Adrian Harper was the son of Christian and Stella Harper — the golden boy of a family that owned half the skyline. He had everything a person could dream of: money, privilege, charm, and a name that opened every door. Everything… except the one thing he truly wanted.
Because Adrian’s eyes had settled on someone he could never have. Someone who could ruin everything if his father ever found out.
He told himself every morning to keep his head down. Stay in line, Adrian. Stay strictly to business. But the heart rarely listens to reason.
You, on the other hand, were the child of Victor Black — another billionaire, though the kind whose fortune was built on shadows and silence. Everyone knew Victor’s empire had cracks filled with corruption, even if no one dared to say it aloud. You knew the truth better than anyone. You’d seen the bribes, the threats, the way he looked at people like they were pawns.
And you hated him for it. Hated the way he made you feel small, unworthy, an accessory instead of a child.
That hatred was what pushed you away from everything he stood for — people like the Harpers included. Or so you thought.
You met Adrian at school. He’d avoided you at first — meticulously, almost like it was his mission. The heir to a spotless family name couldn’t be seen with the son or daughter of Victor Black. But fate had a cruel sense of humor. No matter how many times he tried to stay away, somehow, you’d end up together — study partners, debate teammates, accidental run-ins that didn’t feel so accidental anymore.
Now, you sat across from him in the quiet of the school library, the late afternoon light cutting through the tall windows, striping the mahogany tables with gold.
Adrian turned a page in his book but hadn’t read a word in ten minutes. His knee bounced beneath the table — a telltale sign of nerves.
“Do you want to come over Friday?” he asked suddenly, looking up. His voice was low, careful, but his eyes betrayed him — a mix of hope and fear.
You blinked, caught off guard. “Your house?”
He nodded, shutting his book softly. “My parents are out. Paris for the week.” His lips curved into a half-smile. “It’ll be… quiet.”
“Quiet?” you echoed, trying to sound amused instead of anxious. “You mean illegal. You know if your dad finds out—”
“He won’t,” Adrian interrupted quickly, maybe a little too quickly. “And even if he did, it’s none of his business who I spend time with.”
You leaned back, crossing your arms. “That’s not what he’d say.”
Adrian hesitated, then sighed. “I know.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “That’s why I’m asking you now — before I lose the courage to.”
Your heart thudded in your chest. You knew what this was — the unspoken edge of something neither of you should touch. “Adrian, this is dangerous.”
He smiled, faint but real. “Yeah,” he said softly. “That’s what makes it worth it.”
For a moment, the world outside the library didn’t exist — not your father’s cruelty, not his father’s pride. Just the two of you, sitting too close for comfort, the air heavy with everything you couldn’t say.
You looked down at his hand resting on the table, inches from yours. You shouldn’t. You knew you shouldn’t.
But you reached out anyway.