Chapter One

Why would he kiss me?

What does this mean?

Felicity’s thoughts tumbled over themselves as she stepped out of the taxi, her pulse hammering in her ears. Leon’s lips had been on hers only hours ago—unexpected, forbidden, shattering everything they had agreed on. Friends. Just friends. That was the boundary. That was the safety net. And he had crossed it.

Her palms was slick with sweat as she walked across campus, every step feeling heavier than the last. The memory of his touch clung to her skin, hot and impossible to shake. Did he really mean it, or was she another passing whim in his reckless life?

The corridor to her hostel stretched endless ahead. It felt like every door hid whispers, every corner held muffled laughter aimed at her. She knew it was only her imagination, but the guilt burned all the same.

By the time she reached the door, her hands were trembling. She fumbled in her bag for her keys—her bag that always seemed to swallow everything whole—when she froze.

Voices drifted through the door.  Gwen’s….and a deeper voice she knew far too well.

Imran.

Her stomach dropped. What was he doing here? He was supposed to be on the other side of the country, studying for exams.

The lock clicked, and the door creaked open. Sure enough, there he was, standing in the middle of the living room, his eyes fixed on her like he’d been waiting for this exact moment.

“What are you doing here?” Felicity asked, shock and panic crashing together in her chest. “Aren’t you supposed to be studying right now/”

“I know. I know.” Imran’s voice softened, almost pleading. “But we left things in such a bad way last time I saw you. You’ve been distant since then, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I thought if you saw me—you really saw me—you’d know how serious I am about fixing things between us.

Felicity’s throat tightened. “I get that. But this just isn’t the right time to show up unannounced. I told you I needed time. I needed space. This…This isn’t helping.”

She brushed past him, muttering, “Just wait. I’ll be right back. I need to settle down.” before disappearing into her room.

Gwen followed her, shutting the door behind them. “I still don’t get it.” She whispered, lowering her voice. “What could you two be possibly fighting about? I’ve known you guys for two years and never saw you have a single issue.”

Felicity pressed her shaky hands to her chest, trying to steady her breathing. “Its too much. Too much is happening today, all at once.”

“What do you mean? What happened?”

Felicity’s voice cracked. “Leon kissed me today. Out of nowhere. I don’t know what possessed him. He just…did it.”

Wen’s eyes widened. “He what? Oh my God. But wait…what does this mean?” Excitement warred with confusion on her face. “I thought you two were just friends.”

“We are.” Felicity whispered, her voice heavy with guilt. “We’ll speak about this later, I have to get back to Imran. He did come all the way here.”

She changed quickly and stepped back into the hallway, ready to face Imran. But the moment she opened the door, she froze.

He was standing right there, his face pale, his eyes hollow. He had heard everything.

Imran’s gaze lingered on her for only a second before he turned and headed for the door.

“Imran wait. Please let me explain—“

“What is there to explain, Felicity?” His voice broke. Though he tried to keep it steady. “I knew something was wrong. I felt it. But never this.” His throat bobbed, words catching. “I guess it doesn’t even matter. I know we’re not really together anymore. But—“

“I really flew across the country for this.” He shook his head. “Forget it.”

“He paused at the door, his back at her. “I’m in town for the weekend. Maybe we’ll talk later. But not now.” His hand trembled slightly as he shut the door behind him.

Felicity stood frozen in the empty living room, her chest hollow. In the span of a day, everything was unraveling. Leon’s kiss. Imran’s heartbreak. Her own confusion clawing at her from the inside. Was she about to lose everything in a single day?

--

Meanwhile, at Leon’s apartment, Mark strolled into his room to find him sprawled on the bed, phone in hand.

“Leon?” Mark called, raising a brow.

“Yeah?” Leon dropped his phone to the side.

“Why did Felicity bolt like that earlier? She looked like she’d seen a ghost.”

Leon leaned back against the headboard, smirking faintly. “She’s different. Weird, interesting. I kissed her, and she just panicked—ran off. That was my third try, by the way. The first two times she suspected, she literally ran away too. No one’s ever done that before. Usually they stay to get the full experience.” He chuckled darkly. “You’ve heard it yourself. The walls don’t hide much.”

Mark shook his head, “You’re crazy, man. Just hope this has nothing to do with Charity. You know she tries to make everyone on campus believe you’re still hers. She’s a bit delusional.”

Before Leon could respond, his phone rang. His mother.

“You need to get down to the company. Right now,” she snapped when he answered.

“Why? What’s going on?”

“I said get your ass down here, before I come over there and drag you myself.”

Leon’s pulse spiked. “Okay. Okay. I’ll be there in twenty.” He ended the call and swung his legs off the bed.

“Mark shut the door on your way out. I got to go.”

Minutes later, Leon was behind the wheels of his car, pushing the speed limit as the city blurred around him. He tossed his keys to the valet and stormed into the building like a firefighter running into a burning building.”

Inside the conference room, the entire Wyatt family sat waiting, their lawyer among them.

“What’s wrong? Is everyone okay?” Leon panted, scanning the room.

“Sit your ass down!” Mr. Wyatt barked, his voice sharp enough to slice through steel.

Confused, Leon obeyed, his chest tight.

“Have you been briefed on the threat to the company?” his father asked.

“No. What threat?” Leon frowned.

Mr. Wyatt didn’t answer. Instead, he pressed a button on the remote.

The screen lit up with a sex tape. Leon’s sex tape. Moans filled the conference room. Gasps rippled across the table. His mother covered her mouth. His sister looked away. The footage was raw, wild and damning.

The video froze on the screen.

Mr. Wyatt’s glare burned holes into his son. “Explain. Now.”