Chapter 2 two

Henry Wynthorne had never considered himself the type of man who chased after beautiful women. His father had raised him with different priorities: intellect, ambition, and the responsibility that came with the Wynthorne name. Pretty faces were distractions, Edward Wynthorne had warned, from the path to greatness.

And for seventeen years, Henry had adhered to this philosophy without question. Until the day his father collapsed in the middle of Westlake Academy's Spring Benefit Gala.

The memory still came to him in fragments. The clink of champagne flutes. The murmur of wealthy donors. His father mid-sentence about the new science wing donation, suddenly clutching his chest. The sickening thud as Edward Wynthorne's body hit the marble floor.

And then, somehow, Verity Langford kneeling beside his father while everyone else stood frozen in shock.

"Call an ambulance!" she had commanded, her voice cutting through the stunned silence. Her blue dress pooled around her as she loosened his father's tie, checked his pulse, turned him onto his side with surprising strength when he began to choke.

Henry remembered watching her golden head bent over his father's ashen face, her movements sure and precise, while his own limbs felt leaden with panic.

"He's breathing, but his pulse is irregular," she'd told the paramedics when they arrived, her voice steady even as her hands trembled slightly. "It started with chest pain, then collapse. No convulsions, but his breathing was labored."

Only later, as they waited in the sterile hospital corridor, did Henry learn that Verity volunteered weekends at the hospital. That she planned to study medicine. That beneath the stunning exterior everyone admired was a mind as sharp as his own.

And that, Henry realized, was the moment everything changed. Not because Verity Sinclair was beautiful-though she undeniably was-but because in that moment of crisis, she had been capable, decisive, and kind when it mattered most.

* * *

"Your coffee."

Henry blinked, the hospital memory dissolving as Lavinia Hartwell placed a steaming cup on his desk. She'd been so quiet entering his office that he hadn't heard the door.

"Thank you," he said, accepting the cup. Three months into his senior year, and he still found himself disoriented by these small interactions with Lavinia. Ever since their encounter in the library, she seemed to materialize in his periphery at unexpected moments, always quiet, always observant.

She lingered by his desk, clutching a folder to her chest. "The calculus study group is meeting today. Verity asked me to remind you."

"Right." Henry took a sip of coffee, perfectly prepared with the exact amount of cream he preferred. Had he ever told her how he took his coffee? "Will you be there?"

Something flickered across Lavinia's face, too quick to interpret. "I have a family dinner. My brother's home from college."

Henry nodded, feeling an odd disappointment. Their calculus study groups were objectively more productive when Lavinia attended. She had an intuitive grasp of mathematics that even he sometimes envied.

"Give him my regards," he offered, though he had never met Lavinia's brother. He knew only what Verity had mentioned in passing-that he was some kind of prodigy at Yale, the pride of the Hartwell family.

"I will." Lavinia turned to leave, then paused. "Your father... I heard he's back in the hospital?"

Henry stiffened. His father's health had been declining steadily since the collapse six months ago, but he didn't discuss it at school. Image management, his father would call it. Never let them see weakness.

"Just tests," he said dismissively.

Lavinia studied him, her gaze disconcertingly perceptive. "If you miss any assignments because of hospital visits, I have notes you can borrow."

Before Henry could respond, she slipped out, closing the door with barely a sound. He stared at the space she had occupied, unsettled by her offer. Not by the offer itself, but by the fact that she had noticed what he worked so hard to conceal-that his perfect academic record was becoming harder to maintain as hospital visits consumed more of his time.

His phone buzzed with a text from Verity: *Still at the hospital? Need company?*

A smile tugged at his lips despite his fatigue. This was another change since his father's collapse-Verity's steady presence during hospital vigils, bringing him coffee and conversation, occasionally falling asleep against his shoulder in uncomfortable waiting room chairs.

*Just left. Heading to school now.* he replied.

Three dots appeared, then: *Good. Missed you this morning. Save me a seat at lunch?*

Something warm unfurled in his chest. *Always.*

Henry slipped his phone into his pocket and gathered his books. As he headed toward the economics classroom, he caught sight of Lavinia at her locker, head bent over a textbook, seemingly oblivious to the chaos of the hallway around her. A strand of brown hair had escaped her practical ponytail, and she absently tucked it behind her ear as she turned a page.

He considered stopping, perhaps thanking her properly for the coffee and the unexpectedly thoughtful offer of notes. But the bell rang, and the moment passed as students flooded the hallway.

Later, he told himself, and continued toward his class.

* * *

Verity was already at their usual lunch table when Henry arrived, her golden head bent in conversation with several members of the debate team. She glanced up as he approached, her smile widening, and she immediately shifted to make space beside her.

"There you are," she said warmly as he set down his tray. "How was the hospital?"

Henry shrugged, keeping his voice low. "Same as always. More tests, inconclusive results."

Verity squeezed his arm gently. "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?"

This was the Verity that so few people saw-not just the dazzling exterior that everyone admired, but the genuinely compassionate person beneath. It was this duality that had captivated Henry from the moment she'd saved his father's life.

"You're already doing it," he told her honestly.

Her smile softened into something more intimate, and for a brief, dizzying moment, Henry thought she might lean in closer. But then someone called her name from across the cafeteria, breaking the spell.

"Student council emergency," she explained apologetically, gathering her things. "Prom committee drama. I should handle it before it escalates."

"Of course," Henry nodded, masking his disappointment. "Go save the day."

Verity laughed, touching his shoulder lightly before hurrying away. Henry watched her progress across the cafeteria, drawing glances and greetings as she passed. Even among Westlake's wealthy, privileged student body, Verity Sinclair stood out-not just for her beauty, but for the effortless charisma that made everyone want to be in her orbit.

"She's something else, isn't she?"