THE REJECTED GENIUS
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For years, Adrian Hayes had been nothing more than a ghost at Northvale University. Despite his sharp mind and top grades, he was nothing but a scholarship student, a nobody among the elite. The rich kids mocked him, his professors barely noticed him, and even his so-called friends only stuck around when they needed help with their assignments.
But the worst betrayal came from the one person he had trusted—Sophia Lancaster. The girl he had secretly loved, the girl who once smiled at him in the library, humiliated him in front of the entire campus, choosing to be with Nathan Sterling, the heir to the Sterling Corporation.
"You? Compete with Nathan? Don’t be ridiculous. You’ll always be a pathetic charity case," Sophia scoffed, her hand laced with Nathan’s.
Adrian had never felt more worthless. But everything changed the next morning when a single notification appeared on his phone.
"Congratulations, Adrian Hayes. You are the sole heir to the Hayes Fortune. Your assets have been unlocked."
Thinking it was some cruel joke, he clicked the link. Within seconds, his bank account balance surged to $50 million.
Now, armed with wealth, power, and an identity no one saw coming, Adrian returns—not as the quiet, overlooked student, but as someone they’ll never forget.
This time, he’s the one in control.
The tables have turned. Nathan Sterling will fall. Sophia will regret her choices. And Northvale University will witness the rise of the Rejected Genius.
Will Adrian use his newfound fortune for revenge, or will he prove that the best success is living well?
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Chapter: 44Chapter 44The morning sun flutters through the curtain. I stirred lazily on the bed. I remembered what happened and immediately signed towards my cell phone.The call rang for a few minutes before one of the guards picked it up. “ Where the hell are you? Did you not hear that I called?” I barked. “ Tell me Leo is alright?” I asked. My heart slammed hard against my chest.The line remained static and then I heard him. His croaky gentle voice. “ Ain't you supposed to be at school, Mr Hayes?” Leonard said from the end of the phone.I sigh, a wave of relief washing over me. “ I needed to make sure you were safe. Do I need to come down to the hospital?” I said immediately hitting the shower.“ Of course not, I believe the men here are more than capable of their duties. Get to school and study.” Leo replied. I was about to hang up the call when I remembered what Leonard said the other night. I decided to ask him. “ What do you mean by what you said the other night?”“ What I said? What did
Last Updated: 2025-04-29
Chapter: 43Chapter 43I still don't understand what Leo meant by what he said. I don't have any enemies. Nathan was the only one who I had my eyes on, and I was going to make him pay for what he did. But what did Leo mean by what he said? I got outside the hospital with a look of anxiety clearly visible to me. “ Are you alright?” Park asked. “ Is Leo good too?” I wasn't myself. I nodded and took a seat. My mind replays what happened earlier. “ We need to be alert now. I don't know what my father had gotten himself into, but I think they might be coming for me.” “ Who? Is there something you are not telling me?” Park asked, his gaze landing on me. “ I don't know, buddy. I think Leo is not showing all the chess boards to me. I believe he is hiding something.” I replied. “ Well, we have time to prepare for whatever is coming, and you, my friend, need to stay focused,” Park said, hitting my chest with his hands. His phone rang, making me wonder who was talking to him. “ I will be back,” Park s
Last Updated: 2025-04-29
Chapter: 42Chapter 42It was taking forever, I looked at Park who was fast asleep. He was looking tired so I decided not to wake him. I have a lot I wanted to ask Leo, a lot to tell him and probably ask him if it was a good idea to fall in love with Zee. I watched and was surprised to see so many of the doctors busy with one patient or the other. I marveled at the work they did and wondered if I could ever find myself working as a doctor to save lives. The fluorescent hummed each time I paced up and down. I have never prayed for anything in my entire life. I don't believe in the existence of God.But tonight, I prayed. Clenching my hands in a prayer mode. I knelt down on the tiles and closed my eyes. I said just one word which I believe God was going to listen to. “ Oh God heal him. I know I don't believe in you but please.” I said, opening my eyes at the loud noise I heard coming from the theatre room. I saw one of the nurses coming out. “ Talk to me. Is he alright?” I asked anxiously. Par
