Chapter 1

I laid down three iron rules for my childhood friend Lucas Reed.

First: his shirt must be buttoned all the way to the top. A man's restraint was his armor.

Second: no girls within sixteen feet. As long as he kept his distance, he could stay above reproach.

Third: he must report his daily schedule to me, down to the minute. Transparency prevented trouble.

I, Sophie Lane, was the strictest keeper in Lucas's life.

As I stood with my hands on my hips, lecturing Lucas once again about that undone top button, a line of bright red text flashed across my eyes.

[It's happening again, the vicious supporting character Sophie's daily sermon. Does she think she's something special? Has she looked in a mirror?]

[Don't worry. Abigail, the kind-hearted heroine, will transfer to Lucas's school tomorrow. Once Lucas falls for her, Sophie, who stands in their way, will die a miserable death.]

My heart skipped a beat, and my hand shook. I meant to button Lucas up, but I accidentally ripped that already loose top button clean off.

Lucas's thin collarbone and pale chest were suddenly exposed to the air.

I knew I was finished. I was no longer some keeper but a dead woman walking.

The feeling of the fabric tearing still lingered on my fingertips. That innocent white button rolled across the floor, making a sharp, clear sound, like my doom was sealed.

The silence was suffocating.

Lucas kept his eyes lowered, his long lashes casting a shadow over his skin, making it impossible to read his expression. He was always like this, keeping his emotions hidden. No matter what I tried, he showed nothing.

But today, in that heavy silence, I picked up on a danger I'd never sensed before.

[Sophie's already getting physical? She really is wild.]

[Come on. That's not it. Lucas is seducing her on purpose. Look at his figure. Abigail's gonna enjoy it when she transfers in.]

[Wait for Lucas to get his revenge on Sophie. The tighter she keeps him now, the harder she's gonna fall later.]

The red comments kept flooding my vision, every word like a poisoned needle, making my skin crawl.

I lived seventeen years before I realized I was the villainess in some high school romance story.

I was there to make Abigail Galvan, the female lead, look like an angel, and my spoiled, bossy ways were meant to trigger Lucas's rebellious side and his urge to protect Abigail.

In the end, I became a stepping stone for their love, doomed to be kicked aside and left with a miserable life.

And all those "chastity rules" I was so proud of were some dumb plot device the author made up to stir up drama.

Cold sweat broke out across my back.

I looked at Lucas's exposed skin. Yesterday, I thought it was nice to look at; today, it carried a dangerous aura, ready to send me to hell.

"Well... It was an accident," I stammered, my voice shaking. I instinctively stepped back, wanting to get away from this dangerous guy.

At last, Lucas lifted his gaze to meet mine.

His eyes were so blue, like the clear sky, and he stared at me without blinking. There was a storm of emotions in them that I couldn't decipher.

"An accident?" he said, his voice as icy as ever, but with a subtle roughness. "That's not what you'd say."

He wasn't wrong.

If I "accidentally" messed up his stuff, I'd stand there with my hands on my hips, lecture him about not cherishing his things, demand double compensation, and slap on a few new rules for good measure.

But right now, the boy in front of me didn't feel like the Lucas I'd grown up with for seventeen years. He felt more like a predator, ready to devour me whole.

[See? That's the villainess for you.]

[Lucas's eyes changed. He's about to turn evil.]

[Run, Sophie. Abigail's about to show up. If you don't bolt now, you'll never get another chance.]

The barrage of warnings in the comments made my mind spin. I had to run.

I snatched my hand back, and the button I'd ripped off was still lying on the floor, like it was silently laughing at me. I didn't dare glance at Lucas, afraid I'd catch a glimpse of the disaster waiting for me in his eyes.

"I-I must go. I'm out of here," I yelled, spinning around and making a run for the door.

But Lucas was quicker. He took a step, and his tall frame blocked the doorway. His long arm rested on the doorframe, leaving me no way to escape.

He looked down at me with his gloomy eyes, his lips curling slightly. It was not a smile, but a dangerous signal I'd never seen in him before.

"Something urgent?" he asked, his voice so low that it sent chills down my spine. "What's so important that you can't finish buttoning me up?"

My blood froze in my veins, and my scalp prickled.

He used to go along with everything I said, letting me push him around. I always thought it was because he saw me as a sister. Now I knew it was the calm before the storm, like a leopard lying in wait before it pounced.