The Girl in the Hoodie is Mine

Jason POV:

After Ella’s speech, the announcer introduced the next speaker.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mr. Kingsley."

The name sent a ripple of murmurs through the crowd, and I sat up straighter. Mr. Kingsley? The Kingsley? The man who practically owned three quater the business world? This guy was a legend—a tycoon who’d built an empire so vast it felt impossible to comprehend.

I’d never thought I’d see him at a graduation ceremony. A man that busy, attending an event like this? It had to be a big deal.

In my head, I couldn’t help but feel a tiny flicker of pride. I’d recently managed to secure a partnership with Kingsley Empire, one of his ventures. Maybe he’d acknowledge me. Maybe he’d see me as a rising star—a name worth mentioning in front of this crowd. And if Ella heard that I had impressed someone like him, maybe she’d finally see me as more than just a goofy guy with a crush.

His presence alone commanded respect. As he took the stage, the air shifted. He exuded power, confidence, and charisma—every bit the businessman I’d met and read about. The crowd was enraptured, eager to hear what he had to say.

"What a beautiful ceremony," Mr. Kingsley began, his deep voice filling the auditorium. "And what an honor it is to be here today, among the brightest minds of our future. But before I delve into the intricacies of business, let me take a moment to acknowledge something... or rather, someone."

Here it comes, I thought. I straightened my back, ready to flash my signature smile. Surely, this was about me. I’d made partner with Kingsley Empire, after all. That was no small feat. If someone like him recognized my potential in front of this audience, it would be the ultimate validation.

But the next words out of his mouth turned my world upside down.

"What can a father say," he continued, his gaze softening, "when he sees his daughter stand before a crowd, delivering such a heartfelt and eloquent speech? I am immensely proud."

I blinked, sure I’d misheard him.

Wait. Father?

His daughter?

I followed his line of sight, and it landed squarely on Ella.

What the actual fuck?

Ella was his daughter? This couldn’t be real. This had to be some kind of twisted joke.

The murmurs in the crowd rose to a deafening level as everyone turned to look at her. My heart was pounding in my chest as the pieces started clicking together.

Ella Kingsley. The name had always struck me as vaguely familiar, but I’d brushed it off as a coincidence. She worked at a diner, for crying out loud. She lived in a dingy little apartment. No way could she be the daughter of the Kingsley, the wealthiest man in the world.

Right?

But as I stared at her, trying to process what I’d just heard, the similarities between them became glaringly obvious. Her golden hair. Her piercing blue eyes. Even the sharp angles of her face mirrored his when she wasn’t wearing makeup or hiding behind a hoodie.

How the hell had I missed this?

Suddenly, her constant need for privacy, her reluctance to open up about her family, and her insistence on maintaining a low profile all made sense.

She wasn’t just a regular girl. She was the heiress to an empire.

And all this time, she’d kept it a secret from everyone—including me.

My gaze shifted back to her. She was slouching in her seat, trying to make herself look as small as possible, her face hidden beneath her hair. It was like she wanted to disappear.

Mr. Kingsley continued his speech, but I wasn’t listening anymore. My focus was entirely on Ella. She must have known this moment was coming, but she still looked blindsided, like a deer caught in headlights.

Next to me, Dylan nudged Max and whispered, "Dude, Ella’s his daughter. That’s insane."

"Yeah," Max whispered back, sounding just as shocked. "No wonder she’s been so mysterious."

I couldn’t say a word. My brain was still stuck on replaying the revelation over and over.

Ella Kingsley. Daughter of that Kingsley.

How the hell did I not figure this out?

Was this why she always avoided talking about her family? Why she insisted on living such a low-key life?

My heart sank. All this time, she must have been hiding from the weight of her own name. Hiding from people like me who would’ve looked at her differently if they’d known the truth.

I felt stupid. Not just for not figuring it out sooner, but for thinking I understood her. For thinking I had any chance of getting close to her without this massive, invisible wall between us.

She wasn’t just Ella, the smart, sarcastic girl I’d fallen for.

