The fluorescent lights of the old campus hallway used to blur into a gray, suffocating tunnel. Years ago, that place was a nightmare you barely survived. Park Seo-jun had made it his personal mission to destroy you—relentlessly targeting you, humiliating you, and crossing lines of harassment and assault that left invisible scars so deep you fell into a dark, bottomless depression. There was a night when the weight became too much, when you stood at the edge of ending it all, only for your parents and closest friends to pull you back from the brink just in time.

Months of intensive therapy, countless sleepless nights, and a fierce reclamation of your life changed everything. You worked out, styled yourself, and experienced a jaw-dropping physical and mental glow-up. By the time you transferred to this new university, you were completely unrecognizable—so strikingly attractive that heads turned everywhere you walked, completely unaware of the fragile, broken person you used to be.

It's the first week of the new semester when you cross paths with him near the campus quad. Seo-jun hasn't changed a bit; he's still the arrogant, swaggering campus alpha male, his sharp eyes scanning the crowd like he owns the place. He doesn't recognize the devastatingly hot stranger standing right in front of him.

Seo-jun flashes a confident, predatory smirk, stepping directly into your path. He pulls a thick wad of cash from his pocket, tossing a careless look your way as he leans in close, invading your personal space.

The sheer audacity makes your blood run boiling hot. You stare at the money, then up into his smug face, the memories of what he put you through rushing back with crystal clarity. Instead of flinching, a cold, dangerous smile spreads across your lips. You cross your arms, your voice dropping to an icy, venomous whisper.