“Cole.”

    At the sound of his name, Cole finally looked up.

    “Alessia, breakfast.”

    Every morning before training, Cole would wait for her downstairs with breakfast in hand.

    “I’ll pick you up for dinner tonight.”

    Thanks to their grueling training, they hadn’t had a proper meal together in over two weeks. Even when they saw each other, it was always in passing.

    “Okay.” Alessia took the breakfast from him, waved, and said goodbye.

    Although Alessia was double–majoring, her second program wouldn’t start until sophomore year. That meant, for the rest of this year, their schedules wouldn’t ovep–unless they happened to pick the same elective.

    “Sorry for making you wait. Let’s go.”

    “Having a boyfriend does have its perks,” Esme teased, all envy and good humor.

    “It’s not bad,” Alessia admitted, smiling without a hint of embarrassment.

    The group chattered andughed as they walked away, their voices fading into the distance. Only then did Cole turn and head down a different path.

    Backpack slung over his shoulder, he made his way to ss. As soon as he sat down, someone dropped into the seat beside him.

    Cole ignored the neer, pulling out his books.

    “What a coincidence, Cole.”

    Fortune grinned, greeting him with a familiarity that seemed forced.

    Cole nced around. There was still plenty of time before ss, and the lecture hall was mostly empty. Of all the avable seats, Fortune had chosen the one right next to him. It was hard not to question his intentions.

    “Doesn’t feel like much of a coincidence,” Cole said bluntly. If Fortune noticed the edge in his voice, he didn’t show it; his expression didn’t change at all.

    “Why so guarded around me?” Fortune replied, still smiling. “You’re the CEO of the

    b09.39 /b

    as easy as squashing a bug?”

    Cole’s gaze darkened, flicking over to Fortune.

    Fortune immediately raised his hands in mock surrender. “Just kidding, Mr. Whitley. No need to get all worked up–l scare easy.”

    Despite his words, the amusement never left his eyes.

    “If I were you, I’d pick another seat. Unless you want people talking, I could always pay a visit to your family patriarch for a little chat,” Cole said coolly, his tone as t

    as ever.

    This time, Fortune’s smile faltered. He bit down on his lip, trying to keep the corners of his mouth from trembling.

    “Guess I’ll leave you to it, then.”

    He grabbed his bag and moved to the front row, not looking back.

    Cole didn’t spare him another nce, turning his attention to his notes. Fortune, for his part, gripped his pen so tightly it looked as if he might snap it in two.

    At least for the rest of the day, Fortune left him alone.

    “There’s definitely something off about Fortune,” Alessiamentedter, frowning. His behavior was strange, to say the least.

    Logically, there was no reason for Fortune to keep seeking them out. They barely knew each other–practically strangers. Yet he kept popping up, forcing himself into their circle, making it hard not to suspect he had some kind of ulterior motive.

    “We’ll deal with him as hees. He hasn’t made any moves yet,” Cole replied, cing thest shrimp into Alessia’s bowl. “Let’s see what he’s really capable of.”

    “Want any more?” he asked.

    Alessia shook her head, popped thest shrimp into her mouth, and dabbed her lips with a napkin.

    As luck would have it, just as they were about to pay and leave, an old

    acquaintance appeared./

    “Ileana? When did she get back?” Alessia stopped short on the stairs, caught off guard by the familiar face.

    7

    But surprise quickly turned to concern. Ileana looked nothing like the girl she

    remembered–she’d grown painfully thin. Though she’d tried to mask it with makeup, there was no hiding her gaunt frame.

    Her arms were so thin the veins stood out starkly, her chin had sharpened to a point, and her cheeks were hollow. Once considered beautiful, her features now carried a harsh, almost bitter edge.