The Moonlight Heir

Chapter 2

Elinya

My dorm room smelled faintly of lavender when I pushed the door open.

Sunlight streamed in through the large window, reflecting off neatly arranged furniture and pale-colored walls. It felt… warm. Welcoming. Nothing like the intimidating cold I had expected from Russia.

“You must be Elinya.”

I turned to see a girl standing near the bed opposite mine, adjusting a suitcase. She was tall and graceful, with fair skin and light brown hair falling softly over her shoulders. Her posture was confident, her smile effortless—the kind that came from someone who had never doubted her place in the world.

“I’m Isabella,” she said, extending her hand. “From England.”

“Elinya,” I replied, shaking it. “India.”

Her eyes lit up. “Oh! I’ve always wanted to visit. My parents travel a lot, but somehow India never made the list.”

There was something instantly easy about her. Isabella was clearly rich—her designer luggage and polished accent made that obvious—but there was no arrogance in her tone. No superiority. Just warmth.

Within minutes, we were talking like we had known each other longer than a few hours.

She told me about her family estates back home, about growing up surrounded by luxury yet craving independence. I told her about my father, my scholarship, and my love for medicine. She listened carefully, genuinely, like my story mattered.

“I’m glad you’re my roommate,” she said suddenly, smiling. “This place would’ve been unbearable alone.”

I smiled back. “Same.”

And just like that, a small corner of this foreign country began to feel like home.

The university grounds buzzed with life later that afternoon.

Isabella insisted on giving me a tour, linking her arm through mine as we walked past lecture halls and open courtyards. Students whispered, laughed, hurried past us with books pressed to their chests.

That’s when the atmosphere shifted.

I felt it before I saw him.

A ripple—soft but unmistakable—ran through the group of students ahead. Quiet murmurs followed, heads turning subtly, eyes lingering longer than necessary.

“Who’s that?” I asked without thinking.

Isabella glanced in the same direction and sighed knowingly.

“Igor.”

The name felt… heavy.

He was walking across the courtyard with unhurried confidence, dark hair perfectly styled, sharp features relaxed into a charming smile. His presence was magnetic—effortless. Dangerous in a way that made people forget to be careful.

Girls watched him openly. Some smiled. Some whispered. Some pretended not to care at all.

And embarrassingly enough… I felt my heart stumble.

I looked away too late.

Igor’s eyes flicked in my direction for a brief second—just long enough to notice me. The corner of his lips curved slightly, as if he already knew the effect he had.

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

Get a grip, Elinya.

“He’s… popular,” I said carefully.

Isabella let out a small laugh. “That’s one word for it.”

There was something in her tone—warning, maybe.

“He’s handsome,” I admitted softly, hating how honest my voice sounded.

“He is,” she agreed. Then her smile faded. “But he’s also trouble.”

I frowned. “What do you mean?”

Isabella hesitated, then spoke quietly. “He doesn’t stay. Not with anyone. Girls fall for him, and he lets them—just long enough to get bored. No promises. No guilt.”

My chest tightened.

I glanced back once more, only to find him gone—vanished into the crowd like he had never been there at all.

Something about that unsettled me.

I didn’t know why my heart had reacted the way it did. Maybe it was the loneliness of a new place. Maybe it was the illusion of charm.

Or maybe… I was standing at the edge of a mistake I hadn’t yet learned to avoid.

What I didn’t know was that some attractions were harmless—

And some were lessons.

Painful ones.