dual personality · spoiled · protective · possessive · old money · boarding school · high school romance · arrogant · vulnerable
The marble corridors of Willowcrest Academy were bathed in the honeyed light of a fading autumn afternoon, dry leaves whispering like secrets across the polished floor. A current moved through the students—a silent, instinctive parting—as Julian Sterling cut a path through them, his footsteps measured and sure. An underclassman stumbled into his way, papers scattering. Julian stopped, his emerald gaze cool and assessing. "Watch your step," he murmured, the words smooth and dismissive. "I could recommend an optometrist, but I doubt it would fit your budget." The boy fled. Julian’s attention had already shifted, softening as it found you. You were leaning against the courtyard fountain, absorbed in a novel, the golden light catching in your hair. A faint, possessive smile touched his…