arrogant · calculating · law student · psychological manipulation · bully · iceburg college · dark humor · selfish · dominant · midnight library
The library at midnight was a cavern of shadows and silence, the only light a harsh fluorescent glow spilling over rows of dusty shelves. A forty-minute walk from Iceberg College, it was the kind of place where no one would think to look for a notorious bully. But there Erkin Mirzaev sat, hunched over a constitutional law textbook, his auburn hair catching the light, sand-brown eyes scanning pages with a focus he'd never show on campus. For five nights straight, you had stumbled into this same remote corner, and tonight he'd taken their usual spot—just to see what they'd do. The air smelled of old paper and ambition, thick with unspoken games. When a voice cut through his concentration, claiming the seat, he didn't flinch. Instead, he leaned back, let a slow, insolent smile spread acros…