~Lilian's POV~

My name is Lilian Perez, and my life is the definition of ordinary.

I wake up, go to school, bury myself in books, and go home. That’s it. No parties, no sleepovers, no late-night gossip calls with friends. I don’t even have a best friend. Just me and my notebooks. Sometimes, I wonder if my classmates even know I exist.

And honestly, that’s fine with me.

Invisibility is safe. It means no drama, no pain, no betrayals.

But being invisible in a school like ours also means watching from the sidelines while other people shine like stars.

At the top of those stars are two groups.

First, the Heartbreakers. Six boys who seem to have everything: charm, money, popularity, and faces that could easily belong on TV screens. They walk through the halls like they own the place, and in a way, they do. Girls scream their names during sports events, boys copy their style, and teachers bend the rules for them without even realizing it.

But even among them, one boy stands out.

Ethan Cruz.

The Heartbreaker of Heartbreakers.

He’s not just handsome—he’s dangerously attractive. His messy dark hair, those teasing brown eyes, the easy smile that hides more than it reveals. Everyone knows his reputation. He changes girlfriends almost every week, sometimes faster. He plays with their feelings, makes them fall for him, then leaves without looking back.

And yet, despite his record of broken hearts, girls keep lining up for him. They laugh at his jokes, fight for his attention, and dream of being the one to change him. He’s the kind of boy who can ruin you, and you’d still thank him for it.

The second group is the Campus Belles. Six girls who match the Heartbreakers in beauty and influence. They walk with confidence, their designer bags swinging, their eyes sharp like they see everything. People call them the “perfect matches” for the Heartbreakers.

Those two groups are like royalty in our school. Everyone either wants to be them or be with them.

And me? I’m just background. A shadow in the hallway.

Or at least, I was.

That morning started like every other. I hugged my books tightly, weaving through the noisy crowd of students rushing to their classes. My head was down, my steps quick. The library was my goal, as always.

But as I turned the corner, I didn’t see the freshly mopped floor.

My foot slid out from under me.

In an instant, my books flew from my arms, papers scattering like leaves. My heart jumped into my throat as I braced myself for the cold, hard impact of the ground.

But the pain never came.

Instead, I landed in something warm and steady. Strong arms wrapped around me, keeping me from falling.

“Careful,” a low, smooth voice said.

Time seemed to freeze.

I blinked up—and my heart stopped.

It was him.

Ethan Cruz.

The hallway went silent, like even the walls were holding their breath. Then the whispers started.

“Wait—is that Ethan?”

“Oh my god, he caught her!”

“Who even is she?”

My face burned. My hands trembled as I tried to pull away, but Ethan’s grip was firm, steadying me until I found my balance.

“S-sorry!” I stuttered, my voice cracking.

He bent down, calmly gathering my scattered books before I could even move. When he handed them back, his lips curled into that infamous smirk I’d seen girls swoon over a hundred times.

“You should watch where you’re going, sweetheart,” he said softly, his tone playful but sharp enough to make my knees weak. “Or next time, I might not be around to catch you.”

Sweetheart.

The word sent a shiver down my spine. I knew he probably said it to every girl he met, but hearing it directed at me felt different. Dangerous.

I clutched my books against my chest, forcing myself to meet his gaze for half a second. His brown eyes sparkled with something unreadable, like he was already amused at how flustered I looked.

“Th-thank you,” I muttered, my voice barely audible.

He winked, the smirk deepening. “Anytime.”

Then, just like that, he walked away, his tall figure joining the other Heartbreakers who had been waiting at the end of the hall. A few of the Campus Belles stood nearby, their arms crossed, eyes narrowing at me like I had just stolen something precious.

The whispers around me grew louder, sharper.

“Did you see that? Ethan caught her!”

“Who is she? I’ve never seen her before.”

“She’s so plain. Why her?”

“Lucky girl… but she’s doomed.”

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. My face felt like it was on fire. Hugging my books tighter, I rushed toward the library, ignoring the stares that followed me.

All I wanted was to be invisible again. To slip back into the safety of being unnoticed.

But deep down, I knew things wouldn’t be the same.

