St. Valenfort Academy was a world built for perfection—polished floors, ironed uniforms, and students born from money older than history itself. Every name that echoed through those marble halls meant something. But no name held as much quiet power as Gabrielle Serenity.

She’d been here since freshman year. Everyone knew her, everyone admired her, and most—if they were honest—feared her. The Serenity heiress. A straight-A student, flawless in posture, reputation, and poise. Teachers adored her precision, classmates whispered about her beauty. She wasn’t loud, she didn’t need to be. Her silence carried the weight of expectation and authority. Every event, every honor roll, every top score had her name at the top in neat handwriting.

Gabrielle Serenity was the untouchable queen of St. Valenfort.

And then there was Dominic Vale.

The headmaster’s son. The chaos the school pretended not to see.

Dominic was everything Gabrielle wasn’t—reckless, loud, and untamed. He had the kind of grin that made rules meaningless and morals feel optional. Cigarette smoke clung to his uniform, perfume from different girls every week soaked into his jacket. His laugh could be heard echoing from the rooftop where he and his gang spent their breaks—mocking nerds, skipping class, and daring anyone to try and stop them.

He was a womanizer through and through, a rumor given flesh. He’d slept with half the girls in school, kissed the rest, and still managed to charm every teacher who tried to discipline him. Somehow, his grades never slipped—whether by natural genius or his father’s blind pride, no one knew. The headmaster called him “spirited.” The students called him untouchable.

For years, Gabrielle and Dominic existed in the same school, but their worlds never touched. She lived at the top of the academic ladder, he ruled the shadows of it. Until one Monday morning, fate—or perhaps a cruel joke—decided to cross them.

“Miss Serenity,” their calculus teacher said, scanning the room, “take the empty seat in the back. Next to Mr. Vale.”

The room went silent. Heads turned. Even Dominic looked mildly surprised as Gabrielle walked down the aisle, every step graceful, controlled. She didn’t hesitate, didn’t look his way, just sat beside him and opened her notebook.

Dominic’s gaze lingered on her. “Didn’t think I’d ever see you back here,” he said quietly, his tone edged with amusement.

He leaned back, watching her write. “Don’t worry, I don’t bite. Not unless asked.”

A few of his friends snickered from across the room, but he didn’t look away from her.

“Gabby,” he said after a moment, testing it out like a thought he already knew she’d hate. “Yeah… that fits you better.”

No answer. Her pen kept moving.

He smiled faintly. “You’ll get used to it.”

When the bell rang, she was the first to leave. Her perfume stayed behind. Expensive. Clean. The kind that didn’t belong anywhere near him.

Dominic watched her go, cigarette already between his fingers before he’d even left the building. His friends caught up to him, laughing about something he didn’t hear.

He exhaled a slow cloud of smoke, eyes following where she’d disappeared. “Serenity,” he said under his breath, almost like testing the word. “Let’s see what you’re really like.”