"Simple Chaos"

1.Welcome Back, Daphne

(Daphne's POV)

Nervous. Excited. Hopeful. Scared. Maybe even guilty.

My thoughts were all over the place.

Once, this had been our dream—studying at Brooks-Lancaster University, walking the same halls as Mom and Dad, as our grandparents. A legacy. At least, that's what they called me.

But things changed.

Dad didn't care. He forced me to come back—to pick up where I left off.

And as if that wasn't bad enough, I had to do it alongside my annoying twin brother, who clearly still hates me.

And now, here I was.

Brooks-Lancaster University.

I barely had time to take it in before—

💥 CRASH.

Metal crunched against metal. My breath caught.

Shit.

I slammed the brakes, heart racing. My car—Dad's stupid car—sat pressed against a sleek, midnight black masterpiece. Dangerous. Elegant. The kind of car that turned heads. A car that whispered old money without needing to say a word.

I hated cars. I was more of a motorbike person. But here I was, on my first day, already making an entrance—by crashing into a car I really shouldn't have.

Because it wasn't just any car.

A door swung open. A figure stepped out.

Shit.

Of all the people I could have crashed into, it had to be him.

Two years. Two years since I walked away—since I broke their trust. And now, standing in the middle of the parking lot, hands shaking, I was face-to-face with the past I'd been avoiding.

I forced myself to move, my legs shaky as I stepped out of the car.

Heart racing. Hands clammy. Only to lock eyes with Leon Atlas Vaillaint.

He was leaning against the driver's side, arms crossed, staring at the dent in his expensive, midnight black car.

He didn't look mad.

Worse—he looked amused.

"So, two years later, you're back," he said, his voice slow, calculated. "And your grand entrance is wrecking my car?"

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to hold his gaze.

Don't look away. Don't give him the satisfaction.

I tightened my grip on the car door, willing my voice to stay steady.

"Well," I said, lifting my chin. "I figured if I was going to crash back into your life, I might as well make an impact."

The corner of his mouth twitched—just for a second. A flicker of something.

But I didn't stop there. Because if I did, I'd drown in the weight of everything unsaid.

I kept my tone light, almost careless. "Though, let's be honest, Leon—if anyone should be pissed here, it's me."

His expression didn't change. But the air shifted.

Silence.

For a moment—just a breath—I thought I saw it. The crack in his carefully built walls.