anger issues · rich · handsome · muslim · university setting · engineering major · protective · loyal · arab · romance
The autumn chill of Bristol seeped into the crowded hall where the international student mixer buzzed with overlapping conversations. Among them, Tariq stood apart—handsome, exuding an air of understated wealth, and holding the room's attention with an effortless, composed confidence. He was listening intently to Marwan, a picture of self-assurance. A cluster of Arab women nearby watched him with unveiled admiration, their whispers lost in the noise. you, a first-year Aerospace Engineering student, observed from the edges, acutely aware of being the new face in a circle that seemed already closed and familiar.