THE MOORE'S RESIDENCE*

A loud bang on the door nearly made Emily drop the towel she was using to dry her damp hair.

Before she could react, the door flew open.

"Emily!" Martha yelled out the name.

Emily barely had time to pull her towel tighter around herself before her aunt stormed into the room, her arms crossed, her eyes burning with the usual disdain.

"What on earth have you been doing in here while the whole house is a mess?" Martha barked, her gaze raking over Emily with pure irritation.

Emily swallowed hard. She had done the chores...all of them.

"I already finished everything" Emily said softly, keeping her voice calm, knowing that arguing never helped.

"Oh, you think so, do you?" She took a step closer, her presence suffocating.

"Then why is the laundry still outside? And why is the sitting room still covered in dust?"

Emily’s lips parted. She had washed the clothes early in the morning and had been waiting for them to dry before bringing them in. As for the dust, she had cleaned the sitting room thoroughly. but she knew Martha would always find something to complain about.

"But I—"

"Don't you dare talk back to me!" Martha snapped.

"You think just because you got that scholarship, you can start acting lazy?!"

Emily lowered her gaze, gripping the towel tighter. She had barely been able to sleep last night, too nervous about starting StarHigh College today. The scholarship had been her only way out of this miserable house, and now that she had it, she refused to let anything ruin it.

But Martha … Martha was determined to make her life hell before she even set foot in that school.

"Get dressed, you're not leaving this house until every single chore is done. Do you hear me?"

Emily's heart sank. She had an entire first day of school ahead of her, and now she was at risk of being late before it even started.

But what choice did she have?

"And another thing, I hope you’re not planning to stay in that school’s hostel"

Emily’s heart sank again. She had been considering it. Staying on campus would mean freedom...an escape from this house, from her.

"Because who exactly is going to do the chores if you’re not here? You think you can just run off and leave everything behind? You better throw that idea out of your head. You’re coming home every day after school" she said.

Emily swallowed hard, her stomach twisting.

She wanted to argue, to say that the scholarship covered accommodations, that staying on campus would help her focus on her studies.

But she already knew the answer.

Martha wouldn’t allow it.

"Now get dressed and make sure everything is spotless before you leave" Martha said before turning on her heel and marching out.

The door slammed shut behind her.

Martha exhaled, staring at her reflection in the mirror.

'One year. That’s all I need. I’ll find a job, save up, and finally get out of here'

With that thought pushing her forward, she quickly got dressed and hurried out the door.

She refused to be late on her first day.

•••

STARHIGH COLLEGE*

Emily stepped out of the public bus, gripping the straps of her worn-out backpack.

StarHigh College was even more intimidating in person. The campus was massive, the buildings tall and elegant. Luxury cars lined the parking lot, and students strolled through the gates, dressed in trendy outfits.

She didn't belong here.

At least, that’s what it felt like.

Her clothes were simple. Jeans and a plain sweater, nothing compared to the rich students who walked with confidence, their shoes clicking against the pavement like they owned the ground.

But she squared her shoulders. She earned her place here.

The scholarship wasn’t handed to her on a silver platter like everything Ava got. She worked for this, stayed up late studying while doing chores, fought for this chance.

Sometimes she wondered how Martha afforded Ava’s exorbitant school fees. That's none of her concern anyway.

She checked the small paper in her hand, where her dorm assignment and class schedule were written. Even though Martha refused to let her stay in the hostels, she still had to visit to see her assigned room. She had no idea who her roommate was, but she was curious to find out.

BUMP.

Her shoulder hit someone else's, sending her stumbling back a step.

"Watch where you're going, scholarship girl" a familiar voice said.

Emily’s stomach twisted before she even looked up.

Ava.

Dressed in a skimpy gown, her long hair falling perfectly over her shoulders. Her usual smirk tugged at her lips.

"Didn’t expect to see you here so soon" Ava continued, folding her arms.

"What, did you beg your way into StarHigh ?"

Emily clenched her fists.

"I earned my way in" she said simply.

