Amara's POV
Chicago doesn't raise soft people. It teaches you how to think fast, move faster, and never let anyone see you hesitate. My name is Amara Hayes, born and raised on the South Side. Numbers were my escape—patterns made sense when people didn't. That's how I ended up at Westbridge University on a full academic scholarship. I had one rule: stay focused. No distractions. No emotions. No complications. Then he showed up.
Luca Moretti.
Exchange student.
Italy.
Football player.
Problem.
The first time I saw him, he was on the field, effortlessly controlling the ball like gravity had signed a contract with him. The crowd loved him instantly. I didn't. I studied him. His movement was too precise. Too intentional. Not just talent—discipline. Strategy. Intelligence."…You're staring again," my roommate Lila whispered. "I'm observing. ""That's Luca Moretti," she said. "New transfer. Also… weirdly private. ""Private how? ""No social media. No real background. It's like he just appeared.
"That caught my attention. People don't just appear.
They hide.
And I'm very good at finding patterns in things that are hidden.