The Academy's Golden Devil

The first thing Sophia Reed noticed about Blackthorn Academy was how beautiful it was. The second thing she noticed was how fake everything felt. Towering gothic buildings stretched toward the cloudy sky. Perfectly trimmed gardens surrounded stone pathways. Luxury cars lined the entrance while students dressed in designer clothes walked through the gates as if they owned the world. Maybe they did. Sophia tightened her grip on the strap of her bag and stepped through the massive iron gates. Blackthorn Academy. The place that had taken her brother. Two years ago, Ethan Reed had arrived here with dreams of changing his future. Three months later, he disappeared. No body. No explanation. No answers. The academy claimed he had transferred abroad. The police believed them. Sophia never did. That was why she was here. Not to make friends. Not to enjoy campus life. And definitely not to fit in. She was here to uncover the truth. A loud engine roar interrupted her thoughts. Several students suddenly stepped aside. Girls straightened their uniforms. Guys exchanged excited glances. Sophia frowned. "What now?" A black luxury sports car rolled through the academy entrance. The vehicle stopped in front of the main building. The atmosphere changed instantly. As if royalty had arrived. The driver's door opened. A tall young man stepped out. Black hair. Sharp jawline. Perfect posture. Grey eyes colder than winter. The entire crowd seemed to hold its breath. Lucien Knight. Even Sophia recognized the name. The heir to Knight Holdings. Future billionaire. The academy's golden boy. The rumors about him had reached far beyond Blackthorn's walls. Ruthless. Untouchable. Dangerous. Girls worshipped him. Teachers favored him. Students feared him. Lucien walked forward without acknowledging anyone. As though everyone around him was invisible. Sophia rolled her eyes. Great. Another rich boy who thought the world revolved around him. She turned away and continued toward the administration building. Unfortunately, fate had other plans. A student rushing through the crowd accidentally slammed into her shoulder. "Ouch!" Sophia stumbled forward. The stack of files she had been carrying slipped from her arms. Papers exploded everywhere. Straight onto Lucien Knight. The entire courtyard went silent. Sophia froze. Lucien stopped walking. Several sheets of paper clung to his expensive black blazer. One landed directly against his chest. Another rested near his polished shoes. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed. The silence became unbearable. Sophia quickly crouched down. "I'm sorry." No response. She grabbed the nearest papers. A shadow fell over her. Slowly, she looked up. Lucien was staring at her. His expression was unreadable. His grey eyes felt like ice. Sophia hated him immediately. Not because of what he did. Because of how he looked at her. Like she was beneath him. Like she didn't matter. Something dangerous flickered across his face. "Watch where you're going." His voice was calm. Cold. Arrogant. Sophia stood. Her patience was already exhausted from the long trip. "Maybe you should watch where you're standing." Gasps erupted around them. Someone actually dropped their phone. A girl whispered, "Is she insane?" Lucien's eyebrow lifted slightly. The reaction amused him. Sophia wasn't amused. "You're blocking the entire entrance." Nobody spoke. The academy king had just been challenged. Publicly. Lucien studied her. For a brief moment. Then another. His gaze lingered. Not with attraction. With curiosity. Like he was examining something unusual. "You must be new." Sophia crossed her arms. "And you must be Lucien Knight." A dangerous smile appeared. It wasn't friendly. It was the smile of a predator discovering prey. "I know who you are." Sophia shrugged. "Congratulations." The crowd looked horrified. Lucien's smile vanished. Interesting. Very interesting. Nobody talked to him like this. Nobody. Before either could say another word, a female voice interrupted. "Lucien!" A stunning blonde rushed forward. Sophia recognized her immediately. Isabella Cross. The academy's queen. She slipped her arm around Lucien possessively. Her eyes moved toward Sophia. Instant dislike flashed across her face. "Who's this?" Lucien's gaze never left Sophia. "No one." The words hit harder than they should have. Sophia laughed. "No one?" Lucien said nothing. Something inside her snapped. Maybe it was exhaustion. Maybe it was anger. Maybe it was the memory of Ethan. Whatever it was, she stepped closer. "If I'm no one, then why are you still looking at me?" The courtyard exploded into whispers. Lucien's eyes darkened. For the first time, Sophia saw genuine emotion there. Not anger. Not amusement. Interest. A dangerous kind of interest. The kind she should probably avoid. Too late. Because Lucien Knight was already looking at her like a problem he intended to solve. And Sophia Reed had no idea that this moment would change everything. As she walked away, she could feel his gaze following her. Watching. Calculating. Waiting. The academy king had noticed her. That was the first mistake. The second mistake came twenty minutes later. When Sophia entered the administration office and saw a photograph hanging on the wall. A photograph taken two years ago. A group picture of Blackthorn's elite students. At the center stood Lucien Knight. Standing beside him... Was Ethan. Sophia's missing brother. And both of them looked terrified.