The icy winter wind swept through the busy streets as Aria Bennett tightened her grip on the insulated delivery bag strapped to her scooter.

Twenty years old.

A scholarship student.

Three part-time jobs.

One dream—to graduate from the prestigious Westbridge University and give her younger brother a better life.

Every minute of her day was planned. Morning lectures, afternoon café shifts, evening food deliveries, and late-night studying. Sleep was a luxury she could barely afford.

Her phone buzzed.

Order Delivered in 29 Minutes.

She glanced at the timer.

30 min

"...Damn."

Just one minute late.

Aria parked outside an enormous mansion. Luxury cars lined the driveway, and guards stood at the entrance. She walked inside after confirming the order.

A tall man stood in the living room, dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit. His expensive watch probably cost more than everything Aria owned.

His sharp grey eyes landed on her.

Cold.

Emotionless.

Intimidating.

This was Adrian Knight, the youngest billionaire CEO in the country, infamous for his ruthless personality.

Aria offered the food politely.

"Sir, your order."

He didn't even look at the bag.

"You're one minute late."

Aria blinked.

"I... I'm really sorry. The traffic—"

"I don't accept late deliveries."

His deep voice was calm, but it carried enough authority to silence the entire room.

The staff lowered their heads.

Aria frowned.

"Sir, it's only one minute."

"My rules don't change because of excuses."

He turned away.

"Take it back."

For a moment, Aria simply stared at his back.

Then something inside her snapped.

"I skipped lunch to deliver this," she muttered.

He ignored her.

Her jaw clenched.

"Fine."

Before anyone could react—

Splash!

The entire box of pasta and sauce landed right on Adrian's expensive black suit.

Silence.

Absolute silence.

The guards froze.

The employees looked as if they had just witnessed the end of the world.

Red sauce slowly dripped down Adrian's designer jacket.

Aria looked straight into his eyes.

"Now your suit is late too."

Without waiting for a response, she tossed the empty container into the trash bin, turned around, and walked out.

She never looked back.

For the first time in years...

Someone had publicly humiliated Adrian Knight.

Twenty-five minutes later...

Aria rushed through the gates of Westbridge University, breathing heavily.

"I made it..."

She adjusted her worn backpack and entered the lecture hall.

The students around her whispered as usual.

"She's the scholarship girl."

"Still doing deliveries?"

"I heard she works three jobs."

Ignoring every comment, Aria quietly took her seat in the last row and opened her notebook.

No matter how difficult life became...

She would never stop fighting for her dreams.

Little did she know...

The man whose suit she had just ruined would soon walk into her life again.

And this time...

There would be no escape.

Aria hurried into the classroom just as the bell rang.

"Finally..." she whispered, catching her breath as she slipped into the last seat near the window.

The classroom buzzed with excitement.

"Did you hear?"

"Our new Finance professor is joining today."

"I heard he studied abroad."

"They say he's extremely strict."

"No one has ever passed his class easily."

Aria sighed as she took out her notebook.

"As long as he teaches well, I don't care how strict he is."

A moment later, the classroom door opened.

Tap... Tap... Tap...

The sound of polished leather shoes echoed through the silent room.

Every student immediately stood up.

A tall man in a charcoal-grey three-piece suit entered with effortless confidence. His expression was cold, his posture commanding, and his sharp eyes swept across the class.

The room fell into complete silence.

Aria looked up...

...and the color drained from her face.

"No way..."

Her eyes widened in horror.

"Him?"

Standing in front of the class was the very same man whose expensive suit she had covered in pasta barely an hour ago.

Adrian Knight.

His suit had been changed, but his icy expression remained exactly the same.

Aria's heart nearly stopped.

"I'm dead..."

Adrian placed his files on the desk before speaking in a calm, emotionless voice.

"Good morning."

"I am Professor Adrian Knight."

"I'll be teaching Advanced Finance from today onward."

The girls in the class exchanged excited glances.

"He's so handsome!"

"I've never seen a professor like him."

"He looks more like a CEO than a teacher."

Aria wanted to disappear beneath her desk.

"Please... don't recognize me."

As if hearing her silent prayer, Adrian slowly scanned every student's face.

Then...

His gaze stopped on Aria.

For a brief second, neither of them moved.

Recognition flashed across his cold grey eyes.

A faint, almost invisible smirk appeared on his lips.

Aria swallowed nervously.

"He remembers."

Without breaking eye contact, Adrian spoke.

"Since it's the first day, let's begin with a simple introduction."

His voice remained calm.

"But before that..."

He looked directly at Aria.

"You."

"The student sitting in the last row."

"Stand up."

The entire class turned to look at her.

Aria slowly stood, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Adrian's eyes never left hers.

"Tell the class your name."

And in that moment...

Aria realized that throwing food at the new Finance professor might have been the biggest mistake of her life.