chapter 1~~THREE RULES~~
1885 Words
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Judith Sterling had three rules
Rule number one: Never be late.
Rule number two: Never lose.
Rule number three: Never let an arrogant man ruin your day.
Unfortunately, rule number three was about to be tested.
"Move!"
Judith pushed through the crowded hallway of Westbridge University while balancing an iced coffee, a stack of textbooks, and her phone.
As the daughter of billionaire hotel magnate Charles Sterling, she could have had assistants carrying everything for her.
Instead, she preferred doing things herself.
Mostly because she hated people telling her what to do.
Her phone buzzed.
Mom: Don't forget the charity gala tonight.
Judith groaned.
Another gala.
ugh.... Another night of rich people pretending to care about world hunger while spending thousands on champagne.
She slipped her phone into her bag and turned the corner
CRASHHHHHHHH
The coffee flew.
Books scattered everywhere.
The hallway went silent.
Judith froze.
A pair of expensive white sneakers stood directly in front of her.
"No..."
Slowly, she looked up.
Very up.
Six-foot-three.
Dark hair.
Perfect jawline.
Infuriatingly attractive face.
And a white designer jacket now covered in coffee.
The stranger stared at his ruined clothes.
Judith stared at him.
The stranger stared at Judith.
Someone gasped.
Another student whispered,
"Oh my God."
A crowd immediately formed.
Judith frowned.
Why was everyone acting weird?
Then she recognized him.
Anthony King.
International pop superstar.
Actor.
Social media sensation.
Billionaire heir.
And apparently the reason half the female population had lost their minds.
The crowd exploded.
"IT'S ANTHONY!"
"Can I get a picture?"
"I LOVE YOU!"
Anthony ignored them.
His attention remained fixed on Judith.
Who was trying very hard not to smile.
Because his jacket looked ridiculous.
A dark coffee stain stretched across the front.
It was beautiful.
Anthony narrowed his eyes.
"You think this is funny?"
Judith shrugged.
"A little."
The crowd gasped again.
Apparently nobody spoke to Anthony King like that.
Anthony folded his arms.
"You just ruined a five-thousand-dollar jacket."
Judith blinked.
"That's the stupidest thing I've heard all day."
His eyebrow lifted.
"The jacket cost five thousand dollars."
"Then you're the stupidest thing I've heard all day."
Several students choked trying not to laugh.
Anthony looked genuinely offended.
Judith found that extremely satisfying.
"You know who I am?" he asked.
She rolled her eyes.
"Unfortunately."
The crowd became even quieter.
Anthony stared at her.
Judith stared back.
Neither moved.
Finally, Anthony smirked.
"You have attitude."
"Most people need therapy."
A laugh escaped somewhere in the crowd.
Anthony looked around.
The student immediately pretended to be interested in a nearby vending machine.
For the first time, Anthony smiled.
A real smile.
Not the polished celebrity smile seen on magazine covers.
The kind of laugh that made girls forget common sense.
Judith hated how attractive it was.
"You know," Anthony said, "I was having a bad day."
"Now you're having a worse one."
His smile widened.
Interesting.
Most people backed down when challenged.
Judith apparently attacked harder.
Anthony glanced at the scattered books.
Then he crouched and picked one up.
Judith frowned.
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
He handed her the textbook.
Their fingers brushed.
For one strange second, the noise around them disappeared.
Something warm flashed through her chest.
Anthony stood.
"So we're enemies now?"
Judith gathered her books.
"Were we ever friends?"
"Fair point."
She adjusted her bag.
"Goodbye, celebrity."
"Goodbye, coffee criminal."
Judith walked away.
Head high.
Victory achieved.
Or so she thought.
Because thirty seconds later, her best friend Mia came sprinting down the hallway.
"You talked to Anthony King!"
Judith groaned.
"Please don't start."
"He never talks to people!"
"He literally just talked to me."
"That's not what I mean."
Judith continued walking.
Mia followed.
Breathless.
"The entire university is obsessed with him."
"Why?"
Mia stopped walking.
"Judith."
"What?"
"He's Anthony King."
That explained absolutely nothing.
Meanwhile, across campus, Anthony sat inside the university administration building.
His manager was already yelling.
"You made headlines in your first hour."
Anthony checked his phone.
A video from the hallway had gone viral.
The caption read:
BILLIONAIRE CELEBRITY DESTROYED BY MYSTERY GIRL.
Anthony laughed.
His manager looked horrified.
"This isn't funny."
"It is a little funny."
"You have concerts in three countries next month."
Anthony leaned back.
But he wasn't listening anymore.
Because his thoughts had returned to the stubborn brunette who had spilled coffee on him and insulted him three times in less than two minutes.
Most girls wanted his attention.
Judith Sterling clearly wanted his disappearance.
Which made her impossible to ignore.
Anthony smiled.
This semester was suddenly looking a lot more interesting.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Judith was convinced the universe hated her.
There was no other explanation.
She sat in the front row of Professor Harrison's Advanced Business Strategy class, twirling a pen between her fingers while waiting for the lecture to begin.
It was the first class of the semester, and she intended to graduate as a valedictorian. and in her mind nothing could stop her not campus gossip, not celebrity sightings, and certainly not Anthony King,
That was the plan.
The classroom door opened.
A wave of whispers swept through the room.
"Anthony walked in
"Anthony's actually in class."
"I heard he almost dropped out because of touring."
Anthony walked in wearing a black T-shirt, dark jeans, and sunglasses that somehow made him look even more infuriatingly handsome.
He removed the sunglasses and scanned the room.
His eyes landed on Judith.
A slow grin spread across his face.
"Oh, no," Judith muttered.
