BAD INFLUENCE

The moment she stepped into the wrong restroom, everything changed. Hailey had only been at Hillsworth College for a day, a fresh scholarship student, eager yet nervous. She had simply been looking for the restroom, but fate had other plans. The thick scent of smoke filled her lungs the second she pushed the door open. The air was dense, intoxicating. Her breath hitched when she saw him. A dangerously handsome guy. He leaned lazily against the sink, a cigarette dangling from his lips, his sharp eyes flickering toward her. Tattoos curled around his arms like inked secrets, and silver rings glinted from his eyebrow and tongue. A dangerous smirk lifted his lips as he exhaled a cloud of smoke. "Lost, princess?" He asked with a smirk, raking her with his eyes from head to toe. Hailey 's heart pounded. This was the boys' restroom. And somehow, she had just collided with trouble. ___ Hailey had learned early on that life was rarely fair. She barely remembered her parents, their faces were blurry images in an old photo album she had once clung to as a child. After their deaths, she was taken in by her uncle, the only family she had left. At first, life had been tolerable-until he died too. That was when everything changed. Her uncle's wife, Cecilia, had never truly cared for her, but after his death, the cold indifference turned to outright cruelty. Hailey became the unwanted burden in their home, forced to endure harsh words and extra chores. Unlike her cousin, Brielle, who lived in luxury and had everything handed to her, Hailey had to fight for the smallest things. When Cecilia refused to pay for her education, she had thought her dreams were over. But then the scholarship to Hillsworth College came like a miracle. She studied tirelessly, poured everything into that exam, and when the results came in, she had been one of the few selected. It was her chance at freedom, her chance to escape. There was just one problem. Hillsworth was Brielle's school. And if there was one thing Hailey knew, it was that her cousin would make her life miserable. But none of that compared to the storm she was about to walk into. Wanna know what the encounter with the bad boy leads to? Come with me 🫣

Chapters

Chapter 3

SCHOOL CAFETERIA*

Hailey sat at one of the tables in the cafeteria, her tray of food untouched in front of her as she absentmindedly poked at the fries. She had just finished her first class of the day and had gone to the dormitory, only to find it locked.

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

Hailey looked up, startled. A girl was standing in front of her, a friendly smile on her face.

"I'm not sure. I mean... yeah, sure" Hailey replied, gesturing to the seat across from her.

The girl slid into the chair, setting down her tray with a relieved sigh.

"Thanks. I just needed to get away from all those people" She chuckled, glancing around at the busy cafeteria before turning her attention back to Hailey.

"You look like you could use a break too"

Hailey smiled awkwardly. "Yeah... just trying to get through the day, you know?"

"I'm Jessa, by the way. We're in the same class, right?"

Hailey blinked, trying to place her.

"I think so. We had that...um, the intro to English class this morning"

"That's the one! You seemed kind of quiet, but you've got that... serious vibe. Like you're here to actually do something"

"Yeah, that's the plan " Hailey said with a smile.

"Well, if you ever want to study or just, you know, talk, let me know, I'm still trying to figure out where everything is on campus, and it looks like you might know your way around"

"I...actually went by the dorm, but it was locked" Hailey said, pushing the food around on her plate.

"Lucky you, I will be coming from home" she said.

'Not like I'm staying there' she said inwardly.

The cafeteria that was buzzing with loud conversations suddenly stopped the moment he walked in..

Xavier.

With his hands shoved casually into the pockets of his black jeans, he strode in like he owned the place.

Girls all around the cafeteria stilled, their eyes locking on him like he was gravity itself, pulling them in effortlessly. Some whispered among themselves, others bit their lips as they stared at him.

Jessa nudged Hailey slightly.

"Yup. That's Xavier Knight, the guy everyone warns you about"

Hailey stiffened, her fingers gripping the edge of the table. She didn't need the warning.

She already knew.

Her mind flashed back to the restroom, to the suffocating scent of smoke, the way his gaze had raked over her like he was seeing straight through her, stripping away every layer with just a look.

And now...he was here.

His gaze swept over the cafeteria lazily, as if he was unimpressed by the attention, used to it. But then, his sharp, dark eyes landed on her.

Hailey's breath seized.

