Spoilers Above:His Obsessive Surrender

Rhodes promised me his vote for the hackathon, only to back out at the very last second.

I glared at him, the heat rushing to my face. "That's your punishment for breaking a promise." I grabbed the collar of his hoodie, yanked him hard toward me, and kissed him with a vindictive, teethclashing ferocity.

Suddenly, glowing text materialized in the air right above his head. [Gross! My male lead is ruined!

The villainess is such a toxic psycho!] [As if a pathetic side character like her even has the right to kiss him!] [Whatever.

Wait until the spring break yacht party when the villainess and the female lead fall into the ocean together. The male lead won't even glance her way.

He'll dive straight in to save Eden, and the villainess can just drown and write herself out of the story.] [So annoying.

I'm sick of seeing her acting like a stagefive clinger around him. The author needs to kill her off already.] I froze. What the hell? So I was the designated villainess.

No wonder Rhodes had treated me like invisible dirt for the past year, no matter how hard I threw myself at him.

I blinked, pulling back just enough to meet his icy gaze. "Are you done kissing me?" he asked, his voice flat. I scrubbed the back of my hand hard across my mouth. "Done.

Totally done. My bad, sorry to bother you, it will literally never happen again." Survival first. I turned on my heel and bolted. Leaving Rhodes standing there, frozen in place.

Chapter 1 It was the Ivy Leaguelevel annual hackathon finals. The final vote to decide the champion rested in Rhodes's hands.

I had hounded him all day yesterday, practically begging him to vote for my project. He had promised he would.

I twisted my fingers together, holding my breath as I waited for him to walk over.

Instead, his gaze swept past me, landing dead on Eden before he walked right up to her and hit the voting button on her console. The air punched out of my lungs.

The phantom heat of his breath from earlier still lingered on my lips, but the bitter reality had already washed it away. He didn't like me. He was never going to like me.

I had deluded myself into thinking persistence could crack his ice, only to discover I was nothing but a disposable stepping stone in someone else's story.

His flipped vote lost me the competition, and it also cost me those impossibletoget Coachella VIP pit passes I had been obsessing over.

And according to that floating text, he was perfectly willing to let me die just to save Eden. That stung. Survival first. I was officially done chasing Rhodes.

The next morning during our Computer Science 101 lecture, Connor waved at me from the back row of the tiered hall. "Hey, Sloane." He pointed to the empty seat beside him, gesturing for me to come over.

I had bribed him to hold that spot right next to Rhodes, the deal being he would scram the second I showed up.

I gave a dismissive wave and dropped my bag into a seat three rows down, closer to the front. Rhodes lifted his eyes, his jaw clenched tight in his usual brand of sheer irritation.

He always wore that hostile, untouchable expression.

I used to be too blinded by my infatuation to notice, but looking at it now, the raw coldness in his eyes sent a physical chill down my spine.

I pulled out my phone and texted Connor: Not sitting there. You don't need to save me a seat anymore, thanks.

Whispers drifted down from the rows behind me. "What does Sloane mean she doesn't need the seat saved?" "Because our guy broke her heart, obviously.

He didn't give her the winning vote yesterday, so she finally got the hint and backed off." "I also heard her childhood bad boy, Knox, is coming back to town.

She probably circled the block and realized that kind of troublemaking punk suits her taste better anyway." The glowing text hovering in the air wasn't cutting me any slack either. [The big villain Knox is coming back, but he gets a trash ending too.

Fights the male lead for Eden and ends up crippled in a car crash.] [His ending is so pathetic. A street racer losing his leg?

Might as well just kill him.] [Honestly, the villainess and Knox should just lock in together. They grew up together, and they're both psychotic obsessives.

That dynamic would be so fun to watch.] I rolled my eyes at the floating words. Shipping two walking red flags was a recipe for disaster.

But if what they said was true—that Knox was going to lose his leg over Eden—I needed to talk some serious sense into him.

With a deafening engine roar, Knox parked his modified matteblack Porsche 911 aggressively in front of the sorority house.

He shoved a bouquet of flowers into my hands, but the arrangement he was holding was noticeably more expensive. "I want to trade for that one," I demanded, pointing at his. "No way.