She was Ella Kingsley. And I had no idea what that even meant anymore.

And fuck, did I blow it when she first arrived at school.

It all hit me at once, sitting there in the crowd as the pieces fell into place. The way I treated her—how I’d dismissed her, teased her, and made her life harder during those first few months. Sure, I’d changed since then, and somehow, we’d managed to become friends. But the memory of how much of an arrogant jerk I’d been when she first showed up made me want to crawl into a hole and disappear.

Because if her father, Mr. Kingsley, got wind of it, I was toast.

Yes, my family, the Kings, were powerful. We were the family in our country—wealthy, influential, practically untouchable within our borders. But compared to the Kingsleys? Hell, we were like ants under their boots.

They weren’t just a powerful family; they were the family. Top-tier, globally untouchable, a dynasty so vast it made everyone else look like amateurs. Competing with them wasn’t just impossible—it was laughable.

And I had treated his daughter, Ella Kingsley, like trash.

I could already imagine the headlines. "Kingsley Heiress Bullied by Jason King—Future of King Enterprises in Jeopardy." Or worse, her father could crush my family with a single phone call. No negotiations, no second chances.

My throat felt dry as I thought back to every single moment I’d been a complete ass to her. That first day, when she arrived on campus in her oversized hoodie and mask, looking like she didn’t belong. I’d laughed at her, made snide comments about her appearance, and treated her like she was beneath me.

It was cruel, petty, and uncalled for.

And now?

Now I knew she wasn’t some random girl who didn’t fit in. She was Ella fucking Kingsley. The heiress to an empire so vast it made my family’s accomplishments look like a school project.

I stole a glance at her as her father continued his speech, his voice booming through the auditorium. She looked like she wanted to disappear, her hair covering her face, her shoulders hunched.

How did I miss it? The golden hair, the striking blue eyes, the sharp features that mirrored her father’s. It was all there, right in front of me.

And the hoodie, the mask, the need to stay hidden? It wasn’t because she was shy or awkward. It was because she was trying to escape the weight of her last name.

I’d always thought she was keeping secrets, but I assumed it was something trivial—maybe a weird family dynamic or some deep-seated trust issues. I never imagined she was the Kingsley heiress.

If only I’d been kinder to her from the start.

I’d spent months trying to make up for the way I treated her, and while she’d forgiven me—at least on the surface—I wasn’t sure how she truly felt deep down. And now, knowing who she really was, I couldn’t stop wondering if she had resented me all along.

Dylan and Max exchanged whispers beside me, their faces a mix of shock and awe.

"Dude, she’s his daughter," Dylan muttered again, as if repeating it would make it believable , his voice barely above a whisper.

"I know," Max replied, his eyes wide. "That’s insane. She’s been here the whole time, and we had no clue."

I tuned them out. My focus was on Ella.

She wasn’t looking at anyone, her head bowed low. She wasn’t the type to relish attention, and now she was getting more of it than she ever wanted.

My heart twisted.

The entire room was staring at her. Professors, students, staff—all of them whispering, their eyes filled with a mix of awe, jealousy, and disbelief.

I wanted to stand up and do something—say something to shield her from the attention—but what could I do?

This was bigger than anything I could handle.

Her father’s voice brought me back to reality. He was wrapping up his speech, seamlessly transitioning into a discussion about business and the importance of vision, innovation, and leadership. It was the kind of speech that would be quoted in business articles for years to come.

But I couldn’t focus on any of it.

My gaze kept flickering back to Ella, who still hadn’t moved.

When her father finished and the applause erupted, I clapped half-heartedly, my mind racing.

What did this mean for her? For us?

She’d always kept me at arm’s length, and now I understood why. She didn’t want me—or anyone—to know who she really was.

And now that the secret was out, I was terrified of what would come next. Would she leave? Would she disappear from my life completely?

I couldn’t let that happen.

But as I sat there, watching her carefully avoid everyone’s gaze, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d already lost her.

Ella Kingsley wasn’t just a girl I liked.

She was a storm I never saw coming.