Ethan's POV
The bathroom mirror in Ethan Moretti's private suite had reflected many versions of him over the years.
The cold strategist.
The heir to a powerful empire.
The man people feared before he even spoke.
But this morning, the mirror reflected something… confusing.
Ethan stood shirtless in front of the sink, staring at his own face with the same concentration he usually reserved for dangerous negotiations.
His jaw was covered in a light shadow of beard.
Sharp.
Clean.
The look had always suited him.
Powerful men looked better with edges.
But today he was studying it like it was a problem that needed solving.
Because a certain girl's voice kept echoing inside his head.
"You're not a student."
The razor in his hand paused.
Then the next sentence followed immediately in his memory.
"You look older."
Ethan exhaled slowly.
He had faced gunfire without blinking.
He had negotiated with men who would kill him without hesitation.
Yet somehow the opinion of a nineteen-year-old engineering student had him questioning his entire appearance.
Ridiculous.
Completely ridiculous.
Still… here he was.
Studying the mirror like a teenager before a first date.
He leaned closer.
Examining details.
Strong jaw.
Defined cheekbones.
Dark stubble covering the lower half of his face.
Nothing about him looked particularly old.
In fact, most people assumed he was younger than he actually was.
He was only twenty-four.
But something about his presence always made people assume he was older.
Maybe it was the way he carried himself.
Maybe it was the calm confidence.
Maybe it was the fact that his eyes always seemed to be calculating three moves ahead of everyone else in the room.
Those weren't exactly typical student traits.
Still, her voice continued replaying.
"You're not a student."
"You look older."
Ethan frowned.
"Do I?"
He turned his face slightly left.
Then right.
The mirror offered no helpful answers.
So he did the only logical thing.
He turned on the faucet.
The shaving foam spread across his jawline slowly as Ethan applied it with careful precision.
He had never rushed anything in his life.
Not business.
Not strategy.
And apparently not facial grooming either.
The razor moved smoothly across his skin.
One clean stroke.
Then another.
Dark stubble disappeared gradually, revealing smooth skin underneath.
He paused halfway through the process and leaned back slightly to observe the progress.
Better.
Slightly.
But not exactly… nineteen.
Ethan sighed quietly.
"This is absurd."
He rinsed the blade and continued shaving.
More foam disappeared.
More beard vanished.
Until finally he wiped the remaining cream away with a towel.
When he looked up again, the mirror reflected a very different version of Ethan Moretti.
Younger.
Cleaner.
Sharper.
But still not exactly what he was aiming for.
His jawline was still too defined.
His eyes still carried too much experience.
His presence still screamed something far removed from ordinary college boys.
Ethan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"Maybe the hair."
He ran his fingers through it.
Still too neat.
Too controlled.
He had already called a stylist earlier that morning.
A woman who had worked with influential clients for years.
She had arrived at the estate within an hour.
After examining him carefully for several minutes, she had finally spoken.
"You want to look younger."
"Yes."
"How young?"
"Nineteen."
She blinked slowly.
"That's a challenge."
"Try."
She had tried.
Different hair arrangements.
Different grooming suggestions.
Even suggested lighter clothing styles.
But after an hour of effort, she had finally admitted defeat.
"You're naturally intense," she had said.
"That's not something styling can completely hide."
Ethan hadn't been pleased with that answer.
But she wasn't wrong.
So now he stood in front of the mirror again.
Shaved.
Hair slightly messier.
And wearing something he had almost never worn in his life.
A plain black T-shirt.
Over it, a gray hoodie.
The reflection looked… strange.
Not bad.
Just unfamiliar.
He looked like someone else.
Someone who might plausibly blend into a college campus.
Almost.
Ethan sighed again.
"Good enough."
For now.
The Moretti estate was unusually quiet when he walked into the main living room.
That quiet lasted approximately four seconds.
Then a loud voice echoed from the couch.
"What the hell happened to you?"
Ethan stopped walking.
Of course.
His siblings.
On the couch sat Isabella Moretti, legs crossed comfortably as she scrolled through her phone.
Beside her sprawled Luca Moretti, who was halfway through eating something suspiciously sugary.
Both of them were staring at Ethan like he had just walked in wearing a clown costume.
Luca spoke first.
"Did someone rob you?"
Ethan frowned.
"What?"
"Your suit."
"It's not missing."
"Then why are you dressed like a freshman who just discovered laundry day?"
Isabella leaned forward slowly.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Oh my God."
Luca looked at her.
"What?"
She pointed directly at Ethan.
"He shaved."
Luca gasped dramatically.
"THE BEARD IS GONE."
Ethan closed his eyes briefly.
"This was a mistake."
"Oh no," Isabella said sweetly.
