CHAPTER 174

**WINTER**

“Who do you think you are?” I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended.

“Adrian picked this team, and I have no objection.”

I was done staying quiet.

My eyes flicked to Adrian—he looked like he wanted to disappear, his face pale and nervous. The silent plea in his gaze begged me to drop it, to just let it go.

But I wasn’t backing down.

No way was I going to let some arrogant new guy storm in and act like he ran the place.

“No, he didn’t pick this team… did you, Nerd?” Damien said coldly, eyes locking onto Adrian like a predator cornering its prey.

Oh, for god’s sake. Seriously?

“Mr. Black, you cannot force someone,” the professor called out, trying to maintain control, but his voice lacked its usual firmness. Was he… intimidated?

Damien didn’t even blink. He leaned in slightly, ignoring the professor completely.

“I asked you a question, Nerd,” he repeated, his tone razor-sharp.

Adrian flinched, eyes darting around the room before dropping to the floor.

“I-I pick Sam… Samantha,” he mumbled, barely audible.

The air in the room grew heavier.

I glared at Damien, who stood in front of me with infuriating calmness, completely unfazed by the tension, the professor’s warning, or the wide-eyed stares around him.

“Good boy,” he muttered, lips curling into a smirk.

Adrian gave me a small, apologetic shrug and slowly made his way to Samantha’s desk, a sad little smile tugging at his lips like even he wasn’t sure how to feel.

And just like that… Damien won.

I rolled my eyes and dropped into my seat, trying not to slam my books down in frustration.

Damien sat opposite me like he owned the damn table, lounging with that insufferable smirk still tugging at his lips.

Across the room, my eyes met Claire’s. She raised her brows dramatically and mouthed,

“He’s trouble,” Claire mouthed, eyes wide with amusement. I narrowed my gaze at her and gave a small nod—she wasn’t wrong.

Across from her, Ariel looked at me like I’d just been sentenced to life in prison… without parole.

The professor cleared his throat, bringing the class back to order.

“This project will count for thirty percent of your final grade,” he announced, adjusting his glasses.

“You'll need to submit both a written analysis and a presentation on your chosen business strategy. Due in four weeks. No extensions. Are we clear?”

A murmur of reluctant agreement echoed through the room.

“Crystal,” I muttered under my breath.

Damien just leaned back and grinned like the chaos was his idea of a group activity.

“Do you have free time after this?”

Damien’s voice cut through the noise beside me, smooth and casual, like we were old friends. I stiffened immediately.

“Why?” I asked, arching a brow.

“Not that I see how that’s any of your business.”

He smirked, completely unfazed.

“Because we’ve got four weeks to finish this project. And if we’re going to kill it… we might need to spend a lot of time together.”

He leaned back, grin tugging at his lips.

“Not that I’d mind.”

I sighed, dragging a hand down my face.

How was I supposed to get an A on this project when Hot-Temper-and-Ego couldn’t go five minutes without being difficult?

Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I repeated the mantra in my head—Be calm. Just… be calm.

When the tight knot in my chest finally started to loosen, I exhaled and opened my eyes.

Damien was still watching me, that infuriating smirk tugging at his lips.

“I’ve got a free period after this,” I said, forcing a polite smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

“We can meet at the café and go over a few strategies… if you think you can manage being civil for an hour.”

Damien let out a low chuckle, the kind that sent a warning signal straight down my spine.

There was amusement in his eyes—dark, unreadable amusement that made it hard to tell if he was agreeing or plotting something entirely different.

“It’s a date,” he said smoothly, smirking as if he enjoyed how much that annoyed me.

I exhaled sharply through my nose, crossing my arms.

“It’s a meeting, Black. For a project. Let’s not get your ego involved.”

His grin only widened, and I was already regretting every life choice that had led me here.

His grin only widened, like I’d just made his day.

As I sat there, a blank sheet of paper in front of me and pen loosely held in my hand, I barely registered a word Damien was saying. He spoke, probably about the project, but his voice felt like distant background noise.

My mind refused to focus.

Why can’t I just have a normal day like everyone else? Just one peaceful, uneventful day? First the weird message that might be from Zion—or might not, I still wasn’t sure—and now Damien Black, who acted like he owned the campus and everyone on it.

