Chapter 1
Prologue
“I know you like me. Honestly, it would’ve been harder not to notice.”
Wharton School—one of the most prestigious private academies on the East Coast.
Filled with children from the most elite families in America, the most famous student in this school stood right in front of her.
Blay Williams.
Quarterback and captain of the Wharton football team.
Youngest grandson of the American magnate, Alexander Williams.
But Blay’s fame wasn’t just due to his glittering pedigree.
His golden hair shone brighter than the summer sun. His soft green eyes always twinkled with an air of easy confidence. His nose was straight and proud, and his lips were so perfectly shaped they made you imagine kissing him.
Anyone who saw Blay agreed—he had surpassed even his actor father’s movie-star looks.
He was perfect.
Except for one thing.
“There’ve been plenty of girls who liked me. But no one’s ever clung to me this persistently. You’re a real stalker.”
Blay thought she was a stalker!
Sian felt her vision go black.
If this misunderstanding spread, her school life would be over—and so would her entire plan.
She waved her hands desperately.
“You’ve got it all wrong. I can explain everything!”
“No need. If you had enough sense to explain, you wouldn’t have stalked me in the first place.”
“No, I wasn’t stalking you—!”
“So you admit you were stalking someone.”
He flashed a dazzling smile—like a prince stepping out of a movie.
Only then did Sian realize she had fallen completely into his pace.
‘I’m screwed.’
She stared at Blay in terror as he stepped closer, closing the gap between them.
He was tall, with a build that left no room for doubt—just like a quarterback should be. Despite his refined face, his thick legs were practically intimidating. She could easily imagine how terrifying it must be to face him on the field.
Not that she wanted to find out this way.
“This is a misunderstanding… I swear it is.”
Backed into a corner like a frightened mouse, Sian stumbled until her back hit something hard.
A wall.
Blay’s eyes softened the moment he realized she had nowhere left to run.
“Yeah. Maybe I am misunderstanding things. Maybe you joining the cheer squad, switching into my classes, and spying on me just now was all a coincidence.”
“…”
“You definitely weren’t stalking me. Right?”
Hearing her own actions listed out loud like that left Sian speechless.
She opened and closed her mouth like a goldfish, unable to protest.
Seeing that, Blay’s triumphant grin deepened.
“Guess there’s only one option.”
“…What?”
Was he going to report her to the dean?
Sian’s face turned pale.
She couldn’t get kicked out of Wharton. Not when she had only just gotten in. Not when she hadn’t even found her brother yet!
Just as she was about to confess everything and beg for mercy, Blay dropped a bombshell.
“I’ll give you the honor of dating me. If we’re a couple, it’s not stalking anymore.”
…What kind of bullshit was that?
Sian gawked at him, completely dumbfounded.
He seemed to think she was speechless with gratitude at his “generosity.”
His low, velvety laugh was actually quite pleasant to the ears—but this was no time to be swayed.
Shaking her head, she shouted over him, even as he kept speaking.
“Yeah, I get it. It’s a dream come true, right? Hard to believe, but it’s real.”
“I would never date you!”
A heavy silence fell.
The smile vanished from Blay’s face.
His long lashes fluttered as he tilted his head, voice suddenly quiet.
“…Sorry, what? I must’ve misheard.”
“I wasn’t following you. I was following Ian.”
There. She said it.
It might ruin everything, but saying the truth out loud felt like a relief.
“Ian? You mean my friend Ian?”
Blay, who just moments ago had been full of swagger, actually staggered back a step.
Like someone had smacked him across the back of the head.
Ian Morgan.
Now known as Blay Williams’ friend, but once upon a time, his name had been Kim Ian.
Sian’s older brother.
Before he was adopted to America, he had been a genius child prodigy praised by the whole neighborhood.
Just thinking about her brother brought a smile to her face.
Blay stepped back, startled by the warmth of her expression.
“You really weren’t after me…? All this time, it was Ian?”
