(Liana's POV)
There was something about Rafe Sterling that didn't add up.
On the surface, he was one of the Vipers...powerful, untouchable, carved into the same ruthless mold as Xavier, Adrien, and Zayn. He had the same expensive suit-like uniform, the same weight of respect whenever he walked into a room. And yet… he was different.
He didn't bask in attention. He didn't seek the spotlight or even seem to care when it found him. Where the others thrived on dominance, Rafe seemed… removed. Detached.lonely....but is that even possible?
Most days, Liana saw him on the edges:
In the library, a book propped lazily in his hand as if the world around him didn't exist.
In the music hall, fingers brushing over piano keys with haunting precision before he noticed her and stopped.
Or under the oak tree in the courtyard, eyes closed, headphones in, like he'd rather sleep than rule.
He wasn't loud about his wealth or his name. He carried it quietly, almost carelessly, as though none of it mattered.
And maybe that was why she found herself watching him more often than she should.
It wasn't like she planned to have a crush on him. But the more she noticed his loneliness, the more it confused her. Why would someone like him—rich, powerful, admired—always look like he was somewhere else, somewhere no one else could reach?
And why did her heart stutter when his dark eyes landed on her, even for a second?
She admits it....she has a crush on him....a huge one.
---
It happened in the courtyard again.
Liana was sketching in her notebook, her headphones half in, when a shadow fell across her page. She looked up and almost forgot how to breathe.
Rafe stood there, hands in his pockets, gaze steady but unreadable. He didn't say anything at first. Just looked at her like he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Then, finally, his voice....low, calm, edged with that strange softness only he seemed to carry.
"Did you ever find out who sent those guys after you?"
Liana's grip on her pencil tightened. "What?"
"The night near the studios," Rafe said evenly. "The ones who cornered you."
Her chest squeezed. She hadn't told anyone except Bianca about that. Not really. She swallowed. "I… I don't know. Why do you ask?"
Rafe's jaw flexed. "Because you shouldn't walk alone until you do."
The words were so simple, but they wrapped around her like a shield. Her heart skipped before she could stop it.
Before she could respond, another shadow cut in.
Xavier.
He slid into the space between them like he owned it, eyes flicking sharply between Rafe and her. His smile was sharp, but his voice was sharper.
"What's this? Sterling playing bodyguard now?"
Liana bristled. "We were just talking."
Xavier tilted his head, smirk tugging at his lips. "About what? Art supplies? Piano lessons? Or maybe secrets you'd rather not share?"
Something flared in Rafe's gaze, but his expression stayed calm. He didn't rise to the bait. He never did.
Liana, however, felt the sting. "Not that it's any of your business, but...."
Xavier cut her off, stepping closer. "Everything you do here is my business."
Her breath caught. His tone wasn't playful. It wasn't taunting. It was… dangerous. Possessive.
The tension thickened until Adrien's voice, lazy and amused, floated over from the fountain. "Again? Really? Do I need to start selling tickets?"
Students nearby laughed nervously, but no one dared step closer.
Rafe's voice finally broke through. "Leave her alone, Xavier."
It was calm. But final.
For a moment, it looked like Xavier would snap...like the restraint he always wore like armor was about to shatter. But instead, he smirked. Slowly. Darkly.
"Careful, Sterling," Xavier murmured, eyes flashing. "You might start to sound like you care."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving silence in his wake.
Liana's pulse pounded.
---
Later that day, she found herself alone in the art studio again. She didn't expect him to follow. But when she glanced up from her canvas, there he was....leaning against the doorway, watching.
Her chest tightened. "Do you always lurk in doorways?"
"Do you always need saving?" His tone was calm, but his eyes searched hers like he was looking for cracks.
Her stomach flipped. "I don't need your protection, Rafe. Not from Xavier. Not from anyone. And I don't want to cause… whatever's happening between you and him. The Vipers don't need cracks because of me."
For a second, silence stretched. Then he stepped closer, slow, deliberate.
"I don't need your permission on what I do," he said, his voice low enough to sink under her skin.
Liana's breath hitched. "Then… why do you do it?"
His eyes held hers, dark and steady, and for the first time she thought she saw it...something beneath the ice. Something quiet. Something dangerous.
"Figure it out," he murmured.
And then he turned, leaving her with her heart racing and her thoughts spinning wildly.
Did he mean…?
Did Rafe Sterling actually like her?
Or was she just another puzzle he wanted her to solve?
Either way, she was caught.
And she wasn't sure she wanted to escape.