The music hall at Redwood University vibrated with the thunderous sound of Zane's electric guitar. His fingers danced across the strings with precision, syncing perfectly with the pounding drums behind him. The room was alive with energy, the music a physical force, drowning out everything else in the world. For Zane, it was more than music—it was release, an escape from the chaos constantly swirling inside his head.
Each note he played felt like it was tearing something from him—anger, confusion, frustration. The final riff echoed through the room, and as the sound faded, so did the tension that had coiled tight in his chest. Zane's heart still raced, beads of sweat forming on his brow, but for the first time in hours, he felt a hint of calm.
He set the guitar down, breathing deeply as he exchanged handshakes with his bandmates. "We're going to kill it at the Redwood Music Night 2025," he said, confidence returning to his voice.
His bandmates grinned, hyped by the practice session. Zane slung his guitar over his shoulder, walking out of the hall. But as he made his way down the third-floor corridor, he felt it—eyes on him. People were watching, whispering. There was a tension in the air that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
He could see the smirks on their faces, the barely concealed laughter. Some students tried to hide their amusement, but Zane caught every glance. His stomach tightened.
Suddenly, Alex, one of his friends, came up beside him, looking nervous. "Zane... have you seen it yet?"
Zane frowned, his heart already sinking. "Seen what?"
Alex pulled out his phone and shoved it in Zane's face. There it was—a photo of him, shirtless, with Olivia. It was everywhere. He could feel the blood drain from his face as the image burned into his brain.
Zane's voice was barely controlled. "Who the fuck did this?"
A random student walking by muttered, "It's in a WhatsApp group. Admin is Drake."
Zane's mind went blank with fury. Drake. Of course, it was Drake. The fucking snake. His pulse pounded in his ears as he stormed through the corridors, every step filled with rage. He didn't stop to think. He couldn't. His body moved on instinct, his vision narrowing as he pushed through the crowd, searching for the one person who could answer for this.
---
The canteen was loud with chatter, but it fell silent when Zane burst in, his eyes locked on Drake, who sat laughing with Logan and their group. Without a word, Zane lunged at Drake, landing a punch so hard it knocked him out of his chair.
The entire room went still, whispers spreading like wildfire. Everyone was watching.
Zane grabbed Drake by the collar, his voice a low hiss, "Why the fuck did you do that, you motherfucker?"
Before Drake could even stammer a reply, Logan stood up, his calmness like gasoline on Zane's already blazing anger. His voice was smooth, mocking. "Calm down, little boy."
Zane's jaw clenched, his fists trembling with rage. "Don't fucking drag me into your shit, Logan. I'll fuck you up, and you know it."
Logan smirked, unbothered. He took a step closer, his voice lowering. "You'd better stay away from what's mine, Zane."
Zane's gaze flicked across the room and landed on Riu, who was standing near the back, watching the scene unfold. Her eyes met his, and in that moment, everything else faded. Her look wasn't one of anger or judgment—it was disappointment. And for some reason, that hit him harder than any insult Logan could throw his way.
He stepped back, his voice cold, controlled. "I'll take everything from you, Logan. Every. Fucking. Thing."
With that, Zane turned and walked out, leaving the murmuring crowd behind. He didn't look back, but he could feel Logan's smug grin burning into his back.
"Alright, folks, show's over," Logan called out to the crowd, waving his hand like it was all a game. "Let's get back to our lunches."
---
Back in the corner of the canteen, Riu, Lana, and Soumya sat in stunned silence.
Soumya was the first to break it, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "That Zane guy might look good, but damn, he's a walking disaster. A real fucker."
Lana shook her head, sighing. "Everything's so fucked up. I mean, leaking that photo? That's just low. Even for them."
Riu remained quiet, her fingers playing with the edge of her cup. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, filled with disappointment. "They're all the same. Guys like them... they'll only ever let you down."
Soumya, always the instigator, leaned in. "You know, Olivia was my friend. She told me all about Zane. He used to blackmail her into sex. Even got her hooked on drugs. That guy? He's not the hero people think he is. He only cares about one thing."
Riu's eyes widened, her stomach twisting. "What the fuck? Are you serious?"
Lana's face twisted in disgust. "I thought he was the hottest guy here, but now? I can't even look at him. What a bastard."
Soumya gave a sly smile. "Logan's different, though."
All their eyes turned to Logan, who was casually sipping his drink, looking completely unfazed by the chaos he'd just caused.
