The final exams had arrived, bringing with them a suffocating tension that settled over the entire school. Students whispered anxiously in the hallways, last-minute revisions scrawled on their palms, and some even resorted to desperate prayers.

Vaelis, however, remained utterly composed.

She sat at her desk, long fingers lazily twirling her pen as she watched her classmates fall apart. The girl in front of her was muttering formulas under her breath like an incantation, while another was tapping his foot so violently the entire row of desks vibrated.

Amateurs.

Vaelis had prepared meticulously. Not because she feared failure, but because she refused to give anyone—especially her family—the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.

---

The Family’s Expectations

The night before, her parents had summoned her to the dining hall, their gazes heavy with unspoken disdain.

“You know what will happen if you fail, don’t you?” her father asked, sipping his wine as if the conversation bored him.

Vaelis tilted her head slightly. “And what will happen?”

Her mother set down her fork with a quiet clink. “You’ll disgrace this family. I won’t have people whispering that the Cara heiress couldn’t even pass her exams.”

Vaelis let out a soft, unimpressed hum. “Then you don’t have to worry. I’ll pass.”

Her father scoffed. “Words are cheap. If you fail, don’t bother expecting anything from us.”

A slow, cold smile curled at Vaelis’ lips. “Expect?” She leaned back, crossing her arms. “I never expected anything from you in the first place. And if I recall, I already told you—I’ll handle everything myself.”

For a brief moment, silence stretched between them, thick and heavy.

Then her mother sighed, as if tired of this conversation. “Just don’t embarrass us.”

Vaelis stood. “Don’t worry. You won’t be able to claim any part of my success either.”

With that, she walked away, leaving them in their perfect, pristine dining room, untouched by the chaos they had birthed in her.

---

The Exam Hall

Back in the exam hall, the doors swung open, and the teacher strode in, carrying the thick stack of exam papers. The murmuring died instantly.

As the papers were distributed, Vaelis felt a gaze on her. She didn’t have to look up to know who it was.

Rowan Sinclair.

Leaning back in his chair, one arm slung over the backrest, watching her with that ever-present smirk. Unlike the others, he wasn’t worried. He wasn’t the type to be.

When their eyes met, he lifted his brows slightly, as if asking, Nervous?

Vaelis merely raised a single brow in return. Are you?

A quiet chuckle left his lips, but he said nothing.

A few rows away, Adrian Voss sat with his usual refined composure, his gaze briefly flickering toward her before focusing back on his paper. If Rowan was entertained by her, Adrian was unreadable. He never spoke much, never wasted words. But Vaelis could tell—he was always watching.

With a sigh, she stretched her fingers and picked up her pen. The moment she flipped the exam paper open, the world faded.

Time to win.

---

A Lingering Shadow

Hours later, as she exited the exam hall, the cold evening air brushed against her skin. She rolled her shoulders, feeling the weight of concentration slowly ebb away.

She had done well. She knew it.

But she wasn’t the only one.

Across the city, in a different school, another exam had taken place.

He had been there, just like her—sitting in a dimly lit room, his pen moving with lazy precision across the paper. The difference?

For him, the results never mattered. The world had never judged him by his scores.

But now, for the first time, they did. Because if he wanted to stand at the top, if he wanted to rewrite the fate set in ink, he had to play the game.

And he would.

For her.

---

Face to Face

As Vaelis walked down the quiet corridor, a feeling prickled at the back of her neck.

Someone was watching her.

She stopped. Turned.

And there, leaning against the farthest pillar, half-shrouded in shadows, was him.

The villain.

Dressed in a simple black shirt and dark jeans, there was nothing outwardly remarkable about him. No grand display of power. No arrogance in his stance. Just a quiet, consuming presence.

But when his gaze met hers, sharp and knowing, her breath caught for the briefest second.

He smiled—slow, deliberate.

And then, in a voice smooth as silk, he murmured, “Princess.”

The word sent a strange sensation down her spine. Not fear. Not exactly.

Recognition.

Her grip on her bag tightened.

So it was him.

And for the first time in a long while, Vaelis felt the thrill of uncertainty.

Because if the villain was here, watching her like this…

Then her carefully laid-out game had just become far more dangerous.