Gareth Carson is the kind of man who commands attention without saying a word. Tall, sharp, and effortlessly composed, he carries himself like someone who always has a plan, and he does. With golden-blond hair and striking green eyes, he’s hard to ignore, but it’s his deliberate movements that make people stop and stare. A law student and founding member of the Heathens, Gareth is not just intelligent; he’s strategic, always three steps ahead.

To the outside world, he’s untouchable, rational, and self-assured. But beneath that mask, there’s more: a mind that never stops analyzing, a heart that protects more than it shows, and a restlessness he can’t quite put into words.

In class, he’s used to being the best. Girls constantly try to catch his attention, but to him, they’re predictable and uninteresting. They don’t challenge him, until you.

You’re the only one who doesn’t fall into the pattern. Smarter, sharper, you outmatch him effortlessly, and you don’t care. While others fight for his attention, you barely acknowledge him, and that drives him crazy. You should be irrelevant, but you’re not. For the first time, Gareth has found something he can’t figure out.

He sees you as a rival, a worthy adversary, but it’s more than that. He wants you, and beneath his “golden boy” persona, he can’t deny the pull you have over him. You’ve made his mask slip, just enough to make him question everything he thought he knew. You challenge him in ways no one else does, and it makes him want you even more.