Leander leaned against the kitchen counter, his sleeves rolled up and his hands busy chopping vegetables. The soft hum of the refrigerator filled the air as the smell of garlic and herbs began to waft through the spacious, sunlit kitchen. Brianna walked in, barefoot and carrying a tablet, her face lighting up when she saw him."Wait—are you actually cooking?" she teased, placing the tablet on the island.Leander shot her a mock offended look. "You doubt my abilities? I can cook, you know."Brianna laughed, walking over to peer at his chopping skills. "You’re slicing those peppers way too thick. You’re lucky I like you; otherwise, I’d kick you out of the kitchen."He smirked, sliding the chopped peppers into a bowl. "I don’t remember inviting you to critique my culinary masterpiece. What are you working on, anyway?"She grabbed a piece of carrot from the counter, munching on it as she leaned against the island. "Just reviewing some proposals for the charity gala. But clearly, you’ve go
At approximately 7:30 a.m., Leander Hawthorne and Camila dashed into the library, textbooks in hand, their minds set on the looming final exams.Although attractive and brilliant, Leander faced financial struggles while his peers enjoyed a lavish lifestyle. Despite their efforts to reduce social inequality, their resentment served as a reminder of his low status. They engaged in various behaviors, from gloating and monopolizing resources to making his path to success more challenging. He was belittled for his part-time job, mocked for his second-hand clothes, and excluded from expensive social events because they believed he didn't deserve special treatment.In the absence of any festive arrangements, murmurs and whispers, accompanied by background music boomed. Irritated, Leander and Camila glanced up from their books to see what was happening."Camila, come over here!" They heard their friends' voices echoing as one. Additionally, Leander couldn't help but wonder if those students w
"Hahaha, I thought people claim you're very intelligent and most brilliant. Can't you pass without reading? I bet this final exam you won't make it to the top like other semesters because I want you to fail miserably. You won't be the best this time; I'm the next!" Rex admitted with a deep scowl, his eyes filled with excitement."Tearing my textbook won't solve the problem, but do you know how important it is to me? Rex, I won't let this go for belittling me and destroying my belonging." In frustration, Leander insisted, his expression stern and authoritative.Rex nodded in agreement. "Go ahead, spoiled brat! Let's see what you can do,” Irritated by his statement, Leander retaliated by lunging at Rex, seizing his pricey Rolex. With trembling hands, he smashed it against the wall until it shattered. "Fuck you," Rex muttered through gritted teeth. Rex, trembling with anger, landed a feeble kick on Leander, who nearly lost consciousness from the impact and fell to the ground. The kick
Back on campus in the evening, Leander experienced what he never wished for—he bumped into Camila. Tension surged as they locked gazes, memories of Leander’s humiliation flooding back.Enraged, Leander's voice quivered with hurt. "You cheat," he accused. "You dumped me all because of that brilliant fool, Rex. Imagine someone just waking up one day and telling you that he loves you; now you're falling for a playboy," he lamented, his words heavy with a mix of disbelief and unease.“Ergh, I can't fall for a bigger coward… a scum like you! Go to hell,” Camila exclaimed with a deep scowl. “Imagine, you even had the audacity to call an asshole,”Laughter erupted from nearby students as they eavesdropped on their conversation, finding Camila's insult to Leander amusing, simply mocking him.They whispered, "Is this poor soul here to win over Camila?" The murmurs from a set of students continued, "Camila is off-limits to you, got it? Don't let the catch you here, or you'll be treated like
The next day, Leander found himself alone in his room, his mind swirling with panic as he tried to decipher the unexpected deposit. The sender's identity remained a mystery, adding to his unease.As time passed, Leander was lost in thought, torn between the mysterious funds and his pressing financial commitments."What if this money isn't meant for me? Could it be a banking error?" He pondered, feeling his head spin in confusion as he struggled to compose himself.Tempted, he hurried to a nearby bank, momentarily forgetting his worries of being implicated. Fumbling with his debit card, he inserted it into the payment machine. The screen lit up, offering options to complete the transaction.He swiftly withdrew ten £20 bills and hailed a taxi to a mobile store.Arriving at the sleek 'Nexus Tech Store', Leander admired its trendy vibe. His platinum blonde hair tousled by the breeze, he stepped inside, greeted by mahogany shelves and modern lamps. The store showcased state-of-the-art gadg
This wasn't the second time Leander couldn't find Camila in the classroom. His concern surged because ever since she started spending time with Rex, she had been skipping important lectures, especially those on quantitative analysis, which she struggled with. Leander's pride was wounded as he remembered how he had consistently helped in preparing her for exams, which had impacted her grades.Curious, Leander approached Marcella, a friend of hers and asked, “Excuse me, I haven't seen Camila attending lectures since yesterday. What's going on?”Marcella gave Leander a deadly side-eye. Snarling in disgust, she spat out, a radiant smile dancing on her face, “Why do you ask, loser? Are you still claiming Camila as your girlfriend?”Leander quickly cut in, his words heavy with authority and confidence, “I don't want any insults about chasing after Rex’s crush or whatever. I just wanted to know her welfare.”“Alright, she's okay, but it's just personal emergencies,” Marcella replied in a rud
In the lavish Veritas CEO's office, brimming with luxury and high-tech gadgets, Daxton warmly greeted him, "Welcome, Master Leander.”Leander's unease and confusion heightened as he declared, "Sir, why do you address me as master? The receptionist did the same."Daxton responded with a slight nod, "Ahh, it's because you're now an important figure of the Goldstein family, an heir." Leander's eyes widened in disbelief, a sudden shock coursing through him, leaving him bewildered."But how come? It seems like you're keeping me in the dark," Leander's curiosity peaked, worry etching into his brows."Be calm, I'll explain. Long ago, I had a relationship with your mother, Sophia Adams. Unfortunately, when you were born, I wasn't ready to take on the responsibilities of fatherhood, so you were given up for adoption to the Hawthorne family," Daxton's voice softened as he revealed the truth."After marrying another woman, I faced challenges conceiving a child due to hormonal imbalances and canc
The sound of approaching footsteps disturbed Dean Walker’s office. As she sighted Leander through the glass windows, she quickly set aside the papers on her desk, a grave expression on her face.Leander entered hesitantly. "Hello ma, I was told to come here yesterday but I was at an open mic night and I felt it was too late.” He muttered with a relieved sigh.Her eyes roamed down the sequin on her dress and shook her head ruefully. Trying to decipher her worry, Leander came short of breath."Leander, do you understand the gravity of your actions?" She cleared her throat, her expression a mix of anxiety and disappointment.Leander frowned, stumbling over his words, "Sorry, I'm not following. Can you give more details about the actions I did wrong?" He struggled to make sense of recent events, his eyes showing concern and intrigue.After some reflection, Leander pieced it together and thought that the Dean was referring to the cyber fraud incident."Hmm... No, you... you involved in vio