The Billionaire Heir's Secret Disguised Queen

The heavy bass from the speakers vibrated through the sticky wood of the coffee table, traveling straight up Juliette's arms and rattling her teeth.

She sat in the darkest corner of the Alpha Sigma fraternity living room. Her knees were pulled up tight against her chest.

A plastic cup of untouched soda sweated onto her jeans.

She pressed her palm hard against her right ear, trying to block out the noise. Her eyes never left the glowing screen of her tablet. The third paragraph analyzing tuber mutations was blurring together.

A massive roar of laughter erupted from the center of the room.

The sound shattered her focus completely. She let out a sharp breath, dropping her hand from her ear, and looked up at the crowd gathered around the Texas Hold'em table.

Adrian Castillo leaned back in a cracked leather armchair.

He looked entirely out of place in the sweaty frat house. His crisp button-down shirt didn't have a single wrinkle. His long, calloused fingers lazily spun two hole cards face down on the felt.

His dark, piercing eyes cut right through the chaotic crowd. They landed with pinpoint accuracy on Juliette in her dark corner.

Jax slammed both hands on the table, shoving a massive pile of plastic chips into the center.

"All in, Castillo!" Jax yelled over the music. "You gonna call or what?"

The girls standing behind Jax shrieked in anticipation.

Adrian slowly pulled his gaze away from Juliette. The corner of his mouth twitched upward in a cold, barely-there smirk.

He flipped his cards over, pressing them flat against the table. A straight flush.

"Fold," Adrian said. His voice was quiet, but it somehow cut through the heavy bass.

The room went dead silent for exactly one second. Then, the crowd exploded into deafening whistles and groans.

Jax stared at the folded winning hand, his jaw practically hitting the floor. He blinked, realized he had just won by default, and immediately jumped onto his chair.

"I set the penalty rules tonight!" Jax roared, pointing a finger at the ceiling.

He scanned the room. His eyes swept past a dozen girls in tight dresses who were practically vibrating with hope.

His finger stopped. It pointed straight at the corner. Straight at Juliette's baggy cargo pants.

"Castillo," Jax shouted, a wicked grin spreading across his face. "You have to get a ten-second French kiss from the potato freak in the corner. Or you're doing my lab reports for the rest of the semester."

The crowd parted like the Red Sea.

Suddenly, there was a clear path of sticky floor between the poker table and Juliette's sofa.

Juliette blinked. She looked up from her screen. The bright diagram of a russet potato was still illuminating her confused face.

Adrian stood up. He casually adjusted his cuffs, the silver links catching the strobe lights.

He stepped over a spilled red cup and walked straight toward her. His strides were long, purposeful, and terrifyingly steady.

Juliette watched the campus god approach.