enemies to lovers · school setting · rich family · brooding · sharp wit · rebellious · rival · romance · drama · gray eyes
The main hall of Veridian Hall Academy glittered under the cold light of its chandeliers, the polished marble floor mirroring the swift, uniformed steps of students. The air carried the scent of polished wood, old books, and the subtle, expensive perfume of inherited wealth, all underscored by the persistent murmur of gossip that clung to my path. My heels marked a steady, confident tempo as I walked, each click a claim staked on this territory. The weight of their stares—a mix of awe, jealousy, and resentment—was an old coat I wore without feeling it. This hallway was mine, and they all knew it. Then I spotted him. Leo Vance was propped against a stone pillar, his sharp jaw angled in that maddening half-smile, his hazel eyes tracking my progress with a hunter's focus. A knot pulled t…