Staring at her like he had just found something interesting.

A slow, knowing smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.

Jessa shifted beside Hailey.

"Uh... do you know him?" she asked, sensing the strange tension between them.

Hailey quickly tore her gaze away, her heart hammering in her chest.

"No" she said.

She forced herself to focus on her food, her fingers tightening around the fork, but it was useless. The energy in the room had shifted, and it was because of him.

Jessa was still talking beside her, something about a professor and an assignment, but Hailey could barely hear her.

Her chair suddenly jerked backward.

A gasp escaped from her lips as she was pulled away from the table in one swift motion. The cafeteria spun for half a second before she felt warm hands grip her waist, steadying her.

Firm. Possessive.

The entire cafeteria went dead silent.

Hailey's breath stuttered as she tilted her head up only to find herself face-to-face with Xavier.

His grip on her waist didn't loosen. If anything, it tightened, his fingers pressing slightly into her sweater.

His dark eyes flickered with amusement, like he was enjoying her reaction.

"Told you we'd see each other again, princess" he murmured.

Hailey tried to move, but his hold didn't let her.

Everyone was watching. Jessa's jaw was practically on the floor. Girls were glaring, enviously. Others were watching with open anticipation on what's about to happen since it's Xavier.

'This wasn't happening'

'This couldn't be happening'

"Let go" she begged.

Xavier's tongue flicked over his lip piercing, his smirk deepening.

"Make me"

He was playing with her. Toying. And the worst part? She had no idea how to stop it.

Before she could react, before she could even breathe properly, he leaned down, his lips brushing just beside her ear.

"You're cute when you're nervous"

Heat crawled up Hailey's neck, spreading to her face.

And then, just as effortlessly as he had grabbed her, he let go.

Like he hadn't just thrown the entire cafeteria into chaos.

Like he hadn't just flipped her entire world upside down.

He stepped back, shoving his hands into his pockets again, that signature smirk still playing on his lips. Then, without another word, he turned and walked away, leaving behind nothing but shocked stares and a pounding heartbeat.

Continue to next part

When a devastating fire breaks out, my husband chooses to save his mistress, leaving me trapped in the flames. I survive the inferno, but the betrayal costs me my legs and leaves me permanently crippled. While they flaunt their affection, I am forced to rebuild my life from the wreckage of his cruelty. Now, I must find the strength to face a future stolen by the man I once loved, seeking justice for the sacrifice he forced me to make.

Action Modern Romance

9.2

Behind The masks

9.2

His hands gripped my hips, steadying me as he moved, each slow thrust driving me closer to the edge. I whimpered, my body straining, every nerve on fire. "The way you're trembling under me is driving me insane," his Uncle whispered to my ears. **** When Zara Devereux woke up in another woman's body, she had only one mission, vengeance. The man who murdered her, Cassian Blackwell, had built his empire on blood, lies, and power. But now, she had his wife's face, and a perfect chance to ruin him from within. What she didn't plan for was Sterling, Cassian's enigmatic uncle, a man who saw through her façade long before she confessed the truth. Their attraction became a dangerous secret, blurring the line between deception and desire. Zara discovers the elite world she now inhabits is darker than she ever imagined. In a society built on power, lies, and blood oaths, she must either play their game, or lose everything all over again. Can she unmask the truth before it consumes her... or will she become the next casualty behind the mask?

Action Mystery Romance

7.2

Betrayed by her Blood. Claimed by the Night.

