Chapter 3

The group chat with Julian’s childhood friends was buzzing all night.

Someone posted a photo of the racetrack. Julian’s black sports car was parked at the top of the mountain.

He was leaning against the driver’s door with a gorgeous girl in his arms, looking effortlessly carefree.

The sharp lines of his profile were highlighted by the headlights.

The rest of the group immediately exploded:

[Holy shit, Julian actually took a girl racing? He never even took Nora!]

[Did he and Nora get into a fight?]

[Yeah, weren’t they fine at the last get-together?]

I stared at the screen and was about to leave the group.

Then Julian suddenly sent a message.

[Don’t make assumptions. Nora’s just my little sister.]

A second later, a notification appeared.

Madison Carter has joined the group.

[Say hi to your new sister-in-law.]

Julian’s words were short.

But they felt like a dull knife cutting into my flesh—not sharp enough to kill, just painful enough to linger.

By the time I came back to my senses, the chat was already flooded with flattery and congratulations for Madison.

I expressionlessly typed:

[That’s great. You two make a good match. Wishing you both the best.]

Then I shoved my phone under my pillow.

Even though I’d already decided to cut ties with him, my heart still ached faintly.

It was like an old wound that had already scabbed over. It wouldn’t bleed anymore, but the soreness remained whenever someone accidentally brushed against it.

Madison came back very late.

She was carrying a huge bouquet of flowers.

Her lips were swollen, her cheeks flushed, and her shirt collar was slightly disheveled, with faint reddish marks visible along her collarbone.

She shyly covered her face and spun around the dorm room.

“Julian confessed to me... and I said yes.”

My roommates immediately crowded around her, talking over one another.

“Oh my God! That’s Julian Cross! He’s the most popular guy at the college next door. The girls who chase after him could probably circle the track three times!”

“Hasn’t he never publicly dated anyone? He must really love you!”

“He said I was his first love...”

Madison’s voice was soft and sweet, but she couldn’t hide the smugness in her tone.

Another small corner of my heart crumbled.

Madison suddenly turned toward me.

Her voice was cautious and tentative.

“Nora, so you weren’t actually Julian’s relative? I only saw everyone talking about it in the group after I said yes...They said you liked him.”

She pressed her lips together and hesitated.

“Nora, I’m sorry. If you’re upset about it, I can—”

“It’s nothing.”

I cut her off and forced a casual smile.

“They were just joking around.”

Madison looked at me, clearly unconvinced.

I paused before adding,

“I already have someone I like.”

“Who? Who?”

My roommates immediately erupted.

“I always knew you weren’t single! Who is he?”

Just then, the phone beside me lit up.

The campus forum had pushed a notification: The annual Campus Heartthrob rankings are out.

The winner was no surprise.

The photo showed a guy in a black hoodie, one hand in his pocket as he leaned against the hallway of an academic building.

His eyes were sharp and rebellious, and his jawline was strikingly defined.

The comments were filled with screaming fangirls.

[Declan Sterling is going to be the death of me!]

[That face could keep me obsessed for a year!]

If Julian was my childhood sweetheart—the boy I’d grown up with and loved from a young age—then Declan Sterling was my lifelong rival.

It started in kindergarten when we fought over the best slide.

In elementary school, we competed for class president.

In middle school, we battled for the top spot in our grade.

In high school, we fought over the student council presidency.

For more than a decade, we’d been at each other’s throats. Whenever we met, we’d argue. Neither of us had ever been willing to back down.

I’d spent the past two years too busy dating Julian to bother with Declan, which was probably the only reason things had finally calmed down.

“That one.”

I casually pointed at the screen.

“I’ve had a crush on Declan Sterling for years.”