Chapter 16: Engaged, Entitled, and Entirely Unstoppable
By Monday morning, the entire school had accepted one undeniable truth:
Lily Hart and Noah Blackwood were not dating.
They were engaged.
And not the quiet, "we'll explain later" kind.
The heirs-to-multibillion-dollar-companies kind.
Lily arrived on campus in a sleek black car with the Hart Group logo subtly engraved on the door.
Mia stared. "You couldn't have warned me? I wore sneakers."
Lily shrugged, stepping out gracefully. "I didn't plan it. My dad insisted. Apparently, heirs shouldn't 'walk like civilians.'"
At the same time, another luxury car pulled up.
Noah Blackwood stepped out, tailored blazer, calm expression, CEO-in-training aura radiating like a warning sign.
The two cars stopped side by side.
Students froze.
Phones lifted.
Whispers exploded.
"Is this real?"
"They look like a power couple."
"That's not a couple—that's a corporate merger."
Noah walked over, naturally offering his arm.
Lily looked at it, amused. "We're doing this now?"
"We're engaged," he said smoothly. "Public expectations."
She looped her arm through his anyway. "Fine. But if I trip, I'm blaming capitalism."
Inside the school, chaos followed.
Teachers paused mid-lecture.
Students stared openly.
Someone whispered, "They look illegal."
Noah leaned closer. "Stop smiling like that."
"Why?" Lily whispered back. "You look like you're about to acquire a company."
"I am," he replied calmly. "You."
She laughed, soft and genuine.
That laugh did things to him.
At lunch, they sat together for the first time.
Not because Lily was forced.
Because she chose to.
Amy sat two tables away, silent, ignored, invisible.
Mia leaned over. "So… are we acknowledging the engagement?"
Lily took Noah's hand casually. "I suppose."
Noah squeezed her fingers slightly.
Students watched in disbelief.
The villainess chose him.
The heir claimed her.
And no one could say a thing.
Later that afternoon, during student council announcements, a nervous representative cleared their throat.
"Uh… due to… recent developments, the Foundation Day donors would like to formally congratulate… Miss Lily Hart and Mr. Noah Blackwood on their engagement."
Applause erupted.
Lily blinked. "They really didn't waste time."
Noah leaned in. "Welcome to corporate life."
She smirked. "You're enjoying this."
"I'm enjoying you," he corrected.
Her cheeks warmed. Just slightly.
After school, they escaped to the rooftop—their place now.
The city stretched beneath them, golden in the afternoon light.
"So," Lily said, leaning against the railing, "we're engaged. Heirs. Public property."
Noah turned to her, serious but soft. "I won't trap you. Not with a title. Not with expectations."
She met his gaze, teasing gone, honest and warm. "Good. Because I don't want to run anymore."
He stepped closer. "Then stay."
She smiled, brushing her fingers against his tie, playful and real. "Careful. I might start acting like your fiancée."
His breath hitched. "I hope you do."
She leaned up, pressing a light kiss to his cheek—quick, intentional.
"I like this version of us," she murmured.
He smiled—rare, genuine. "So do I."
Across the campus, Amy watched from afar, fists clenched.
They weren't just together.
They were untouchable.
Two heirs.
One engagement.
And a future that no longer included her.