The following morning, Crescent High was buzzing with a mixture of excitement, whispers, and the usual undercurrent of rivalry. Aria Moretti’s heels clicked sharply against the polished marble floors as she navigated the halls, her thoughts a tangled mess of last night’s dinner.
She had survived her parents’ barbed comments, Damian Cole’s subtle provocations, and the ever-watchful eyes of the Cole family. Somehow. Barely. But the fallout of the evening lingered like a shadow, curling around her shoulders, weighing on her chest.
“Morning, Moretti,” came a familiar voice from the hallway. She froze, instinctively gripping her books tighter.
Damian stood a few feet away, leaning casually against the lockers, smirk in place, but his eyes… there was something in them she couldn’t quite place
