“Man, the new girl is beautiful,” sighs a blond-haired boy as he leans back in his chair with a mischievous grin, eyeing Caspian as he slides into the seat across from him in the bustling cafeteria.
Caspian rolls his eyes, barely reacting.
“Don’t start, Josh,” he replies flatly.
Josh chuckles, clearly unfazed.
“Come on, Caspian, the girls flock to you. Unlike the rest of us who actually have to put in effort, you just walk in, and they’re yours. Allow a guy to dream, please.”
Suppressing a twinge of irritation, Caspian responds, “Dream all you want, Josh. Just don’t do it in front of me.”
Josh’s grin falters as he picks up on Caspian’s unusually sharp tone.
“What’s up with you, man?” he asks, curious.
“Why so moody? Do you like her?”
Caspian almost sneers but holds back.
He knows Josh well; giving him even a hint of his true thoughts would fuel endless teasing.
And Caspian isn’t interested in Josh’s commentary, especially about a girl he sees as more than just a passing curiosity.
“Focus more on what you’ll do when Diana catches up with you,” he says, deflecting.
That is enough to do the trick.
Josh’s smirk quickly morphs into a grimace.
“Please, don’t remind me,” he groans.
“By the way, what was up with you stepping in to break up Diana’s drama with the new girl?”
Caspian leans back, satisfied with the shift in topic.
“Diana was just being herself—bullying anyone she sees as a threat. Typical behavior.”
Josh shakes his head, running a hand through his hair.
“Should’ve never dated that girl. She’s been driving me up the wall ever since.”
Caspian chuckles softly.
“Thought she was after me, but looks like you’re her best option.”
Josh grimaces, shaking his head with a rueful smile.
“Guess I brought it on myself.”
Caspian smirks but turns his gaze to the other end of the cafeteria, where Winter is sitting with his sister, Aleira.
His thoughts drift from the conversation, focusing instead on Winter.
The girl has surprised him.
She is nothing like he had expected from Marcus Bond’s stepdaughter.
Marcus was known for favoring submissive, compliant types, and Winter is anything but.
She is sharp, unpredictable, and carries an air of mystery that intrigues him.
He can’t help but wonder what Marcus truly plans to do with her and her mother.
But Winter and her mother remained an enigma.
That’s when he bribed a staff member at the Academy section of the mall, suspecting Marcus would enroll his stepdaughter here.
Crestwood was exactly the kind of elite environment Marcus would aim for.
Caspian’s hunch had been correct; he received the call on Saturday morning, tipped off that Marcus had set an appointment.
He hadn’t expected much beyond collecting information to leverage.
But then he saw her—Winter, with her striking silver hair and curious eyes.
She had caught him entirely off guard.
Beautiful, yes, but that wasn’t what intrigued him.
Images had flashed through his mind, startling him, but they disappeared as quickly as they came.
He had chalked it up to stress and continued observing her from afar.
Now, watching her across the cafeteria, Caspian knows she isn’t just a pawn anymore.
Winter could be a key—a piece that, if handled correctly, could tip the scales in his favor.
“Hey, Caspian, you still with me?”
Josh’s voice snaps him back to the present.
Caspian blinks, refocusing.
“Yeah, sorry. Just… thinking about something.”
Josh gives him a suspicious look.
“Thinking about what? You’ve been distant since we sat down.”
Caspian hesitates, choosing his words carefully.
“Family stuff,” he says, keeping it vague.
Josh nods sympathetically.
“Yeah, I get it.”
Caspian doesn’t respond, allowing the conversation to fade.
The bell rings, cutting through the cafeteria’s chatter and signaling the end of lunch.
Caspian stands, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
“Let’s get to class.”
As they walk down the hallway, his eyes seek Winter again.
She and Aleira are a few steps ahead, and he uses the opportunity to observe her closely.
Who exactly is Winter Sinclair?
Does she know who Marcus truly is?
Does her mother understand the kind of man she is marrying?
Caspian himself doesn’t know much, but he does know that Marcus had set him up, using Drae to gain access to something his father, Alexander Hale, had been developing.
The thought of Drae makes Caspian clench his fists.
Drae had been his best friend until he betrayed him, handing over key documents to Marcus and pushing Alexander Hale to his death.
With effort, Caspian pushes thoughts of Drae from his mind as he enters the classroom.
He chooses a seat at the back, where he can watch Winter without drawing attention.
She sits near the front with Aleira, her head down, focused on her notebook.
Caspian is aware of why his sister befriended Winter so quickly—to interfere with his plans.
But he isn’t going to let that stop him.
Nothing will stand in his way of destroying the Bonds, just as they had destroyed his family.
For a moment, he allows himself to study Winter.
Her movements are deliberate, focused.
Caspian knows he’ll have to be cautious dealing with her.
She isn’t the weak, compliant target he anticipated, and that only makes her more intriguing.
Still, he won’t let himself get distracted from his goal.
“Hey, are we still going out this Friday?”
Josh’s voice pulls him from his thoughts again.
Caspian glances at him, disinterested.
“I’m going to pass on that.”
Josh rolls his eyes but presses on.
“It’s Diana’s mother’s birthday, and I figured you’d have to go since you’re the heir to Hale Technology. These events are more political than social, so I’m sure the Bond family will be there. You really don’t want to use the chance to get close to Winter?”
Caspian pauses, considering.
If the Bonds are attending, it could be the perfect opportunity to gather more intel.
He needs to know what Drae gave Marcus.
“Fine,” Caspian replies, his tone measured.
“If Winter’s going to be there, then I’ll go too.”
Josh grins, pleased.
“That’s more like it. I didn’t want to be there without you, man. Besides, who knows? This could be the start of your ‘love story’ with the new girl.”
Caspian smirks but doesn’t share his friend’s enthusiasm.
He isn’t interested in love or romance.
This is about strategy, and Winter is quickly becoming a crucial part of it.
As class begins, Caspian leans back, his eyes still on Winter.
She has no idea, but she might just be the key to bringing down Marcus Bond.