Buy one, get one free. You're holding the freebie." "Wow.

Throwing me under the bus for a girl already." Remembering the bizarre floating text, I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you dead set on Eden?" Knox's brows pulled together in a sharp frown. "Obviously." A flash of sick, obsessive conviction darkened his deepset eyes—the look of a predator locked onto a prey he refused to let escape.

I debated whether or not to tell him about the weird bulletscreen predictions.

But I had known him since we were kids; once Knox locked onto a target, nothing could change his mind. A brief, tense silence fell between us.

Connor jogged past, pausing to look back. "Hey Sloane, who's this?" "My friend, Knox," I said. "The infamous Knox.

Heard a lot about you, man." Knox gave a curt, tight nod, ignoring Connor entirely as his cold, sharp gaze locked in a deadon collision with Rhodes standing in the distance.

Chapter 2 The glowing text above their heads was ruthless. [Everyone, look!

The tension between Rhodes and Knox is lethal.] [The alpha energy in this scene is exactly what I signed up for.] [Is it just me, or is Rhodes's peripheral vision glued to Sloane?] [Maybe Rhodes thinks Knox and Sloane are hooking up?

Is he… jealous?] [Shut up. In what world would Rhodes be jealous over the villainess?

Stop reaching and let me ship the main couple in peace.] After the tense greetings, Rhodes and Connor turned to leave. Connor let out a shaky breath. "Man, did you see that?

Sloane and her childhood friend are all over each other. "Guess she's finally off your back for good.

You can finally have some peace and quiet." Rhodes's jaw tightened so hard I could see the muscle twitch.

He shot Connor a sharp, irritated look. "You talk too much." I didn't expect Rhodes to show up at the weekend Greek life cabin party.

The last time I'd mentioned it to him, I was still in full chase mode. I had teased him, saying, "Hey, since we're going to the cabin, how about we just share a room?

I promise I'm a quiet sleeper." Rhodes had stopped dead in his tracks, staring at me with eyes like ice. "No." "Why? I don't snore.

I'm adorable." His Adam's apple bobbed once. "I'm busy. I'm not going." And yet, here he was. I shouldn't have been surprised, though.

The second I saw Eden step out of her car, it all clicked. He wasn't here for the party; he was here for the girl. Knox was here for her, too.

The social chair spotted Knox standing next to me and smirked. "Sloane, who's the guest?" "I'm Sloane's plusone," Knox cut in. "Care to be more specific?" "I'm her brother." Rhodes, who usually barely acknowledged anyone's existence, let out a dry huff of air. "The 'adopted' kind of brother." Knox didn't miss a beat. "Spot on." The air turned heavy, and the screen reflected the shift. [The villainess and the bad boy are a match made in heaven. 'Adopted siblings'?

LMAO.] [Knox's petty little move definitely triggered Rhodes.

He actually opened his mouth to snap back.] [Wait, I noticed it too—Rhodes was staring right at Sloane when he made that jab. Is he tracking her or Eden?] [Seriously?

Rhodes literally gave the winning vote to Eden yesterday. He doesn't give a damn about Sloane. Stop delusional shipping.] I looked at the text and felt a dull ache in my chest.

Right. If Rhodes cared about me even a little, he wouldn't have sabotaged my project. The party's tradition was a massive backyard BBQ.

While Eden was busy prepping, Knox was hovering around her, trying to be the tough guy in charge of the grill.

He ended up covered in charcoal soot, and in a clumsy attempt to look cool with the lighter fluid, he accidentally ignited the hem of his Tshirt. "Knox!

Your shirt!" I yelled, grabbing my denim jacket and swatting at the flames licking his waist. "Get the shirt off! Take it off!" someone shouted from the porch.

In the chaos, Knox leaned down, and I frantically helped him yank the smoldering fabric over his head. "Damn, you two!" someone catcalled. "Get a room if you're going to start stripping in the middle of the yard!" Before I could even process the comment, a voice cut through the noise. "Out of the way.

Move." I stepped back just in time for a massive bucket of icecold water to slam into Knox's bare chest. Splash.

