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Aria Collins just wanted to finish her final year quietly. After surviving a brutal breakup and a humiliating scandal that ruined her family's name, she transferred to a new elite school to start over. No drama. No attachments. But that promise shatters the moment she meets Zayn Hart - cold, distant, breathtaking. The school's golden boy. And secretly... the young CEO of a billion-dollar company hiding in plain sight. Aria doesn't know she's part of a revenge plan. Zayn doesn't expect to fall for the girl he swore to destroy. Beneath the uniforms, behind the fake smiles, secrets are about to explode. In this school, trust no one. Especially not the boy who kisses like he means it - but hides a dagger behind his back.
Chapter 1 The Transfer Girl.
The halls were too clean.
Too polished. Too perfect. Like everything else in this school. Sterling Academy wasn't just elite - it was a playground for the powerful, the children of CEOs, politicians, and royalty.
Aria Collins didn't belong here. And she knew it the moment she stepped through the gates.
Her sneakers squeaked faintly against the marble floors as she walked, eyes forward, ignoring the weight of whispers swirling around her.
"Is that the transfer girl?"
"She's prettier than I thought."
"I heard her dad embezzled money."
"No, I heard her fiancé dumped her at the altar."
Aria kept walking. Let them talk.
She was used to whispers. Used to stares. They used to break her, but not anymore. This time, she wasn't here to impress anyone. She was here to disappear, finish the year quietly, and leave.
No attachments. No attention. No more mistakes.
The classroom door opened with a soft creak, and the teacher looked up from her desk. She was tall, sharp-featured, with glasses that made her eyes look twice as judgmental.
"You must be Aria Collins," she said, voice clipped.
"Yes, ma'am."
"You're late."
Aria nodded once. "Sorry. I got lost."
A few quiet laughs rose from the students. She didn't flinch.
The teacher motioned to the front. "Class, this is Miss Collins. She'll be joining us for the remainder of the year. I expect everyone to be welcoming."
A beat of silence.
Then thirty pairs of eyes turned to her. Most curious. A few bored. Some quietly amused.
Aria gave a polite nod and bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you."
"Take the empty seat in the back," the teacher said, turning to write on the board. "Next to Mr. Hart."
Of course.
Aria's eyes followed the direction she'd pointed - and froze.
Zayn Hart.
Leaning back in his seat like he owned the room. Black shirt half-buttoned under his blazer. Black hair pushed carelessly out of his eyes. Sharp jaw. Sharp stare.
He wasn't looking at her like the others did.
He was dissecting her.
Studying her like a puzzle he already knew the answer to.
She swallowed and walked slowly toward the empty seat beside him, trying not to show the way her palms suddenly felt damp. The tension in the air shifted - like the room itself knew he wasn't just another student.
He didn't speak as she sat.
Didn't even glance her way.
But she could feel his presence. Cold and heavy.
"You don't belong here," he murmured after a long silence, voice low enough for only her to hear.
She flinched. Just slightly.
But she didn't look at him.
"Neither do you," she whispered back.
He turned his head toward her then - slow and calculating - and let out a low, amused breath.
"You have no idea who I am."
"No," Aria said, still not meeting his eyes. "And I don't care."
He smirked, leaning in just a little. "You will."
She finally turned her face toward him. Not scared. Not impressed. Just tired.
"I'm not here to play games," she said, voice firmer than she expected.
Zayn studied her for a moment longer, his expression unreadable.
Then he leaned back in his chair, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, like the conversation hadn't happened.
But something in the air had shifted.
And Aria knew-she hadn't just met another spoiled rich kid.
She'd just met a storm.
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