THE VAMPIRE CEO IS MY CLASSMATE

Ethan Blackwood had lived for one hundred and seventeen years, possessed a fortune most people could only dream of, and learned to control almost every situation he encountered. Unfortunately, none of those achievements had prepared him for Mia Anderson. It began on a Monday morning at Westbridge University. Ethan stood outside the main entrance, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His dark hair was neatly styled, his expression cold, and his crimson eyes hidden behind expensive sunglasses. Students passing by couldn't help staring. "Who's that?" "He's ridiculously handsome!" "Look at that car. He must be from a wealthy family." Ethan ignored the whispers. He had more important things to worry about. Three days earlier, his grandfather had given him an ultimatum. "Attend university, learn how ordinary people live, and prove you can manage something other than a company. Otherwise, forget about becoming the next chairman of Blackwood Group." Ethan had considered the demand ridiculous. He already understood business better than most executives twice his age. He had negotiated million-dollar deals, managed investments, and exposed dishonest employees. What could a university teach him? Apparently, his grandfather believed the answer was everything. Ethan adjusted his watch and headed toward the main building. That was when disaster struck. "Move! Please, move!" A young woman hurried across the courtyard, clutching a stack of books in one arm and an iced coffee in the other. Mia Anderson was nineteen, hardworking, and determined to build a successful future. Unfortunately, she also had a talent for getting into trouble. That morning, she had overslept, missed her usual bus, and nearly lost her part-time job because she had forgotten to submit her work schedule. Now she was late for orientation. She wasn't about to let anything else ruin her day. Unfortunately, the handsome stranger standing in her path had other plans. Mia tried to turn. Ethan moved in the same direction. She stepped left. He stepped left. "Oh, come on!" she exclaimed. Ethan frowned. Before either could react, Mia collided with him. Her coffee flew into the air and landed against his chest. Brown liquid spread across his expensive black suit. Silence fell around them. Mia stared at the stain. Ethan looked down slowly. Then he removed his sunglasses. His crimson eyes fixed on her. "Are you serious?" Mia swallowed. "I'm so sorry!" "Do you know how much this suit costs?" She glanced at the stain. "No." "More than you could earn in several months." Her embarrassment immediately turned into irritation. "Then perhaps you shouldn't wear it around people carrying coffee." A few students nearby gasped. Nobody spoke to Ethan Blackwood like that. "You ruined my suit, and you're blaming me?" he demanded. "I'm not blaming you. I'm suggesting that expensive clothing and crowded university entrances aren't the best combination." "You should have watched where you were going." "And you should have moved!" Ethan opened his mouth. For perhaps the first time in decades, he had no immediate response. Mia pulled a packet of tissues from her bag. "Here. Let me help." She reached toward his jacket. Ethan caught her wrist before she touched him. The movement was so fast that Mia barely saw it. She blinked. "Wow. Do you practise catching people's hands for fun?" Ethan immediately released her. He had reacted instinctively. His vampire reflexes were something he had spent decades concealing from humans. "Don't touch me," he said coldly. Mia's expression hardened. "Fine. Enjoy wearing coffee, then." She shoved the tissues into his hand, picked up her books, and walked away. Ethan watched her disappear into the crowd. Behind him, someone burst out laughing. "That was incredible!" Ethan turned. Leo Bennett stood nearby, holding a sandwich and struggling to control his amusement. Leo was Ethan's closest friend and one of the few people who knew his true identity. "I leave you alone for five minutes," Leo said, "and you lose a battle against a girl with coffee." "Not another word." "Should I call a tailor? That suit looks possessed." Ethan walked away. Leo followed, grinning. "This university might actually be entertaining." "I hate it already." "Of course you do." Mia reached the lecture hall twelve minutes late. She slipped into the back row and dropped her books onto a desk. Her best friend, Chloe Martin, turned toward her. "What happened to you?" "Nothing." "Your hair looks like you fought a ceiling fan." "I met an idiot." Chloe's eyes brightened. "Was he handsome?" Mia paused. Unfortunately, the answer was yes. Very handsome. Infuriatingly handsome. "The kind of handsome that makes you want to throw another coffee at him." Chloe laughed. "I hope you get to see him again." "Why would you say something so terrible?" Before Chloe could answer, the lecturer entered and announced that several transfer students would be joining the business administration programme. Mia barely listened. Then the classroom door opened. Her heart sank. The man in the black suit walked in, accompanied by his laughing friend. The lecturer smiled. "Everyone, please welcome Ethan Blackwood and Leo Bennett. They'll be joining us this semester." Mia stared. Ethan's gaze travelled across the classroom until it landed on her. Recognition flashed in his eyes. Then he smiled. It wasn't a friendly smile. It was the kind of smile that suggested someone had just discovered an opportunity for revenge. Mia leaned toward Chloe. "Please tell me I'm hallucinating." Chloe followed her gaze. "That's the coffee guy?" "Unfortunately." "And he's in our class?" Mia closed her eyes. "My life is officially over." The lecturer pointed toward the empty seats beside her. "Ethan, Leo, you can sit there." Mia immediately protested. "Sir, there are other seats." "Those are the only available seats." Ethan approached and sat beside her. Leo took the seat behind them. "Good morning," Ethan said. Mia stared straight ahead. "Go away." "We're classmates now." "Then let's agree never to speak." "That sounds difficult when we're sitting beside each other." "Try your