LOGINRyker'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
Ryker's povI fought back the angry tears as I stormed my way towards the exit.The loud music still banged behind me but I couldn't care less as I stood by a corner.How could he? My mind roared, who gave him any right.My mind flashed again to how Leonardo had yanked Ronaldo off of me, like we were in a sitcom and I had just cheated on my husband of four years.I couldn't win with him. He was like some kind of nshcgukd who didn't know there were consequences for his actions or decisions and honestly I was so damn sick of it.Spending the rest of our life together be damned, he could end up with whatever chic he wanted.Almost like clockwork the lady I had seen pressed to Leo's hips earlier sashed out of the club barely acknowledging my presence by the door.And soon after Leo followed, tugging on his jacket, he didn't seem to notice me at first and I
Ronaldo’s POVI didn’t even see it coming.One second, I had Ryker in my arms—his lips on mine, his body pressed close like he needed something, anything—and the next—I was yanked back so hard my balance snapped.“What the hell—?”A hand shoved against my chest.Hard.I stumbled back a step, my breath catching as I looked up.And there he was.Leonardo fucking Rizz.For a split second, everything froze.Then heat rushed straight to my head.“You,” I said, my voice low and sharp.His chest was rising fast, eyes wild in a way that didn’t match the calm, controlled image he always carried around campus.He didn’t even look at me first.His gaze went straight to Ryker.“Are you okay?” he demanded.
Leonardo’s POVI was sitting on the edge of my bed. My old bedroom hadn’t changed.That was the worst part.Same dark wood furniture. Same heavy curtains. Same air that felt too still, like it had been waiting for me to come back just s
Leonardo’s POVThe plane landed at exactly half past six and by the time I stepped off, the driver was already waiting at the bottom of the stairs, standing straight like he’d been there for hours.“Sir.” 
Ryker’s POVBy the time I got back to campus, it was already noon, the taxi ride had been long and confusing. I had to switch twice because I didn’t even know where I was when Leo left me. At some point, I just gave the driver the school’s name
Leonardo’s POV“Fuck!”I slammed my palm against the steering wheel before grabbing my phone and throwing it onto the passenger seat. It hit the leather with a dull thud and slid slightly, but I didn’t care. My jaw wa







