My Rival is My CEO

Elean's POV: Crestwood University had two types of girls. The ones who flaunted their family's money. And me. Simple dresses. Used Toyota. Campus cafe. No one knew Evans meant Evans Global — the company that owned half the buildings they took selfies in front of. I preferred it. Being underestimated was power. Until Damian Knight decided I was interesting. Back row of Advanced Finance. Billionaire heir. Cold. Arrogant. The kind of handsome that ruined girls for anyone else. He never looked at anyone twice. Today, he couldn't look away from me. "Miss Evans," Professor Miller said. "Your take on the Knight merger?" I stood, smooth, unbothered. "It's overvalued. Pretty branding hiding empty accounts. Give it six months and they'll be begging for a bailout." A beat of silence. Then, a low, amused laugh from the back. Damian rose, hands in his pockets, that savage smirk playing on his lips as he strolled toward my desk. The whole class held its breath. "Bold theory," he said, stopping inches away, eyes dragging over me like he could see through the act. "For a girl who tries so hard to look like she knows nothing about money." I smiled. The same smirk. Just as savage. Just as confident. "And it's a bold assumption, Mr. Knight, thinking you know anything about me from my clothes." His eyes flashed. No one ever matched his energy. He leaned in, voice low enough for only me. "Oh, I will know everything about you, Miss Evans. Every secret." I didn't step back. I tilted my chin up, holding his stare. "Try. You'll find I'm not that easy to own." His smirk deepened. Not angry. Fascinated. Obsessed. "Good," he whispered. "I love a challenge." That day, I didn't know I had just met my biggest mistake. He didn't know he had just met the only woman who would ever bring him to his knees.