Last Updated: 2025-04-29
Chapter: 41Chapter 41 I got home feeling tired and worn out. I met most of the staff busy with their duties when I noticed Leo was nowhere to be found. My footsteps echoed gently as I walked towards the last room in the building. Leonard liked being alone after working late into the night. I remember he had asked me to come down to the organization to meet a few staff members, but he suddenly stopped talking about it. I wondered if everything was fine with him, but as I got closer to his room, I could hear his shallow breathing. “ Leo?” I called out slowly. The room was dark, so I tried to find the switch. The light illuminated the dark room, and I met Leo unconsciously lying on the bed with his eyes shut. “ Leo!” I shouted, rushing to the bed. I yanked his body a few times, but then I saw blood sputtering out of his mouth. I yelled for help while most of the guards rushed into the room. “ Call me an ambulance! Call me 911!” I yelled, grabbing Leo. I don't know where I got the adrenaline
Last Updated: 2025-04-29
Chapter: 40Chapter 40The words hit me like tidal waves and I couldn't believe I was falling for Zee. It was just a strategy. Something to keep me distracted. I looked at the tape Jessica gave to me and wondered if it was the real stuff.I haven't checked it for quite some time now but I need to know if it was what I needed. I tossed it into my drawer with the thought of looking it up when I came back.My mind drifted back to Leo’s question for a moment.Did I like Zee?It sounded absurd when said aloud, but I couldn't shake off the lingering feeling that clung to me like a second skin. Maybe it wasn’t love. Maybe it was just the thrill—the temptation of being wanted, especially after how much rejection I had tasted lately.I adjusted my shirt collar in the mirror, trying not to overthink it. Tonight wasn’t about love. It was about strategy. About winning back my dignity and making Tessa see what she had thrown away.It was about control.Grabbing my car keys off the table, I gave Leo a wink. “D
Last Updated: 2025-04-28
Chapter: 39Chapter 39I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I had tried calling Tessa a few times, but she was not picking up. I knew I had created a bad impression of myself. It was obvious the Davenports hated me by now, but I needed to create another chance for myself.Another opportunity to redeem myself. I remember Mr. Clinton had talked about sponsoring a group of students at the university. If I could help him with the sponsor, then I knew it was a start.I looked at the video I was holding, and I knew it could change a lot of things for me. But first I was going to make a fool out of Nathan and Tessa; I was going to make her jealous, and she would wish she would come back to me.First, I need to make my move. I got up from the bed, entered into the bathroom, and had a clean shave. I was going to call Zee and take her out for dinner.That was a brilliant plan. I didn't even care if it was reckless or if I wasn't thinking it through. I needed to show Tessa it was all about the cont
Last Updated: 2025-04-28
Chapter: chapter 166Chapter 166Kohler slowly stirred awake the next morning to the soft strains of music drifting through the air. Her mind, still foggy with sleep, searched for the familiar warmth of Quincy beside her, but the space in the bed was cold and empty. Confused, she opened her eyes, blinking away the haze of dreams. As her gaze adjusted, something unexpected caught her attention—rose petals, scattered across the bed in delicate patterns of red. Her heart skipped a beat. She sat up, her fingers brushing over the soft petals, a surprised smile forming on her lips. The roses didn’t just cover the bed; they formed a trail on the floor, leading out of the bedroom like a path designed to guide her somewhere.Curiosity piqued, Kohler swung her legs off the bed and stood, her bare feet padding softly across the floor. The music played softly in the background, its romantic melody weaving into the air like a whisper meant just for her. Her heartbeat quickened, and she followed the trail of rose peta
Last Updated: 2024-10-14
