[EVE]


    "So you actually decided toe," Lily said sweetly, her voice dripping with insincerity.


    Behind her, I could hear her friends whispering, theirments not as hushed as they probably thought.


    "She really showed up?"


    "Wow, talk about thick skin."


    I remained unfazed and gave them a small nod. ncing over at my ssmates, I did a quick headcount. There were Sophie, Lily, and their three friends, plus five more ssmates along with the student council president. With Daniel, Riri, and me, that made a total of thirteen people.


    My main goal for this study session was simple: to connect with my ssmates and start building rtionships that could benefit me in the future.


    Of course, I needed to study as well—flunking a year when I was this close to graduation wasn''t an option.


    But I had another motive, one I couldn''t quite ignore. The thought of getting under Sophie''s skin brought a certain thrill.


    Maybe it was immature, but after everything I''d endured because of her in the past, I wanted her to feel just a fraction of what I''d gone through.


    I wasn''t someone who sought out drama, but if it came knocking on my door, I wasn''t about to back down.


    Lily''s eyes flicked over to Cole, who was standing beside me, and she raised an eyebrow. "What''s this? You brought a bodyguard with you?"


    My lips tugged at the corner, eyeing the men standing discreetly around some of our other ssmates. Sophie even had her own bodyguard standing nearby. "I''m not the only one with extra protection," I pointed out. "And don''t worry, he can stay in the car if it bothers you."


    The thought of Cole, the heir to the Fay Empire, spending the night cramped inside a van was almost too amusing. I had to bite back a grin at the mental image.


    Lily took a deep breath, clearly irritated but trying to maintain herposure. She forced a smile. "It''s fine. We could use more hands to help out anyway. I wouldn''t want anyone thinking I don''t treat my guests well. He can take one of the rooms in the servants'' quarters."


    She then turned to Daniel, batting her longshes flirtatiously. "You should ride with us, Daniel. We have imported snacks and truffle champagne in our customized van."


    Daniel didn''t even bother looking at her. "No thanks," he replied coolly. "I have my own car." He nced my way, giving me a nod, but then shot a re at Cole before heading to his vehicle.


    I couldn''t help but feel a pang of confusion. Why did it seem like Daniel was in a bad mood?


    Despite the obvious rejection, Lily kept her smile firmly in ce. "Try to keep up," she said to me with forced cheerfulness. "The map to our vacation house is posted in the group chat."


    With that, she casually slid on her oversized sunsses, spun on her heel, and got into her van with Sophie and the others trailing behind.


    Sophie turned to me onest time before getting in. "I hope we have a productive day ahead. I hope you can keep up with the lessons," she said, her voice sickeningly sweet.n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    I smiled at her, refusing to back down. "Don''t worry, I''m not an idiot like you think."


    Sophie''s smile faltered for a moment, her gaze flicking to Cole behind me, as if she was trying to figure out who he was behind his mask, cap, and sunsses.


    I could see the wheels turning in her mind, and I knew it wouldn''t be long before she pieced things together. I just hoped Cole could keep a low profile long enough for us to keep this charade going.


    I turned to Riri, who had been watching the exchange with a small, amused smile.


    "Want to ride with us?" I asked her.


    Riri nodded eagerly, her head bobbing like a little bird pecking at grains.


    "Let''s go," she said, her voice light and cheerful as we made our way to the van, ready to leave the city behind—at least for the moment.


    Once we hit the road, Riri couldn''t stop chatting. Normally, I wasn''t much of a talker during car rides, but today was different—she was gushing about Hyun, and I couldn''t help but get caught up in her excitement.


    "There''s a huge buzz in town right now! Have you seen this guy?" Riri eximed, shoving her phone in front of my face. The screen showed a picture of Hyun, the recent one he post.


    I chuckled, trying to hide my smile. "Yeah, I''ve heard a bit about him."


    Riri''s eyes sparkled with excitement. "He''s blown up overnight! He''s this new fashion designer, and everyone''s obsessed with his clothes. They''re to die for! And not just that—he''s


    gorgeous


    ! Like, cute puppy-level gorgeous but also super handsome when he smiles. He''s like the dream guy everyone''s talking about right now!"


    I giggled, feeling a strange sense of pride. "Is that so?" It made me happy to see how much attention Hyun was getting, even though I already knew he had that effect on people.


    With a dramatic sigh, Riri hugged her phone to her chest like a lovestruck fan. "I wish I had your beauty, Eve. Maybe then Hyun would actually reply to me."


    My smile wavered slightly. "Wait . . . you messaged him?"


    "Of course!" Riri said, looking incredibly pleased with herself. "I slid into his DMs, but he hasn''t replied yet. He didn''t even see it!"


    That was no surprise—Hyun didn''t handle his social media ounts himself. He had someone else managing that for him since he''s super busy right now. But I couldn''t exactly tell Riri that.


    "I don''t think it''s about looks," I said gently, trying tofort her. "Hyun probably just doesn''t check his messages personally. You know how it is. They have someone else to manage their social ounts for them. So don''t be too hard on yourself."


    Riri''s face lit up instantly. "You really think so?"


    "I know so," I assured her with a smile.


    She giggled, seeming much more cheerful, then shifted her gaze to the front of the van, where Cole was sitting.