GAME OF SEDUCTION

CHAOS

Camila didn't sleep a single minute

By 7:00 AM, her small apartment was a chaotic mess of discarded textbooks and plastic bags. Levi knocked on the door and stepped inside holding a bag of fresh bagels, freezing instantly when he saw eight-year-old Mason sitting on the sofa in oversized pajamas, quietly eating a bowl of cereal.

"Uh... Camila?" Levi blinked, staring between the kid and his best friend. "Did you adopt a miniature human overnight?"

Camila let out a long, ragged sigh, leaning against the kitchen counter. She quickly explained everything—her stepmother kicking Mason out, the cruel words about her father, and how she was now his sole guardian.

Levi's playful demeanor instantly vanished, replaced by fierce warmth. "That woman is pure trash. Don't worry, Cami. I'm in your corner. I'll watch Mason this afternoon between classes so you can hit the lab."

Before Camila could thank him, Levi's phone buzzed on the counter with a text from Anthony. Levi glanced down, his expression softening into a quick, tender look that lasted only a split second before he masked it, tossing his phone back into his pocket.

"Romeo is texting again," Levi muttered with a small, affectionate smile. "Still apologizing for the rose drama."

"He's helpless," Camila managed a faint chuckle, pulling on her oversized denim jacket and wire-rimmed glasses. "Keep an eye on him too, okay? I have to run to morning lab."

By 9:00 AM, Camila was hunched over her workbench in the basement lab, utterly exhausted. She adjusted her microscope, adjusting her nitrile gloves as she focused on enzyme slides.

The lab doors swung open, and Professor Vance walked in alongside Liam Lockwood.

Camila's heart slammed against her ribs, but she kept her head down, staring intently into her microscope lens. He's just here for his investment, she told herself. He doesn't know.

Liam moved through the room with quiet, imposing authority, nodding as Vance rambled about department funding. But as Liam stepped down the main aisle, passing directly behind Camila's workbench, his tailored suit jacket brushed against her chair.

A subtle drift of air stirred between them.

Liam stopped dead in his tracks.

The sharp, intoxicating scent of wild cherry blossom filled his senses—the exact, unmistakable fragrance that had haunted his thoughts all night long.

He turned slowly, his slate-gray eyes locking onto the quiet girl in the back row. She was wearing a baggy jacket, her dark hair tied up in a messy bun, hiding behind round glasses and a heavy stack of manuals.

"Miss Hughes, isn't it?" Liam's voice cut through the quiet room, low and deeply analytical.

Camila looked up slowly, smoothing her expression into shy, polite confusion. "Yes, Mr. Lockwood? Is something wrong?"

Liam stared at her, his piercing eyes tracing the line of her jaw and her quiet, unshakeable composure. The contrast between this plain, tired student and the electric woman in red silk was massive—yet the scent in the air was undeniable.

"No," Liam said softly, his gaze lingering on her just a second too long. "Nothing is wrong."

Twenty minutes later, Liam sat in the back of his sleek black town car, staring out the window at the university quad as his driver navigated through traffic.

He pulled out his phone and dialed his personal assistant.

"Marcus," Liam said, his voice cold and resolute.

"Yes, Mr. Lockwood?"

"I want a full, discreet background check run on everyone working at The Velvet Lounge—specifically the dancer who goes by 'Vixen.' And I want every detail on the biochemistry students at Houston University."

"Understood, sir," Marcus replied. "I'll have my team dig into the venue's employee files immediately."

Liam hung up, resting his chin on his hand as he stared at his reflection in the dark glass. The mystery was deepening, the stakes were rising, and he was determined to unmask the girl holding all the cards.