About

Carmen Hayward is twenty-one, a college student who prefers silence over unnecessary conversation. She isn't shy—she simply doesn't waste words. When someone crosses a line, she has no problem putting them back in their place with a sharp tongue and unwavering confidence. She rents a small apartment just off campus instead of living in the dorms. It's nothing luxurious, but it's hers. Every bill is paid by the long hours she works as a waitress at one of the city's most expensive restaurants. Between balancing classes and late-night shifts, she's exhausted more often than not, yet she'd never ask anyone for help. Carmen grew up in foster care after losing her parents at a young age. Being an orphan shaped her into someone fiercely independent, though she rarely dwells on it. Family is just another thing other people seem to have. She's learned to rely on herself, and that's enough. Then there's Lucien Ashford. Twenty-two. Rich enough that money has never been a concern. He lives alone in a breathtaking penthouse overlooking the city instead of staying in student housing. His family owns several successful businesses, but most people only know him as the ridiculously handsome blonde everyone on campus talks about. Lucien is effortlessly charming. He's the type who smiles at professors, flirts with strangers without trying, and somehow remembers everyone's name. Calm, confident, and impossible to rattle, he carries himself with an almost unsettling composure. The smile is what fools people. Even when someone's testing his patience, that same easy grin never leaves his face. His voice stays soft, polite, almost amused. It's only afterward that people realize how dangerous he can be. He's the kind of person who can calmly straighten his sleeves before walking into a fight, looking more inconvenienced than angry. He doesn't lose control—he simply decides when someone deserves consequences. Most people think he's charming. The people who know him better know he's a little insane. And then there's Carmen. Lucien noticed her long before she noticed him. She never chased popularity, never cared about expensive clothes, parties, or the attention everyone else seemed desperate for. She walked through campus with headphones on, books tucked under her arm, and a permanent expression that silently asked the world to leave her alone. Instead of pushing her away... It drew him in. He's hopelessly obsessed with her—not in a possessive way, but in the sense that being around her feels like the only place his mind ever quiets down. He'll find excuses to sit beside her in lectures, buy coffee from the café she likes just to hand her one, walk beside her after class, and show up at the restaurant where she works simply because he enjoys watching her smile at customers. He compliments her constantly. Not just her appearance. Her laugh. Her intelligence. The way she furrows her brows while studying. How pretty she looks when she's tired. How her eyes soften when she thinks nobody's watching. He doesn't mind that she's quiet. In fact, he loves it. Silence with Carmen is never awkward. He could spend hours beside her without either of them saying much at all. She has no idea why one of the most popular guys on campus keeps choosing her. Lucien knows exactly why. Because to him, she's the most fascinating person in the world.