Chapter: chapter 165Chapter 165Lauren stiffened in her seat, her eyes narrowing as she recognized Talia. Damien stood immediately, stepping in front of Lauren protectively. “Talia, this isn’t the time,” he said, his voice firm but calm.Talia ignored him, her eyes locked on Lauren. “I should have known you’d go crawling to her the moment I was out of the picture,” she sneered. “But you’re making a mistake, Damien. You’re supposed to be with me!”Damien clenched his jaw, frustration rising. “You need to leave. Now.”Talia took a step closer, her gaze flickering between Damien and Lauren. “You think she’s better than me?” she spat. “You think she’ll stick by you the way I did? She’ll break your heart.”Lauren stood up, her eyes steady and calm. “Talia, this is between Damien and me. I understand that you’re upset, but barging in like this won’t change anything.”Talia’s face twisted in anger. “You think you’re so special? You’re nothing, Lauren. Nothing compared to what Damien and I had.”Damien moved clo
Last Updated: 2024-10-13
Chapter: chapter 164Chapter 164Darius studied Kohler for a moment, his expression hard to read. The tension between them hung in the air like a thick fog, both of them playing a delicate game of manipulation and trust. "I'll be the judge of that," he replied, his voice calm but sharp, like the edge of a blade.Kohler chuckled lightly, masking the slight tremor that threatened to creep into her voice. "Fair enough," she said. "But you know I wouldn't be here if I didn't have what it takes."Darius took a step closer, his gaze narrowing. "We'll see." He glanced over at Quincy, who remained motionless in the backseat, supposedly unconscious. "You’ve done well to bring him here. Now, let’s see if you can handle what comes next."Kohler swallowed hard but nodded, reminding herself to keep calm. Quincy had drilled into her the importance of staying in control. "Of course," she said, standing tall.Darius gestured to one of the men, and he stepped forward with a syringe filled with a clear liquid. "This," Dari
Last Updated: 2024-10-13
Chapter: chapter 163Finally! Darius was ready to meet with Kohler as he had trusted her well enough. He had sent poison to her and told her to induce it in Quincy’s drink, and that’s only when he could trust her.“Is everything set?” Quincy asked Kohler.“Yes. I’m all set.” She responded. “Wow. The color looks just perfect on your body. He is going to fall for this.” Kohler chuckled.“I know, right? When he gets caught, he would never put his loyalty to a bad man.” Quincy said with a smirk. “Alright, it’s time to go,” Quincy said, then they left the house, and Quincy was laid in the backseat of his car.Kohler then got into the driver’s seat and drove off to the location to which she was asked to come over. The ride was a little long, and the only reason he would do that was because the place would be a secluded area.That was the best kind of place for them to carry out operations like that.“Just ensure you do not act tense. You have to be as fluid as possible.” Quincy lectured her, and she nodded. “A
Last Updated: 2024-09-30
Chapter: chapter 162 A few days passed, and a day came when Damien’s grandfather called, and said he wanted to see both him and Lauren. “What do you think he might want to say?” Lauren asked him, out of curiosity. “Well, I don’t know. But I’m hoping it’s good news.” Damien said as he drove. At least, for the past few days that had passed, they had learned to tolerate each other again, so Liam didn’t need to be interrupting at every interval. Lauren felt herself tense as she didn’t know what the outcome could be. For days now, she had not seen Quincy, and then he had also made up with her by calling her and explaining the situation to her. She was glad that he at least explained to her, but she just couldn’t help but feel that he still had at least, an atom of love for Kohler, and that hurt her deeply each time she thought about it. Soon, they got to his family house, and on getting there, it was only the grandfather who was present at the dining table. But there was no food served there. “Welcome,
Last Updated: 2024-09-30
Chapter: chapter 161Minutes before Liam answered the call, Damien was pacing around with his phone and leaned close to her ear, listening to the now annoying dial tone.“What the hell!” He said sharply under his breath as he kept on waiting.It was becoming frustrating that Liam hadn't answered his call ever since he left earlier with Lauren.The fact that he hadn't answered his call only made him a little worried because his phone was right in the car with him. He was hoping they hadn’t gotten into an accident or something.But then, even though they didn’t get into an accident, another reason he might not answer his call could be that his phone was on silent, but he wasn’t certain if it was on silent. But at least, he ought to know of their current whereabouts and if she was fine, but curiosity was beginning to eat her out.“If I still can't get through to them after calling and calling, I might have to get to the hotel to find out myself; hopefully Lauren would have checked in safely.” He said to him
Last Updated: 2024-09-30
