THE MAFIA HEIR'S ENEMY

Zuri Amara Bennett had always believed that leaving home meant leaving her problems behind. Apparently, she had been wrong. The plane touched down beneath a gray morning sky, and Zuri stared through the window as the unfamiliar city slowly came into view. Tall buildings rose beyond the airport. Cars moved along the distant roads like streams of light, while strangers hurried from one place to another with umbrellas above their heads. Everything looked different. New. Exactly what she had wanted. Zuri adjusted the strap of her backpack and took a slow breath. “New country. New school. New life,” she whispered. She smiled to herself. For the first time in months, she allowed herself to believe that maybe things really could change. Her mother had warned her before she left. “Be careful, Zuri. Not everyone is who they appear to be.” At the time, Zuri had laughed. Now, remembering those words, she wasn't so sure. Three hours later, Zuri stood outside the gates of Blackwood International University. She stared upward. The campus was enormous. Stone buildings surrounded perfectly trimmed gardens, students walked between classes carrying books and laptops, and expensive cars lined the road near the main entrance. Zuri suddenly felt very aware of her simple clothes and worn backpack. She wasn't poor. She simply wasn't interested in trying to impress people. She tightened her grip on her admission letter. “Okay,” she murmured. “I can do this.” She stepped through the gates. Almost immediately, she noticed people staring. Some looked curious. Others whispered. Zuri ignored them. She had dealt with enough judgment to know that reacting only made things worse. She checked the map on her phone. “Administration building…” She turned left. Then she walked straight into someone. Her books fell from her hands. “Oh!” Papers scattered across the pavement. “I'm sorry,” she said quickly, kneeling down. A hand reached for one of the papers before she could. Zuri looked up. And froze. A boy stood in front of her. He was dressed in a black jacket and dark trousers, with an expression that seemed permanently carved into his face. Cold. Unfriendly. Untouchable. He looked at the paper in his hand. Then at her. “You should watch where you're going.” Zuri blinked. Excuse me? She stood. “You could have said that without sounding rude.” His eyebrow lifted. “Could I?” “Yes.” He handed her the paper. Their fingers almost touched. Zuri pulled her hand back first. “Thank you.” He said nothing. Instead, he walked away. Zuri watched him disappear into the crowd. “What was his problem?” A girl nearby suddenly grabbed Zuri's arm. “Are you crazy?” Zuri jumped. “What?” The girl glanced around nervously. “You just talked back to him.” “Who?” The girl lowered her voice. “Adrian Vale.” Zuri frowned. “And?” The girl stared at her like she had just announced that she had never heard of the internet. “You seriously don't know who he is?” “No.” The girl looked toward the direction Adrian had gone. “Then keep it that way.” Before Zuri could ask another question, the girl walked away. Zuri stood there, confused. “Strange.” She picked up her last book and continued toward the administration building. She had no idea that Adrian Vale had already noticed something about her. Something nobody else had. Across campus, Adrian entered a black car waiting near the private entrance. The moment the door closed, his expression changed. His eyes became serious. A man sitting in the driver's seat glanced at him through the mirror. “You're late.” “I had an accident.” “What kind?” “Someone walked into me.” The driver almost smiled. “That sounds serious.” Adrian ignored him. He pulled the paper Zuri had dropped from his pocket. He hadn't given it back. Her name was printed at the top. Zuri Amara Bennett. Adrian stared at it. His jaw tightened. “Where did she come from?” The driver looked at the name. “Bennett?” “Yes.” The man's expression changed. “I'll find out.” Adrian folded the paper carefully. There was something about that girl. Something familiar. But he couldn't explain why. His phone suddenly vibrated. One message appeared. UNKNOWN NUMBER: SHE'S HERE. Adrian's eyes narrowed. Another message arrived. UNKNOWN NUMBER: THE BENNETT GIRL HAS ARRIVED AT BLACKWOOD. His fingers tightened around the phone. So that was it. Zuri Bennett wasn't just a new student. Someone had been waiting for her. Zuri had no idea that her first day had already become the subject of whispered conversations. She finally reached her assigned classroom and took a seat near the window. The professor began introducing the semester. Zuri opened her notebook. For the next hour, everything seemed normal. Until the classroom door opened. Everyone went silent. Adrian walked inside. He didn't apologize for being late. He didn't even look at the professor. He simply walked to the back of the room and sat down. Zuri stared at him. Seriously? Of all the classrooms in the university… She looked back at her notebook. She could feel someone watching her. She turned. Adrian was looking directly at her. Their eyes met. Neither looked away. Finally, Zuri raised an eyebrow. Adrian's expression remained unreadable. Then he looked away. Zuri shook her head. Weird. The professor continued teaching. But five minutes later, a folded piece of paper landed on Zuri's desk. She looked around. Nobody seemed to notice. Slowly, she opened it. There were only four words written inside. Leave this university. Zuri's heart skipped. She looked toward the back of the classroom. Adrian was staring out the window. She quickly turned the paper over. Nothing. She wrote underneath the message: Why? She folded it and passed it backward. A few seconds later, it returned. Because you're in danger. Zuri stared at the words. She turned around. Adrian was no longer looking at her. Instead, he was staring toward the classroom door. Someone was standing outside. A tall man in a dark coat. Their eyes met through the glass. The man's expression immediately changed. He walked away. Adrian stood. The professor stopped speaking. “Mr. Vale?” Adrian didn't answer. He grabbed his phone and walked out. Zuri's curiosity got the better of her. She followed. The hallway was empty. “Adrian!” He stopped. Slowly, he turned. “You shouldn't have followed me.” “You told me I'm in danger.” His expression hardened. “I was warning you.” “About what?” “Go home.” “I just got here.” “That doesn't matter.” Zuri crossed her arms. “You don't get to walk into my first class, tell me I'm in danger, and then refuse to explain.” Adrian stared at her. For a moment, neither spoke. Then he stepped closer—not threateningly, but with the seriousness of someone who knew something she didn't. “Zuri, there are people looking for your family.” Her confidence disappeared. “My family?” “Yes.” “Why?” Adrian looked down the empty hallway. “Because your family knows something they were never supposed to know.” Zuri's stomach tightened. “What are you talking about?” Before Adrian could answer, his phone rang. He glanced at the screen. His face went pale. The message contained only one sentence: THEY KNOW YOU'RE WITH HER. Adrian immediately looked at Zuri. “What?” He grabbed her backpack and handed it to her. “Come with me.” “Where?” “Somewhere safe.” Zuri hesitated. She didn't trust him. Not even a little. But something in his expression told her that this wasn't a joke. She followed. Neither of them noticed the man standing at the end of the hallway. Watching. Waiting. And smiling. Because Zuri Amara Bennett had finally arrived. And Adrian Vale's greatest enemy had just walked straight into his life.