Chapter 1

Iris 

“So, Caleb, what about the bet? Have you bagged that prissy chick yet?”

Those words stopped me dead in the hallway. Light peeked out from the crack in the door where he alongside his friends were in the otherwise empty lecture hall. Mere seconds ago, I was just about to step inside and make my presence known.

Now I stood frozen outside the empty classroom door, hidden by the half-open frame.

Caleb’s familiar laugh echoed out.

 “Still working on it, man. But trust me, she’s almost there. These honor students act all stuck up, but they’re the easiest once you crack them.”

More laughter arose, followed by whistles and hollers. My stomach twisted at those words.  I held my breath as I pressed closer, heart pounding.

“Damn it, you work fast. Guess even the ‘ice princess’ is no match for you. But don't forget, five grand is still on the table if you actually make Iris Williams spread her legs,” another voice said, amusement dripping from every word. “Most of us thought you’d fail by now. She’s been playing hard to get for years.”

“Hard to get? Please.” Caleb snorted, “She’s boring as hell. Pretty face, nice body, but zero fire. With all that mystery, she's so fucking dull. If not for the bet I'd say she's not worth it. I swear, half the time I’m with her I’m thinking about how much easier it would be to just bag a random chick at a frat party instead. At least they know how to moan properly.”

Laughter burst out from inside the room. My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag until my knuckles ached. 

That moniker had followed me for the past three years in varying versions for the past three years since I entered Hawthorne college. As a full time scholarship student in an ivy league school full of elites, I held no delusions of  my goals. I worked hard, trying to be an honor student and kept my distance except necessary. That, apparently, was taken as an offense to others who thought me arrogant, grunting me multiple nicknames. I ignored them all. 

Then Caleb Sterling, the golden-boy playboy of Hawthorne, made his way into my life.  Despite being in the same year, his life was vastly different from mine. He was a rich kid, born to the influential Sterling family and from the start, was at the top of the food chain. He had begun chasing me two years ago, and I never gave him the time of the day when he'd recently seemed to change, no longer having girls on his side. 

Many were taken aback and rumors flew that he had changed, a bad boy finally being tamed by the good girl. Many even claimed that he was heartbroken with every rejection.

Despite my indifference to public opinion I believed them and guilt seeped in. That was why after two years of ignoring his once cocky advances, I finally let him in. 

I had come to surprise him after his last class. He had been texting me all morning, needling me about going on a date and taking me out at night. After days of refusal, I'd cleared my schedule for tonight dealing with all my assignments and duties just to surprise him with a date. Who knew that I'd end up being surprised instead.

And what a fucking surprise indeed.

Bitter disappointment settled heavy in my chest. Not heartbreak. I didn’t let people close enough for that anymore. I had barely dated him for a month and was too cautious to jump into everything.

But I had considered it. Tonight, on my way to surprise him, I'd decided that tonight was the night I would let my guard down with Caleb. After everything I'd been through, I wanted to believe that there was something good in my life. That someone saw me as more than the ‘ice princess’, the mixed-race scholarship student at Hawthorne.

Turns out I was just a bet. A joke.

“So much for the ice queen.” The voice who I recognized as Brayden, Caleb's sidekick spoke, “I couldn't stand her anyways. All that pride when she's out of our league. Damn, I can't wait to see her face when you dump her.”

“Whatever,” Caleb continued, voice lazy and arrogant. “I’ll bag her soon enough. Then I collect the money and move on. She’s not even worth keeping around after.”

I'd heard enough.

I turned away, keeping my steps quiet and measured. I doubted they would notice them anyways. The laughter echoing through proved that.

I felt numb and cold, my insides raw with a sting, but that was all it was.

My heart didn’t shatter. It simply turned colder. Harder. I had survived worse than a rich boy’s cruel game. I would survive this too.

It was good that I'd discovered the truth and like always, I would cut my losses early.

The path to the exit was near when my phone buzzed in my hand, a familiar sound reaching my ears. Taking it out I met the screen displaying a notification for my scheduled livestream tonight.  The reminder settled like a weight inside me.

Several days ago, I'd felt guilty for this part of my life because of him as well. I never mixed business and my personal life, yet the thought of continuing whilst Caleb was good to me felt wrong. I'd even considered, for a brief moment, quitting.

I internally scoffed at the notion now.

Taking a deep breath,  I moved forward to silence it as I spun the corner towards the building's exit when I collided with a solid wall.

 I stumbled back from the force, my phone flying from my grip before I heard it clatter onto the tiled floor. Before I could fall I quickly recovered, realizing from the ark sacks in front of me that it wasn't a wall I'd collided with, but a person.

 “Sorry, I wasn’t—”

The words died in my throat as I looked up.

He was tall. Impossibly tall. Sharp cheekbones, black hair neatly styled, and grey eyes that seemed to cut right through me. I recognized him immediately.

Dmitri Sterling, the Literature professor in Hawthorne Academy.

 

He was also Caleb’s uncle. 

His reputation preceded him in many ways. Not only was he one of the youngest Professors in the entire college, but he was also rich beyond reason as a member of the prestigious Sterling family. Rumours flew that he was set to take over the family empire yet he chose to leave it behind, pursuing academia and eventually finding his way here to teach. I wasn't sure how true it was- I doubted anyone could. Either way, his name was enough.

But the main reason why everyone knew him was much simpler. Because he was hot. Hot in a way that made girls-and some guys-stupid while the rest were left basking in jealousy. Everyone regardless of age had fantasised about him at least once. Girls all but flocked to his class regardless of major, just to look at him.

 I wasn't one of those people. A business major had nothing to do with literature and I kept my electives utilitarian, leaving no room for encounters. I had only ever seen him indirectly, whether from a distance or through the forums my roommate would shove in my face in the midst of her fangirling. This was the first time I had made actual contact.

Seeing him up close, I could now understand the praise. Pictures didn't do him justice. He was DEVASTATING. The kind of handsome that made your breath catch whether you wanted it to or not. Even in the dim hallway lights, he looked like art. Caleb was known for his handsome face, but the man in front of me looked far better. He was sexy, hardened and matured like refined wine. He was…

He was looking down?

In the midst of checking him out, I realized too late that he wasn't responding. Not even looking at me. Why?

My brows furrowed and I followed his gaze. Then my blood ran cold.

My phone which had just fallen, lay face up between us, the screen still brightly lit. Like a waning beam, the camgirl homepage stared back at both of us.