Chapter Two: The First Collision
896 Words
Damian's POV
The city looked insignificant from the tinted windows of his Rolls-Royce.
Damian Knight sat in silence, one hand resting on the leather armrest while the other flipped through a financial report. Numbers calmed him. They obeyed rules. People didn't.
"Sir," his assistant, Noah, spoke from the front seat. "We've arrived."
Damian closed the file without looking up.
Outside the gates stood one of the country's most prestigious universities. Knight Holdings had invested millions into the institution over the years. Today, the board wanted to discuss expanding the partnership.
Scholarships.
New lecture halls.
Research grants.
And, most importantly, shares.
The university hoped Knight Holdings would become its largest investor.
Damian wasn't interested in education.
He was interested in profit.
As soon as the car door opened, security guards stepped aside respectfully.
The vice chancellor and several board members were already waiting.
"Mr. Knight," the vice chancellor greeted with a warm smile. "Welcome. It's an honor."
Damian shook his hand briefly.
"Let's begin."
No unnecessary pleasantries.
No fake smiles.
Everyone hurried after him as they entered the administration building.
Students turned to stare.
"Isn't that Damian Knight?"
"The billionaire CEO?"
"He's even more handsome in person."
"I heard he's terrifying."
Damian ignored every whisper.
His expensive shoes echoed through the marble hallway as he walked toward the conference room.
---
Lily's POV
"Lily!"
Ava waved a stack of books in the air.
"Hurry! Professor Daniels will lock the classroom."
Lily laughed as she adjusted the pile of books in her arms.
"I'm coming!"
The campus buzzed with excitement.
Students crowded around the administration building.
"What happened?" Lily asked.
"A billionaire is here."
"A celebrity?"
"Worse."
"A businessman."
Lily giggled.
"You people get excited over anyone rich."
"You should see his face first."
"I'm late."
Without another thought, Lily rushed toward her class.
---
An hour later...
The business meeting finally ended.
One board member wiped sweat from his forehead.
Damian had rejected three proposals, rewritten two contracts, and negotiated terms that heavily favored Knight Holdings.
No one dared argue.
The vice chancellor forced a smile.
"We appreciate your partnership."
Damian stood.
"I'll have my legal team finalize the documents."
Everyone rose with him.
The meeting was over.
---
Outside...
Students hurried between lectures.
Lily checked the time on her phone.
"Oh no..."
She was already five minutes late for her afternoon practical.
Balancing three textbooks, a notebook, and her coffee, she broke into a run.
"Excuse me!"
"Sorry!"
She dodged groups of students without looking ahead.
At that exact moment...
Damian stepped out of the administration building with Noah beside him.
They were discussing the newly signed agreement.
"The shares will be transferred next week," Noah said.
Damian nodded absentmindedly.
Then—
Bump!
The impact wasn't hard, but it was enough.
Lily's books scattered across the polished floor.
Her coffee flew from her hand.
The paper cup hit the ground, spilling across the tiles.
For one frozen second...
Silence.
"Oh my God!"
Lily's eyes widened.
"I'm so sorry!"
She immediately crouched to gather her books.
"I wasn't looking where I was going."
Students nearby gasped.
"She bumped into Damian Knight."
"She's dead."
"Did she seriously just do that?"
Damian looked down at the girl kneeling at his feet.
Her long dark hair partially hid her face as she hurriedly picked up her books.
Unlike everyone else...
She wasn't staring at him.
She wasn't trying to impress him.
She genuinely looked embarrassed.
"I'm really sorry," she repeated, finally looking up.
Time stopped.
Their eyes met.
Deep brown eyes.
Clear.
Honest.
Completely different from anyone Damian had ever met.
For reasons he couldn't explain...
He forgot to breathe.
Lily blinked.
He was...
Beautiful.
Not the gentle kind.
His sharp jawline, cold gray eyes, and unreadable expression made him look almost dangerous.
She quickly looked away.
"I'm sorry about your suit."
A few drops of coffee had landed on the sleeve of his black jacket.
"I'll pay for the dry cleaning."
Noah nearly choked.
Pay?
Did she know that suit cost more than an average person's yearly salary?
Damian remained silent.
He simply watched her.
Something strange settled inside him.
He had met thousands of people.
Politicians.
Celebrities.
Models.
None of them had ever held his attention for more than a few seconds.
Yet this ordinary university student...
...had.
Lily finally gathered her books and stood.
"I'm really, really sorry."
Damian glanced at the coffee stain before looking back at her.
"It's fine."
His voice was low and calm.
No anger.
No irritation.
No cold glare.
Just...
"It's fine."
Even Noah looked surprised.
That wasn't like Damian.
Not at all.
Lily smiled nervously.
"Thank you."
She bowed slightly before rushing away toward her class.
Damian didn't move.
He watched her disappear into the crowd.
Noah cleared his throat.
"Sir?"
No response.
"Sir?"
Damian's gaze remained fixed on the hallway where she had vanished.
"What department is she from?"
Noah blinked.
"I... don't know."
"Find out."
His tone was quiet.
Dangerously quiet.
Noah frowned.
"Sir... why?"
Damian finally looked away.
"I don't repeat myself."
"Yes, sir."
As they walked toward the exit, Damian glanced back one last time.
He didn't know her name.
He didn't know anything about her.
But one thought echoed through his mind—
Who was she?
And for the first time in years...
Damian Knight was curious.
Damien knight was getting obsessed and he knows it.
- Writer
