Sabrina's POV
The morning sun filtered through my
curtains like thin ribbons of gold, warm and soft, but completely useless in motivating me to leave the comfort of my bed. Henderson University days were always the same, early, expensive, and exhausting. Still, I dragged myself up, nearly tripping on my own slippers as usual. Yes, I was clumsy. Tragically, hopelessly clumsy. If there was a surface, I could trip on it. If there was a drink, I could spill it.
"Sabrina, hija, breakfast!" my mother Cathryn called from downstairs, her voice elegant yet sharp enough to cut through a fortress.
"I'm coming!" I answered, even though I obviously wasn't. I was trying to figure out which hair clip would make me look slightly less like a cute disaster.
After wrestling with my hair for five straight minutes, I finally looked presentable. I grabbed my bag, then nearly dropped it on my own foot. Classic me.
When I reached the dining room, my mother was scrolling through her tablet, looking like one of those women who owned entire fashion companies just because they felt bored on a Tuesday. My father, Dark Navarro, was reading the newspaper with the seriousness of a king planning a war.
"You're running late," Mother said without looking up.
"Good morning to you too," I replied, grabbing a piece of toast.
"You should leave earlier," Father added. "Henderson University isn't cheap. You must at least arrive on time."
"Dad, you paid fifty million just for the enrolment. I think my soul is already working overtime to repay you."
He grunted. Mother sighed. I smiled.
Typical morning.
The drive to school was quiet, except for the occasional bump whenever my driver remembered he was driving a luxury car and not a hovercraft. When the gates of Henderson University came into view, I couldn't help admiring the place again huge, grand, and shining like the home of old-money royalty. It was where the richest, most glamorous students studied. And then… there was me.
Unpopular. Pretty, apparently. But unnoticed, completely overshadowed by the army of gorgeous, elegant girls who looked like they stepped out of a magazine.
As I stepped out of the car, I heard loud voices, mostly girls squealing.
"Theodore is here!"
"Oh my God, look at him, he's perfect!"
"Campus president! President of our class! So elegant."
The praise continued like a worship ritual.
Theodore Roosevelt Vior.
The boy who somehow managed to look like a Greek statue and a top-level CEO at the same time. Mature, elegant, always composed. The type of person who walked like he was above gravity itself.
The type of person who hated loud people.
Which made the screaming girls quite… ironic.
He walked down the pathway with his usual cold expression, calm eyes, sharp jaw, perfectly pressed uniform. His black coat complemented his silver tie, making him look like walking royalty.
Beside him was Phobos Aethere, tall, lean, and with the kind of smirk that made girls faint on the spot. The two of them together? Deadly combination.
I watched them walk past, admiring from a safe distance. Not because I liked Theodore. No. Definitely not. We were far too different.
He was elegant.
I was… clumsy.
He was respected.
I was unnoticeable.
He was the president.
I was just Sabrina.
"SABRINA!" a voice yelled.
I jolted. Turning around, I saw my best friends jogging toward me, Anastasia and Fiona. Anastasia had her long black hair tied up, giving her a graceful model look. Fiona, on the other hand, wore glasses and looked like the human version of sunshine.
"You're spacing out again," Anastasia said, crossing her arms.
"I wasn't," I lied.
"You were staring at Theodore again," Fiona teased.
"I WAS NOT!"
They exchanged knowing looks.
I groaned.
Class began like normal. Our homeroom teacher entered but paused when the door slid open behind him. I didn't need to look to know who it was only one person in the entire school could make a door open with that much presence.
Theodore Vior.
He didn't even look around. He simply walked to his seat at the front, setting his bag down quietly, gracefully, like someone trained to behave flawlessly since birth.
Phobos followed him, giving me a playful salute when our eyes met, which made me want to melt into the floor.
The teacher cleared his throat. "Good morning, students. Before we proceed, President Vior has an announcement."
Theodore stood. The room fell so quiet that I could hear my heartbeat tripping over itself.
"I expect everyone to maintain proper discipline during upcoming activities," he said in his calm, monotone voice. "And please refrain from unnecessary noise."
Half the girls nodded like obedient puppies.
I, meanwhile, was trying to figure out why he looked at me for a split second. Did I do something? Did I breathe too loudly?
"Thank you, President Vior," the teacher said.
Theodore sat down.
And I exhaled quietly.
By lunchtime, I needed a break from existing.
Anastasia, Fiona, and I sat at our usual table in the courtyard. Everything felt normal, students chatting, expensive bags lying around, smell of cafeteria pasta floating in the air.
Then-
"Sabrina."
I froze.
Theodore Roosevelt Vior was standing beside our table.
Me? Why me?
"Yes?" I squeaked.
He looked at me with his calm eyes—so calm they could freeze lava.
"You dropped this," he said, placing a small notebook on the table.
My notebook.
My cute, childish, star-sticker-covered notebook.
The notebook I decorated like a seven-year-old.
The notebook EVERYONE could now see.
"Oh," I whispered weakly, "t-thank you."
He nodded, elegant as ever. But as he turned away, Phobos leaned closer to me and whispered, "Cute notebook."
Then winked.
My soul left my body.
My friends stared at me with eyes wide enough to swallow universes.
"SABRINA NAVARRO," Anastasia gasped. "THE PRESIDENT JUST TALKED TO YOU."
"No," I said quickly.
"Yes," Fiona replied.
"No," I insisted.
"He looked at you like you were a person," Anastasia added, dramatically.
I groaned, covering my face. "Please stop."
But they didn't. They continued squealing until the bell rang.
After school, I went straight home. Another normal day, I thought.
I didn't know everything would change the moment I stepped into our living room.
My parents were sitting with two other familiar figures.
Piona Vior.
Thunder Vior.
The parents of THE Theodore Roosevelt Vior.
And all four adults looked at me with the kind of facial expression that meant something big, unexpected, and probably terrifying.
"Sabrina," my mother said gently, "sit down, dear."
I obeyed slowly.
Piona smiled. "We called you here because we have something important to discuss."
My father cleared his throat. "This is about our companies, Navarro Group and Vior Enterprises."
I blinked. "Okay…?"
Thunder leaned forward. "To strengthen the alliance between our families, we have decided, mutually, of course"
My heart beat faster.
No. No way.
"Sabrina," Mother said softly, "you and Theodore… will have an arranged marriage."
My brain shut down.
My soul rebooted.
My mouth fell open.
"W-what?" I whispered.
Piona clasped her hands happily. "Congratulations, dear. You'll be marrying our son."
Marrying
THEODORE.
ROOSEVELT.
VIOR.
The elegant billionaire.
The campus president.
The quiet perfectionist.
The boy who hated noise.
The boy who just returned my childish notebook.
I felt the world tilt.
I felt the ceiling spin.
I felt my dignity disintegrate.
And the only thing that left my mouth was
"HUH?!?"
Everything went silent.
Everything.
My life, apparently…
was no longer normal...