best." Leo leaned forward. "Please don't fight. We're only in the first ten minutes of the semester." Neither answered him. The lecturer began explaining the semester's business development competition. Students would work in teams to develop practical business proposals. The winning team would receive funding, mentorship, and an opportunity to present its idea to Blackwood Group. Mia immediately sat upright. This was her chance. She had been developing an online marketplace connecting small businesses with university students. If she won, she might finally obtain the funding needed to turn her idea into reality. The lecturer began reading the team assignments. "Mia Anderson and Ethan Blackwood." Mia's pen slipped from her fingers. "No." Ethan turned toward her. "For once, we agree on something." The lecturer ignored their protests and continued with the lesson. Mia slowly faced Ethan. "Listen carefully, Blackwood. I need this competition. I don't care about your money, your suit, or your attitude. We work together, we win, and then we never have to see each other again." Ethan studied her. Most people tried to impress him. Others feared him. Some wanted his money. Mia appeared determined to do none of those things. It was irritating. And strangely refreshing. "Agreed," he said. Mia narrowed her eyes. "Why do I feel like you're planning something?" "Because you're suspicious of everyone." "No. Because you look like someone who enjoys making other people miserable." Leo covered his mouth to hide another laugh. Ethan leaned back. "Let's see whether your business idea is as impressive as your personality." "And let's see whether your brain is as expensive as your suit." For the first time that morning, Ethan almost laughed. Almost. At lunchtime, Ethan sat beneath a tree in the university courtyard, examining Mia's business proposal. Her idea was simple but promising: an online platform where small businesses could advertise products directly to students, with affordable delivery and low seller fees. The proposal needed improvement. Some financial projections were unrealistic, and her marketing strategy lacked detail. But the underlying concept had potential. Ethan frowned at the final page. She had included handwritten notes about helping family-owned shops compete with larger companies. He understood business as numbers, competition, and calculated risk. Mia seemed to understand something he had often overlooked: people. "Interesting," he murmured. Leo dropped into the seat opposite him. "Are you reading her proposal or writing a love letter?" Ethan shut the notebook. "Do you ever stop talking?" "Only when I'm asleep. Sometimes." Leo stole a look at the cover. "She has ambition. You have money. This could be a beautiful partnership." "It is an academic assignment." "Naturally." Before Ethan could reply, his phone vibrated. A message from his grandfather appeared. Remember why you're at that university. Learn to understand people, Ethan. Money cannot buy everything. Ethan locked the screen. He didn't need a human girl to teach him how to run a company. And he certainly didn't need a girl who had attacked his suit with coffee. Across the courtyard, Mia was laughing with Chloe. The sound reached him despite the distance. Ethan found himself watching her longer than necessary. Then Mia noticed him. She pointed at him and mouthed, Stop staring. Ethan immediately looked away. Leo burst out laughing. "Oh, this is going to be the best semester of my life." "Say one more word," Ethan warned, "and I'll arrange for you to transfer." Leo grinned. "You can't frighten me. I'm your best friend." "That makes it easier." That evening, Ethan returned to the Blackwood mansion. His grandfather was waiting in the study. "How was university?" "Educational." His grandfather looked surprised. "Already?" "I learned that humans are careless with coffee." The old man sighed. "I see your sense of humour remains terrible." Ethan loosened his tie. "The business project should be manageable. My assigned partner has an interesting idea, although her financial calculations require serious work." "And what have you learned about her?" "She's stubborn, argumentative, and incapable of walking in a straight line." His grandfather smiled. "Perhaps you'll learn something useful after all." He placed a sealed envelope on the desk. "This arrived for you." Ethan opened it. Inside was a photograph of him standing beside Mia outside the university lecture hall. Someone had taken it that afternoon. On the back, a sentence had been written in red ink. Stay away from the Anderson girl. You don't know what she is. Ethan's expression changed. His grandfather studied the photograph. For several seconds, he said nothing. Then he looked at Ethan. "Where did you meet this girl?" "At university. Why?" His grandfather folded the photograph and placed it on the desk. "Do not bring her to this house. Do not tell her about our family. And under no circumstances should you allow her to discover what you are." Ethan's eyes narrowed. "Do you know her?" The old man remained silent. "Grandfather?" He walked toward the window. "There are things about our family that you are not ready to understand." Ethan's jaw tightened. "I'm one hundred and seventeen years old. I think I can handle a university student." His grandfather turned sharply. "This has nothing to do with her being a student." For the first time that evening, Ethan sensed genuine fear in the old man's voice. "Some humans," his grandfather continued, "are more dangerous to vampires than vampires are to one another." Ethan looked down at the photograph again. Mia Anderson was smiling, completely unaware that someone had begun watching her. He remembered her sharp tongue and the way she had refused to be intimidated by him. She was irritating, unpredictable, and apparently connected to a secret his family had hidden for years. Ethan slipped the photograph into his pocket. Tomorrow, he would ask Mia questions. And if she refused to answer, he would find another way to discover the truth. He had no intention of becoming involved with her. That was what he told himself, anyway. End of Chapter One