Chapter Three: Lines That Shouldn't Be Crossed

Sophie Evans had never hated mornings as much as she did now.

It wasn't that she wasn't used to waking up early—she was a genius, after all, and geniuses didn't have the luxury of sleeping in. But waking up in Ethan Cole's house every day felt like a punishment.

She rolled over in bed, staring at the ceiling.

Day Three.

Only three days, and she already wanted to scream.

Living in a house that wasn't hers, with a man who acted like she was a burden, made her feel more out of place than ever. She had always been independent, capable of handling things on her own. But now? She was stuck.

Sighing, Sophie forced herself out of bed and got ready for school. The routine was familiar, comforting in a way that nothing else was. Uniform, check. Hair tied back, check. Avoiding Ethan at all costs, double check.

Or at least, that was the plan.

Until she walked into the kitchen and found him sitting at the island, sipping his usual black coffee, dressed in another one of his crisp suits.

The air immediately grew tense.

She could ignore him. Pretend he wasn't there.

But then he spoke.

"You'll be taking the car today."

Sophie froze mid-step, then turned to him with narrowed eyes. "Excuse me?"

Ethan didn't look up from his coffee. "The driver will take you to school."

"I don't need a driver."

"I don't care."

Sophie clenched her jaw. "I've been taking the bus for years. I'm not about to change my routine just because—"

"You live here now," Ethan interrupted smoothly, finally looking at her. "And while you're under my roof, you'll follow my rules."

His tone was calm, but there was something final about it. A quiet authority that made it clear he wasn't asking.

Sophie's fingers curled into fists.

She hated that he had control over any part of her life.

Hated that he was right.

"Fine," she muttered, grabbing a piece of toast from the counter. "Whatever makes you feel like a big, bad billionaire."

Ethan smirked. "Good girl."

Her eye twitched.

If murder weren't illegal, she'd—

"Eat properly before you leave," Maria, the housekeeper, interrupted, placing a plate of eggs in front of her. "You'll need your strength for the day."

Sophie sighed. There was no winning in this house.

Whispers and Stares

By the time Sophie arrived at school, she could already feel the weight of the whispers.

It had only been a few days since people found out she was living with Ethan Cole, and the gossip still hadn't died down.

"She came in a black car today."

"Do you think he bought it for her?"

"I heard they sleep in the same house."

Sophie groaned, rubbing her temples. She wasn't even inside the building yet, and she was already done with the day.

She made her way through the halls, keeping her head high. It didn't matter what they said. It didn't matter what they thought.

She just had to survive.

"Sophie!"

She turned to see Noah Bennett, her only real friend at school, jogging toward her with his usual lazy grin.

"Morning, genius," he greeted. "Survive another night in the billionaire's lair?"

Sophie sighed dramatically. "Barely."

Noah smirked. "Did he make you sign an NDA yet?"

"Not yet. But give it time."

They walked to class together, ignoring the whispers. At least with Noah around, it was easier to pretend none of it bothered her.

But deep down…

It did.

Because as much as she wanted to ignore the rumors, she knew people were waiting for her to slip.

And she wasn't about to give them the satisfaction.

An Unexpected Guest

That night, Sophie was curled up in her room, trying to focus on her homework, when a knock interrupted her.

She frowned. No one ever knocked.

"Come in?"

The door opened, and to her absolute horror, Ethan stepped inside.

She blinked. "Are you lost?"

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "It's my house."

Sophie huffed. "Could've fooled me. You're never home."

He ignored her. "I wanted to check on something."

Sophie folded her arms. "And that something is…?"

He studied her, then gestured to her books. "You're still working?"

"I'm always working."

Ethan's gaze flickered over the neatly written notes, the stack of textbooks, and the half-eaten apple on her desk.

"You really don't take breaks, do you?"

Sophie narrowed her eyes. "What are you getting at?"

He leaned against the doorway, arms crossed. "Your tuition is paid for. You don't have to overwork yourself to prove anything."

Sophie scoffed. "That's where you're wrong."

Ethan's gaze sharpened. "Explain."

Sophie exhaled, looking away. "I don't have a rich family name. I don't have connections. The only reason I'm at that school is because I'm smart. If I slack off, if I mess up—I lose everything."

There was a beat of silence.

Then Ethan said, "You're already better than half the people at that school."

Sophie blinked.

Was that… a compliment?

Before she could recover, he pushed off the doorframe. "Don't stay up too late."

And just like that, he was gone.

Sophie stared after him.

What the hell was that?

Crossing the Line

The next morning, Sophie made it exactly five minutes into breakfast before she lost her patience.

It started when Ethan walked in, looking far too put-together for someone who had probably woken up two seconds ago.

Then, he had the audacity to say, "Did you sleep well?"

Sophie stabbed her fork into her eggs. "Cut the act."

Ethan raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

Sophie set her fork down. "You're acting… weird."

Ethan sipped his coffee. "Define weird."

"You asked about my homework last night."

"That's weird?"

"Yes!"

Ethan smirked. "I was just being polite."

"You're never polite."

Maria, the housekeeper, coughed loudly from the sink.

Sophie scowled. "You're up to something."

Ethan just shrugged, clearly enjoying her frustration.

But before Sophie could interrogate him further, a loud buzzing interrupted them.

Ethan checked his phone. His expression darkened.

Sophie immediately noticed. "What?"

He didn't answer. Instead, he stood abruptly, grabbing his coat.

"I have business to handle," he said curtly.

Sophie frowned. "What kind of business?"

Ethan glanced at her. "The kind that doesn't concern you."

Then he was gone.

Sophie stared at the empty space where he'd just been.

Something wasn't right.

And for the first time since moving in…

She wondered what, exactly, she had gotten herself into.