Chapter 2

GIOVANNI

I stood frozen in the middle of the Hallway, I could practically feel stares boring into me, and I could hear the whispers echoing around me. The bitter aroma of the coffee hit my nostrils, and the heat seeped through my shirt burning my skin but the physical sting was nothing compared to the emotional blow of her words.

“Take your tantrums to mommy.”

For the very first time. I, Giovanni Atticus Malvetti, heir to the malvetti empire was publicly ridiculed and it was by a mere scholarship student.

A piercing snarl of laughter cut through the air. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was Nathan and Alessandro, stupid childhood friends.

Alessandro, clutched his chest feigning a heart attack. “Oh, my God! Giovanni publicly humiliated by a scholarship student! Is the world about to end?

“ My goodness,” Nathan wheezed. his face turning into a shade of red. “Did that actually happen? Or Am I dreaming? Did the scholarship girl just tell the heir to the Malvetti empire to go cry to his mother?”

“ Hey, don’t forget she also called him a good boy,” Alessandro chimed in his voice dripping with laughter.

He shakes his head, a smirk tugging at his lips as checked out a girl walking past us. “The Almighty Malvetti heir, humiliated by a girl whose family salaries put together can’t afford my shirts. That’s a new low, Gio, even for you.”

Nathan held his phone high, a mocking gleam in his eyes. “Hold still, Gio. This is going straight to TikTok. ‘The Almighty Giovanni Atticus, Humiliated by a Coffee-wielding charity case. Priceless!” He cackled, making me more frustrated.

“Nathan, put the damn phone away.” I growled, my voice dangerously low.

Nathan, never one to miss an opportunity for a jab, snorted. “Aww, is baby Gio upset? Did the mean girl hurt your whittle feelings? Maybe you should go cry to mommy about her,” He punctuated the sentence with a high pitched whine, mimicking a child.

Nathan’s taunt hit its mark. My jaw tightened, I balled my fists, resisting the huge to wipe the grin off Nathan’s face. I was used to being desired, envied, admired and never ridiculed, especially not from a charity case.

The image of the scholarship girl flashed through my mind. Her hazel eyes burned with defiance, I had expected apologies, tears and maybe even a fainting spell. But she unleashed a verbal outburst that left me speechless and humiliated.

Alessandro, clapped me on my shoulder, noticing the shift in my mood, a mischievous gleam in his eyes. “Alright, enough, Gio, this girl didn’t just spill on you. She humiliated you, in front of the entire campus. Nate. Our buddy’s reputation is at stake right now. We can’t have him losing on the edge, especially not to someone who probably thinks H&M is haute couture”. He shuddered dramatically. “The horror!”

Nathan tucked his into his pocket and crossed his arms over his chest. “ You know what they call her, right?.” Nathan asked. “The scholarship Ice Queen, she shreds every guy who tries to get near her. You know I thought if anyone could melt her, it would be you, the campus god himself. But, you got lectured on your budget and got sent home mommy.”

“ Shut the hell up, Nathan” I snapped, my fists curling by my sides. The humiliation was still fresh in my mind. I could still see her hazel eyes; cold, and defiant. She had looked at me like I was some nuisance she had to swat away, not like a king.

“ The question is, Gio, what are you going to do about it?” Alessandro asked, his voice taking on a sharper edge as he circled me. “Are you going to let some charity case ruin your reputation?” He paused for a few seconds. “I bet she you can’t even get her, she seems immune to your charm, considering the way she treated you like a child.

“She’s probably too busy studying to notice his existence.” Nathan added leaning in.

Alessandro grin widened. “ Gio, we are going to fix your reputation and make your revenge plan interesting and unforgettable in the history of Bocconi.”

I looked at him, my eyes narrowing. “ What are you talking about, Sandro?”

“A bet, Gio.” Alessandro stepped into my personal space, his eyes locking onto mine. “Make her fall in love with you, not just a crush but Ice Queen melted into a puddle kind of love. Get her into your bed, then dump her publicly, once the win is secured. Remind her, and everyone watching, exactly who Giovanni Atticus Malvetti is.”

Alessandro's words struck me. I had never been the one to back down from a challenge, especially when my ego was on the line. I had a reputation to uphold and I certainly wasn’t going to let some holier than thou charity case ruin it.

Nathan whistled low. “ That’s harsh, Sandro.”

“it’s not, it’s justice, Alessandro countered, looking at me. “ She stained your name, Gio. Stain hers, make the Ice Queen famous for falling for the guy she pretended to hate.”

Sandro’s Idea took root in the dark corners of my mind, it was perfect. I imagined the scholarship girl, vulnerable and looking at me with the same desperation others did. I wanted to see her composure shatter and I wanted her to see the world did revolve around me.

“What are the stakes?” I asked, my voice coming out rasp.

Alessandro didn’t hesitate. “ A hundred thousand dollars, cold, raw cash. And…” he paused, a smirk playing on his lips, “ My limited edition Ducati, the one I got last summer.”

Nathan gasped. “ The Ducati? Bro you’re insane.”

“ I'm confident, not insane” Sandro said, extending his hand. “ So what's it going to be, Gio? Are you going to be a good boy and let her get away with it? Or are you going to show her that somethings are definitely out of her budget?”

I thought back to the hallway incident, the way she pulled her wrist out of my grip, the way she looked at me without fear or adoration but with disdain. I thought back to the crowd gasping and whispering as she humiliated me. My ego wasn’t just bruised, it was bleeding. I needed her to pay, I needed to see her broken.

I didn’t care about the money, I didn’t even care about the bike. I wanted to see the look in her eyes when I finally tossed her aside. I wanted to see the Ice Queen burn.

“Deal.”

My jaw tightened. I met Alessandro’s gaze, my blues eyes darkening with a ruthless calculated intent. “By midterms, she’ll be begging for a place in my bed. And by the time I'm done with her, she’ll wish she’d never even heard the name Giovanni Atticus Malvetti.