Elena slipped out of the lecture hall, her notebook clutched tightly to her chest, the weight of the day's classes lingering in her mind like a fog that refused to lift. But it wasn't the economics midterm that had her heart racing—it was the lingering scent of Damian's cologne on her skin from their secret meeting the night before, a reminder of the forbidden fire they'd stoked in the shadows of his room. As she weaved through the crowded campus pathways, whispers followed her, sharp and insidious, from a group of girls who had once vied for Damian's attention. Their leader, a tall brunette named Lila, shot daggers with her eyes, her jealousy palpable in the way she leaned in to murmur to her friends, "Did you see how he looked at her yesterday? Like she's something special. But we all kn