The screen went wild. [Rhodes dumping that water was definitely personal. Highkey petty.] [The villain was hovering around Eden like a fly.

Rhodes was just protecting his territory. Totally justified.] [But can we talk about Knox's physique?

Wide shoulders, narrow waist, and those abs… that water made everything look… very visible.

He's packing.] Rhodes stood there, the empty bucket loose in his grip, staring down at the shivering, soaked Knox. The muscle in his jaw ticked.

Chapter 3 I didn't want them getting into a fight. I grabbed Knox's arm, pulling him away. "Let's go get you a change of clothes.

You're soaked." We barely took two steps before Rhodes's voice cut through the air behind us. "Sloane.

You leave, who's grilling for your group?" Knox shot Rhodes a lethal glare, then jutted his chin at me. "Go back. I'll change myself." I turned and walked back toward the grill.

As I brushed past Rhodes, he muttered in a voice devoid of warmth, "A real married couple, huh." He humiliated Knox and now he was mocking me. What an absolute jerk.

The glowing text caught the microinteraction immediately. [Guys, Rhodes is acting weird.

The way he delivered that petty line… is he actually jealous?] [That was mockery, you idiot.

If he's actually jealous over the villainess, I'll literally pee doing a handstand.] I was terrible at cooking to begin with.

In the end, I could only bite the bullet and sear two bloody, undercooked ribeye steaks. I had accidentally dumped half a shaker of salt on them.

They were aggressively, ungodly salty. Knox came back and asked which ones were mine. I pointed at the steaks.

He reached out with his fork. "Don't eat that," I warned. "It's pure sodium." He cut a piece, chewed, and didn't even flinch. "It's fine." He looked completely deadpan. No way.

Were his taste buds fried? I cut a tiny piece and tried it myself, nearly gagging at the overwhelming hit of salt. Knox was doing this on purpose. I glared at him.

Rhodes's fork reached toward the plate, but I quickly pulled the steaks away. His long fingers froze midair.

A flash of blatant disbelief and suppressed irritation flickered in his eyes, as if his exclusive territory had just been completely cut off.

Still, I really didn't want Rhodes tasting my disastrous cooking.

Compared to the French rack of lamb Eden had meticulously prepared with red wine and rosemary, my charred steaks were a complete embarrassment.

Having missed his chance to grab a piece of the steak, Rhodes suddenly stood up.

He loomed over me, his gaze dropping to mine with a heavy weight, as if taking my refusal as a direct challenge. I didn't mean anything by it. It was literally just a biohazard.

He didn't say a word. He just reached across, grabbed the entire plate of steak, and dumped it onto his own plate. The whole table went dead silent, eyes wide as they stared at him.

Connor nudged him with an elbow. "Dude, you good?" "I'm fine. I just like the taste." He choked on the very first bite, his brows pulling into a hard line.

I almost burst out laughing. Yet I sat there and watched him force down the entire plate of pure saltcured meat.

The floating text lit up with collective gasps. [What is wrong with Rhodes? The villainess made that, not Eden!

Why is he eating it like it's a Michelinstar meal?] [You think he doesn't know she made it?

He literally stood right next to the grill and watched her the whole time.] [He's just being stubborn out of spite because the villainess pulled the plate away from him.] [Is that just spite?

The man drank three whole glasses of water to choke that garbage down. Tell me that isn't true love.] [He drank three glasses of water because her cooking is actual poison.

The villainess has a trash personality AND trash cooking skills.] The barrage was crossing the line. My hands curled into fists under the table.

I stared at the air, waiting to see what other vicious things they were going to spit out.

Instead, the text suddenly erupted into a wave of absolute panic. [Is Knox out of his damn mind?! Is he in heat?!

He's literally forcing a kiss on Eden!] [The bad boy and the villainess deserve each other. They both love forcing themselves on people.

Just chain yourselves together and leave the main couple alone!] [I am so pissed right now. Thank god Eden fought back and bit his lip open.] [Why hasn't Rhodes found them yet?!

