A swimming coach and a famous actor, tied together by an arranged marriage neither wanted. They expected chaos...not love. William fell first. Est fell harder.

"In the gravity of rivalry, even hate can pull you into orbit." Two rivals. One campus. Endless battles of wit, skill, and pride. But when hate pulls them together, will rivalry turn into something far more dangerous-and irresistible?

💔 He wasn't a husband. He was a prisoner. When Est's father falls into debt, the price of repayment is his son's freedom. Forced into a loveless marriage with Earn, a cold and ruthless man who treats him as nothing more than property, Est's life becomes a chain of silent suffering. But fate shifts when William enters their world - kind, gentle, and everything Earn is not., Est feels seen... and loved. Caught between duty and desire, chains and freedom, Est must decide: Will he remain bound by debt, or risk everything for a chance at real love?

[COMPLETED] On his fifth birthday, William started dreaming of a beautiful boy he had never met, someone too beautiful, too familiar to be a stranger. But names were never exchanged, addresses untold. Years passed. The dreams never stopped. At sixteen, William's world cracked wide open. His first kiss revealed a family pact. Est. The guy who was never meant to be part of William's world. Yet by decree of the old family tradition, Est became more than just a stranger. He was William's betrothed. From that moment, Est became the symbol of everything William resented. An obligation. A shadow. An enemy. Even before they ever met. Neither one wanted this. Neither one expected what would come next. What if some connections are impossible to escape? What if some faces are always meant to remain a mystery? What if not? Ranking over time: #1 williamjarkapatr #1 promise #1 uni #1 nicknames #1 dreams #2 dreamworld #2 betrothed Crossposted on AO3 now