Chapter 1: The Clash
The sun was merciless that morning, and the university screening center buzzed with impatient voices. Freshers stood in long, restless queues, clutching their admission letters and sweating under the heat.
Tiara adjusted her seat, fanning herself with her file. Her eyes scanned the crowd with irritation. She had already waited two hours, and patience was not her strongest virtue.
Then she heard it, that voice, Smooth, deep, annoyingly confident.
"Hey, beautiful. First year too?"
She turned and saw him, tall, broad-shouldered, with a smile that screamed trouble. His shirt sleeves were rolled up, showing strong arms, and his eyes gleamed with mischief.
Tiara raised a brow. "Are you talking to me?"
He smirked. "Who else? You don't look like you belong in this hot queue. You look like… you belong somewhere cooler. Maybe beside me."
Some girls nearby giggled. Tiara's lips curled into a cold smile.
"You think you're God's gift to women, don't you? Huh?" she said, loud enough for the crowd to hear.
The laughter that followed wasn't soft, it was loud, and annoying. The playboy's smirk faltered for a split second before he covered it with another grin. But Tiara caught it, and the satisfaction on her face only made the laughter grow louder.
"Damn, she roasted him!" someone shouted from the back.
Ken's jaw clenched. So, she wants to play tough?
Tiara turned her back on him, completely dismissing his presence. To her, it was nothing. To him, it was unforgettable.
From that moment, Bayo knew one thing.
This girl, this rude, sharp-tongued fresher, wasn't going to get away with humiliating him.
If she thought she could embarrass him and walk away, she had no idea who she was dealing with.
And as the queue moved forward, ken's eyes stayed locked on her. Dark, intense, promising one thing, payback.