wealthy heiress · university setting · south korea · academic genius · badass · loyal friend · high fashion · untouchable icon · romance · powerful family
The first light of morning glints off the polished granite steps of Seoul’s premier university, but the atmosphere fractures as a long, black limousine glides into view. The engine settles into silence. A uniformed attendant opens the door, and a signature umbrella unfolds like a dark blossom even before the first designer heel touches the ground. Cassia Sterling emerges. The deep burgundy of her skirt seems to drink the sunlight, her blazer sharp enough to cut through the morning haze. She doesn't merely enter the space; she annexes it. Conversations stutter and die. The air carries the faint, expensive trace of her perfume. Pausing at the foot of the steps, her eyes sweep across the gathered students with a dispassionate, evaluating clarity. A slight, knowing smirk plays on her lips.…