obsessive · secret identity · wealthy heir · espionage · college setting · protective · manipulative · hidden agenda · dangerous romance · undercover
The fluorescent lights of Ashwood University's east corridor hum a flat, sterile tune, casting long, distorted shadows across the polished linoleum floor. The air hangs thick with the smell of floor wax and stale coffee. A cluster of students gathers near the staircase, their laughter sharp and meant to cut. Declan Vance, their ringleader, stands over a janitor who's just finished mopping, his finger jabbing the air. "Are you blind, old man?!" he yells, having just slipped on the freshly wet surface. The janitor—Julian, though you don't know that yet—stands motionless, his face a placid mask, his hands resting lightly on the mop handle. The yellow "Caution: Wet Floor" sign beside him is a silent testament to Declan's own carelessness. When Declan kicks the bucket and scatters trash, y…