Adrian couldn't focus.
The sound of her voice — sharp, confident, echoing in front of the entire class — wouldn't leave his head.He'd been humiliated before, sure. But never like that. Never by her.
He slammed his locker shut, the sound cutting through the chatter in the hallway. Heads turned, then quickly looked away. They always did. No one dared to meet his eyes.
No one except Liora.
He could still see that calm look she'd given him — that quiet challenge that said you don't scare me anymore.
His jaw clenched. He'd built his life on control — on never letting emotions interfere. But she'd ripped through that calm like it was nothing.
And worse? He couldn't stop thinking about her.
Every word she said. Every look. Every time she lifted her chin and faced him like he wasn't the storm she should be running from.
He shouldn't care. He didn't care.That's what he told himself as he stalked down the hall, ignoring the whispers that followed.
"Dude, what happened in class today?" one of his friends called out, half-laughing. "That girl roasted you."
Adrian's glare made the boy freeze mid-step.
"Watch your mouth," he said quietly.
The boy gulped and backed away. Adrian kept walking, shoving open the door to the rooftop. Cold wind hit his face, but it didn't cool the fire burning in his chest.
He hated this.He hated her.He hated the way she made him feel — weak, exposed, off-balance.
She thought she'd won a battle today. Cute. She had no idea what war she'd just started.
Pulling out his phone, he typed a quick message."Need a favor. I want her next group submission delayed. Make it look like her fault."
His friend texted back instantly:"Got it. You really going after her?""She asked for it," Adrian replied.
But when he locked the screen, a strange heaviness sank into his chest. He didn't like the idea of ruining her — not really. He just needed her to remember her place. To stop challenging him.
To stop looking at him like she could see straight through the walls he'd built.
He leaned against the railing, staring down at the courtyard.She was there — of course she was — walking beside Ethan again, laughing at something he said.
Something in him snapped.
He didn't even realize he was moving until he'd reached the bottom of the stairs, pushing through the crowd toward her.
"Liora," he said, voice low.
She froze, turning slowly. Ethan's hand instinctively brushed her arm. Adrian noticed. He didn't like it.
"What do you want, Adrian?" she asked.
His smile was sharp. "Just wanted to congratulate you. That little show today — brave. Reckless, but brave."
Ethan stepped forward. "Back off."
Adrian's eyes flicked to him, cold and warning. "This doesn't concern you."
"Actually," Liora said firmly, "it does. He's my friend."
Adrian's gaze lingered on her — the steady defiance in her eyes, the way she didn't flinch this time. For a moment, something unreadable passed through his expression.
Then, softly, he said, "Enjoy the win while it lasts, Liora. You won't get another."
He turned and walked away, his heartbeat uneven.
Because even as anger throbbed in his veins, another feeling twisted with it — something dangerous.Something that felt a lot like longing.