MasukLeonardo’s POV
The water was red.
At first, I didn’t understand what I was looking at.
It shimmered under the dim bathroom light, thick and slow, curling around the porcelain edges of the bathtub like something alive.
Then I saw the hand.
Pale and still.
Hanging over the side.
My chest tightened.
“No…”
I stepped closer.
Each
Ryker’s POVI shot up from the bed, heart racing, eyes darting to the clock like maybe it would change if I stared hard enough.It didn’t.“Shit.”I got up late.I dragged a hand down my face, already swinging my legs off the bed. Ronaldo was still asleep, sprawled across his side like the world hadn’t ended ten seconds ago.Oliver’s bed was empty.He hadn’t come back from his night with Veronica.Chris was gone too. Probably left early for class like a sane person.“Oh God.”Missing today’s class would be the worst possible thing that could happen right now.I had read the course outline three times. The professor didn’t joke around. No grace periods, no excuses, no sympathy for late submissions or absences. And there was something
Leonardo’s POVRyan shoved my shoulder.“What the hell is your problem?” My jaw was already tight, my hands still clenched from a moment ago.“Back off,” I said.Warren let out a short laugh, stepping in and pushing me harder this time. “No, seriously, man. What the fuck is your problem?”I steadied myself, glaring at him now. “I can’t do this right now.”“Do what?” he shot back. “Have a little fun?”I didn’t answer. This was stupid and I refused to lower myself to pointless banter.Warren tilted his head, then gestured lazily toward the bench. “No, no. You’re confusing your poor, innocent fiancée.”Catherine was sitting there, watching, her expression unreadable.“Do you love her,” Warren continued, stretching his arms out slightly, “or do you love Mr. Scholarship Student?”“Shut up,” I snapped, even though I could feel how heavy my heart was beating on my chest.“No,” he said immediately, stepping closer. “I’m not gonna shut up.”Ryan nodded, crossing his arms. “Yeah, this isn’t ma
Ryker's povI turned slightly, pulling my shoulder free. “I’m sorry. I just want to get back to my room.”Warren grinned like I had just said something funny. “No, no. You’re not going anywhere. Come here.”He steered me toward the open space near the court where people gathered. Where things happened. Where reputations were made or ruined depending on who was watching.And people were watching.A lot of them.Ryan was there, spinning a basketball in his hands, already smirking like he knew exactly where this was going. A few others lingered around, conversations dying down as attention shifted.Leo on the other hand stood a few feet away, Catherine beside him, his expression blank while his hands lingered on her waist.For a second, I thought I saw something flicker in his eyes but it was
Ryker’s POV“Sir, step aside.”I blinked once, the sound of the alarm still ringing in my ears as one of the guards reached for my arm.“You need to come with us.” One of the security guards barked.Oh.Shit.It clicked immediately.The lipstick.“Please wait,” I said quickly, pulling back just enough to reach into Vanessa's bag slung over my shoulder. “I know what this is. I’m sorry, it was an accident.”I pulled it out, holding it up. “This. I didn’t mean to walk out with it.”Vanessa’s eyes widened. “Oh my God, the lipstick. I forgot.”She stepped forward. “It’s mine, actually. I gave it to him to hold for me. We were talking and I guess he just slipped it into the bag without thinking. T
Leonardo’s POVThis was the third time in a row that I was being summoned into my father’s office like I had nothing better to do than stand in front of him and get reminded of exactly who I was in this house.I stood there, hands at my sides, standing perfectly still awaiting his cruel judgement.He didn’t look up at me, just kept flipping through whatever document was in front of him.“You’re becoming a joke.” He finally spoke in his casual and dismissive tone.“At first I thought it was nerves. Adjustment. But now?” He closed the file and leaned back in his chair, his eyes finally settling on me. “Now it looks like you’re deliberately trying to make a mess of things.”My jaw tightened slightly but I didn't dare speak.He continued “The public is starting to notice. Your distance. Your lack of enthusiasm. It doesn’t look like love, Leonardo. And that is a problem.”His fingers tapped once against the desk.“If you don’t get your act together and start behaving like a man who is deep
Ryker’s POV“This semester will be significantly more demanding than the last,” the professor said, his voice carrying easily across the lecture hall. “And I suggest you all take that seriously. Any failure to meet expectations may result in repeating this course in its entirety.”A low murmur spread across the room.I leaned back slightly in my seat, exhaling through my nose.Of all the courses.It had to be this one.The one that barely made sense no matter how much I tried to follow. The one where the words sounded right until I actually had to apply them.And to make it worse, it carried more than half my grade.Perfect.I dragged my pen across my notebook, not really writing anything useful, just enough to look like I was paying attention.The past few days had been… quiet.Lectures resumed. Assignments piled up. Schedules tightened.There wasn’t much room to think about anything else.Which was good.Necessary, even.Because every time my mind even tried to drift back to that ni
Leonardo’s POV“Leonardo, are you even listening to me?”I blinked.Catherine was looking up at me, her lips curved into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.“Of course,” I said automatically. “You were saying something about the architecture building.”She tilted her head slightly.“I was say
Ryker’s POVNo.No, no, no.That didn’t make any sense.I walked through the hallway like my body was moving on its own, my mind stuck somewhere else entirely.Leonardo Rizz is engaged.&
Ryker’s POV(A few weeks later.)“I still don’t understand why you have to go back so soon.”My mom’s voice followed me around the house as I zipped up my bag. She stood by the doorway, arms folded, eyes scanning me like I was making the worst decision of my life.“School resumed, Mom,” I said simp
Ryker’s POVMy world tilted.“My mom gave my room out for rent?”The man—Jerry, apparently—just shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal. Like he hadn’t just casually rearranged my entire life.“I pay for it,” he said, scratching his stomach. “So yeah. It’s mine for now.”I blinked at him.For a second,