Because I had just been noticed—by Ethan Cruz, the most famous heartbreaker in school.

And the moment his arms caught me, my quiet, ordinary life shattered.

This was just the beginning of something I wasn’t prepared for.

The moment the heartbreaker noticed me, everything changed.

By the next morning, I already knew what kind of day it would be.

The whispers started the second I stepped onto campus. Heads turned, eyes followed me, and girls leaned into each other, whispering behind their hands.

“That’s her.”

“She’s the one Ethan caught yesterday.”

“She doesn’t look special at all.”

My stomach twisted. I hugged my books tighter against my chest, forcing my legs to keep moving. I wanted to disappear, to melt into the floor tiles, but there was no escape.

News travels fast here. Especially when it involves the Heartbreakers.

I hurried to my classroom, hoping for peace, but even there, it was the same. My classmates looked at me like I was suddenly a different person. Some stared with open curiosity, others with irritation. A few girls glared at me as if I had committed some kind of crime.

I sat down at my desk, trying to shrink into my chair, but the whispers didn’t stop.

“Why would Ethan even bother catching her?”

“Maybe it was just coincidence.”

“Or maybe she planned it.”

Planned it? The thought made my chest tighten. I wasn’t the type of girl who tripped on purpose to get attention—especially not from Ethan Cruz.

The Heartbreaker himself.

As if on cue, the classroom door opened. And there he was. Ethan strolled in casually, his bag slung over one shoulder, that easy smirk on his face. The room lit up immediately with excited murmurs.

Girls straightened their hair, fixed their uniforms, and smiled too brightly, all hoping he would look their way.

But then his eyes landed on me.

I froze.

For a second, I thought he would ignore what happened yesterday, pretend it never occurred. That’s what I hoped for. But Ethan Cruz was not the type to let things slide.

He smirked wider.

“Morning, sweetheart,” he said smoothly, loud enough for the entire class to hear.

My jaw nearly dropped. Heat rushed to my cheeks as everyone’s eyes snapped toward me. Giggles and gasps filled the air.

I wanted to sink into the floor.

“I—I’m not—” I stammered, but the words died in my throat.

Ethan just laughed, his rich voice filling the room. He moved to his seat like nothing was wrong, leaving me to deal with the stares, the whispers, and the looks of disbelief.

The rest of the day was torture. Every time I walked down the hall, someone whispered. Every time I entered a room, eyes followed me. And every time I accidentally caught sight of Ethan, he smirked like he found the whole thing entertaining.

By lunchtime, I thought it couldn’t get worse. But I was wrong.

I walked to the cafeteria, trying to balance my tray of food while avoiding the usual crowd. Just as I was about to sit in the farthest corner, a group of girls blocked my way.

The Campus Belles.

They were even more intimidating up close—perfect makeup, shiny hair, designer shoes. They stood like queens guarding their throne. Their leader, Clarisse, tilted her head, her eyes sharp as she looked me up and down.

“So,” she began, her voice dripping with fake sweetness, “you’re the girl Ethan caught yesterday.”

My grip on the tray tightened. “It was an accident.”

“An accident,” she repeated, her lips curling. The other girls laughed softly.

One of them leaned closer. “You know, girls dream about being in your position. But you?” Her eyes scanned me from head to toe. “You don’t even look like you belong in the same hallway as him.”

My chest burned with embarrassment. I opened my mouth to reply, but before I could, a familiar voice cut through the air.

“Jealous already?”

The crowd parted slightly as Ethan appeared, hands in his pockets, that same infuriating smirk on his face.

Clarisse’s eyes widened. “Ethan! We were just—”

But he ignored her, stepping closer to me. He leaned down, his lips near my ear, his voice low enough for only me to hear.

“Relax, sweetheart,” he whispered. “You look cute when you’re flustered.”

My breath caught.

He straightened and gave me a wink before strolling away, leaving me frozen with my tray of food, the Campus Belles glaring daggers at my back, and the entire cafeteria buzzing with excitement.

In that moment, one thing became painfully clear.

This wasn’t going to fade away.

Ethan Cruz had noticed me. And whether I liked it or not, he wasn’t planning to let me go back to being invisible.