Morning arrived softly, but nothing about Adrian De Silva's thoughts felt calm.
Sunlight filtered through the thin curtains of his apartment, brushing across the scattered books on his desk, the neatly folded clothes on the chair, the life he had carefully constructed to look ordinary. He lay awake long before his alarm rang, staring at the ceiling, Zara's message from the night before replaying in his mind like a song he couldn't turn off.
Bring that black card again.
It wasn't the words themselves that hurt.
It was how easily she'd said them.
He pushed the thought aside and rose, pulling on his familiar hoodie and glasses. Mask on. Identity in place. By the time he stepped out into the morning streets, he was once again just Adrian—the quiet boy, the invisible one.
At least, that's what everyone believed.
St. Aurelius College buzzed with its usual energy, but today felt different.
Whispers lingered longer. Glances stretched just a moment too much.
Adrian felt it the moment he entered the corridor.
"Did you see Zara this morning?"
"She came in with him again."
"Obviously. They look perfect together."
Adrian didn't slow, didn't react, but something inside him tightened.
With him.
He turned the corner toward his classroom—and there they were.
Zara Virelle stood by the lockers, sunlight catching in her glossy hair, laughter dancing on her lips. Beside her leaned someone who didn't belong to the quiet edges of the school.
Riven Cole.
The school's golden boy.
Tall. Broad-shouldered. Confident in the way only someone adored by everyone could be. His blazer hung effortlessly over his athletic frame, sleeves rolled up to reveal strong forearms, tie loosened just enough to look rebellious but still perfect. Captain of the basketball team. Rich parents. A smile that made teachers forgive late homework and students forgive arrogance.
He was everything Adrian had trained himself not to be.
Riven leaned closer to Zara, murmuring something in her ear. She laughed—a soft, melodic sound Adrian knew too well. Then, casually, comfortably, Riven's hand slipped around her waist.
Zara didn't move away.
Adrian's steps faltered for half a second before he forced himself to continue walking.
Invisible. Remember?
"Yo."
Kai appeared beside him, gaze already fixed on the scene ahead. His usual humor was absent.
"So it's official now," Kai muttered.
Adrian didn't ask what he meant.
"They've been getting real close lately. Riven and Zara." Kai glanced at Adrian carefully. "You okay?"
"I'm fine."
A lie. A neat, practiced one.
Kai exhaled sharply. "You deserve better, you know."
Adrian didn't respond. His eyes remained forward, his expression unreadable, even as something inside him quietly cracked.
Zara saw him.
Of course she did.
Her eyes flickered toward Adrian for just a moment across the corridor. Something unreadable passed through her gaze before she turned back to Riven, her smile returning brighter than ever.
Riven followed her line of sight. His eyes landed on Adrian.
He studied him with open curiosity, then smirked.
"Who's that?" he asked casually.
Zara followed his gaze again, then shrugged lightly. "Just… a guy."
Just a guy.
Not the boy who waited for her every morning.
Not the one who remembered her favorite songs.
Not the one who gave without ever asking for anything in return.
Just a guy.
"Looks like he's into you," Riven said, amusement in his voice.
Zara tilted her head. "Maybe."
"Should I be worried?"
She laughed. "Please."
Riven's grin widened, satisfied.
What he didn't notice was the way Zara's fingers tightened slightly around the strap of her designer bag.
Because Zara Virelle was not as careless as she appeared.
And she was not as shallow as everyone believed.
She had chosen Riven for a reason.
The truth was, Zara had known for weeks.
It had started with small details.
Adrian never worried about prices.
Adrian always had access to things no "scholarship kid" should.
Adrian disappeared sometimes—only to return calm, composed, untouched by whatever chaos had occurred.
Adrian had eyes that had seen too much for someone his age.
And then there was the card.
The black card.
Zara had grown up around money. She knew luxury. She recognized power when she saw it.
And Adrian De Silva was hiding both.
She had done her own digging. Quietly. Carefully.
A surname here. A business name there. Whispers in adult conversations she pretended not to hear. And then, finally, the name that tied everything together.
Rafael De Silva.
The underworld king no one spoke of openly.
Adrian was his son.
His heir.
The revelation should have scared her.
Instead, it had intrigued her.
But intrigue wasn't enough. Curiosity wasn't enough. Zara didn't survive in a world of appearances by taking risks without insurance.
She needed leverage.
And that's where Riven came in.
Riven Cole wasn't just a jock. His father was a rising politician. Clean image. Media darling. Untouchable reputation. The perfect shield.
If Adrian's world ever came crashing down… Zara needed to make sure she wasn't caught in the ruins.
So she played both sides.
The quiet heir in the shadows.
The golden boy in the spotlight.
Balance.
Strategy.
Survival.
Because Zara Virelle had learned long ago that feelings were dangerous, but power? Power kept you safe.
By lunchtime, the entire school was buzzing.
Zara and Riven sat together in the courtyard, their table surrounded by laughter, attention, admiration. Riven's arm rested easily around her shoulders. Zara leaned in just enough to sell the illusion.
Across the yard, Adrian sat alone with his book.
Kai dropped into the seat opposite him with a sigh. "You're really just going to pretend this isn't happening?"
Adrian turned a page calmly. "What do you want me to do, Kai?"
"I don't know. Care? Feel? React like a human being?"
Adrian's gaze lifted slowly. "I am reacting."
Kai frowned. "How?"
"By staying silent."
Kai studied him for a long moment. "You're terrifying sometimes."
Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
That afternoon, as students began to leave, Adrian felt it again.
That familiar sensation.
The one he tried to ignore.
He glanced toward the school gates.
A black car sat parked across the street. Engine off. Windows tinted.
Watching.
He knew that car.
His pulse didn't spike. He didn't panic.
He simply looked away.
Not today.
Zara watched him from the steps.
She noticed everything.
The stillness in his posture.
The way he never looked surprised.
The car that seemed out of place.
Her chest tightened—not with fear, but with something closer to regret.
Because somewhere along the line, pretending had started to blur with reality.
She hadn't meant to care about Adrian.
But now she did.
And caring complicated everything.
Riven's hand slid into hers. "You ready?"
Zara forced a smile. "Yeah."
As they walked away together, she glanced back once more.
Adrian stood alone beneath the fading sunlight, unreadable, untouchable, unknowable.
And for the first time since she'd begun this game, Zara Virelle wondered:
What happens when the person you're manipulating finally realizes the truth?
Because something in Adrian's eyes today suggested that moment was coming.
Soon.
And when it did…
Nothing would remain the same.