Chapter1

For 4 years, my college boyfriend, Grayson, brought breakfast for my roommate Mia and me every single day, rain or shine.

Yet he always brought a plain biscuit and black coffee for me, his actual girlfriend.

For Mia, however, he took great care to bring a fresh, wholesome breakfast each morning.

"I know you like things simple," Grayson would say to me, completely missing my stiff posture. He claimed he only treated her so well because she was my best friend, wanting to make a good impression for my sake.

I resented being treated as an afterthought, yet I held my tongue, trying to be an understanding girlfriend.

But I never imagined his favoritism would extend far beyond breakfast.

That Saturday evening, the three of us were hanging out at our off-campus apartment.

Grayson was typing away on his laptop, stressing over his elite Priority Track internship applications.

Suddenly, his phone dinged. He stared at the screen, and the exhaustion instantly vanished from his face.

"I got in," Grayson breathed, his voice trembling with intense excitement. "Director Vance just sent the email. I got off the waitlist. I secured a pass to the Holiday Partner Event! And it includes a plus-one."

The Partner Event was a closed mixer with Blackridge University's top corporate executives. It was the holy grail that could help us secure elite corporate internships.

I smiled, genuinely happy for him. "Grayson, that's amazing! I should probably look for a proper dress..."

"Actually, Briar," Grayson interrupted. The warmth completely left his tone. He didn't even look at me; instead, he shifted his gaze to my roommate. "I was thinking of taking Mia."

I froze. The smile died on my lips. "Why? I'm your girlfriend. That plus-one should be mine."

Grayson sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like I was being an unreasonable burden. "Briar, be practical. You hate small talk. You always sit in the corner at these things."

"I can handle a few hours of networking, Grayson," I said, my voice trembling slightly.

"But Mia is naturally outgoing," Grayson countered smoothly. "She knows how to charm people."

I sat completely still.

"Look at you, Briar," he continued, gesturing dismissively at my faded hoodie. "You don't care about elite circles, and you don’t dress for them. Mia grew up around this kind of wealth. I need someone who blends in seamlessly with that crowd, not a scholarship girl who looks like she wandered in by mistake."

He hadn't just rejected me as his date. He had confidently dismantled my dignity. He viewed me as a social liability.

Mia touched Grayson's arm, offering a sweet, almost apologetic smile. "I'd love to help out, Grayson. Only if Briar doesn't mind, of course. I just know exactly how to handle that crowd."

So in his eyes, only the privileged were worthy of standing beside him. Had I really been acting the fool for the past 4 years?

He braced himself, fully expecting me to put up a fight, already preparing his next round of logical excuses to shut me down.

But I didn't argue. I didn't cry. I simply stood up from the table, walked into the dark of my bedroom, and shut the door behind me, leaving him stunned in the sudden silence.

The irony was suffocating. I was actually the daughter of the university's Board Director—a true heiress. I had come to Blackridge hiding my identity, desperate for a normal life, deeply wanting to know if a man could love me for me, completely detached from my family's fortune.

I thought Grayson loved me. I was terribly mistaken.

Suddenly, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

The Caller ID didn't show a name. It only showed a private, encrypted number. But I knew exactly who it was.

I wiped my face completely clean, took a deep breath, and swiped to answer.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice slightly hoarse.

"Briar," a deep, commanding voice sounded through the speaker. It was a voice that commanded boardrooms and dictated the fate of Blackridge University itself.

"Dad," I murmured.

"I see your boyfriend managed to secure an invitation to our networking event," my father, the Chairman of the Board, spoke flatly. "I assume you will be attending as his plus-one? I already had a dress flown in for you."

A sharp ache flared in my chest. I tightened my grip on the phone, trying to keep my voice from cracking.

"No, Dad," I murmured, staring at the blank wall of my tiny bedroom. "He isn't taking me. He chose... he chose to take Mia instead. He said I'd embarrass him. He told me I don't belong in those kinds of circles."

A heavy, terrifying silence fell over the line.

When my father finally spoke, the air in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. "He evaluated my daughter and found her lacking? The sheer arrogance of this boy. I’ll have Director Vance revoke his invitation immediately. I'll make sure no enterprise in this state ever takes him on as an intern."

"Dad—"

"I warned you this little college independence experiment would end this way, Briar," my father interrupted, his tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. "Julian Ashford has been waiting patiently for two years. His family is eager to finalize your arrangement. Stop playing house with boys who can't even recognize your worth. Accept the engagement and come home."

I closed my eyes. "Dad," I spoke into the receiver, my voice finally steadying. "It's fine. Don't block his pass. Let them attend the event."

I paused, looking back toward my closed door as Mia's bright laughter echoed from the kitchen.

"But as for Julian and the engagement..." I took a deep, unrestricted breath. "Let me think about it. I just need a little more time."