It made sense why he misunderstood—they were always together.
But finally, he let his guard down.
That was Sian’s cue.
“Sorry for the misunderstanding. But I only like Ian.”
She fired off her apology and dashed away without giving him a chance to respond.
Even as her small figure disappeared in the distance, Blay stood frozen.
“She didn’t like me?”
A wave of betrayal crashed over him.
“…Hah.”
A bitter laugh escaped him.
All that remained was the lingering scent of caramel and sugar, proof that she had stood here just moments ago.
Blay clenched his fist, as if trying to capture the scent.
“Cute little liar.”
His gentle green eyes, usually full of ease, now burned like wildfire.
And so began one hell of a misunderstanding.
Chapter 1. I Came to Find My Brother
To understand the source of this massive misunderstanding, we need to go back to Sian’s first day at Wharton.
“How am I supposed to get in there?”
Sian groaned.
Getting accepted as a 10th-grade transfer to Wharton—one of the most competitive schools in the country—had been a miracle.
But finding her brother meant overcoming even more obstacles.
Like the security gate in front of her.
Sian squinted from outside the Rockefeller Hall, the dorm for 12th graders.
She watched upperclassmen pass through the gate, flashing their student IDs at the faculty member stationed there.
“Did you see Blay today?”
“Nope. Doesn’t look like he’s in yet.”
The 12th graders wore either green ties or ribbons, depending on preference. After presenting their IDs, they passed through a security scanner.
The gate was meant to keep out impersonators or anyone trying to sneak in weapons.
It might seem extreme, but in a country where guns were legal and school attacks weren’t unheard of, it was a necessary precaution.
The problem was, that gate also blocked Sian.
“Why did they have to split buildings by grade?”
She should’ve guessed this would happen when she saw how massive the school campus was.
As a 10th grader, her schedule wouldn’t overlap at all with Ian, who was in 12th.
“Maybe I should just act like I belong?”
Who knew? Maybe luck would be on her side.
Worst-case scenario, she’d get stopped and sent back.
She was just about to take a step forward—
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, newbie.”
A voice spoke beside her.
It belonged to a guy holding a steaming cup of coffee.
Sian’s eyes widened.
Bathed in morning sunlight, his golden hair sparkled like it had been dusted with stardust. His soft green eyes glistened like a clear lake, and Sian nearly drowned in their depth.
She snapped out of it and asked, “How did you know I’m new?”
He let out a laugh like a mischievous schoolboy.
“I’ve never seen your face before.”
He held up his green tie.
Same grade as Ian.
Sian’s eyes lit up.
Suddenly, this man looked like a golden ticket—her one-way pass past the security gate.
“Could you help me get in?”
She asked bluntly.
He smirked.
“So you’re not just a lost freshman. Interesting.”
Was that a yes or no?
Sian stared at him anxiously. Time was running out before first period.
“What’s a newbie doing here anyway?”
He took another sip of his coffee before asking.
“I’m here to meet someone.”
“Someone?”
“Yes.”
Just thinking of Ian made her smile again.
She wondered how much he’d changed. Hopefully, he’d grown up just as handsome as the guy in front of her.
They had been adopted into separate families and lost contact years ago, but Sian was sure of it.
“I came all the way to Wharton to meet the most handsome and amazing guy in the world.”
“Well, that’s perfect.”
“…Huh?”
Perfect? What was?
He winked at her.
“You’re looking at him. Blay Williams, right here. Congrats—dream fulfilled.”
“…Excuse me?”
Sian stared at him like she’d bitten into a lemon.
‘Handsome face… shame about the brain.’
She couldn’t help sighing in pity.
He patted her shoulder like he was comforting her.
“Now that you’ve seen my face, off you go.”
“Wait, but—”
“If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll run into each other in the cafeteria. Bye now.”
With a parting grin, he disappeared inside.
“…Weird guy.”
Even after he was gone, Sian stood there, stunned.
