Se connecterThe lingering heat of summer was swept away by the crisp winds of September.
The freshman registration area was a chaotic symphony of shouting and frantic energy. Elena Voss stood at a small table, her head down as she filled out her registration forms. The surrounding chatter buzzed in her ears like static. "Did you hear? Over in the prep year building..." "The golden boy from the Academy! I heard he actually came here to retake the year. People say he was onlyThe lingering heat of summer was swept away by the crisp winds of September. The freshman registration area was a chaotic symphony of shouting and frantic energy. Elena Voss stood at a small table, her head down as she filled out her registration forms. The surrounding chatter buzzed in her ears like static. "Did you hear? Over in the prep year building..." "The golden boy from the Academy! I heard he actually came here to retake the year. People say he was only two points short of an Ivy League track." "Are you serious? Why? Isn't the Academy supposed to be elite?" "Retaking a year over two points? He’s a total psycho." "His face is even crazier. One look and you’re ruined for life. He is absolutely gorgeous..."The Academy’s golden boy. Those words were a secret code, instantly igniting a hidden fuse in her chest. Elena’s pen stuttered. He was retaking the year? Here? How was that possible?
That summer, right after middle school graduation, Elena was sent to stay at the Knight estate.On paper, it was an educational retreat—a chance for Alexander Knight to tutor her for the grueling high school curriculum ahead.In reality, it was a strategic move by their families. A way to "cultivate feelings" between two heirs destined for a corporate marriage.But Alexander was a ghost.The weight of the Knight Group consumed him. He left before sunrise and returned long after dark. Even when he was home, he was locked behind his study doors, a cold silhouette behind frosted glass.The only things he offered Elena were a distant back and polite, monosyllabic responses.The study assigned to Elena was grand and flooded with light, yet it felt like a gilded cage.Outside, the cicadas tore through the stifling afternoon heat with their relentless buzzing.Elena slumped over the mahogany desk, her pen tip stabbing the paper until it was rid
Elena caught a glimpse of his reflection in the chrome of the handlebars as they hit a bump—his ears were a deep, burning crimson. The discovery sent a jolt of electricity straight to her heart. The city’s most notorious troublemaker was actually blushing? Her fingers, which had been white-knuckled against the hem of his shirt, loosened their grip slightly, but she didn't let go. If anything, she pressed closer. The bike finally rumbled to a halt at the mouth of a secluded alleyway near the Voss estate. The engine cut out, and the silence that followed was heavy, broken only by the dripping of rain from the eaves. The wet pavement shimmered under the hazy amber glow of the streetlights. Luke propped the bike up with one leg, keeping his body steady. Elena’s slender fingers were still tangled in the fabric of his soaked shirt, her knuckles brushing against the heat of his lower back. "We are here." His voice was raspy, almost a growl.
The first time the youngest of the Cole family was dragged to the Knight estate, his grandfather claimed it was to pay respects to an old ally. In reality, the old man wanted him to learn a thing or two from Alexander Knight—the golden boy, the perfect heir. Luke found it suffocating. While the adults traded pleasantries and business secrets, he slipped away to the back gardens, seeking refuge near the sprawling koi pond. That was when he saw her. A little girl crouched by the water's edge. She wore an exquisite white lace dress, her hair styled in a perfect, innocent bob. From behind, she looked tiny and fragile. Her shoulders were shaking with silent sobs. "Hey, kid. What are you crying for?" Seven-year-old Luke already had the aura of a troublemaker. His tone was far from friendly. The girl gasped, spinning around in terror. Her eyes were swimming with tears, her nose tipped with pink. She looked like a precious porcelai
Outside the bridal suite, the corridor felt like a scene from a historical epic.Alexander Knight stood tall before the heavy oak doors.He wore a traditional Ming Dynasty robe in deep crimson, the silk shimmering with gold-embroidered dragons that seemed to coil from his shoulders to the hem.The black official’s hat sat low on his brow, accentuating the cold, lethal edge of his features.He looked every bit the powerful, heartless minister from a classic painting.Luke Cole leaned against the wall, checking his watch with a smirk."Alright, Alex. This is the real test."Vance Sterling was already cracking his knuckles, practically vibrating with energy."Boys, prepare for the breach!"Soren Crane adjusted his glasses, his tone as clinical as if he were reading a lab report."Statistical analysis suggests that in these door-blocking rituals, the thickness of the cash bribes is directly proportional to the s
Thirty minutes later. I was in bed, desperately counting sheep, when a rhythmic tapping against the glass balcony door shattered the silence. My heart skipped a beat. I padded across the room barefoot and yanked back the heavy curtains. Under the cold pour of the moonlight, Alexander Knight stood on the balcony. He looked devastatingly sharp even in a simple white dress shirt and black trousers, his silhouette cutting a lethal figure against the night sky. "What are you doing here?" I cracked the door open, my voice a hushed, breathless whisper. The night breeze rushed in, thick with the scent of late-blooming jasmine and the metallic tang of the coming rain. "Weren't we supposed to stay apart tonight? Tradition, remember?" Alexander didn't say a word. He stepped into the room, bringing the chill of the night with him, though his eyes were burning hot enough to melt lead. "Tradition is for the dead." He didn't hesitate
Alexander raised an eyebrow, his gaze catching on my whitened knuckles."Afraid he'll see?"His voice was low, carrying the casual scrutiny of a man who held all the cards."Since when did Assistant Lisa lose her taste for trouble?"I couldn't let Ethan discover us. Not now.
I slipped into the driver's seat but didn't fire the engine right away. I leaned back wearily against the seat, picking unconsciously at the steering wheel. Five million dollars sat quietly in my account, and the ashen, defeated faces of the three White family members still lingered viv
Dawn was breaking when I was jolted awake by my phone buzzing insistently on the nightstand.I pried my eyes open to find the screen flooded with notifications—over ninety-nine missed calls and messages.Icons for Marcus White, Elaine White, and Chloe White flashed relentlessly, t
The night wind turned cold, rippling the moon's reflection on the lake. My heart plummeted. Gerald Knight! How had he gotten here? My plan hadn't included a head-on confrontation with the ultimate authority of the Knight family so early—certainly not during what I considered t







