The tension finally snapped on a rainy afternoon. Kian, heading to the library to meet Ariana, saw them under the archway near the business faculty. Leo had Ariana cornered, one hand on the wall beside her head, leaning in too close. Ariana's body was rigid, her face a mask of clear discomfort as she tried to step away.
"I'm just saying, you're too smart to be waiting around for a guy who can't even afford to buy you a proper gift," Leo's voice, slick and condescending, carried through the drizzle. 😏
That was all Kian needed to hear. In a few swift strides, he crossed the distance, his hand clamping down on Leo's shoulder and spinning him around.
"She's told you to back off," Kian growled, his voice low and dangerous, a stark contrast to the rain's soft patter. "You don't listen."
A smirk twisted Leo's lips. "Or what, architect? You'll draw me a picture?" 🤡
The taunt was a spark to gasoline. Kian's control, frayed by stress and protectiveness, shattered. He slammed a fist into Leo's jaw, sending the medical student stumbling back into a puddle with a grunt of pain and surprise.
Ariana gasped, "Kian, stop!"
Leo wiped a trickle of blood from his lip, his eyes blazing with fury. "You're going to regret that."
But Kian was already pulling Ariana away, his own knuckles stinging, the storm inside him now mirrored by the one brewing on Leo's face. The line had been crossed, and the consequences were only just beginning.😡