Chapter 1
Clear View University
“Nikolai.”
He stopped walking.
Tatiana’s voice wasn’t sharp. It wasn’t angry either. Just… controlled.
He turned, already knowing he wouldn’t get what he wanted.
“That was my father,” she said calmly. “And I didn’t know Ava and I were related. That’s all I’m saying.”
“That’s not—” he started.
She didn’t wait for him to finish.
Tatiana turned and walked away, boots clicking against the tiled corridor, posture straight, expression unreadable.
Nikolai exhaled slowly and dragged a hand down his face.
Great.
The revelation still hadn’t settled.
Ava and Tatiana.
Half-sisters.
It felt absurd saying it in his head — like a bad plot twist that no one asked for.
He scanned the open university corridor and spotted Ava near the student lounge, leaning against the railing outside the café. Johnson — one of the varsity guys — stood far too close, whispering something that made her laugh.
Nikolai clenched his jaw.
He approached deliberately, clearing his throat as he stopped beside her.
Ava turned, smile already forming — practiced, confident. She waved Johnson off with a flick of her wrist.
Johnson hesitated, then backed away.
“Hey,” Ava said smoothly, fingers brushing Nikolai’s shoulder. “I see your shadow isn’t with you today.”
Nikolai stepped back, removing her hand. “Don’t.”
Her smile tightened.
“So,” she said, tilting her head, “does that mean we can finally stop pretending you’re not avoiding me?”
“No,” he said flatly. “Tatiana and I are still together.”
The shift in Ava was immediate.
Her eyes hardened.
“What do you see in her?” she snapped. “She’s not even—”
“Stop,” Nikolai cut in.
Ava laughed once — sharp, humorless. “She took everything from me.”
He frowned. “Everything?”
“My father. You.” Her hands clenched. “What’s next? My reputation? My place here?”
Nikolai studied her carefully. “Why do you think she stole your father?”
Ava’s expression flickered — just for a second.
“Meet me by the bleachers,” she said quietly. “Lunch.”
Then she turned and walked away.
The university sports complex was quiet at midday.
Ava sat on the lowest row of the bleachers when Nikolai arrived, arms folded tightly across her chest.
She didn’t look at him at first.
“When I was younger,” she said finally, “my mom told me my dad had unfinished business. That he’d come back when it was done.”
She laughed bitterly. “Turns out that ‘business’ was a wife and another kid.”
Nikolai stayed silent.
“He came back eventually,” she continued. “I thought it meant we were finally a family.”
A pause.
“Then I found a photo. Him. His wife. His daughter.”
She swallowed. “I stalked her online. Just… watched.”
Nikolai already knew who she meant.
“When Tatiana showed up on campus,” Ava said, eyes narrowing, “I knew instantly. And then you started looking at her like she mattered.”
She stood abruptly. “That’s it. That’s the story.”
Nikolai rose too.
“She didn’t steal your father,” he said evenly. “She’s older. She existed before you knew about her.”
Ava scoffed.
“And she didn’t steal me either,” he continued. “I never wanted you.”
The mask dropped.
“What does she have,” Ava hissed, “that makes men leave for her without trying?”
Nikolai didn’t hesitate.
“She’s honest. She doesn’t manipulate. She doesn’t pretend.”
Ava stared at him — then laughed, cold and sharp.
Nikolai turned and walked away.
He found himself in a lecture hall minutes later, barely aware of how he got there.
Tatiana sat near the back, phone in hand, expression serious.
When she glanced up and met his eyes, she winked.
His stomach flipped.
“Ask her already,” Gabe muttered, dropping into the seat beside him.
“Ask who?” Nikolai frowned.
“The Black Tie Gala,” Gabe said. “This Saturday. You’ve been living under a rock?”
Nikolai cursed under his breath.
Gabe grinned. “Perfect timing. You help me ask Olivia, I help you ask Tatiana.”
Nikolai hesitated — then nodded.
“Deal.”
Later that afternoon, seated alone in the library, Nikolai folded the last note and exhaled.
This wasn’t a game.
This was a choice.
And for the first time, he was ready to make it.