Anthony ignored the dozens of empty seats and walked straight toward her.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked.
Judith didn't even look at him.
"It is now."
"So... yes or no?"
"It's reserved."
"For who?"
"My peace."
A few students nearby burst into laughter.
Anthony chuckled and sat in the seat behind her anyway.
"Close enough."
Judith pinched the bridge of her nose.
"This is going to be a long semester."
"It doesn't have to be."
She turned around.
"You're right."
His smile widened hopefully.
"It could be even longer."
Before Anthony could reply, Professor Harrison strode into the room.
The professor was known for being brilliant, demanding, and completely unimpressed by fame.
He set his briefcase on the desk.
"Good morning."
The room fell silent.
"I don't care if you're athletes, celebrities, influencers, or billionaires. In this class, everyone earns their grade."
Anthony straightened in his chair.
Judith smiled to herself.
She already liked this professor.
Professor Harrison continued.
"This semester, you'll complete one major business project. It counts for forty percent of your final grade."
A collective groan echoed through the classroom.
"You'll work in pairs."
Judith's confidence returned.
She loved group projects.
She always ended up doing most of the work anyway.
The professor began reading names.
"Emma Carter with Noah Brooks."
Students shuffled around the room.
"Liam Foster with Sophia Reed."
More movement.
Then...
"Judith Sterling..."
She stood.
"...with Anthony King."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Someone in the back whispered, "He's dead."
Judith wasn't sure whether they meant Anthony or the professor.
She slowly turned toward Anthony.
He looked just as shocked.
Professor Harrison glanced up from his list.
"Any questions?"
Judith raised her hand immediately.
"Yes."
"No."
"I haven't asked yet."
"My answer is still no."
The class laughed.
Judith tried again.
"There must be some mistake."
"There isn't."
"We're not compatible."
Professor Harrison adjusted his glasses.
"That's precisely why I paired you."
Anthony leaned forward.
"I think she means personality-wise."
"I know what she means."
The professor smiled.
"In business, you don't choose your partners. You learn to work with them."
Judith dropped back into her seat.
"This is a nightmare."
Anthony whispered, "I've had worse."
She shot him a look.
"I'm about to become your worst."
~~~~~
After class, students flooded into the hallway.
Anthony caught up with Judith before she reached the stairs.
"So, partner."
She kept walking.
"I'm filing an appeal."
"You know it won't work."
"I know."
"Then why bother?"
"Because complaining is free."
Anthony laughed.
"You are surprisingly funny."
"I wasn't trying to entertain you."
"No, but you succeeded."
She stopped walking so suddenly that Anthony almost bumped into her.
"What exactly is your plan?"
"My plan?"
"For this project."
Anthony shrugged.
"Pass the class."
"I mean your actual contribution."
"I'll do my share."
Judith folded her arms.
"Be honest."
"I am."
"You're a billionaire, a celebrity, and you're touring the world."
"So?"
"So when exactly do you have time to study?"
Anthony's playful expression faded.
"You'd be surprised."
For a brief moment, Judith noticed something different.
definitely not arrogance or confidence.
Just... exhaustion.
Before she could say anything, his phone rang.
His manager's name flashed across the screen.
Anthony sighed.
"I have to take this."
"Perfect."
He answered the call.
"What now?"
Judith walked away, but she couldn't help overhearing fragments of the conversation.
"No... tell them I'm in class."
"I don't care if the interview is live."
"I said reschedule it."
His voice sounded irritated.
Almost trapped.
She frowned.
Being famous looked a lot less glamorous than people imagined.
Then she shook the thought away.
Not my problem.
~~~~~
That evening, Judith attended the Sterling Foundation Charity Gala.
Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead.
A string quartet played softly.
Guests wore designer gowns and tailored tuxedos.
Judith greeted family friends with practiced smiles.
"Judith, you've grown so much."
"You look exactly like your mother."
"When are you joining the family business?"
She answered politely, though she'd heard the same questions for years.
As she reached for a glass of sparkling water, a familiar voice behind her said,
"I should've guessed."
Judith froze.
She turned.
Anthony stood a few feet away in a perfectly tailored black tuxedo.
He looked equally surprised.
"You?"
they said at exactly the same time.
Anthony blinked.
"You weren't kidding."
"Kidding about what?"
"You actually are rich."
Judith laughed.
"And you thought I was what? A barista who attacked celebrities for fun?"
"I hadn't ruled it out."
She smirked.
"I could say the same about spoiled pop stars."
Before Anthony could reply, Judith's father approached with a broad smile.
"Anthony! It's good to see you again."
Judith's eyes widened.
"You know each other?"
Charles Sterling laughed.
"Our families have been business partners for years."
Anthony rubbed the back of his neck.
"I guess we forgot to mention that."
Judith stared at him in disbelief.
"So you're telling me..."
Anthony nodded.
"We've technically been attending the same charity events for years."
"And we've never met?"
"We probably did."
He smiled.
"You just never noticed me."
Judith raised an eyebrow.
"I find that very hard to believe."
Anthony grinned.
"I was shorter back then."
She laughed before she could stop herself.
Anthony noticed.
"So..."
"What?"
"That's the first genuine laugh you've given me."
Judith's smile disappeared instantly.
"Don't get used to it."
She walked away toward the ballroom.
Anthony watched her go, still smiling.
His manager appeared beside him.
"You look happy."
Anthony kept his eyes on Judith.
"I think I just met the first woman in my life who's completely unimpressed by me."
"And that's good?"
Anthony smiled to himself.
"It makes me want to impress her."
Little did he know...
Winning Judith Sterling's heart would be far more difficult than selling out a world tour.
- Writer