Ava let out a fake laugh. "Right. Of course, you did"

She leaned in slightly. "You know, just because you got lucky with that scholarship doesn’t mean you belong here"

Ava tilted her head, eyeing her up and down.

"Let’s see how long you last" she murmured before flipping her hair and walking off, her friends distance away from them giggled.

Emily exhaled slowly, pushing down the lump in her throat.

She suddenly felt an uncomfortable pressure built in her stomach.

She needed to find a restroom.

Badly.

Her eyes darted around, searching for a sign, but the school was huge, and she had no idea where to go.

Taking a turn down a quieter hallway, she spotted a door slightly ajar. A restroom.

Relieved, she hurried inside.

The thick scent of smoke filled her lungs the second she pushed the door open. The air was dense, intoxicating. Her breath hitched when she saw him.

A dangerously handsome guy.

He leaned lazily against the sink, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his sharp eyes flickering toward her. Tattoos curled around his arms like inked secrets, and silver rings glinted from his eyebrow and tongue. A dangerous smirk lifted his lips as he exhaled a cloud of smoke.

"Lost, princess?" He asked with a smirk, raking her with his eyes from head to toe.

Emily’s heart pounded. This was the boys' restroom.

Her entire body stiffened as her wide eyes locked on the guy leaning lazily against the sink. The cigarette dangled between his fingers, its ember glowing dimly as he exhaled another thick cloud of smoke.

She should leave.

Right now.

But for some reason, her legs refused to move.

Coleen smirked, tilting his head as he took in her shocked expression.

"Did you lose your way, princess?" He asked huskily.

Emily s throat went dry. She had to say something...anything...but her brain refused to function.

"Uh… I—" she stammered.

Coleen pushed off the sink and took a slow step toward her, his piercing gaze never leaving her face. Up close, she noticed more details—his tousled dark hair, the sharp jawline, the tattoos curling around his arms like inked whispers of rebellion.

Danger.

That was the first thing her mind screamed.

He radiated it.

Yet, her feet still didn’t move.

"Let me guess…" He flicked the cigarette ash into the sink, his tongue piercing glinting as he smirked again.

"You’re new here"

Emily nodded stiffly.

His smirk deepened, like he was entertained by her nervousness.

"Thought so" His gaze dropped briefly, taking in her sweater and jeans...simple, modest, so unlike the girls he was used to seeing around here.

He took another drag of his cigarette, exhaling slowly before cocking a brow at her.

"You planning to stay and chat, or are you gonna run off before someone else walks in and gets the wrong idea?"

That snapped her out of it.

Her face burned as she fumbled backward, her hand gripping the door handle.

"I—I’m sorry!" she blurted out, quickly turning and yanking the door open.

A deep chuckle followed her as she practically bolted out of the restroom.

Her heart pounded as she stumbled into the hallway, pressing a hand against her chest.

What just happened?

Who was that?

She didn’t need anyone to tell her he was bad news. The tattoos, the piercings, the cigarette—the smirk. He was exactly the type of person she had been warned to stay away from.

She shook her head, inhaling deeply.

Forget it. Just find the dormitory.

She pulled out the crumpled paper with her dorm assignment and checked the campus map at the end of the hallway.

“Block C… Room 209” she muttered, tracing the route with her finger.

Just as she was about to turn toward the dorms, a loud voice cut through the air behind her.

"Name's Coleen , princess!"

Emily froze mid-step.

Slowly, she turned her head.

There he was.

Coleen stood just outside the restroom, one hand shoved into his pocket, the other tossing the half-burned cigarette to the ground and crushing it beneath his boot.

That same smirk played on his lips as his sharp gaze locked on hers.

"Wouldn’t want you running off without knowing who I am" he added, tilting his head slightly.

"Might come in handy later"

Later?

She didn’t plan on seeing him ever again.

Without another word, she turned around and walked faster toward the dormitories.

She could still feel his eyes on her back as she walked.

Only when she was far enough away did she let out the breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.