---
Stephanie pulled her shawl closer to her shoulders as the breeze swept across the university's courtyard. The sky was thick with clouds, heavy and grey like a brewing storm. Her mind wasn't focused on the lectures that day—her thoughts kept dragging her back to the man in the Bentley.
His face.
His eyes.
His dismissive voice that had cut through the downpour like a blade.
> "Then pay her off and let's go."
The memory made her stomach twist—not with anger, but confusion. Why did he linger in her head?
"Steph," Katherine sang as she joined her, waving a flyer. "Guess what! We're volunteering at the Carter Foundation gala tonight!"
Stephanie looked at her blankly. "We're what?"
"Formal event. Big donors. Big money. Big men. Come on, it'll be good exposure."
"I'm not going just to look at rich men," Stephanie frowned.
"You're going because I already signed you up," Katherine winked. "Besides, it's the Carter Foundation. Maybe you'll run into Bentley Boy again and finally punch him."
Stephanie rolled her eyes, but a quiet flutter in her chest made her stay silent.
---
✦ That Evening — Hotel Belgrave Hall
Golden chandeliers bathed the ballroom in warm light, and polished marble floors reflected the glow of wealth. Stephanie adjusted the sleeves of her borrowed navy gown as she stepped into the grand hall.
Her heels clicked quietly against the floor as she trailed behind Katherine, both of them assigned as guest guides for the evening.
And then, the air shifted.
A ripple passed through the crowd as Raymond Carter walked in.
Jet black suit, white shirt slightly open at the collar, his hair brushed carelessly yet stylishly. He held himself with the confidence of someone who knew the world bowed to him. A diamond-studded watch peeked out from his sleeve as he adjusted his cufflinks with the sort of ease that screamed wealth.
But his face?
Uninterested. Bored. Arrogant.
He barely looked at the people around him, except with a quiet judgment in his eyes—like everything fell below his standard.
Stephanie froze.
She hadn't expected him to be him. Raymond Carter? She had heard of the billionaire heir of Carter Enterprises, but she never connected that name to the rude man in the rain.
She quickly turned to walk the other way.
But fate had other plans.
---
Raymond noticed her the second she moved. Something about her posture… too familiar.
He narrowed his eyes.
Her again?
She was dressed differently tonight, hair pinned up, neck elongated by a delicate chain. But her eyes—those same sharp, defiant eyes—gave her away.
"Unbelievable," he muttered under his breath.
He didn't approach her immediately. He didn't need to. He'd already seen enough women fall over themselves to catch his attention. But she walked away. Like he was someone she'd rather avoid.
That alone irritated him.
---
Later, she stood alone near the balcony entrance, quietly adjusting a tray on the refreshment table.
He finally walked up.
"Still refusing to make eye contact?" His voice came out smooth, but dry.
Stephanie stiffened.
"I see you remember me," she said, turning to face him fully.
He looked her over with narrowed eyes. "Difficult to forget someone who stares at you like you ruined their entire year."
"You didn't ruin my year. Just five minutes of my life. Unfortunately, they were memorable."
His lips twitched. But not with amusement—more like disbelief that she dared speak like that to him.
"Are you always this rude, or is it just when you're wet and angry?"
"Are you always this arrogant, or just when you're behind tinted glass?" she replied.
Raymond tilted his head slightly, studying her. Not with attraction. Not with curiosity. Just confusion.
Why wasn't she impressed?
Why wasn't she trying?
Stephanie turned to walk away.
"I didn't catch your name," he said coolly.
She glanced over her shoulder. "That's because I didn't throw it."
She disappeared into the crowd before he could say another word.
---
✦ On the Balcony — Moments Later
Raymond stood alone under the dripping stone arches of the balcony. The drizzle had begun again, soft and steady. He didn't mind the rain. In fact, he preferred it. It drowned noise.
His assistant approached a moment later. "Sir, would you like to meet the education board chair?"
Raymond didn't respond right away. His eyes drifted across the ballroom—searching, unintentionally.
No. Not searching.
He was curious, he told himself. Just curious.
"Not interested," he said, brushing off the meeting.
He pulled out his phone instead, acting busy, as if the chill crawling into his suit wasn't because of the strange girl with the defiant stare.