Kai Anderson spent the rest of the morning trying to forget the man in the black suit.
It wasn’t working.
Not because the man had frightened him.
Kai wasn’t easily frightened.
It was because every time he closed his eyes, he remembered the expression on that man’s face when the coffee had landed on his suit.
Cold.
Controlled.
Dangerously calm.
Kai had met arrogant rich people before. The university was full of them.
But there had been something different about that man.
He carried himself like the entire world had been built around him.
Kai hated people like that.
“Stop staring at the wall.”
Kai blinked.
Ethan was sitting beside him in the lecture hall, watching him with narrowed eyes.
“I wasn’t staring.”
“You’ve been staring at the same spot for five minutes.”
“I was thinking.”
“About the man you attacked?”
“I didn’t attack him.”
“You ran into him.”
“Accidentally.”
“You poured coffee on him.”
“Also accidentally.”
“You told him his expensive suit was his own fault.”
Kai frowned.
“He was standing in the middle of the walkway.”
Ethan leaned closer.
“You know who he was, right?”
“No.”
Ethan’s expression changed.
“You seriously don’t know?”
“Should I?”
“That was Adrian Blake.”
Kai stared at him.
“Who?”
Ethan’s mouth fell open.
“The Adrian Blake?”
“There are apparently many Adrians in the world.”
“CEO of Blake Corporation.”
Kai shrugged.
“Still doesn’t ring a bell.”
Ethan stared at him as if he’d just announced that he’d never heard of electricity.
“Blake Corporation owns hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, technology firms, hotels—”
“Congratulations to him.”
“And you’re telling me you don’t know who he is?”
Kai opened his notebook.
“I have a medical exam next week. I’d rather know what I’m doing with someone’s liver than know what some billionaire is doing with his money.”
Ethan laughed under his breath.
“That attitude is exactly why you’re going to die young.”
“I’m planning to become a doctor.”
“Doctors die too.”
“Very inspirational.”
Their professor entered before Ethan could answer.
The lecture began.
Kai forced himself to concentrate.
For the next two hours, he forgot about Adrian Blake.
Or at least tried to.
Across the city, Adrian Blake was sitting at the head of a long conference table.
Twenty executives were seated around him.
Nobody spoke.
The presentation on the screen had been paused for nearly a minute.
Adrian looked at the financial projections.
Then at the executive responsible for them.
“This figure is wrong.”
The man swallowed.
“Sir?”
“You projected a twelve percent increase in operating costs.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“We’re expecting—”
“You’re expecting nothing.”
Adrian leaned back.
“If you cannot explain the numbers on your own report, don’t put them in front of me.”
The room became silent.
His assistant, Marcus Reed, stood near the door with a tablet in his hand.
He had worked for Adrian for four years.
In those four years, he’d learned something important.
Adrian Blake wasn’t cruel.
He was simply terrifying when disappointed.
The meeting continued.
But halfway through, Marcus received a message.
He glanced at his phone.
Then at Adrian.
“Sir.”
Adrian didn’t look up.
“What?”
“I have the information you requested.”
Adrian finally raised his eyes.
“The student?”
“Yes.”
Marcus placed the tablet on the table.
“Kai Anderson. First-year medical student.”
Adrian glanced at the screen.
A photograph appeared.
Kai was smiling slightly in his university identification picture.
Adrian remembered that smile.
Not because it was particularly charming.
Because it had been directed at him while Kai was holding a handful of coins and refusing to accept his pity.
“Family background?” Adrian asked.
“Lower income. His father is currently unemployed due to health problems. His mother works part-time.”
Adrian’s expression didn’t change.
“Academic record?”
“Excellent.”
“Employment?”
“Three part-time jobs.”
Adrian paused.
“Three?”
“Yes.”
Marcus hesitated before adding, “He also has a scholarship.”
Adrian looked at the photograph again.
The student had seemed far too confident for someone carrying that much responsibility.
“Why did you want this information?” Marcus asked carefully.
Adrian looked up.
