POV: Ava Ren
Okay.
So maybe I did faceplant. In public. Again.
But in my defense—I was excited! You try keeping your balance when your billionaire CEO husband who usually avoids all forms of sunlight suddenly shows up in his sleek black car to drop you off at uni like it's no big deal.
It was a big deal.
And yeah, okay, I might've tripped the exact moment I saw him smile. Smile, you guys. The Alex Ren smiled. I should be knighted for surviving it.
So yes, I stumbled. Fell flat. Textbook gone. Hair in my mouth. One shoe flew off like it had somewhere better to be.
But did I cry? Nope.
I did what any self-respecting clumsy sunshine would do: I struck a peace sign from the grass and yelled, "I'm okay!"
And I was. Mostly.
"Queen Ava is BACKKK!" someone shouted from the law building stairs. I waved dramatically, accepting the imaginary crown.
Jess helped me up. Tom handed me my shoe. Lina tried to fix my now-sideways braid. There was even a guy I didn't recognize who offered to carry my bag and I was like—uh, sir, no thank you, I can fall on my own just fine.
And then I looked back at the car.
Still there. Still parked. And there he was. My husband. Elusive. Cold to the world. Unbothered. But with the tiniest smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
He looked like someone had just whispered the world's dumbest joke in his ear—and he was secretly delighted.
My heart did a whole gymnastics routine.
I swear the world paused.
Then, just to ruin all my cool girl points, I cupped my hands around my mouth and yelled across the whole courtyard: "LOVE YOU! DON'T FORGET TO EAT!"
Chaos.
Everyone turned to stare.
Alex stared back. Zero change in expression.
I clutched my chest dramatically and turned to my friends. "You guys saw that, right? He looked at me like I was edible. He's totally obsessed with me."
Jess rolled her eyes. "You literally fell like a cartoon."
"Like Rapunzel," I corrected, tossing my braid over my shoulder. "If she had heels, a law degree pending, and was married to her high school crush."
By the time I made it to class, three professors had said good morning, the janitor had given me candy, and someone had changed the group chat name to Mrs. CEO Tripped Again.
Worth it.
Totally worth it.
And as I sat down and opened my laptop, still blushing, I grinned.
Because Alex freaking Ren dropped me to school. And smiled.
I'm winning.