The drama with Zion was supposed to be over… or at least I thought it was. Now I wasn’t so sure. And with Damien thrown into the mix?

Perfect. Just perfect.

.......

The bell finally rang, signaling the end of the day, and I practically bolted out of the classroom, eager to escape. I didn’t look back, not even once.

“Winter, wait!” A voice called from behind, and I turned to see Claire and Ariel sprinting toward me.

“You just ran out on us, girl… like your pants were on fire!” Claire joked, slightly out of breath.

I shot her a look, muttering under my breath,

“Who could blame me? That Damien is insufferable.”

“I think you’ve caught Damien’s eye,” Claire drawled, her lips twitching into a teasing smirk.

“He was totally eye-fucking you, babe. Like—if looks could undress, you'd be in your underwear by now.”

I groaned, tossing my hands up in exasperation.

“Ugh! That boy makes me so mad! Who even is he?”

Ariel, walking beside me, chuckled softly.

“I kinda overheard some girls talking. Damien Black—the only son of Dominic Black, the big-time Italian tycoon. He’s the sole heir to his father’s massive fortune and companies. And, from the looks of it, a total lady killer.”

I flinched at the last part. “A lady killer? Seriously?”

Claire smirked. “Of course he is. That’s why he acts like he owns the world,” she said with a roll of her eyes.

I felt a pang of annoyance—and alarm. “That explains so much...”

“Winter,” a dark, low voice, one I had come to dread, called out. The three of us froze, and I instantly whipped around, startled to find Damien standing right behind me. 

How could he sneak up on us like that?

“What the hell?” I hissed, my voice sharp.

“Do you get paid to sneak up on people and scare the crap out of them?”

Damien didn’t even flinch at my irritation. Instead, his eyes locked onto mine, his gaze cool and unreadable.

“Why’d you run off like that?” he asked, his tone almost too calm.

“You forget? We’re supposed to head to the cafeteria... for the project. Remember?”

“I can’t,” I said quickly, trying to find an escape route.

“I just remembered I—”

“You can’t back out now,” Damien cut in smoothly, stepping closer, his voice low and persuasive.

“The sooner we start, the sooner it’s over. Unless, of course, you’d rather fail?”

Damn him. He knew exactly what button to push.

“Fine,” I muttered, clearly defeated, my voice barely above a whisper.

I turned toward Claire and Ariel, offering them a guilty smile that didn’t quite reach my eyes.

Claire raised a brow while Ariel just gave me a look that screamed you poor soul.

Damien’s gaze lingered on me, unsettling and intense, as if he could see straight through my feigned indifference. It was unnerving. But I wasn’t about to let him know just how much he had me on edge.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of impatience flashing across his face before, without warning, he reached out and grabbed my arm, tugging me forward in the direction of the cafeteria.

“What the hell—” I gasped, yanking my arm free with a sharp motion.

“Do you mind? I don’t like being manhandled, thank you very much.”

My voice was louder than I intended, but I didn’t care. The hallway had suddenly fallen uncomfortably quiet.

A few students turned their heads, eyes wide, clearly enjoying the show. Whispers started up almost instantly.

I crossed my arms, refusing to move, my gaze burning into his. Damien, on the other hand, just shoved his hands back into his pockets, unfazed, like dragging people around was just part of his daily routine.

“Look, Winter, I know I’ve been... a bit harsh,” Damien muttered, his voice low and rough, like the words physically pained him to say.

“I’ll try to be more civil—for the project’s sake, alright?”

He said it like an apology would actually scorch his throat if it left his lips properly. His jaw ticked with tension, like he was forcing himself to keep it together. I raised an eyebrow, more confused than reassured.

Why had he made such a scene then?

Why force Adrian off our team if he could barely stand me? He hadn’t even tried to hide his irritation when the professor announced the groups, so what was this sudden shift?

I bit the inside of my cheek, eyes narrowing slightly. No, this didn’t make sense.

Was this some kind of twisted game to him?

He could’ve chosen someone—anyone—else. But he didn’t. Instead, he’d stared Adrian down like a predator, barked at the professor like he ran the place, and now here he was pretending to play nice?

It’s official. He hates me.

This was it—his grand plan for revenge.

Revenge?

Not again. Please not again...