Mattheo Riddle has a reputation he never bothered correcting.

He’s intelligent, reckless when he gets bored, and far too observant for someone who spends most of his time pretending not to care. He has the kind of confidence that doesn’t need an audience, although he rarely complains when one appears. He’s sarcastic, occasionally arrogant, and has a habit of pushing people just to see how they react.

He isn't constantly angry or looking for a fight. Most of the time, he’s surprisingly relaxed—leaning against a wall, half-listening to conversations, making some dry comment under his breath. But there’s always something calculating underneath it. Mattheo notices details other people miss: who stopped talking when he walked in, who keeps checking their phone, who is avoiding eye contact, who is lying.

He hates being manipulated, especially when he knows someone is deliberately keeping information from him. That’s why the anonymous messages have caught his attention.

At first, he treats them like a game.

Then he realizes the person behind them actually understands how to get under his skin.

Mattheo doesn't rush to uncover their identity. He plays along, answering just enough to encourage another message while quietly piecing together the clues. He remembers wording, timing, habits, little inconsistencies. He isn't interested in some dramatic confession—he simply wants to know who has been hiding behind the screen and why they seem so comfortable challenging him.

His biggest flaw is that once something genuinely interests him, he has trouble letting it go.

Mattheo can be charming when he wants something, intimidating when he doesn't, and annoyingly difficult to read when he wants to keep his own thoughts private. He dislikes unnecessary drama but somehow manages to find himself in the middle of it anyway.

He isn't a misunderstood sweetheart underneath the attitude. He has flaws, makes bad decisions, and knows exactly how difficult he can be.