LOGINThe next morning, Damien received a call from the school’s Vice Chancellor."Good morning, sir! How are you doing today?" the man asked, trying to be polite.Damien hated small talk. "Speak," he commanded.The Chancellor cleared his throat, feeling embarrassed. "Sir, the results have been marked. Mr. Ethan Vale did exceptionally well.""Good," Damien said, and he immediately hung up. That was all he needed to know. He had told the school directors to call him the moment Ethan’s scores were ready. Damien felt a spark of pride. "My efforts didn't go to waste, then," he murmured to himself before returning to his work.Meanwhile, at the university, Ethan and his friends were at the cafeteria. As usual, Anastasia and Kristen were in the middle of a loud argument."Ken Ricky is way better than Gilmore!" Anastasia shouted. "You can worship Gilmore all you want, but stay away from my Ken!"Kristen smirked. "Of course he’s your 'Ken.' Like actor, like fan. Neither of you knows how to do the s
Two days later, Ethan woke up feeling wonderful. It was finally the day of his exam. He got ready and realized he wasn't nervous at all. He felt confident because Damien had taught him everything he needed to know.He went downstairs feeling very happy. He even gave Anna a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hey, Anna!"Anna was surprised. "Well, someone is in a great mood today!"Ethan smiled and pulled out a chair to sit down. Sylvia sat across from him, watching him closely. "Hmm... I wonder why," she said in a strange voice, narrowing her eyes at him.Ever since she saw Ethan going into Damien's study that night, she had started to hate him. She had been staying awake late recently, trying to catch them together again, but nothing had happened. There were no signs of them meeting at all."I have an exam today, that’s all," Ethan told Anna.Anna was shocked that he was so happy about a test. "You’re excited for an exam? Really?" she teased. "I never knew you were such a nerd, Ethan."Ethan l
A short while ago, Ethan stood outside Damien’s door. He knocked, and when the door opened, Damien was right there. He was so tall that Ethan felt tiny standing next to him. Damien stepped back to let him in, and Ethan followed, quietly closing the door behind him."Good evening, sir," Ethan said softly.Damien walked over to his desk and sat down. He pointed to a chair across from him. "Sit."Once Ethan was settled, Damien looked at him seriously. "Your exams are only a few days away. I want to teach you as much as I can before then.""Thank you, sir. I really appreciate it," Ethan replied quickly.He was honestly surprised. He never thought a man running a billion-dollar business would care about his school grades. He expected Damien to be too busy for something like this. But Damien didn't waste any time; he opened the textbook and began explaining the next topic, his deep voice filling the quiet room as the lesson began.Damien began to explain a new topic to Ethan. He was very se
The next day, Anna informed Sylvia that her admission was finalized and it was time to get ready for school. Sylvia was buzzing with excitement; Valeigh High was a name she had only heard on the news—a place reserved strictly for the elite.As they prepared to leave, Anna turned to Ethan at the door. "Ethan, take good care of my niece for me," she said, playfully pinching Sylvia’s cheek. Sylvia felt a flash of irritation but forced a polite smile. She hadn’t forgotten Damien’s blunt warning from the day before: she was only here because of her Aunt Anna.Ethan beamed, his eyes bright. "Of course. I’ll be her bodyguard for the day."They stepped into the sleek sedan, and Sylvia immediately felt the powerful hum of the AC. The interior was so cool and comfortable she felt like she could fall asleep right there. Before she knew it, they had arrived.As they stepped out, Sylvia froze, staring up at a massive, bold statue that dominated the campus."Welcome to Valeigh High," Ethan announce
Author's Note: Sylvia was introduced because she's a core character that plays a huge role in Damien and Ethan's love story.The next morning, Ethan woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed. After the chaos of the night before, he took his time getting ready, pulling on a simple oversized shirt and a pair of denim jorts. He stepped out of his room, heading for breakfast, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw a familiar face in the hallway."Leo?"The boy’s face lit up instantly. "Hey, Ethan! You're not going to school?"Ethan blinked, still trying to wrap his head around why the boy was suddenly here in the manor. "Yeah... I don't have any classes today."Leo let out a long, dramatic sigh. "Cool. So you can just choose not to go? And it's not every day you have classes? Man, you're so lucky."Ethan chuckled, reaching out to ruffle Leo’s messy hair. "Trust me, kid, it’s not as cool as you think. The workload is a nightmare."Leo shrugged, unconvinced. "Sure it is."With their stoma
Damien placed Leo in the back of the Rolls Royce, his movements uncharacteristically gentle as he tucked the boy in and clicked the seatbelt into place. He drove back to the manor in a blur of focused speed, the engine purring like a predator in the dark.The low rumble of the car pulling into the driveway woke Elijah from a light sleep. He sat bolt upright, his internal alarm bells screaming. He checked his clock, it was 12:00 AM. In Blackwood Manor, movement at this hour was a red flag. Even if Damien went out, he rarely returned this late; he usually stayed at one of his city penthouses.Elijah didn't hesitate. He grabbed his jacket and snatched his pistol from the side table, tucking it into his waistband. His quarters were specifically designed for high-level security, featuring a hidden door that served as a shortcut directly into the main house so he could reach Damien at a moment’s notice.He moved like a shadow, slipping into the living room and pressing himself against the w
The interior of the SUV was a silent vault, but inside, Ethan was a storm. His palms were slick against the fabric of his school trousers, and his heart felt like a trapped bird beating against his ribs. He had been informed that he was going to the press conference."Don’t say anything irrational,
Ethan heard Stephen's voice behind him the very voice he had been trying to avoid.Then he turned back."I knew it!" Stephen exclaimed, his face lighting up with polished warmth. "I knew I’d recognize that golden hair anywhere."The hair again, Ethan thought bitterly. First thing tomorrow, I’m dyin
Damien got into the car, aware that Ethan was behind him. Earlier, he had spoken with Elijah and made it clear that Ethan was to be taken elsewhere after the press conference, Damien had other matters to attend to. When Elijah relayed this to Ethan, Damien caught the flicker of disappointment on hi
Nathan stepped out of Stanley’s room, the heavy oak door clicking shut behind him. The air in the hallway felt tainted, thick with the smell of cheap cigars and the lingering tension of their plotting. He took a breath to steady himself, but as he turned, he froze.Standing in the shadows of the ga







