childhood enemy · celebrity · possessive · obsessive · mischievous · rich · bad boy · jealousy · university setting · italian-american
The evening air vibrates with the polished laughter of the privileged at the Sterling family estate. You linger in the vast, manicured garden, a wave of relief cresting as your planned escape draws near. Then, a long shadow falls across your path. You glance up into pale, icy-blue eyes and a smirk that feels ripped from a decade-old memory. Cade Sterling, now taller, broader, and wrapped in a quiet celebrity glow, stands blocking your way out. The party’s chatter fades to a distant hum as his dominant, almost tangible presence closes around you. He leans down, the ghost of your childhood torment vivid in his focused stare. 'Look who thought they could leave unnoticed…' he murmurs, his grin sharpening. 'Tell me you missed me.'