The first day at St. Valeria Academy was supposed to be just another ordinary school day for Aria Jones. She had planned everything carefully: quiet entrance, no attention, no mistakes. Being a scholarship student in a school full of rich, entitled kids meant blending in was survival.
Aria's shoes clicked softly against the polished hallway floor as she carried her small backpack. Her heart pounded not with excitement, but with a steady caution. Every whisper, every glance felt like it could explode into a public humiliation.
That's when she noticed him.
Damien Cole.
He leaned casually against the locker wall, arms crossed, dark curls falling slightly over his sharp eyes. His presence wasn't loud, but it filled the entire corridor. Students parted automatically as he walked. The rumors didn't lie: Damien Cole was untouchable. Popular. Rich. And most importantly… completely unapproachable.
Aria kept her gaze down. She didn't want trouble. She didn't want attention. She just wanted to survive.
Then the rain started. Soft at first, then heavier, pounding against the glass windows of the academy. Students rushed to the exits, umbrellas popping open, laughter and chatter filling the hall. Aria didn't have one. She cursed herself quietly.
As she stepped outside, she slipped on the wet steps and stumbled. Books tumbled from her arms. Panic flared.
"Watch it!" someone snapped. A group of students laughed.
Before she could respond, a large hand caught her arm. Steady. Strong. Safe. She looked up… and saw Damien Cole holding an umbrella over her.
"Careful," he said, voice low but commanding, "You'll ruin your books."
Aria blinked, heart thundering. Why is he helping me? She didn't even know him, and yet, here he was… shielding her from the rain, as if she mattered.
"I… thank you," she managed, her voice barely audible.
He said nothing else, just walked beside her, umbrella tilted to cover her entirely. Every student they passed stared. Whispers followed them. But Damien didn't seem to notice or care.
Aria's thoughts raced. Who was this boy who didn't talk, didn't smile, and yet… saved her in the simplest, most unexpected way?
By the time they reached the school gates, her heart was still pounding. And she realized something terrifying… she wanted to see him again.
Damien Cole, the boy who was rumored to fall for no one, had just made the first rule in her life irrelevant: rich boys don't fall in love.