Chapter 22 Alexander walked slowly to the poolside, his steps dragging as though the weight of his thoughts was too heavy for his legs. The quiet shimmer of the water reflected the lights around the villa, calm and peaceful, but inside him, there was nothing but turmoil. He sat down at the edge, his fingers tracing idle patterns on the tiles, his gaze distant. How quickly life had turned upside down. Just weeks ago, he was the boy everyone looked down on, mocked for being poor, scorned for not belonging in their world. Yet here he was heir to an empire, a billionaire in disguise. The irony gnawed at him. He clenched his fists, fighting the childish urge to laugh in Paxton’s face, to slam his black card onto the table and watch their arrogant smirks vanish. He longed to shout, My father could buy your entire generation and still have change left over. But he couldn’t. Not yet. One wrong move, one slip of the tongue, and everything his father had warned him about would collapse. Pr

Chapter 23The cold, sterile light of the hospital corridor pressed down on them, its hum as suffocating as the silence that followed. Aria and Selena stood side by side, their hands still entwined, both trembling with the same raw fear. The clock on the wall ticked mercilessly, each second dragging like an eternity.Selena paced in a tight line before the trauma room doors, her wet hair clinging to her shoulders, droplets trailing down her trembling arms. She stopped every few moments to glance toward the shut doors, as if sheer willpower might force them open.Aria, in contrast, sat slumped against the wall, her knees drawn up, her hands digging into her scalp. She had always been strong, the unshakable one, but now she looked hollow, every breath catching in her throat.“Why is it taking so long?” Selena whispered hoarsely, her voice cracking. She turned suddenly to Aria, her eyes wild. “What if… what if he doesn’t—”“Don’t say it.” Aria’s voice was sharp, cutting through her own d

Chapter 25The following morning, Alexander was finally discharged from the hospital. His body still felt heavy, but his spirit seemed even heavier. Aria and Selena both pleaded with him to return home, to take proper rest away from the chaos, but Alexander stubbornly shook his head.“No,” he said firmly. “I’m going back to the Lake House. If I leave now, it’ll look like I’m running away.”His voice carried a mixture of pride and quiet fear, but he masked it with determination.When they arrived back at the Lake House, the atmosphere was thick with murmurs. Students lingered by the porch and corridors, whispering behind their hands. Alexander could hear fragments of their cruel words.“Coward… couldn’t even swim.”“Blamed Paxton just to save himself.”“What a disgrace…”The hushed insults cut deeper than any wound on his body. Alexander clenched his jaw, but didn’t respond. Selena, however, snapped her head in their direction. Her glare was sharp enough to silence them immediately. Th

Chapter 27Tommy’s laughter echoed through the dining room, drawing the attention of the other students at the table. A few of them exchanged glances, some smirking, others simply waiting for the spectacle they knew was about to unfold.“Look at him,” Tommy sneered, pointing at Alexander with his fork. “Sitting there like he’s one of us. Who invited him here in the first place?”A murmur of agreement rippled across the table. One of the girls covered her mouth with her hand, whispering something to her friend, who giggled openly.“Seriously, Paxton,” another boy chimed in with a mocking grin, “if you’re going to apologize to someone like him, you might as well apologize to the street rats outside. At least they’re honest about where they belong.”The table erupted in scattered laughter. Alexander felt each word strike like a blow, sharp and humiliating. He lowered his gaze to his plate, trying to focus on the food though the taste had already turned bitter in his mouth.Tommy leaned b

Chapter 29After breakfast, the group made their way toward the lake. The morning sun shone brightly, scattering diamonds across the water’s surface. A breeze stirred the trees, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth. Selena walked between Alexander and Aria, listening to the chatter of the other students behind them.The path was uneven, gravel mixed with roots that coiled like hidden traps. Each time Selena stumbled, Alexander guided her gently by the arm, steady and unhurried. His touch wasn’t overbearing, but protective in its simplicity. He walked with a quiet confidence she hadn’t seen before, his shoulders squared, his eyes calm as they swept over the path ahead.Selena glanced at him, her lips curving into the faintest smile. He wasn’t the same boy who once shrank from Paxton’s ridicule. Something in him had shifted. He was standing taller now, not loud or arrogant, but steady, like he was finally learning that strength didn’t need to be shouted.Behind them, Paxton watched