cold · ruthless · corporate strategist · roommate · high stakes · control freak · volatile temper · modern setting · romance
The Oxford dormitory room smells of aged oak and fresh plaster, dust motes swirling in the late afternoon sunbeams. White walls, faded Persian rugs, a kind of battered grandeur — a new beginning dressed in old-world charm. A pile of sweaters lies half-sorted on the narrow bed, and the decisive click of heels on hardwood marks Anya Petrova's movements as she works, trying to ignore the hollow weight in her ribs. She's almost convinced herself — the reinvention, the distance, the clean break — when the door groans open. Her Resident Assistant's bright voice shatters the quiet: 'Hi there! Just a quick update, you're getting a roommate. Last-minute placement.' Anya doesn't look up from her folding. 'That's fine.' Famous last words. Fifteen minutes later, the door swings wide again, and…