I didn't sleep that night.
Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Dominic's gaze dark, unyielding felt the way the air bent around him, the way my heart had forgotten its rhythm when he stood too close.
And then there was Ethan.
His face when he saw us on the rooftop replayed in my mind like a wound reopening.
By morning, campus buzzed with rumors.
A black luxury car.
A mysterious investor.
A girl who didn't belong in either world.
That girl was me.
"Aria," Ethan said after our first lecture, catching my wrist gently but firmly. "We need to talk."
I nodded.
We sat beneath the old oak tree near the faculty building the place where he had helped me study for exams, where I laughed without guarding myself.
"Who is he?" Ethan asked quietly.
"A CEO," I answered. "An investor."
"That's not what I asked."
I exhaled slowly. "I don't know what he wants."
Ethan's jaw tightened. "Men like him don't look at women like that unless they intend to take something."
His words struck closer than he knew.
"I'm not something to take," I said.
"I know," he replied quickly. Then softer, "That's why I'm scared."
Ethan reached for my hand, his touch warm, familiar safe.
"I've been patient," he continued. "I waited because I thought you needed time. But if he's stepping into your life now, I need you to tell me where I stand."
My chest ached.
Before I could answer, my phone vibrated.
Dominic: Look up.
My breath hitched.
Across the courtyard, near the administration building, Dominic stood like he owned the ground beneath his feet. Black suit. Calm posture. Controlled chaos in human form.
His eyes were already on me.
Ethan noticed.
"Is that him?" he asked.
I didn't reply.
Dominic began walking toward us.
Students moved out of his way instinctively. Whispers followed him like shadows.
He stopped a few feet away, gaze never leaving mine.
"Aria," he said. Calm. Intimate. Intentional.
Ethan stood abruptly. "She's busy."
Dominic finally looked at him.
The temperature dropped.
"I wasn't speaking to you," Dominic said coolly.
Ethan squared his shoulders. "She's not interested."
Dominic's lips curved slightly not in amusement, but warning.
"That," he replied, "is not your decision."
I stood up.
"Stop," I said softly, but my voice carried. "Both of you."
Two men.
Two worlds.
And me caught in the middle, heart pounding like it was choosing sides without my permission.
Dominic's gaze softened instantly when it returned to me.
"Have lunch with me," he said. "One hour. You choose the place."
Ethan shook his head. "Don't go."
"I'm not asking for permission," Dominic added quietly. "Only honesty."
My fingers curled at my sides.
If I said no, I'd wonder forever.
If I said yes, everything would change.
"I'll go," I said.
Ethan looked like I'd struck him.
Dominic simply nodded like he already knew.
The café Dominic chose was quiet, exclusive. He pulled out my chair. Ordered without asking, but somehow chose exactly what I liked.
"You did your research," I said.
"I pay attention," he corrected. "There's a difference."
I studied him. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I don't forget women who look at me like they won't bend."
I laughed softly. "You think I won't?"
"I know you won't," he said. "And I won't ask you to."
Silence stretched.
"You're involved with him," Dominic said at last.
"No," I answered immediately.
"But you could be."
"Yes."
His jaw tightened.
"He loves you," Dominic said.
The word felt heavy.
"I don't belong to anyone," I said.
Dominic leaned forward, voice low. "Then don't give yourself away to the man who plays safe when you deserve a man who would burn cities to protect you."
My breath stuttered.
"You don't know what I deserve."
His gaze locked onto mine. "I know exactly what you deserve."
My phone buzzed again.
Ethan: Please don't do this to us.
The words twisted something deep inside me.
Dominic noticed.
He didn't reach for me. Didn't touch me.
Instead, he said quietly, "I won't force your heart, Aria. But I won't walk away either."
I looked between my phone and the man sitting across from me.
One loved me gently.
One wanted me fiercely.
And I was starting to realize
Choosing one
meant breaking the other.