Contract Marriage with My Secret Partner in Crime-Chapter 147: Familiar Stranger

[106 Days Left to Live]

The morning sun filtered through the lace curtains of Camellia Hall, casting warm patterns on the polished floor. The hall smelled faintly of lavender detergent and old wooden furniture—clean, cozy, and brimming with first-day nerves.

Levy Montclair stood by her bed, stuffing a notebook and pencil case into her sling bag. Her new uniform blazer hung neatly over the back of a chair, while her ID lanyard draped loosely around her neck. She had already retied her ponytail twice, more out of nervous habit than necessity.

It was her first day as a freshman at Elite Legacy Institute. She would be majoring in Business Management. The reality hadn’t sunk in until she’d stared at her course schedule earlier that morning, wide-eyed, and now that the time had come, her stomach twisted with excitement and nerves.

Outside her room, the shared dormitory hallway buzzed with the sound of footsteps, zippers, and the occasional giggle. Their unit in Camellia Hall, Room 214, had become a comfortable little nest in the few days since move-in.

It was modest but cozy. There were four beds, four desks, and four closets, all evenly spaced, giving the girls their own private corners. Posters, pillows, and cute fairy lights had begun to personalize the space.

Levy stepped in and out of the bathroom, where she’d been fixing her hair, and bumped into Mira, who had just finished curling her bangs with a heated comb.

"Whoa! Mirror hog!" Mira teased, stepping aside with a grin. "Looking sharp, though. Nailing that fresh new college girl vibe."

Levy laughed, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "I don’t even feel like a college girl yet. I still wake up thinking I’m going to high school."

Dana was quietly folding a soft cardigan over her arm, her glasses slipping a little on her nose as she packed her tote. She gave them both a small smile. "You’ll be fine. First classes are mostly intros. No one expects you to have your life together yet."

Celeste emerged from the far end of the room, adjusting the straps of her black leather backpack. She looked pristine and confident, her hair braided back and her blazer buttoned up neatly. "Levy, you ready? We’ll need to leave in five if we want to stop by the cafe before class."

Levy nodded quickly, slipping her foot into her sneakers. "Yeah, almost. Just need to grab my schedule."

Mira peeked over her shoulder at the folded printout Levy was pulling from her desk. "Oof, Business Fundamentals at eight? That’s rough."

"Tell me about it," Levy sighed.

Dana giggled. "You two have that together, right?"

"Yep," Celeste replied, straightening her collar. "Business majors. The grind begins today."

Levy slung her bag over her shoulder. "Wish us luck."

"You don’t need luck," Mira said dramatically, flipping her hair. "You need caffeine. Lots of it."

The girls laughed and began heading out the door together, parting ways in the hallway.

"Meet you back here for lunch?" Mira called as she and Dana turned down the hall toward the Creative and Liberal Arts wing.

"Definitely!" Levy replied.

As she and Celeste exited the building, a gentle breeze greeted them. The campus was bustling with energy. Students clustered in groups, comparing schedules, sipping on iced coffee, or staring nervously at building directories.

"Look at all these new faces," Levy said softly.

"Get used to it," Celeste replied with a smile. "We’ll be part of this chaos for the next few years."

They stopped by a small campus cafe just outside the Commerce Wing. Celeste ordered a black coffee; Levy went for iced caramel latte. They sipped quietly on the bench outside, letting the morning buzz soak in before finally checking the time.

"Room B-204," Celeste read aloud. "Let’s not be late."

Inside the classroom, soft chatter floated in the air. The space was bright and clean, with a row of tall windows on one side and a large whiteboard spanning the front. Levy took a seat beside Celeste in the third row. Her fingers tapped nervously on the table.

Other students were settling in. A guy with neatly combed hair took the seat beside Celeste. "Hey, this seat taken?"

"Nope, go ahead," she answered.

"I’m Brian," he said, offering a quick smile. "Business major."

"Celeste. This is Levy."

"Nice to meet you."

Levy nodded. "Nice to meet you too."

The door opened again. A tall man in a fitted black suit entered, walking with a composed air. He set his folder and tablet down on the desk and turned to face the class.

"Good morning," he said simply. His voice was smooth and firm. "Welcome to Business Fundamentals. I’m your instructor for this course."

He turned and wrote on the board in clean, precise strokes: Mr. Varen.

"You can call me Mr. Varen," he said. "Let’s start with a brief overview of what you’re in for."

Levy blinked at him. Something about the way he stood... the cadence of his voice...

"Why does he look familiar?" she thought. "Have I met him before?"

Mr. Varen opened his folder. "We’ll begin with roll call. Please respond when I call your name."

He went down the list efficiently. When he reached her name, he paused just a beat longer.

"Levy Montclair?"

"That’s me!" Levy said, raising her hand quickly.

His gaze flickered to her, and for a fraction of a second, there was something unreadable in his eyes. But he moved on.

The lecture began. He discussed the role of business management, its impact on small organizations versus global corporations, and the importance of adaptability in the modern market. He asked students to name local businesses and explain what made them competitive.

Levy found herself raising her hand more than once.

"Coffee Bloom," she said at one point. "It’s a small chain in our province. They market themselves as a ’workspace cafe’ with strong Wi-Fi, quiet booths, and charging stations. It’s not just coffee, it’s the atmosphere they’re selling."

Mr. Varen nodded. "Good example. Differentiation by user experience."