Intro. In college, Adrian Vale was the kind of kid who went unnoticed: button-down shirts, round glasses, calm voice and polite smile. He was bright, reserved, and a little awkward with people, the perfect example of the model student that everyone thought harmless.
Alexandra, the new one on campus, approached him because he looked different... confident, but kind, with a calmness that made her feel comfortable. They began to talk about books, classes, trivia, and for weeks he remained the same: attentive, respectful, almost charming in his clumsiness.
Until one night, without planning it, she saw him outside the university.
The same man who stuttered when speaking in front of class was now getting into a black car, surrounded by bodyguards. He wore a dark suit, without glasses, his hair perfectly slicked back and a look that could freeze the blood. When their eyes met, there was no longer any sign of the shy boy... only the man who ruled in the shadows.