The car door opened with a soft click, and Elena Rossi stepped out, heels striking the polished pavement of **St. Augustine Academy**.
The air reeked of money and power. Gilded gates, marble columns, and students dressed in designer uniforms—it wasn't a school, it was a stage for the heirs of politicians, CEOs… and criminals.
And Elena hated every fucking second of it.
Her father's black SUV idled by the curb, tinted windows hiding the guards inside. Even here, she was never free. Whispers spread instantly as her diamond studs caught the sunlight.
> *"That's Marco Rossi's daughter."*
> *"The mafia princess."*
> *"Careful, she probably has a gun in her purse."*
Elena straightened her blazer and forced a smirk. *Let them talk.*
---
Inside the classroom, the air shifted. A silence fell so fast Elena thought the world had stopped spinning.
Then he walked in.
**Damian Moretti.**
The name was poison. The son of Giovanni Moretti—her father's sworn enemy, rival crime boss, the man whose name was whispered alongside bodies in rivers and bullets in skulls.
Damian was taller than she expected, broad shoulders filling the doorway, his uniform untucked just enough to scream arrogance. Dark eyes scanned the room like he owned it. A lazy grin tugged at his mouth when the girls at the front blushed under his gaze.
But when his eyes found hers, the grin vanished.
For a long, tense moment, it was just the two of them—Rossi and Moretti—daggers drawn without a word.
He sauntered past her desk, voice low enough for only her to hear.
"Didn't think Daddy Rossi would risk sending his precious little princess here. Must be running out of places to hide you."
Elena's nails dug into her palm, but her voice came out smooth, sharp.
"Better a princess than a puppet. Tell me, Damian—do you even know how to breathe without Daddy's hand up your ass?"
The class gasped. A few stifled laughs broke out. Damian's jaw flexed, but his eyes glittered with something dangerous—amusement.
Elena turned away, pretending not to notice her pulse hammering in her throat.
---
At lunch, she escaped to the rooftop, the only place that wasn't suffocating. The wind caught her hair, the city skyline sprawling far beyond the gates of her golden prison.
She barely got two bites into her sandwich before the door creaked open.
Damian.
Of course.
He leaned against the railing, cigarette dangling from his lips, looking like sin carved into a uniform. Smoke curled lazily into the sky.
Elena groaned. "You've got to be kidding me. Don't you have groupies to entertain?"
He smirked without looking at her. "Relax, princess. I didn't come here for you. You're not my type."
Her jaw tightened. "Good. Because you're definitely not mine."
Damian finally turned his head, eyes raking over her in a way that made her skin prickle. His smirk widened.
"Don't worry, Rossi. You couldn't handle me if you tried."
Elena stood, crossing the rooftop until they were nose to nose. "And you couldn't survive me."
The tension was electric, thick enough to choke on. For one reckless second, she thought he might actually kiss her—then the door banged open.
"Elena!" Lila Navarro, her only friend, popped her head out. "There you are! Oh—uh. Hi, Damian."
The spell broke. Damian flicked his cigarette away and walked past Elena, brushing her shoulder deliberately as he left.
"Careful, princess," he murmured. "Play with fire, and you'll burn." He said leaving Elena disgusted.
"Girl do you want to get killed? What are you doing with Damian?" Lila said shocked
"Nothing really." Replied Elena
" Anyway there's going to be a party today You have to get dressed and be there by 8 sharp, I will send you the address." Lila said
"But I cant---" started Elena
"Love you, bye." Interupted Lila as she ran off
Just like that Elena was dragged to a party she didn't even want to be at. But this was just the beginning
---
That night, Elena found herself dragged by Her best friend Lila to a party at Valentina De Luca's mansion. Valentina, the academy's reigning queen, was gorgeous, cruel, and very aware of her power. Her family's fortune was tied to the Morettis, and everyone knew she had her claws aimed straight at Damian.
The music throbbed, champagne flowed, and fake smiles glistened under chandeliers. Elena kept to the shadows, but Valentina spotted her instantly.
"Well, well. The Rossi princess," Valentina purred, her lips painted a venomous red. "Didn't think you had the guts to show your face here. Brave—or stupid?"
Elena smirked. "Why don't you find out?"
Valentina's smile sharpened. She turned her back, whispering into Damian's ear as if Elena wasn't even there. Elena rolled her eyes, but her stomach twisted when Damian's gaze flicked toward her.
Later, in the crowded hallway, someone shoved a drink into Elena's hand. She raised it to her lips—until a hand gripped her wrist, hard.
Damian.
His eyes burned into hers. "Don't drink that."
Elena yanked her arm free. "What the hell is your problem?"
His voice dropped, low and furious. "This isn't your world, Rossi. You'll get eaten alive."
She stepped closer, chin raised. "I've been fighting wolves my whole life. Don't act like you're my savior."
For a moment, the world narrowed to the heat of his body, the sharp edge of his jaw, the way his eyes flicked down to her lips. Her breath caught—
Then Valentina's shrill voice cut through the air.
"Damian! Really? Flirting This Bitch?"
The crowd turned. Valentina's smirk widened as whispers spread. Elena's blood boiled.
"Or is little Elena already spreading her legs like her daddy spreads blood?" Valentina sneered.
The crack of Elena's palm against Valentina's cheek echoed through the hall. Gasps filled the air. Valentina staggered, her perfect face twisted in rage.
Elena's chest heaved, her hand stinging. Her eyes darted to Damian—whose lips curved into the faintest, most infuriating smile.
---
*Day one, and I'd already made enemies. And worse.*
Because if Elena Rossi fell for Damian Moretti, it wouldn't just ruin her.
It would start a fucking war.