I thought I needed saving...
Cole St. James is the undisputed King of the university social scene. With a lethal smirk, a body mapped in ink, and a coldness that mirrors his hollow chest, he’s mastered the art of "the motions." He doesn’t do feelings. He doesn’t do forever. He does one night, no names, and no regrets. To Cole, people are just distractions from the silence of an apartment that feels more like a waiting room than a home.
Then there’s Maya.
Maya isn’t impressed by the crown. She isn't charmed by the tattoos or the carefully cultivated arrogance. To her, Cole isn't a legend—he’s a cliché. A textbook case of a boy hiding behind a mask of his own making.
Cole vows to break the girl who thinks she knows him better than he knows himself. He decides to play the one role he’s never tried: the man who can be saved. He’ll give her the "genuine connection" she craves, only to shatter it once she’s hooked.
But Maya has secrets of her own. Burned by a past that turned her heart to ice, she isn’t looking for a boyfriend—she’s looking for proof.
"He’s looking for a lifeline. She’s looking for a reason to believe. But when the masks come off, it's hard to tell who’s being saved—and who's being studied."
As the story progresses and the slow burn begins, the lines between the hunter and the prey start to bleed together.
In a world where everyone is performing, who is telling the truth and who's not?
"I thought I needed saving... but in the end, you never know who needs it more."
Table of contents
Latest Update19
Chapter 18: The stage2026-07-09 20:26
- 1Prologue2026-03-16 15:41
- 2Chapter 1: Cole’s Playground2026-03-17 14:34
- 3Chapter 2: Café girl2026-03-17 14:35
- 4Chapter 3: Collision2026-03-17 15:22
- 5Chapter 4: A wall to climb2026-03-18 23:54
- 6Chapter 5: The bet2026-03-19 15:32
- 7Chapter 6: A declaration for war2026-03-20 21:26
- 8Chapter 7: A predatory twitch2026-03-24 01:45
- 9Chapter 8: The best friend betrayal2026-03-27 16:31
- 10Chapter 9: The verbal clash2026-03-30 15:56
- 11Chapter 10: Message received2026-04-02 17:13
- 12Chapter 11: The two weeks ghost2026-04-06 03:44
- 13Chapter 12: The King's crown2026-04-09 17:07
- 14Chapter 13: The debt2026-04-13 21:37
- 15Chapter 14: The ghost dad reveal2026-04-13 21:42
- 16Chapter 15: Mother2026-07-02 04:14
- 17Chapter 16: The reality2026-07-04 02:36
- 18Chapter 17: Countdown2026-07-07 00:09
- 19Chapter 18: The stage2026-07-09 20:26
Volume 1
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