Undone By You

Elena Carter stood at the gates of Harrington Academy, her hands trembling around the straps of her worn-out backpack. The sprawling campus, hidden behind tall iron fences and lined with towering oaks, might as well have been another world. A world she didn't belong in.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders, forcing her nerves to settle. She had earned this scholarship, this chance to escape the crumbling life she and her father were trapped in. But nothing in her life could've prepared her for this.

Every corner of the campus screamed wealth. The students-golden-haired and impeccably dressed-strolled past her like they owned the place. It was impossible not to feel the divide. The air felt heavy with the unspoken rule that only the privileged could survive here.

As she moved toward the main building, her sneakers squeaking against the polished marble floors, she tried to remind herself why she was here. To work, to prove herself, to survive. Not to get tangled up in the drama or distractions. But it was hard to keep her focus when every glance she caught from the students was either a sneer or a curious look as if she was some kind of anomaly.

"Elena Carter, right?" A voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She turned, startled, to see a tall, broad-shouldered guy leaning against the locker beside her. His eyes were sharp, dark brown, with an almost predatory gleam in them. His smirk was the type that made the hair on the back of her neck stand up.

She nodded cautiously. "Yeah. That's me."

"I'm Jaxon Pierce," he said, extending a hand. "Aiden's right-hand man. You know, the football team? Captain? He's the one you'll want to get to know around here if you plan on sticking around."

Elena's stomach churned at the mention of the football team, but she managed a polite smile as she shook his hand. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind."

Jaxon raised an eyebrow, his smile turning into something more knowing. "You'll figure it out," he said, as if there were something more to it, before walking off, his eyes lingering on her a little longer than necessary.

Elena couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about the encounter. Maybe it was the way Jaxon had looked at her, like she was just another piece in their game. Maybe it was the way the entire school felt like a carefully constructed stage, with everyone playing a part.

As she made her way to her next class, she passed a group of girls who whispered behind their hands. One of them, blonde and perfectly manicured, glanced her way and then sneered. Elena's heart sank, but she kept walking. She had never been one to back down from a fight, and if they thought she'd let their judgment slide, they were wrong.

It wasn't until she reached her classroom that she saw him.

Aiden Sinclair.

He was leaning against the doorframe, a cocky smile playing at the corner of his lips as he surveyed the students around him. There was a dangerous edge to his smile, something that made even the air around him seem charged. The entire room seemed to pause as he entered, the whispers of the students quieting like a collective breath being held.

Elena's pulse quickened. She had heard of Aiden Sinclair-everyone had. The golden boy. The captain of the football team. The heir to the Sinclair empire, one of the wealthiest families in the country. But there was something in the way he carried himself, in the way the room shifted around him, that made him feel more like a king than a student.

His gaze found hers across the room, and for a moment, everything stopped. His eyes locked on her with a burning intensity, as if he were cataloging every detail of her. Elena forced herself not to look away. She didn't care who he was or how much power he held. She wasn't here to get involved with someone like him.

But he was already moving toward her, a predator honing in on its prey.

"Scholarship girl," he said smoothly, his voice low and laced with a hint of mockery. "I wasn't sure the rumors were true. You really do exist."

Elena straightened, refusing to let him see how much his words stung. "And I'm sure the rumors about you are just as exaggerated. I'm here to learn, not to entertain you," she replied, her voice calm but firm.

Aiden's lips curved into a smile, but there was something predatory in his gaze. "Oh, I'm sure. But you should know, here, there's no such thing as being 'just a student.' You'll learn quickly that power is everything."

His eyes lingered on her for another beat before he turned away, his presence leaving an unmistakable sense of control hanging in the air. Elena swallowed hard, the weight of his gaze still heavy on her chest. She wasn't sure whether to be frustrated, flattered, or intimidated. Probably all three.

She glanced around the room, but everyone had already turned their attention back to their own lives, as if they were used to this-used to him. It was the same everywhere she went in this school. The rich, the powerful, the untouchable, all playing their own games while people like her just tried to survive.

The bell rang, and Aiden slipped into a seat in the back corner, casting one last glance at her before settling in. Elena took a seat at the front, far away from him. She had no intention of getting caught in the web of drama that surrounded Aiden Sinclair. But deep down, she knew that wouldn't be as easy as she hoped.