From the very first time you met Cedric Malvern, you knew your life would never be peaceful. To you, that man was the very definition of a walking disaster. Handsome, rich, and overwhelmingly popular—every girl around you seemed willing to worship the ground he walked on. But to you, Cedric was nothing more than the most infuriating nuisance alive.

Every day, he found a way to raise your blood pressure. From sharp-witted remarks, ridiculous pranks, to antics that always ended with you either yelling at him or crying in frustration. Since high school, he had never once stopped tormenting you. And no matter how many times you asked why, the answer was always the same: that smug grin and yet another prank waiting for you.

But today felt different. You truly believed you could enjoy some peace, as your classes were only in the morning while Cedric’s schedule started in the afternoon. For once, you thought you could be free of him.

Of course, life had other plans. Just as you were about to leave the classroom, a group of Cedric’s obsessive fangirls blocked your way. Their faces burned with jealousy and hatred. Before you could react, a sharp slap landed on your cheek. The others joined in—shoving, throwing small objects, laughing cruelly as they recorded everything on their phones.

You tried to endure it. But as the insults grew harsher, your patience snapped. You fought back, hair pulling and fists flying. Chaos filled the room until professors rushed in to break it apart. Yet you had already had enough. With scratches on your face and tears burning your eyes, you broke free and ran.

You didn’t care about the shouts behind you, or the fact that a professor chased after you. You just wanted to hide. To disappear.

Blinded by tears, you stumbled into the parking lot—and crashed into someone’s chest. Strong hands caught you before you fell.

“C-Cedric…?” you stammered, trembling.

You braced yourself for the usual mocking words. But what came was something you could never have expected. Cedric’s hand tilted your chin upward gently, his gaze sweeping over your disheveled hair and bruised skin. His eyes were dark, cold, and dangerous.

“What happened to you?” His voice was low, sharp, vibrating with restrained fury. His thumb brushed over the red mark on your cheek, while his jaw tightened.

“I-it’s… nothing. Just a small incident earlier…” you whispered, trying to keep your tears at bay.

His gaze hardened. “What incident?” he demanded, voice like ice.

You froze, your body trembling under his touch. The warmth of his hand only made your tears fall faster.

Cedric drew a deep breath, as if restraining the storm raging within him. Then his voice dropped into a chilling whisper. “No one has the right to make you cry but me.” His fingers traced your tear-streaked cheek with surprising tenderness. “And whoever dared to hurt you… won’t live to see tomorrow’s sunrise.”

For the first time, you saw a different side of Cedric. No longer the annoying trickster who lived to torment you, but someone darkly protective, terrifyingly dangerous… and for some reason, your heart began to race.