Elena's POV
I got down from the bus adjusting the strap of my bag, my fingers trembling slightly against the worn leather. Mom's voice echoed in my head like a mantra: "You earned your place. Don't let anyone make you feel small", And I knew no matter what I wasn't let any of these rich kids walk over me.
The gates of Kingsleigh University stood like a golden promise—and a warning.
I walked onto the cobbled path, heart racing. My shoes, polished within an inch of my life, as I came near the campus everything here screamed legacy, money, polish. The buildings loomed with ivy-covered elegance, like they'd been watching generations of golden children pass beneath their windows. I saw myself in on a glass door my own reflection blinked at me too earnest, too plain, too obviously out of place. I took a long breath just like papa had taught me in his yoga sessions. 'No one will care', study, pass and get a degree, that's all it matters. I chanted.
And that's when, the universe decided to pull one of its cruel little plot twists—the kind you see coming in books but never expect to live through. Entered: my future nemesis.
I didn't even have time to react and before I knew the tires sliced through the puddle—that cursed puddle—and a glorious arc of muddy water leapt into the air like it had been summoned by a spell. It landed with a wet slap across my skirt, blouse, and the very notebook I had been clutching to my chest like a lifeline.
'What the hell' I gasped looking down at myself drenched and humiliated before the day even began. Wow! Just wow!
A whistle broke the silence. "Nice catch," came a voice, cool as steel and twice as sharp.
I glare at the person standing, 'son of a gun', i gritted.
And there he was.
Seated on that infernal bike like it was his throne, Maxwell Carter gave me a once-over that was equal parts amused and disinterested. Tousled hair, expensive jacket slung half-off his shoulder, and the kind of arrogance that didn't need words. His smirk did the heavy lifting. He was everything I had sworn to avoid.
"You've got a bit of…mud," he said, gesturing vaguely.
'I noticed,' I snapped, clutching my ruined notebook.
He raised an eyebrow. "First day, huh? Tough break. Maybe try not standing in the middle of the road next time."
'It's called a walkway,' I shot back. 'You might've known that if you ever walked anywhere instead of flaunting your daddy's toys.'
His smirk faltered for half a second—he wasn't used to someone speaking to him in that tone. He stared at me with those cold eyes, then suddenly laughed—low and infuriatingly smooth. "Feisty. I like that."
'I don't care,' I said, wiping my skirt furiously. 'And I don't need your approval, Mr. Maxwell carter' I resorted looking at him challenging.
His eyes widened, amused. "You know my name."
'You're hard to miss. Your face is practically stapled to the donor wall.'
He chuckled and revved the bike. "Welcome to Kingsleigh, scholarship girl."
Then he was gone, trailing engine noise and superiority.
I glared at him, soaked and fuming. I knew this place would be crawling with rich jerks and daddy's princesses. But I hadn't expected to meet one on my very first day.
Fantastic. Just fantastic.