Lilly
I wasn't supposed to hear it.
But I did.
Two faculty members, whispering outside the admin office while I mopped the hall.
"…there's pressure from upstairs. The Demon family doesn't want the Legacy Grant to go outside the alumni circle."
"Well, the application was legitimate."
"Yes, but she's… you know. A cleaner. What would it look like?"
I ducked into the janitor's closet before they spotted me, my heart hammering like it was trying to punch its way out of my chest.
The Legacy Grant. The one I'd been nominated for. The one that could change everything.
I hadn't even known my name was in the running. Someone—some miracle of a professor—had believed in me enough to try. And now?
Now it was slipping through my fingers before I even had a chance to hope.
Because of them.
Because of him.
The Demon name was behind it. Just like always.
💦LILLY POV💦
Later that day, I went to the quad to clear my head.
It was raining lightly, and students scattered in every direction, squealing as their umbrellas flipped. I sat on a bench under the awning, arms crossed, watching the puddles collect.
I didn't cry.
I wanted to. God, I wanted to.
But I held it in like I always did.
Then I saw him.
Lucas Demon. Across the grass. Alone this time, hands in his pockets, looking like he belonged in a movie no one asked to star in. Rich boy. Perfect coat. Messy-on-purpose hair.
I looked away.
But he didn't.
He walked straight toward me.
---
💦LUCA POV💦
She looked pissed.
And I deserved it.
But what no one warned me about Lilly Lorenzo was that even when she was furious, she was still the most interesting person in the room.
"Hey," I said, stopping in front of her.
She didn't look up. "Lose your butler again?"
"Funny," I said. "Listen, about before—"
"You don't get to pretend this is normal," she cut in, standing up. "You shoved me. You mocked me. And now your family's trying to bury me before I even get a shot."
That caught me.
"I'm not trying to bury you," I said, but it sounded weak even to me.
She turned to walk away.
"I saw your file," I blurted. "You were top of your class. You shouldn't be cleaning floors."
She froze.
"I—wasn't supposed to look," I added, less sure now. "But... I did."
She slowly turned back. Her eyes were sharp, tired, guarded. "Why?"
I didn't have a good answer.
So I gave her the only honest one I had.
"Because I can't stop thinking about you."
---
Before she could answer, a voice cut through the rain.
"Lilly Lorenzo?"
They both turned.
A woman in a navy suit stood nearby, holding a clipboard.
"I need to speak with you. There's been… a complication with your grant application. Effective immediately, it's under internal review."
Lilly's breath caught. Her world tilted.
And beside her, Luca's jaw tightened.
Because in that moment, he realized something—