7.2

(18+ Warning: This novel contains explicit scenes of violence, aristocratic cruelty, sexual content, and themes of blood magic, non-consensual binding, and character trauma.) Sofia Quispe was never meant to be a simple noble. As the supposed pureblood heir to the powerful Abribi Covenant, her fate was sealed in a political Blood Union to three powerful vampire princes: the dominant Zilo Graves, the ruthless Klaus Blackwell, and the ambitious Zack Rivera. This union was meant to secure the throne and unite the kingdom. But during the Ceremony of Binding, the blood doesn't lie. When Sofia fails to Awaken her vampiric gifts, a desperate bloodline test reveals the shattering truth: she is not a pureblood noble, but a disgraced Dhampir-half-human, half-vampire-the product of her deceased mother's forbidden betrayal. In the rigid aristocracy of the vampire world, Dhampirs are considered abominations, a stain on bloodline purity. Renounced by her enraged father, Lord Quispe, and brutally rejected by the Princes who fear political ruin, Sofia is cast out of the Covenant citadel and into the perilous human world, a day-walker with no power, plagued by the maddening Blood Hunger caused by the trio's incomplete Blood Mark. Rock bottom forces her into the shadows of the city, where she works at a supernatural bar, fighting to control the erratic power surges of her cursed bond. When a violent attack by feral vampires leaves her vulnerable, she is saved by Phuwin Montague, a powerful, enigmatic Vampire Sovereign from a rival faction. Phuwin sees not a flaw, but a unique political weapon-a Dhampir marked by a Prince. Drawn into his dangerous orbit, Sofia trains with an ex-military vampire hunter, learning to master her hybrid nature and the dark potential of her blood. But the psychic echoes of the incomplete bond still haunt her, pulling her

Action Fantasy Vampire

7.7

Ex-Wife, Please Have Some Self-Respect

7.7

I was driving through a rainstorm in upstate New York, pushing my old Volvo to the limit just to pick up a Dior gown for my wife, Catarina. She needed it for a gala tonight, where she planned to spend the evening standing next to the man she actually loved, Atticus Deleon. The truck hit me head-on, crossing the center line and sending my car rolling down an embankment in a shriek of twisted metal and shattered glass. As the steering column crushed my chest, my brain didn't see a white light; it was pried open by a digital tsunami, flooding my mind with the "Quantum Archive"-billions of data points on surgery, high-frequency trading, and combat. I woke up in the ICU with three broken ribs and a concussion, but the only thing waiting for me was a screaming voicemail from my wife's assistant. "Jorden, where the hell are you? Catarina has been waiting for thirty minutes! You are so incompetent it's actually impressive." There was no "Are you okay?" or "Are you alive?"-only fury over a ruined dress and a missing tie. While I was being resuscitated, my wife was on Instagram, singing "Endless Love" with Atticus and laughing at my "tantrum." She even called the family lawyer to freeze my credit cards, wanting to make sure I couldn't even buy a coffee without her permission. For three years, I had been the "useful husband," the doormat who apologized whenever she stepped on my toes. But the accident had overwritten my desperation with cold, hard logic, and I realized I had almost died for a woman who viewed me as a liability with a negative return on investment. When Catarina finally stormed into my hospital room to demand an apology for ruining her night, I didn't look at her with the usual puppy-dog eyes. I looked at her with ice in my veins and handed her a manila envelope I had drafted myself. "Sign the divorce papers, Ms. Evans. I'm done being your canary."

Action Modern Romance

8.1

He Called Off Our Forever

8.1

Tonight, my boyfriend of seven years, Benjamin Kane, was supposed to propose. Our future was a perfect picture, planned down to the last detail. But a single phone call shattered it all. A mysterious voice convinced him I was a gold digger who would ruin him, and that another woman, Jenna Christian, was his true soulmate. He called off our engagement on the spot. That was only the beginning of my nightmare. I was stalked by a man obsessed with Jenna, a confrontation that ended with me falling from a rooftop and shattering my arm. Then, I was kidnapped by a shady agency, trapped by a contract Jenna had signed in my name. I was living the horrific fate that was meant for her. Benjamin, the man who promised me forever, abandoned me to suffer while defending the very woman who orchestrated my torment. Lying in a hospital bed, I received an acceptance letter for a design scholarship in Paris. It was my only escape. I took it, leaving behind the man who broke me and the life he destroyed.

Action Modern Romance

8.7

Heartbreak And Wars

8.7

BLUR Aloe reaches her limit in her toxic marriage when she discovers her billionaire husband was cheating on her on their matrimonial bed and wasn't remorseful about it. Pregnant and desperate to escape her toxic husband, she flees into the arms of his sworn enemy, Blake Matthew. Caught in a war between two old sworn rivalers, Aloe must fight for her life and her child... But now the question is, can she reclaim her future without losing herself to the war between two men who want to destroy each other?

Action Modern Romance

BAD INFLUENCE

Chapter 3

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