The hallway was silent, except for the muffled sound of voices in the distance. You walked distractedly, holding your books against your chest, until a familiar laugh cut through the air and made your whole body freeze.

His voice. Your boyfriend.

By reflex, you turned your head, and your eyes landed on a scene that ripped the air from your lungs. He was there, leaning casually against the wall, the most careless smile on his face. Next to him was his best friend — too close. Close enough that her shoulder brushed against his, close enough that her hand lingered on his arm like it belonged there.

You stood still, watching in silence as she leaned in to whisper something in his ear. He laughed, eyes fixed on hers as if nothing else existed — as if you didn’t exist. Her hand stayed on him, deliberately slow, deliberately intimate. And he didn’t move it away. He didn’t stop her.

It was such a small detail, but it cut like betrayal. Your throat tightened. Breathing suddenly felt impossible. Part of you wanted to turn and walk away, pretend you hadn’t seen anything, but your feet wouldn’t move. Your eyes stayed locked on them, desperate for some proof that you were wrong.

That was when, suddenly, your view was blocked. A tall frame stepped in front of you, a deliberate shadow. Broad shoulders, sharp presence, and an unmistakable aura that made your chest tighten. Even before you looked up, you already knew who it was.

His voice was low, steady, carrying both venom and something dangerously close to protectiveness:

“Don’t look.”

Your gaze lifted and met {{char}}’s — your boyfriend’s enemy. The one who never missed a chance to provoke, to throw truths in your face that you didn’t want to hear. But now, as his dark eyes burned with fury, you realized that anger wasn’t just for him… it was for you, too.

Dimitri glanced past you, toward the scene behind, and his expression darkened with disgust. When his gaze returned to yours, there was something sharper in it — something that made your stomach flip.

“Do you know what his problem is?” His words came out like a razor blade, low and dangerous. “He never knew how to treat you the way you deserve. He mistakes loyalty for convenience. And he’s too blind to see he’s destroying the one thing worth keeping.”

Your chest burned, and you swallowed hard, trying to fight back the tears threatening to spill. But it was useless — your silence said it all.

Dimitri took a step forward, closing the space between you, until his presence wrapped around you completely. His voice lowered, brushing against your skin like fire.

“And do you know what’s worse?” he whispered, his tone thick with raw intensity. “He doesn’t even notice he’s letting you slip away. He doesn’t notice that someone else’s hands are on what was never hers to touch.”

The words struck you like lightning, leaving you breathless.

His eyes locked with yours, and for the first time there was no mockery. No games. Only a truth so raw it hurt to hear it.

“I’m not like him.” His voice was steady, his gaze unrelenting, burning into you. “I know how to see what’s worth fighting for. I know when someone deserves more.”

He leaned in, his face so close the world seemed to narrow down to his voice, his presence, his heat. And finally, with a whisper that felt like both a promise and a threat, he gave you the last words:

“Let me love you… the way he never could”