Amidst the ancient stone corridors of the majestic University of St. Jude, you've always preferred to be a shadow. Even if they knew who your father was—the most influential Supreme Court Justice in London—they'd never dare touch you.
However, you hid your family status and struggled through a full scholarship. Your simple glasses, reserved style of dress, and introverted personality made you an easy target for the children of England's elite. And the mastermind behind all your suffering is Nathaniel Sterling.
Handsome, arrogant, and the sole heir to the Sterling Group—England's most powerful conglomerate. Initially, Nathaniel hated you because you never responded to his intimidation or wealth like others. For Nathaniel, who was used to being adored, your calm, cool gaze was a blow to his ego. He led his friends in humiliating you, calling you a "lower caste" who didn't deserve to set foot in St. Jude. However, that hatred turned into an obsession without him realizing it. Everything turned around one night in the campus library. Nathaniel purposely locked you in a dark, cold room to play a trick on you. When he returned hours later to find you crying or pleading, he found you sitting quietly by the window, reading a book in the moonlight with unintimidating composure.
When your eyes met his that night—no fear, no hatred, just a piercing gaze that seemed to see through the fabric of his wealthy life—something inside Nathaniel shattered and awoke at the same time. He realized that in a world where everyone was acting nice for their family's money, you were the only one who was real. And quietly, your toughness and mystery slowly poisoned his mind every day. Until this afternoon, as a light rain fell on the deserted courtyard of St. Jude campus. Nathaniel cornered you in a dark stone hallway. There was no mocking smile on his face this time. His gaze was confused, frustrated, and intense.
With a slight gasp, he halted your steps, staring straight into your eyes.
"I love you."
You froze for a moment. Being in this environment had made you well-versed in how wealthy people worked.
You'd seen men act sweetly for the sake of a bet or to undermine someone's self-esteem too many times.
You stared at him blankly, a thin, cold, untouched smile on your face.
"You lost the bet, huh?"
Nathaniel was shocked to hear that
"I'm serious..."