---
Later that day, Zane sat on the steps outside the dorms, the cigarette between his fingers glowing faintly in the early evening light. He inhaled deeply, trying to calm the rage still boiling inside him, but it wasn't working. His mind kept replaying everything—Drake, the photo, Logan's smug face. And then... Riu's eyes. The disappointment he saw there felt like a fucking punch to the gut.
Leo, one of his closest friends, sat down beside him. He didn't say anything at first, just lit his own cigarette and let the silence hang between them. Finally, Leo spoke, his voice steady, calm. "What the fuck do they want from you?"
Zane exhaled a cloud of smoke, shaking his head. "I don't know, man. They're always up to something. Fucking snakes."
Leo leaned back, flicking ash from his cigarette. "We're with you, Zane. Whatever Logan's playing at, we'll fuck him up."
Bob, another one of Zane's friends, cracked his knuckles. "I'll tear Drake apart. He's gonna wish he never crossed you."
Zane took another drag, his voice quieter now. "I know why they're doing it."
Bob raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Why?"
Zane's jaw clenched. "It's because of Riu—Riya Kapoor."
Leo whistled, leaning forward. "Ohhh, the new Indian girl. She's something, huh?"
Zane nodded, the cigarette burning between his fingers. "Logan's playing a game to get her."
Bob shrugged, unconcerned. "But why do you care? Since when do you give a fuck about a girl?"
Zane hesitated, the words catching in his throat. "I don't know, man. There's just... something about her. Something I can't shake."
Leo smirked. "So, we finally found your weakness, huh?"
Zane's face darkened, his voice bitter. "She probably hates me now, after what happened today."
Leo patted his back. "Don't sweat it. I don't think she'll judge you that quickly. Besides, who knows what'll happen next?"
Zane stared off into the distance, the weight of the day pressing down on him. He hated being judged, hated how people could turn on you in an instant without even knowing the truth.
---
That night, Logan paced his room, his phone pressed to his ear. His voice was cold, hard. "If you don't return my money, I'll ruin everything you fucking own."
The voice on the other end, old and shaky, begged, "Please, Logan, I'm working on it. The cocaine's being sold, I just need time. I swear, I'll have the money in 60 days."
Logan's eyes narrowed, his grip tightening on the phone. "You've got 60 days, old man. Not a day more. Or I'll tear everything you care about to fucking pieces."
He hung up, tossing the phone onto the bed. "Shitty old bastard," he muttered to himself. "Takes my coke and can't even pay up."
Drake, lounging on the couch, laughed. "Don't stress, Logan. We've got his property. He'll cough up."
Logan grinned, the darkness in his smile unsettling. "Yeah, we own him now."
---
The next morning, the sky was heavy with clouds as Zane pulled up to the university on his Ducati. He parked, pulling off his helmet, and walked toward the entrance. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Riu standing nearby. His heart thudded in his chest as he called out, "Hey, Riya Kapoor."
Riu turned at the sound of her name, her expression calm but guarded. "Yes?"
Zane swallowed, feeling suddenly unsure of himself. He'd always been confident around people, but something about Riu made him hesitate. "Hi," he said, his voice softer than usual.
"Hello," she replied, her tone polite but distant.
Zane scratched the back of his neck, trying to gather his thoughts. He'd come over here on impulse, but now he wasn't sure what to say. "How are you?" he asked, though he knew it was a stupid question.
"I'm fine," Riu said, a slight edge to her voice. She wasn't angry, but she definitely wasn't giving him any warmth, either.
Zane exhaled slowly, knowing he needed to address the elephant in the room. "Look, I wanted to tell you something... about those pictures you saw yesterday." He paused, searching her face for any sign of what she might be thinking. "They're old. From five years ago. They don't represent who I am now."
Riu's expression didn't change much, but she raised an eyebrow. "Why are you explaining this to me, Zane? I barely know you."
Zane felt a flash of frustration. He wasn't sure why he cared so much about what she thought. He wasn't the type to explain himself to anyone, but with Riu, it was different. "I don't know," he admitted, running a hand through his hair. "I just... I didn't want you to get the wrong idea about me. You don't know the whole story."
Riu's lips curled into a small, almost amused smile. "It's not really my business, is it?" she said, her voice light but still distant. "I'm just here to get through university. Drama like this? It doesn't interest me."
Zane's heart sank a little. She was brushing him off, and he didn't know why that bothered him so much. "Yeah... right. I get it." He hesitated, then added, "But if you ever want to hear the full story, I'm around."
