Althea lives in a world of recipes, late nights, and dreams that smell like home. A Culinary student at Ashford University, she pours every ounce of herself into cooking, believing that hard work and dedication can fix anything-even the distance between her and her father. Every stir, every flavor, every late-night experiment carries a quiet hope that one day, the man she admires will finally notice her and be proud. But life doesn't always follow the recipe we want. When Aira's family falls into financial ruin, the powerful Cortez family steps in with a solution that leaves no room for choice. Aira is forced into a marriage she never wanted, with Professor Catherine Yvaine Cortez-a woman whose presence alone commands respect, whose gaze can silence a room, and whose very aura feels untouchable. Bound together by circumstance, two unwilling hearts must navigate the delicate balance of duty, pride, and unspoken emotions. As Althea witnesses the strength and intimidation of Catherine, she wonders if fear, obligation, and simmering tension can ever transform into something more. In the kitchens of Ashford University and the corridors of power, they'll discover that even unwanted beginnings can stir feelings neither of them expected, and that love might grow where they least anticipated it.

Years ago, Kang Haerin was an overweight, quiet boy with soft eyes and a softer heart - and Danielle Marsh was the girl who broke him. She didn't just bully him. She humiliated him, mocked him, and turned his innocent affection into a nightmare. The nickname she gave him - Fat Kang - stuck in every hallway, every classroom, and every bruise on his spirit. Now, he's unrecognizable. Cold. Calculated. Devastatingly handsome. And CEO of one of the country's most powerful conglomerates, the Kang Group. The world fears him - and rightfully so. Because Haerin doesn't forgive. And he never forgets. So when Haerin learns he's been arranged to marry the heiress of the Marsh family, he doesn't run. He accepts. Because he knows who she is - Danielle Marsh, his first love... and the girl who destroyed him. But she doesn't recognize him. That's fine. He'll make her remember.
Not with words. 
But with cruel silence, manipulation, and heart-shattering games.

Mikaela Valencia has always been in control-top of her class, admired by her peers, and confident that she can handle anything high school throws her way. But when Clyde De Castro transfers to her school, all her carefully planned days start unraveling. He's quiet, brooding, and somehow manages to get under her skin with every word, every glance, and every unexpected encounter. From the very first meeting, it's a clash of wills. Mikaela's sharp tongue meets Clyde's unshakable calm, and what should have been just another school year quickly spirals into constant banter, accidental run-ins, and small victories neither of them wants to admit they enjoy. With every stolen glance and carefully avoided conversation, the tension between them grows-messy, confusing, and dangerously thrilling. As classmates whisper and friends nudge, the two begin to discover that first impressions can be deceiving. Hate, it seems, can be as magnetic as attraction-and sometimes, the line between frustration and desire is thinner than anyone expects. In a world where pride, ambition, and first impressions collide, will Mikaela and Clyde ever stop fighting? Or is their rivalry only the beginning of something neither of them is ready to admit: love.

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