Hurry up! Under the oak tree in the backyard of the party house! Come save Eden and break the villain's legs right now!] Chapter 4 Knox had lost his mind.

If he actually ended up crippled, his life would be over. But he was my childhood friend, as infuriating as he was, and I couldn't let anything happen to him.

I took off sprinting toward the oak tree in the backyard. If Rhodes actually started throwing punches, I could at least try to drag them apart.

By the time I got there, Eden was already gone. Only Knox remained, aggressively wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. Just as the text predicted, his lip was busted open.

I spilled everything about the floating text to Knox. "I'm the villainess, you're the bad guy, and Rhodes and Eden are the main characters…" I rushed out, keeping my voice low. "Can you please drop this obsession with Eden?

If you don't, you end up with a shattered leg.

What about your racing career?" "And what's your ending?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. "My ending… Rhodes watches me drown and does absolutely nothing.

I don't want to die, so I'm done with him. I'm staying far away to save my own skin." "I don't believe in fate." "Well, I'd rather be safe than sorry.

Breathing is way more important than some guy." Knox just stared at me in silence.

Paranoid that the floating text could somehow hear us, we were practically whispering like two conspirators. "What are you two doing?" The voice cracked through the air like a whip.

Rhodes strode over, his features set in harsh, rigid lines, with Connor trailing right behind him.

Connor grabbed Rhodes's arm, pulling him back a fraction. "Dude, why are you yelling? You're ruining the mood." Connor shot a highly suggestive look at Knox's busted lip.

Rhodes's eyes tracked the movement, landing dead on the cut.

The glowing text exploded into a frenzy. [Rhodes heard someone say two people were making out under the oak tree and rushed straight over!

Good thing he didn't catch Knox forcing himself on Eden, or there'd be a bloodbath right now.] [Wait, does Rhodes think Knox was making out with Sloane?

Why does he look even more pissed off?] [It's just a wounded male ego. Sloane used to chase him relentlessly, and now she's all over her childhood friend.

Rhodes probably just feels humiliated.] [Looks like they're going to throw down. Who's your money on?] [Rhodes, duh. He has plot armor.

Why else do you think the villain is called the villain?] [Beat his ass! Break his legs right now so he stops causing trouble!] Those floating comments were pure trash.

I forced an awkward smile, trying to defuse the lethal tension thick in the air. I planted my hands on Knox's back and shoved him forward to get him out of there.

As we walked past Rhodes, a hard, bruising grip clamped down on my wrist. "Wait," Rhodes ordered. His voice was pitched dangerously low.

Connor blinked in surprise, then quickly shot Knox a look, signaling him to bounce. "Just go," I muttered to Knox. Connor shook his head and hurried off after him, leaving us alone.

I quickly scanned my surroundings.

Once I confirmed there wasn't a swimming pool or any deep water nearby, I forced myself to sound calm. "What is it?" "I agree." "Agree to what?" Rhodes's voice was uncharacteristically tight, a rough rasp catching in his throat. "I agree to what you said… we can share the same room." I stared at him.

What? What did that even mean? The second I stopped chasing him, he was suddenly throwing himself at me? Was this the start of some obsessive groveling trope?

I mentally shook my head, instantly killing that delusion. Not a chance. He was way too arrogant for that.

Above his head, the floating text let out a collective, earpiercing shriek. Chapter 5 [Rhodes, do you hear yourself right now? Throwing yourself at the villainess?

What the actual hell? What about my main ship?!] [Chill out, everyone. He's just losing his mind because someone else is moving in on his territory.

He's not thinking straight.] [Is it possible he genuinely has no idea what he's saying?] [Exactly!

He definitely knows the villain and the villainess are close, so he's just using her to piss off the villain.] […Honestly, hard to defend.] I found it hard to defend, too.

Which was exactly why I wasn't going to agree. I reached up and peeled his fingers off my wrist one by one. "Yeah, right.

We're obviously not sharing the same room." He stiffened, caught off guard. "You suggested it. Last time." "I was joking." All the color drained from Rhodes's face.

Something dark and jagged shattered in his eyes. I had a creeping suspicion Rhodes knew about Knox forcing that kiss on Eden.

