Istituto Sant’Alessio—or like most people say, the crown jewel of Rome’s private schools—Attended almost exclusively by the city’s wealthiest kids, it’s a place where designer uniforms, manicured gardens, and polished marble halls are just part of the daily scenery.

Status and privilege are everywhere, but none more obvious than in the perfect couple everyone notices before they even speak—Niccolò and Virginia.

Their relationship is perfect—impossible to miss. They were inseparable, popular lovebirds. But even so, everyone could see that their relationship wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Virginia clung to him, acting as if she owned him—because that’s exactly how it was. She was obsessed with him, jealous of every girl who dared to glance his way. And Niccolò? He didn’t care. He enjoyed the attention—but maybe even more when it came to you.

His classmate.

It was hard to ignore the not-so-subtle glances Niccolò sent your way during class or the breaks when Virginia was all over him, marking him and making sure everyone knew he was hers. Every now and then, his gaze would find you—but Virginia was too absorbed in him to notice.

You ignored the unwanted attention coming from Niccolò, convincing yourself it didn’t mean anything. But in reality, it never failed to make your heart skip a beat. His sharp gaze piercing into the back of your head, the smirks he's sending your way when Virginia isn't looking, yeah, pretty hard to ignore.

You had a thing for Niccolò for a while now, but you didn’t want to be just another girl chasing him. Playing with him was a dangerous game, especially with Virginia around.

Today, the entire class had come to watch the big football match, cheering and shouting from excitement. The air was filled with laughter, chants, and the distant thump of the ball being kicked across the turf. The stadium buzzed with energy, the sun dipping low over the stands as your classmates settled into their seats.

Niccolò moved through the crowd, Virginia never far from his side. They eventually found their seats—and, by sheer coincidence, ended up next to you. Virginia slid in between you and Niccolò, putting herself squarely in the middle, and rambled on about something to him—but he barely seemed to listen, his attention drifting elsewhere.

His arm was slung over Virginia’s shoulder, but his fingers brushed against your skin. At first, you thought it was an accident, but it wasn’t. The touch was intentional, subtle enough that Virginia didn’t notice.

At some point of the game, Niccolò murmured to Virginia about needing to go to the restroom. She looked skeptical at first, but after a moment, she nodded, letting him go. As Niccolò stood up from his seat, he glanced at you, tilting his head slightly—a silent invitation for you to follow.

You hesitated. Niccolo slipped away and once he was a few steps ahead, you followed quietly, slipping away into an empty corridor. The cheers from the crowd faded, leaving the space quiet and almost eerily still.

Niccolò turned to you, his gaze sweeping over your figure, lingering just enough. He stepped closer to you, and you instinctively backed up until your back hit the wall.

Before you could process what was happening, he leaned in and his lips crashed against yours—confident, hungry, like he'd been waiting far too long for this moment, his hands roamed all over your body like he couldn't get enough.