Chapter 3 Chapter 3
Lila barely slept. She spent half the night staring at the ceiling of her tiny dorm room, rereading the contract Christian had sent her at 11:47 p.m.
It was brutally thorough… ten full clauses typed out in neat, professional language that made her wonder how many times he’d done something like this before.
By the time her alarm went off at 7:30 a.m., her stomach was a knot of nerves and determination.
She dressed carefully: dark jeans, a soft cream sweater, and her favorite oversized scarf. Nothing flashy. She wasn’t trying to impress him, she was trying to survive the semester.
At exactly 8:15 a.m., a black SUV pulled up outside her dorm building.
Christian was already waiting inside, engine running. When she opened the passenger door, he glanced over, scanning her from head to toe with that same sharp, assessing look from last night.
“You’re on time,” he noted, almost approvingly. “Good start.”
Lila slid into the seat and buckled up, clutching her sketchbook like a lifeline. “I read the contract. Three times.”
Christian pulled away from the curb smoothly, merging into morning campus traffic. “And?”
“And I’m still here,” she replied, lifting her chin. “Though clause seven feels a little extreme. ‘No physical contact unless initiated by me in public’? Really?”
A ghost of a smirk touched his lips. “I don’t do blurry lines, Stones. If we’re doing this, it has to look convincing, but I control the narrative. That includes how much and when.”
Lila’s cheeks warmed, but she refused to look away. “Fine. As long as you remember this is fake.”
Christian didn’t answer right away. Instead, he drove them toward the quieter side of campus, eventually pulling into a reserved parking spot near the business and arts buildings.
When the engine cut off, he turned to face her fully. This was the first time she really saw him in daylight.
Sharp jawline, dark hair slightly tousled, and those intense eyes that seemed to see straight through every defense she tried to put up. He looked like power wrapped in expensive clothes, the kind of guy who could ruin someone’s life with a single phone call or a cold stare.
He felt completely out of her league.
“Before we step out of this car,” Christian said, voice low and commanding, “let’s be very clear about who I am.”
Lila swallowed. “I know who you are.”
“No,” he corrected, leaning slightly closer. “You know the rumors. Let me give you the reality. On this campus, I don’t ask. I don’t negotiate in public. People move when I tell them to. They stay out of my way and right now, you’re stepping into my world. That means when we’re together, you follow my lead. You don’t question me in front of others, you don’t look surprised, you smile, you stay close, and you let them believe whatever story benefits us.”
His words sent a strange flutter through her chest; part fear, part something she didn’t want to name.
“And what do I get out of this again?” she asked, trying to regain some control.
Christian’s gaze dropped briefly to her lips before returning to her eyes. “Protection. Status. The entire hockey team and half the athletic department will back off anyone who messes with you. Marcus included. No one will dare laugh at you to your face once they see you with me.”
He reached into the back seat and pulled out his spare team jersey; deep navy with “Sterling” and the number 17 stitched in silver across the back.
“Put this on.”
Lila blinked. “Right now?”
“First official appearance. We’re walking to your 9 a.m. lecture together. Everyone needs to see it.”
Her hands trembled slightly as she took the jersey. It smelled faintly of him; clean, crisp, with a hint of the arena.
She pulled it over her sweater, the fabric swallowing her frame. It was huge on her, falling almost to mid-thigh, but when she looked up, Kai gave a small nod of approval.
“Better.”
They stepped out of the car together, the moment they did, heads turned.
Whispers started almost immediately. A group of girls near the coffee cart stared openly. Two guys from the hockey team walking past did a double take, one of them nearly tripping over his own feet.
Christian didn’t seem to notice any of it. He moved with easy confidence, placing a hand lightly at the small of her back as they walked. The touch was possessive but not forceful, exactly enough to send a clear message.
Lila’s skin tingled where his palm rested.
As they crossed the main quad, she spotted Marcus and a few of his teammates near the fountain.
Marcus’s eyes widened when he saw her wearing Christian's jersey, walking beside the captain himself. His expression twisted from shock to something darker.
Kai noticed too. His hand pressed a little firmer against her back.
“Relax,” he murmured, voice low enough for only her to hear. “Chin up. You’re not the girl he humiliated anymore.”
Lila lifted her chin higher, forcing her shoulders back, the knot of shame in her chest loosened just a fraction.
They reached the steps of the arts building. Christian stopped, turning to face her. Students streamed around them, but it felt like the world had narrowed to just the two of them.
He leaned in slowly, close enough that his breath brushed her ear.
“Rule number one in action,” he said quietly. “Smile like you belong here. Like you chose this.”
Then, without warning, he brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers lingering a second longer than necessary. The gentle touch sent electricity racing across her skin.
Lila’s breath hitched.
Christian pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. His expression was calm, but there was something darker flickering beneath the surface. Something dangerous.
“See you after your class, sweetheart,” he said, loud enough for nearby students to hear. The endearment rolled off his tongue like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He turned and walked away without another word, leaving Lila standing on the steps, heart racing, wearing his jersey, and feeling the weight of dozens of curious stares.
She realized with a jolt that the power had already begun to shift.
Because for the first time since the humiliation, people weren’t looking at her with pity.
They were looking at her with questions.
And every single one of those questions now revolved around Sterling.
As she walked into her lecture hall, still feeling the ghost of his touch on her ear, Lila couldn’t shake the terrifying thought that she might have just invited a storm into her life, one she wasn’t sure she could control.
And the worst part? A small, dangerous part of her wasn’t sure she wanted to.
