Lila's heart raced as her hand shook, and in one careless motion, the coffee cup slipped from her grip. Dark liquid splashed across the pristine white shirt of the school's golden boy.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" she blurted, dropping to her knees to grab napkins. Her words were drowned out by the whispers of nearby students.
Ethan Grimwood looked down at the stain, then up at her, eyes sharp and unreadable. "Do you always make an entrance by ruining someone else's day?"
Lila flushed. "I—I didn't mean—" She bit back the rest, realizing apologies sounded weak under the weight of his gaze.
He exhaled slowly, assessing her like she was some unfamiliar puzzle. "You're Lila… right? The new scholarship student?"
"Yes," she said, voice small but defiant. "And I promise I'm usually not this clumsy."
He raised an eyebrow. "Good to know. Though judging by the smell of panic, I'm not sure I believe you."
A spark of something unidentifiable flickered between them, and Lila felt a strange pull in her chest. Her embarrassment battled against a dangerous thrill. He was magnetic, impossible to ignore, and he didn't even smile.
Then Ethan's eyes dropped to her wrist. The delicate bracelet she wore—antique, intricate, almost fragile—caught the lamplight. He froze for a fraction of a second before masking it with his usual composure.
"Where did you get that?" he asked softly, leaning just close enough for her to hear.
Lila blinked, startled. "It's… just something from my mom. She gave it to me before school started."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "I see," he said, his tone low, almost as if he was talking to himself. The words didn't reassure her; they made her pulse race. What had he seen? What did he know?
"I—I really am sorry," she said, standing and clutching the papers in her arms like armor.
"You should be," he replied, then paused, scanning the surrounding hallway as though expecting someone—or something—to appear. "Be careful. Some mistakes… have a way of following you."
Lila froze. "Following me?"
"Never mind," Ethan said, brushing past her with deliberate grace. He didn't touch her again, but his proximity left her skin tingling.
A group of students murmured nearby, whispers like tiny knives. "Did you see that?" one hissed. "She just spilled coffee on Ethan Grimwood!"
"Scholarship girl, huh? Bold," another said with a sneer.
Lila could feel their eyes, burning, judging, dissecting. Her cheeks flamed, but she refused to look away from Ethan. Instead, she muttered under her breath, "I will not be embarrassed in front of him. Not fully."
As she straightened, she finally took in the hallway around her. The corridor stretched long and imposing, the marble floor polished until it reflected sunlight like liquid gold. Arched windows lined one side, letting in the morning light that caught dust motes in the air, and on the walls hung portraits of St. Albion's founders and famous alumni, their eyes seeming to follow every movement. The faint scent of polished wood mixed with the subtle perfume of students passing by, and somewhere in the distance, a bell rang, echoing off the high ceiling. Even the lockers lining the opposite wall seemed to gleam with expectation, each one a silent witness to the school's hierarchy, secrets, and endless scrutiny.
Ethan stopped abruptly, spinning back toward her. His eyes, intense and dark, searched hers. "You shouldn't hide. Not from me. You're too… interesting."
Lila blinked. "Interesting? That's your… compliment?"
He smirked faintly, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Maybe it's a warning."
"Warning?" she echoed, heart hammering.
"Yes," he said simply, stepping closer. The whispers of students faded as though the world had narrowed to just the two of them. "Some things—people, mistakes, legacies—don't stay buried. And sometimes, the wrong person finds them first."
Lila's stomach flipped. The bracelet felt heavier on her wrist. She didn't know if he was speaking about her, or something deeper, something tied to a past she hadn't yet lived but already carried in her blood.
Trying to mask her growing unease, she straightened her posture. "I—I don't even know what you mean."
Ethan's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile. "You will. Soon enough."
Before she could ask another question, Sofia appeared at the far end of the hallway, leaning casually against the wall. Her gaze flicked between them, sharp and calculating. "Oh, what a perfect start. The scholarship girl and the golden boy. Drama in motion," she said lightly, as though commenting on a painting rather than real life.
Ethan's jaw tightened, but he said nothing, letting Sofia's words hang in the air like smoke. Lila, on the other hand, felt her pulse quicken. Why did that girl seem so… dangerous?
Sofia's gaze lingered on the bracelet. Lila's fingers instinctively clenched around it. "What do you want?" she asked.
"Just observing," Sofia said, turning and walking away. "It's fascinating, watching history trying to repeat itself."
"History?" Lila whispered. Her pulse was a drum in her ears.
Ethan's hand brushed hers accidentally as he moved past her to exit the hall. He didn't pull away. "Some mistakes," he murmured again, "never die."
Lila shivered. She didn't know if he meant her, him, their families… or something far more dangerous.
Chase, Ethan's loyal friend, appeared just then, looking around nervously. "Ethan, you're drawing attention. People are… watching."
Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Let them. Just stay alert. And Lila…" He turned, his gaze locking on hers. "Whatever you do, keep that bracelet close. It's not just a trinket. You don't know what it holds."
"I—I understand," Lila said, though she barely did. Her pulse was pounding so hard she thought it might give her away.
As Ethan walked away, her stomach twisted with a mix of fear and anticipation. She wanted answers, but more than that, she wanted to understand him, to understand why his gaze lingered on her, why his voice had sounded both warning and… promise.
And somewhere in the shadows at the far end of the hallway, unseen, someone—Aaron—watched. A thin smile curved across his lips. He knew they were beginning to tangle themselves in a web of history, romance, and secrets that could destroy them both.
And he intended to watch every step.