Innocent me...

The rain poured endlessly against the classroom windows, creating a cold silence that made the atmosphere feel heavier than usual. Ella Morgan sat quietly at the back of the class, her eyes fixed on the pages of her notebook even though she wasn’t reading a single word. She had always been invisible — the quiet girl with no friends, no confidence, and no voice loud enough to be noticed. People passed by her every day without a second glance, and honestly, she had gotten used to it. But everything changed the moment he entered. Jayden Cole. The boy every student feared. The school’s definition of trouble. Rumors followed him like shadows — fights, suspensions, broken hearts. Yet beneath his cold expression was something darker, something wounded. As he walked into the classroom late, whispers immediately filled the air. Ella kept her head down, hoping to avoid attention, until the teacher suddenly spoke. “Jayden, the only empty seat is beside Ella.” Her heart stopped. Slowly, Jayden walked toward her desk, his shoes echoing against the floor. Then he pulled out the chair beside her and sat down. For the first time in years… someone finally noticed her. And Ella had no idea that sitting beside Jayden Cole was about to change her entire life.