awe and fear. Students craned their necks toward the black convoy that had just rolled into campus. The name Lancaster carried weight, untouchable, commanding, and dangerous. To see him in person was like seeing royalty, a god among men, every step radiating authority. And then his eyes landed on one girl. Aria. The crowd held its breath. She froze, gripping her bag strap tighter, heart hammering. “Who are you?” Lancaster’s deep voice rolled across the courtyard, every word heavy and sharp. Gasps erupted. Aria’s lips parted, but no sound came out. “Answer me,” he said, stepping closer, eyes piercing through the crowd. Before she could speak, a firm, urgent voice sliced through the tension. “Don’t worry, Papi.” Damian Cole stepped forward, pale but defiant, jaw tight. His usual arrogance clipped, almost trembling, yet his words carried weight. “She’s just a random girl. Stupid, reckless. I’ve got this. You don’t

The morning air was cool, but Aria’s mind burned with unease. She had barely slept after yesterday’s chaos. The fight, Damian stepping in, his stare everything replayed like a film she couldn’t pause.Her phone vibrated as she sat in the lecture hall, balancing her pen nervously between her fingers. She didn’t expect to see the name that flashed across the screen.Dr Adrian.She hesitated, then answered softly. “Hello?”“Aria.” His tone was low, calm but heavy. “I need to speak with you before next week. The hospital board will be holding a major meeting. As the largest shareholder, you have to be there. No excuses.”Her grip on the phone tightened. Shareholder. Heiress. Words she never asked for, titles that tied her to a legacy she barely understood. She kept her voice even. “Alright. I’ll come.”There was a pause. “Good. But one more thing.” His voice sharpened. “Where were you last night? Around eight? I called your security. They said you weren’t home. Were you safe?”Her stomach

The air outside Dr. Adrian’s office was quiet, but inside, Aria’s thoughts were loud. She stood by the glass window, biting her lip as the doctor scribbled something into a file. His silence pressed against her like a weight.Finally, he looked up, smiled faintly, and slipped his glasses into his pocket. “Come,” he said. “It’s been years since I’ve stepped out like this. Let’s get lunch. I want to talk to you somewhere else.”Aria blinked. “Lunch? With you?”“Yes,” he said, grabbing his car keys. “And not just anywhere. My favorite Chinese restaurant.”Minutes later, she found herself in the passenger seat of his sleek black sedan, the city rolling past as he drove with calm precision. She hadn’t realized until now how little time they’d spent outside the hospital walls together.When they pulled into the restaurant’s private lot, Aria’s brows shot up. It wasn’t just any Chinese restaurant it was one of the city’s most famous, the type of place known for turning away people without re