**Evening, at the corner of the dormitory building.**


    M looked up, just a little, surprised to find Lysander standing in front of her. She hadn''t expected to run into him—not after a year of silence. What surprised her even more was the confusion that washed over her as she took in his


    appearance.


    Now that he was this close, she could see how drawn and exhausted he looked. The sharp angles of his handsome face seemed a little broken, as if the past year had chipped away at him. Had something happened?


    But what did any of that have to do with her?


    They were supposed to be even less than strangers. The fact that Lysander had shown up and stopped her was already baffling enough.


    M instinctively took a few steps back, putting space between them. Her expression was icy, unreadable. She said nothing just turned to leave.


    There was nothing left to say between them.


    But before she could move away, Lysander grabbed her arm. With a sudden tug, he pulled her roughly, and she stumbled, smacking into the wall behind her. He stepped in, trapping her between his body and the bricks, blocking any chance of escape.


    Panic flickered in M''s chest. She darted a nce around, anxious. She hadn''t forgotten-Lysander was engaged. If anyone saw them like this, how could she possibly exin?


    Luckily, the corner was secluded and the evening shadows were deep. No one was paying attention.


    She exhaled, relief mixing with irritation, and shoved at his chest, voice low and trembling with anger. "Lysander, have you lost your mind?"


    He winced at her push but didn''t budge. Instead, he pressed her tighter against the wall, lowering his head until his face was buried in the curve of her neck, his breath hot and ragged.


    "Don''t move. Just let me hold you for a moment."


    His voice was barely above a whisper, thin and unsteady-almost fragile.


    A strange sense of unease crept over M. Something felt wrong. She endured it


    for a couple of seconds, but his warm breath on her skin made her skin crawl. She shoved him away, hard.


    This time, he let go easily.


    M put distance between them in an instant, chest heaving as her anger finally boiled over. She didn''t bother to rein it in.


    "Lysander, what is wrong with you?"


    "If you want someone to hold or sleep with, why not go find your fiancée? Stoping after me, I''m begging you! Can''t you just pretend I don''t exist?"


    "I really don''t want anything to do with you. Not ever again."


    The corner was cloaked in shadow, half of Lysander''s face swallowed by the dark. He was silent for a long time, then finally spoke, voice quiet and steady.


    "You''re my girlfriend. Why can''t Ie to you?"


    Girlfriend?


    M felt her mind short-circuit.


    She sucked in a breath, but the tightness in her chest wouldn''t ease. She had to breathe in and out several times, but nothing worked. Fury surged up, and she suddenly wanted to hit something-or someone.


    She tried to calm herself. It didn''t work.


    She let out a bitter, incredulousugh.


    “Lysander, are you seriously delusional? Let me remind you—one year ago, we had a contract rtionship. Two months, that''s all.”


    "You might have forgotten, but I haven''t."


    "Not even two months in, you left the country with your fiancée. And before we even started, we agreed-no one else during that time. But you? You were lying to me from the start."


    "And now you show up acting like this? Once wasn''t enough for you, you need to y me again?"


    "Was it fun for you, stringing me along?"


    Her eyes were zing as she red at him.


    Lysander''s face was unreadable in the darkness. He said nothing, just stood there.


    After a long pause, he spoke quietly. "I can make it up to you. Whatever you want —just say it. I''ll keep trying until you''re satisfied. But breaking up isn''t an option. I don''t agree to that."


    M stared at him in disbelief. She couldn''t begin to understand how his mind worked. How had she ever fallen for someone like this?


    She took a few deep breaths, struggling to steady herself.


    Finally, she managed to speak, anger still simmering beneath the surface.


    "Lysander, do I really have to spell this out?"


    "I am just an ordinary person. I wasn''t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, or a family to back me up, or endless chances to make mistakes. Just getting close to your world already took everything I had."


    "You can treat life like a game if you want. I can''t. Being tangled up with you is just wasting my time-my life—and I can''t afford that. I can''t y these games with you. Do you get that?"