جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 20

Outside the morning air was crisp and smelled like damp earth. A matte-black SUV sat idling in the driveway, its engine making a low, rhythmic thrum that I could feel vibrating right through the soles of my sandals. William didn't even bother to open the door for me. He just hopped into the driver’s seat, leaving me to pull open the heavy passenger side door myself. I climbed in, and the scent of his cologne, something like cedarwood and cold breeze filled the whole car. It was kind of overwhelming but also really good at the same time. We pulled out of the estate in total silence. I stared out the window at the blurred London streets, my reflection in the glass looking way more confident than I actually felt. Those jeans were definitely doing their job, but the way William was gripping the steering wheel, his knuckles all white and his eyes fixed strictly on the road, made me wonder if I’d pushed things a little too far. "I’m not a fan of the silent treatment, William. If you’re

William step out of the car in his glory, The second his polished leather shoes hit the pavement, the entire campus seemed to freeze. It was like a vacuum had sucked all the oxygen out of the quad, leaving everyone breathless."Is that… no way. Is that William Sterling?"The whisper rippled through a nearby group of girls, their mouths literally hanging open."The billionaire? Why is he here?""Who is the girl? Did he just drop her off? Look at her… she’s wearing a pink sweater. Is she his girlfriend?"I stood frozen on the stone steps, my fingers digging into the strap of my bag until my knuckles turned white. I wanted the ground to open up and swallow me whole. I felt like a bug under a microscope. But William? He didn't look bothered at all. In fact, he looked like he was thriving in the spotlight. He smoothed the front of his suit jacket, the sunlight catching the expensive metal of his watch, making him look like he had stepped straight off a high-fashion billboard.Then, he d

My life had basically become a survival game. Between back-to-back lectures and a mountain of textbooks I had to study, I barely had time to breathe, let alone think about my internship at Sterling Global.I’d been dodging the office for weeks. Every time I saw my blazer hanging in the closet, I felt a huge knot of guilt and stress in my stomach.I was drowning in schoolwork, but Chloe was my only bright spot. We were inseparable, we had bonded over snacks and how much we hated our Torts professor. I found out her parents owned a massive bakery, and even though they were somewhat rich, Chloe was the most down-to-earth person ever. She was grounded unlike me, I was like a live wire about to snap.One night, I was slumped over my desk with my head on a massive textbook when my door creaked open. My mom walked in, smelling like expensive perfume and looking perfectly rested from her latest trip. She sat on the edge of my bed, her silk dress shimmering."Isabel? You look beyond exhaus

Instead of the explosion I expected, William just stood there. He slowly brought his hand up to his face, his fingers tracing the red mark where my palm had hit him. A dark smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth, but his eyes stayed eerily calm.The silence was so loud it made my ears ring. My heart, which had been racing with anger, suddenly slowed down into a steady throb of regret. I wasn’t a violent person. I’d spent my whole life trying to keep my head down and stay out of trouble. Looking at the mark on his face, I felt a huge wave of guilt. I had gone way too far."William," I whispered, my voice shaking.I moved forward without thinking, my anger vanishing. I reached out and covered his hand with mine, my fingers feeling the heat on his cheek. I wanted to take it back, to undo the sting, but it was too late. I stared into his eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking. For a split second, the Ice Prince mask slipped. I didn't see a predator anymore,I saw a flicker of

~William~I had spent the better part of the night staring at the ceiling, my lips still burning from a kiss that should have never happened. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those chocolate-colored irises challenging me.By the afternoon, I needed to drown out the noise in my head. I hit the private gym at the athletic club, pushing myself through a brutal set of squats. The burn in my muscles was the only thing that felt real.My gym friend, Alex, was leaning against a weight rack nearby, scrolling through his own phone between sets. We had known each other for a long time now and we are close and he's one of the few people who didn't care about my last name, which was probably why I tolerated his constant talking.Ping.The sound of a text notification cut through the heavy beat of the gym’s music. My phone was sitting on the bench next to Alex."Yo, Will, you got a text," Alex called out, not looking up."Never mind it," I grunted, my teeth grit as I pushed the heavy barbell up