Chapter 2

I stared at the shredded pieces of my sketchbook on the floor, my chest heaving.

“You… you didn’t just do that,” I whispered.

Xavier Knight stood in the middle of my bedroom like he owned the place. No guilt. No hesitation. Just ice in his eyes and destruction in his hands.

“I warned you,” he said coldly, stepping over the torn pages like they meant nothing. “Burn that marriage certificate, and you’ll regret it.”

“That sketchbook was mine,” I snapped, my voice cracking. “You had no right”

“Neither did you,” he cut me off, “when you signed my life into a scandal.”

I blinked hard, trying not to cry. I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. “You think I wanted this? You think I planned to marry some egotistical jerk with a God complex?”

Xavier’s jaw clenched. “Watch it.”

“No, you watch it!” I snapped. “I’m not some desperate fan girl who wanted your attention. I was tricked into signing that paper—just like you!”

He stared at me for a long moment, then ran a hand through his messy hair, frustrated.

“You don’t get it,” he muttered, pacing. “My father’s entire political image is riding on me being squeaky clean. No scandals. No surprise marriages to random nobodies.”

My heart dropped. “Random nobodies?”

He glanced at me.

Right. That’s what I was to him.

Not Arielle. Not the girl with dreams and a life and a sketchbook that meant everything.

Just a nobody.

Something inside me broke a little.

“Well, congratulations,” I said, hugging myself. “You’re stuck with a nobody.”

He didn’t respond.

Instead, he walked over to my desk, grabbed the half-burned certificate, and shoved it into his jacket.

“I’ll fix this,” he said. “But until then, stay out of my way.”

“Gladly,” I muttered.

He turned to leave through the window again, like the vampire he apparently was.

“Oh, and Arielle?” he added without looking back. “If you tell anyone about this—anyone—you won’t survive Empire High.”

And just like that, he vanished into the night.

The Next Morning

I didn’t sleep. My room still smelled like burnt paper and expensive cologne.

My alarm blared at 6:30AM, but I was already awake, staring at the ceiling, replaying his words.

You’re a nobody.

I got up, dressed slowly, and grabbed a new blank sketchpad from the drawer. It didn’t feel the same.

At least I still had school to distract me. Right?

Wrong.

Empire High was worse than ever.

As soon as I walked into the courtyard, whispers followed me like shadows.

“That’s the new girl, right?”

“She was staring at Xavier yesterday…”

“I heard she’s his cousin.”

“No way, she’s not even hot.”

Great. Rumors.

I kept my head down and walked faster toward homeroom, praying no one would talk to me.

But of course, the universe hated me.

“Hey, new girl!”

I stopped.

Bianca Shaw stood at her locker, arms crossed, surrounded by her usual group of fake-laughing, lip-glossed minions.

God help me.

“Did you drop something yesterday?” she asked sweetly, holding up a page from my old sketchbook.

My stomach dropped.

It was the one I drew last month. A personal one. My mom’s face.

She tore it down the middle with a smile.

“Oops.”

I clenched my fists. “What is your problem?”

“You,” she said simply. “You’re breathing in my space, looking at my man, and walking around here like you belong.”

I couldn’t even laugh. “Your man? Xavier doesn’t even look at you.”

Her smile cracked.

Dangerous.

Then she leaned in close. “You think just because he defended you yesterday, you’re special?”

“I never said that.”

“Well, let me. You’re not. You’re nothing. So quit while you still have a social life.”

I didn’t answer. I just turned and walked away.

But inside, I was boiling.

And hurting.

Because deep down, I hated that she was right.

Lunch Time

I sat alone at the far end of the cafeteria, stabbing my fries.

Mira texted me twice, asking where I was. I told her I needed space.

And space I got. No one dared come near me,

Until he did.

Xavier.

He walked in like a storm. Loud. Bold. Every girl turned to look. Every guy looked annoyed.

Then, without a word, he walked over…

…and sat across from me.

My fork froze mid-air.

“What are you doing?” I hissed.

“Making sure people think we’re strangers,” he said casually, pulling a fry off my tray. “You sitting alone looks desperate. And desperate people talk.”

“I’m not talking.”

“Good. Keep it that way.”

“You’re unbelievable.”

“I’ve been called worse.”

A girl behind us gasped. “Oh my God, is he talking to her?”

“Is she blackmailing him?”

I glared at him. “They’re going to eat me alive.”

He leaned in. “Only if you act like prey.”

“What does that even mean?!”

But he was already standing again. Done with his scene.

Just like that, he left.

No hello. No goodbye. Just destruction.

Later That Day – Outside School

I waited by the school gate for Mira to pick me up. She was late. Of course.

A black sports car pulled up next to me, window sliding down.

Xavier.

He didn’t say a word. Just looked at me.

I looked away.

Then the passenger door popped open.

“I’m not getting in your car.”

He didn’t argue. Just sat there.

Rain started to drizzle.

Great.

I stood there for a solid minute before finally groaning and climbing in.

The second I closed the door, he drove off like we were in a Fast & Furious movie.

“I could’ve waited!” I snapped.

“You were getting soaked.”

“I had an umbrella!”

“You didn’t pull it out.”

“Because I didn’t want you to give me a ride!”

He smirked. “You’re welcome.”

Ugh.

Ten minutes later, we pulled up to the front of a ridiculous mansion I’d only ever seen on I*******m.

Wait… why were we at his house?

“I told your aunt you’re staying here for the weekend,” he said, getting out.

“What?! No! Absolutely not!”

But he was already walking toward the house.

Inside the Knight Mansion

Marble floors. Crystal chandeliers. Security cameras.

I felt like a homeless raccoon that accidentally stumbled into a five-star hotel.

Xavier tossed his jacket onto a sofa worth more than my entire apartment and grabbed a bottle of water.

“You can have the guest room. Third door on the left. Don’t touch anything.”

“I’m not staying here.”

“Your aunt already agreed. My dad insisted. Said it’ll ‘look good’ for the family to host a scholarship student.”

I wanted to scream.

“Why do rich people think they can just buy solutions to everything?!”

He turned to me slowly. “Because we can.”

I stormed down the hall without another word.

Guest Room – That Night

It was stunning. Gold accents. Pillows everywhere. Even a freaking chocolate tray on the nightstand.

But I didn’t feel safe.

Not in this house.

Not in his world.

I curled up on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

A soft knock made me flinch.

Xavier’s voice came through the door.

“You okay?”

I blinked. What?

He cleared his throat. “I… shouldn’t have ripped your sketchbook.”

Silence.

“I was angry. And stupid.”

I said nothing.

“I just wanted y

ou to know.”

I stayed quiet.

Then I heard his footsteps walk away.

Midnight

I couldn’t sleep.

I sat by the window, sketching something new.

A boy.

A girl.

Sitting on opposite sides of the same bed.

Worlds apart.

And yet… bound together by one stupid, irreversible choice.