“I didn’t.”
Marcus immediately straightened.
“Of course.”
Adrian closed the tablet.
“Find the university board members. I want the research partnership finalized today.”
“Yes, sir.”
Marcus turned to leave.
“Marcus.”
He stopped.
“Don’t include the student’s name in the report.”
Marcus looked surprised.
“Understood.”
The door closed.
Adrian turned back toward the conference table.
“Continue.”
Nobody dared mention the interruption.
Meanwhile, Kai’s afternoon was getting worse.
His professor handed back their previous examination papers.
“Mr. Anderson.”
Kai looked up.
“Yes, sir?”
“Excellent work.”
A few students turned toward him.
Kai nodded politely.
“Thank you.”
The professor continued.
“However, you need to stop answering questions beyond what I’ve asked.”
Kai blinked.
“I thought extra information was useful.”
“Not when it takes three pages.”
A few students laughed.
Kai smiled.
“I’ll try to be less helpful.”
“Please do.”
The lecture ended.
Kai packed his books quickly.
He had another shift at the restaurant in less than an hour.
As he stepped outside, his phone rang.
His mother.
He answered.
“Hi, Mum.”
Her voice sounded worried.
“Kai, the landlord came again.”
Kai stopped walking.
“What happened?”
“He said we need to pay by Friday.”
Kai closed his eyes.
“How much?”
She told him.
His stomach sank.
That was more than he’d expected.
“I’ll handle it.”
“Kai, don’t take another loan.”
“I won’t.”
“And don’t skip your classes.”
“I won’t.”
“You always say that.”
Kai smiled faintly.
“Because it’s true.”
He hung up.
For a few seconds, he stood silently beneath the university building.
Then he exhaled.
“Okay.”
He tightened the straps of his backpack.
“One problem at a time.”
He turned toward the road.
A black car passed slowly in front of him.
Kai barely noticed.
Inside the vehicle, Adrian did.
He recognized him immediately.
The same messy dark hair.
The same university backpack.
The same person who had spilled coffee on him that morning.
Adrian’s gaze followed Kai through the window.
“Stop.”
The driver immediately pulled over.
Adrian looked at Kai.
Kai was standing beside a bus stop, counting the money in his wallet.
There wasn’t much.
Adrian’s eyes narrowed.
“Why are we stopping?” Marcus asked.
Adrian didn’t answer immediately.
He watched Kai put the money away.
Then Kai’s phone rang again.
This time, he looked at the screen and groaned.
“Not again.”
He answered.
“Hello?”
A woman’s angry voice came through loudly enough that even from a distance, Kai’s expression changed.
“I’m coming.”
He ended the call.
Then muttered,
“Why does everything happen at once?”
Adrian almost smiled.
Almost.
Kai suddenly turned.
Their eyes met through the car window.
Kai froze.
Adrian lowered the window.
For several seconds, neither spoke.
Kai looked at the black car.
Then at Adrian.
Then at the expensive suit.
His expression immediately became suspicious.
“You.”
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
“Me.”
Kai glanced at the empty road.
“Are you following me?”
Marcus nearly choked.
Adrian stared at him.
“No.”
“Good.”
Kai turned to leave.
Then Adrian spoke.
“Kai Anderson.”
Kai stopped.
Slowly, he looked back.
“How do you know my name?”
Adrian’s expression remained unreadable.
“I make it my business to know who causes problems around me.”
Kai’s eyes narrowed.
“You looked me up?”
“Yes.”
“That is incredibly creepy.”
Marcus looked away to hide his smile.
Adrian, however, didn’t react.
“You damaged my suit.”
“And I apologized.”
“You offered me money.”
“You refused.”
“Then we’re even.”
Kai smiled.
“Exactly.”
He turned around again.
Adrian watched him walk away.
Then he said quietly,
“Not quite.”
Kai didn’t hear him.
But Adrian did.
And for reasons he couldn’t explain, the thought of seeing that troublesome student again didn’t bother him nearly as much as it should have.