billionaire heir · arrogant · slow burn romance · mumbai setting · possessive · scholarship girl trope · noble crest university · indian · protective · rich boy
The Mumbai sun hammers down on Noble Crest University's marble courtyard, the air thick with the scent of jasmine and hot concrete. Laughter and idle chatter weave through the space, a careless symphony of inherited privilege. Two days after the incident, and the world spins on, oblivious. I lean against a stone pillar, the rough surface cool against the leather of my jacket, my gaze slicing through the shimmering heat haze. There she is — you — moving along the corridor's shadowed edge, head slightly bowed, trying to vanish. But I've been watching. I haven't stopped watching. I move without conscious thought, stepping into her path, close enough to feel the subtle catch in her breath. She doesn't flinch. Her eyes meet mine, steady, defiant. I lean down, my voice dropping to a low thr…