The moment Brian's gaze found hers, everything around her, the chatter of students, the hum of car engines, even Sophie tugging impatiently at her sleeve, faded into a blur. It was ridiculous, how a single look could steal her breath and leave her standing there like she'd forgotten how to function. His eyes weren't soft, not exactly, but there was something steady in them, something that made her heart stumble against her ribs.

Then he was gone. The door shut, the car pulled away, and all that remained was the hollow ache of absence.

Alice exhaled shakily, pressing her books tighter against her chest. She told herself it didn't matter. It couldn't matter. He wasn't in her world,he belonged to someone else's. And yet...

"Wow," Sophie's voice cut through, laced with amusement. "I knew you liked books, Alice, but I didn't realize you were this interested in... tall, broody billionaires who look like they belong on the cover of Forbes."

Alice's head snapped toward her best friend, heat rising instantly in her cheeks. "What? No! I wasn't, I mean, I was just..."

Sophie's grin widened like a cat catching a canary. "Uh-huh. Sure. That was not just staring. That was full, on, lost in the sauce, swoony eyed staring. Should I fan you before you faint, or are you good?"

Alice groaned, trying to hide behind her books, but Sophie pried them down with a finger. "Come on, spill. What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Nothing," Alice muttered. "Absolutely nothing. He just... happened to look this way, that's all."

Sophie arched an eyebrow, clearly unconvinced. "Alice monroe, you're the worst liar I've ever met. And I've dealt with Clarissa faking humility for years."

That earned a reluctant laugh from Alice, though she quickly shook her head. "You're imagining things."

"No, darling, you're imagining things," Sophie shot back with mock drama. "Like a whole future where you and Mr. Dark and Expensive Suit run off together to his penthouse in New York while I cry alone at our graduation."

Alice swatted at her arm. "Stop it!"

Sophie only leaned in closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially. "You do realize Clarissa nearly combusted when she saw you two exchange looks, right? I swear if glares could kill, you'd be six feet under right now."

Alice blinked, startled. "She noticed?"

"Oh, she noticed," Sophie said, her grin turning wicked. "And you know Clarissa, she'll pretend she's too perfect to care, but in reality she's probably already planning to bribe the dean, hire a private investigator, and poison your coffee. In that order."

Alice groaned again, burying her face in her hands. "Sophie, please don't joke about that. She already hates me."

"Good," Sophie declared, tossing her hair. "Her hatred is a badge of honor. And if she ever tries something, I'll be right there with my sharp tongue to cut her ego into confetti. No one messes with my best friend."

Alice peeked at her through her fingers, a small smile tugging at her lips despite the knot in her chest. Sophie always knew how to take the weight off, even when Alice's thoughts were spiraling. But still... she couldn't shake the memory of Brian's eyes on hers, the way it had felt like he saw her, really saw her, if only for a heartbeat.

And maybe that was the most dangerous thing of all.

Clarissa's POV

Clarissa Stone adjusted her compact mirror, lips curving into a practiced smile as the car rolled smoothly away from campus. Brian was seated beside her, his attention fixed on his phone, the glow of the screen illuminating the hard angles of his face. To anyone else, it looked like nothing ,just another busy man distracted by work.

But Clarissa had seen it.

The flicker in his eyes when they lingered on Alice Monroe.

Clarissa's fingers tightened around the mirror until her knuckles whitened. It had been quick, barely a second, but she knew what she'd witnessed. Brian's gaze had slipped, and it hadn't landed on her. It had landed on a nobody.

Alice Monroe.

The name soured on her tongue. The scholarship girl with threadbare clothes and downcast eyes who never belonged in their circles. Clarissa had dismissed her before, too busy reveling in her own superiority. But now... now Alice was a problem.

Clarissa snapped the mirror shut with a soft click, slipping it back into her designer purse. Outwardly, her smile didn't falter. She leaned closer to Brian, resting her hand on his arm, radiating poise and elegance like the perfect fiancée she was expected to be.

Inside, though, her thoughts sharpened like glass.

Alice Monroe needed to be reminded of her place.

And Clarissa intended to do it in a way that would make sure Brian never again looked at anyone but her.

Chapter 7 The beginning of trouble

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