"You're not escaping this conversation."
She stood up and circled him slowly like a detective inspecting a suspicious object.
T-shirt.
Hoodie.
Clean-shaven face.
Messier hair.
She stopped directly in front of him.
"You look like a teenager who accidentally wandered into a billionaire's mansion."
Luca burst out laughing.
Ethan remained completely still.
"Are you both finished?"
"No," Isabella said.
"Not even slightly."
She crossed her arms.
"Why do you look like a college student?"
Ethan didn't answer.
That alone was suspicious enough.
Luca leaned forward with a mischievous grin.
"Oh my God."
"What?"
"You're trying to impress someone."
Isabella's eyes lit up immediately.
"The mysterious girl."
Ethan turned toward the door.
"I'm leaving."
"No you're not," Isabella said, grabbing his sleeve.
"You rejected a mafia marriage alliance two nights ago."
"You shaved your beard."
"You're wearing a hoodie."
She leaned closer.
"Tell me everything."
Ethan sighed slowly.
"Absolutely not."
But the damage was already done.
Isabella's curiosity had reached dangerous levels.
She walked around him again, studying every detail.
Then suddenly she snapped her fingers.
"I can fix this."
Ethan frowned.
"Fix what?"
"You."
"I'm not broken."
"You're trying to look nineteen."
"I never said that."
"You don't have to."
She pointed at his face.
"That beard was the only thing stopping you from looking like a giant baby."
Luca nearly choked on his drink laughing.
Ethan pinched the bridge of his nose.
"This conversation has gone far enough."
Isabella ignored him completely.
"Sit."
"No."
"Sit."
"No."
"Ethan."
He sighed again.
Then sat.
Because arguing with Isabella Moretti was usually a losing battle.
Twenty minutes later, Ethan was beginning to regret every decision he had made that morning.
Isabella had somehow turned the living room into a makeshift styling station.
Hair products.
Combs.
Random clothing items.
And an alarming level of enthusiasm.
"Your hair is too neat," she declared.
"It needs to look like you don't care."
"That sounds inefficient."
"That's the point."
She ran her fingers through his hair, deliberately messing it up.
Then stepped back to evaluate.
"Better."
Luca leaned over the couch.
"Still looks like a CEO pretending to be a student."
Isabella ignored him.
"Now the hoodie."
She adjusted it slightly.
"Good."
Then she grabbed his chin suddenly.
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"Be careful."
"I am."
She studied his face carefully.
Then smirked.
"You know what your problem is?"
"No."
"You look too handsome."
Luca burst out laughing again.
"That's definitely a problem."
Isabella rolled her eyes.
"I mean it seriously."
She tapped Ethan's cheek lightly.
"You look like a grown man pretending to be young."
"Well I am a grown man."
"Yes."
She stepped back again.
Then nodded slowly.
"Actually…"
"What?"
"This might work."
Ethan raised an eyebrow.
"Meaning?"
"You look like a really attractive college student."
Luca whistled.
"Big baby confirmed."
Ethan stood up.
"That's enough."
Isabella grinned.
"So where are you enrolling?"
He froze.
Just slightly.
But Isabella noticed.
"Wait."
Her eyes widened.
"You're actually enrolling somewhere."
Silence.
Then Luca gasped again.
"No way."
Isabella stared at her brother.
"You're going back to college?"
Ethan adjusted his hoodie calmly.
"Something like that."
"Why?"
He looked at the door.
"Because it sounds interesting."
Isabella crossed her arms.
"You're lying."
"Yes."
"But I'm still curious."
Ethan walked toward the exit.
"Stay curious."
Behind him, Luca shouted.
"Bring us back college stories!"
Isabella added loudly,
"And bring the mysterious girl!"
Ethan didn't respond.
But a small smile appeared on his face as he stepped outside.
An hour later, several powerful people inside the Moretti network received very specific instructions.
Admissions offices were contacted.
Records were arranged.
Documents appeared where necessary.
By the end of the day, something unusual had happened.
A new student had officially been accepted into the same university as Meera Narayanan.
Same major.
Same department.
Same campus.
Ethan leaned back in his chair after receiving the confirmation.
The plan had worked perfectly.
Soon he would be attending lectures.
Walking across campus.
Sitting in classrooms.
Right beside her.
The thought made him smile slightly.
Because this wasn't just about watching her anymore.
Now he would be part of her world.
Part of her daily life.
And maybe…
He would even enjoy pretending to be a normal college student again.
Ethan stood up and grabbed his jacket.
One thought echoed clearly in his mind.
He didn't need to watch her from the shadows anymore.
Now he could win her properly.
And most importantly…
He wouldn't have to watch someone else steal her away.
Not while he was standing right there.