Riu didn't respond right away, but there was a flicker of something in her eyes—curiosity, maybe, or just the slightest hint of understanding. She gave a small nod, then glanced at her watch. "I've got to go to class," she said, taking a step back. "See you around, Zane."
He watched her walk away, a strange feeling settling in his chest. Disappointment? Frustration? He wasn't sure. All he knew was that, for the first time in a long while, someone had seen past the surface, and it left him feeling more exposed than he'd expected.
---
As Riu entered the classroom, she spotted Soumya waiting for her. The familiar grin on Soumya's face was enough to signal that she'd seen the whole exchange.
"So... you and Zane, huh?" Soumya teased, her eyes gleaming with mischief.
Riu rolled her eyes, dropping into the seat next to her. "It's not like that. He was just trying to explain those stupid pictures."
Soumya raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying this. "Oh, right, because guys like Zane Holloway go out of their way to explain things to random girls all the time."
Riu shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips despite herself. "I don't know, Soumya. It's all just... complicated. I'm not interested in any of that drama."
"Well, too bad," Soumya said, leaning in closer. "Because drama seems interested in you."
Before Riu could respond, Miss Smith walked into the room, signaling the start of the class.
---
After class, as Riu and Soumya stepped out into the breezy afternoon, they spotted Logan standing near the entrance. He was leaning casually against the gate, his usual smirk playing on his lips as he watched them approach. His eyes locked on Riu, and he pushed off the gate, his hands sliding into his pockets as he strolled over.
"Riya," Logan said smoothly, his voice dripping with confidence. "You're hard to miss, you know that?"
Riu's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you want, Logan?"
He chuckled, seemingly unfazed by her guarded tone. "There's an art exhibition tomorrow. It's going to feature some incredible pieces—you know, real masterpieces. Thought you might want to come with me. Appreciate some real art."
Riu crossed her arms, eyeing him suspiciously. "Why would I want to do that?"
Logan shrugged, his smile not faltering. "Because it's worth your time. And I promise, it'll be a night to remember." He leaned in just a little, his voice dropping lower. "Trust me, Riya, I know how to show people a good time."
Riu hesitated, glancing briefly at Soumya, who was watching the exchange with a knowing look on her face. She could feel the tension between her instinct to say no and the strange pull that Logan seemed to have over her. She wasn't sure why, but something about him intrigued her.
"I'll think about it," Riu finally said, her voice steady but noncommittal.
Logan's grin widened, satisfied with her response. "I'll be waiting." He gave her a wink before turning to walk away, leaving Riu standing there with Soumya, who was practically buzzing with excitement.
"You have to go," Soumya said, nudging her arm. "This is going to be fun."
Riu sighed, rubbing her temples. "I don't know, Soumya. Logan's not exactly the type of guy I want to get involved with."
Soumya raised an eyebrow. "And yet, you're considering it. Come on, Riu, don't overthink it. What's the worst that could happen? It's just an art exhibition."
Riu bit her lip, still unsure. But deep down, she knew she was already leaning toward saying yes.
---
That night, Logan was in his home gym, shirtless and drenched in sweat, his fists pounding against the heavy bag. Each punch was harder than the last, his muscles straining with the effort. He was thinking about Riu—the way she'd looked at him earlier, the way she hadn't completely shut him down. He liked the challenge she presented.
As he wiped the sweat from his face, his phone buzzed on the bench beside him. He picked it up, his lips curling into a smile as he saw the message flash on the screen:
"Pick me up tomorrow at 12 p.m. – Riya."
Logan chuckled to himself, tossing the towel aside as he typed a quick reply.
"Sure thing, Riya. You won't regret it."
He set the phone down, his grin widening as he muttered under his breath, "Everything's going according to plan. No one's getting in my way."
Logan glanced at the punching bag, delivering one final, powerful punch that sent it swinging wildly. His eyes darkened, and his voice lowered to a whisper. "This is business. And no one's going to stop me from getting what I want."
---
Outside, the evening air had cooled, the sky thick with clouds hinting at an approaching storm. Riu sat by her window, staring out into the night, her thoughts a tangled mess. Between Zane's explanations, Logan's charm, and her own confusion, she didn't know what to feel.
She glanced down at her phone again, reading Logan's last message. There was something about him that pulled her in, but there was also a part of her that couldn't shake the feeling that he was hiding something. Something dangerous.
"What am I doing?" Riu whispered to herself, running a hand through her hair, frustrated with the thoughts swirling in her head.
Tomorrow would give her some clarity. Or, it would pull her deeper into the confusion. Either way, she was stepping into something she wasn't entirely sure she was ready for.