The campus was buzzing like wildfire.
The photo from the terrace scandal had gone viral. Rumors whispered in every hallway.
Ethan confronted me in the library, voice low but seething. "How could you kiss him like that… in front of everyone?"
I didn't answer.
Dominic appeared behind me, his presence immediate, oppressive, irresistible. He leaned close, his hand brushing my shoulder as he whispered, "You're mine, Aria. Let them watch."
Ethan's hands trembled. "You can't just… just take her!"
Dominic's gaze sharpened. "I don't take, Ethan. I claim."
For the first time, I realized I wanted to lean into him, to feel protected, wanted, possessed even as my heart ached for Ethan.
That evening, Dominic insisted on walking me back to my dorm. The streets were quiet. His hand hovered near mine, brushing fingertips along mine just enough to set my pulse racing.
"You don't need to fight for me," he murmured. "No one touches what's mine."
I shivered. The line between protection and desire blurred. Ethan's betrayal burned in my mind, but Dominic's dominance was intoxicating.
When we reached my door, he leaned closer than necessary, lips brushing my ear. "Every second you spend with him, I'm closer to losing control."The campus had been buzzing for a week. The terrace photo the one Ethan had somehow ensured went viral had ignited a wildfire of gossip, whispers, and curious stares.
Students stopped me in hallways. Professors seemed to watch me differently. Even the security guards at the dorm lingered longer than necessary. And through it all, Dominic's presence was always there.
He didn't appear at my lectures, but I felt him. A shadow of control, of dominance, of protection that made my pulse quicken every time my eyes met his in the hallway.
Ethan noticed.
"Aria," he said quietly one afternoon, gripping my arm in the empty corridor. His jaw was tight, eyes red-rimmed. "Why does he follow you everywhere? Why are you letting him do this?"
"I'm not letting him do anything," I replied, heart pounding. "He's… he's just here."
Ethan's laugh was bitter. "Just here? He's a billionaire, Aria! He doesn't just appear. He invests, he dominates, he claims. And I....I can't watch this."
"I don't need you to claim me," I whispered.
His eyes softened, but desperation remained. "Then why do I feel like I'm losing you?"
Before I could respond, a shadow fell over the corridor. Dominic appeared as silently as a predator. Tall, impossibly imposing, hands in pockets, expression unreadable.
"I warned you," he murmured, voice low, dangerous. "This isn't a negotiation."
Ethan's fists clenched. "You can't....."
Dominic's dark eyes snapped to Ethan, the air around him threatening, heavy, possessive. "I don't negotiate with anyone who touches what belongs to me."
My heart stuttered. Something primal stirred inside me. The line between protection and desire blurred. Ethan's desperation burned, but Dominic's dominance intoxicated.
That night, Dominic insisted on walking me back to my dorm. On the quiet streets, his presence hovered, his hand occasionally brushing mine. Each touch sent electric sparks through me.
"You don't need to fight for me," he whispered, near enough that my breath mingled with his. "No one touches what's mine."
And in that instant, I wanted to lean into him, to feel his strength surround me, even as my heart ached for Ethan.
When we reached my dorm, he leaned closer than necessary. His lips brushed my ear. "Every second you spend with him, I'm closer to losing control."
I shivered, powerless to resist the pull he had over me.