The sheer animosity radiating between them when they locked eyes was practically combustible. During the midnight underground street race, that lethal tension finally snapped.

The two cars tore down the asphalt, the deafening roar of their revving engines making my pulse pound against my ribs.

Knox was undeniably the better driver, but Rhodes was right on his bumper, refusing to yield a single inch. Then, the inevitable happened. A massive screech of tires.

A sickening crunch of metal. Both cars flipped off the shoulder of the road. My stomach dropped straight to the concrete. Is this it? Is this the crash where Knox loses his leg?

I sprinted blindly toward the wreckage. The first person I saw was Rhodes, dragging himself out of the crumpled chassis of his car.

He looked rough, heavily leaning against the ruined door, clearly needing a shoulder. Our eyes locked.

His dark, bottomless gaze fixed heavily on me, silently commanding me to come to him. But the floating text echoed in my head: The male lead has plot armor.

The villain takes the fatal hit. The image of Knox's shattered leg flashed behind my eyes.

I ripped my gaze away from Rhodes, bypassing him completely, and sprinted the rest of the way to Knox. I yanked Knox out of his smoking driver's seat.

Only after frantically checking him over and confirming he'd just suffered a scraped forehead did I finally notice the glowing text again. [Did no one else see that?!

Rhodes just cried! When Sloane turned her back on him! Is it because she only cares about her childhood friend?] [As if he'd cry over the villainess.

It's just a physiological reaction to the pain. His arm and leg are bleeding, obviously his eyes are watering.] [It's fine.

Eden will give him a hug and make it all better.] Rhodes cried? I whipped my head around to look at him. The corners of his eyes were indeed a brutal, rimmed red.

But Eden was already there, holding him up. He was probably secretly thrilled to have her pressed against him. I was worrying over nothing.

Just to be absolutely safe, I forced Knox into the ambulance heading to the ER with Rhodes. I followed behind to handle the medical bills.

I slipped into Knox's hospital room, shutting the door tightly behind me like a criminal. "Let me see. Are you actually okay? What about your legs? "Are you absolutely sure?

Move them for me right now." Knox let out a low laugh at my frantic inspection. "I'm seriously fine, Sloane." The text's prophecy was still clawing at my nerves. "Do you remember the predictions I told you about?" I warned. "I'd rather be paranoid than sorry.

You have to be careful." Knox just dismissed it. "So you're only obsessing over me now? What about him? You don't care anymore?" He knew exactly how I felt about Rhodes.

He was testing me. The image of Eden wrapping her arms around Rhodes to support him flashed in my mind.

A bitter, suffocating tightness gripped my throat, tasting like swallowed ash. The male lead belonged to the female lead. I was just the disposable villainess.

I forced my spine straight. "Why the hell would I care about him? He's just some guy. "It's not like with us. We grew up together.

We skipped classes together, took hits for each other…" Chapter 6 Riiip! The privacy curtain was yanked back with a harsh snap.

Rhodes's eyes, chips of dark ice, locked onto me without blinking. It was terrifying. The apple I was peeling slipped from my hands and hit the floor.

Knox's lips curled into a smirk. He hopped off the bed, picked up the apple, and gave it a toss. "I'm going to go wash this." He walked out without a single scratch.

Meanwhile, Rhodes was sitting in the adjacent bed with thick white bandages wrapped tightly around his arm and leg. What? Wasn't he supposed to have plot armor?

The male lead actually got hurt? "Come here," Rhodes demanded, his face carved from ice. I stepped up to his bed, the sterile, biting scent of hospital antiseptic hitting my nose.

His voice carried a raw edge of selfmockery and something dangerously close to a grievance. "That childhood friend who's so important to you just crashed into me, 'just some guy'.

What are you going to do about it?" "Why are you asking me? He hit you, not me." "You care about him so much, right?

How about I make sure he loses an arm and a leg too?" Rhodes's family was an untouchable oldmoney dynasty in this state, and I had heard their ties to the criminal underworld were enough to make anyone shiver.

I knew he was probably just intimidating me, but a spike of genuine anxiety pierced my chest anyway