Ethan POV Rrip. The sound was louder than a gunshot in the quiet chemistry lab. "Stop! Bryan, stop!" I lunged forward, but two guys from the football team grabbed my arms. They held me tight, their fingers digging into my skin like iron claws. I could only watch. Bryan Montgomery stood over the lab’s waste sink, a smirk on his face. In his hands was my research binder—three years of data, thousands of hours of sweat, and my only hope of paying for my mother’s heart surgery. He gripped the thick stack of papers and tore them again. Rrip. "You know, Ethan," Bryan said, his voice calm and cruel. "I actually did you a favor. This wastewater treatment garbage was never going to work. You’re a charity case, not a scientist." He tossed the shredded remains of my life into the sink. Then, he reached for a bottle of concentrated sulfuric acid. "No! Please!" I kicked and struggled, but the guys just laughed. Bryan poured the acid. I watched as the liquid hissed and smoked, eating away

I walked through the hallways of the Administration Building like I was a different person. My hoodie was still damp from the rain, and my shoes squeaked on the polished marble floors, but I didn't duck my head when the rich kids looked at me. I didn't care about their whispers anymore. In my right hand, I carried a heavy, black duffel bag I’d just bought from a sports store around the corner. It was heavy—real heavy. Most people don't realize that half a million dollars in hundred-dollar bills weighs about eleven pounds. It doesn't sound like much until you’re carrying it through a silent hallway while everyone stares at you. Getting the cash had been a mission. I’d walked into the nearest branch of the Bank of Northwood, looked the teller in the eye, and asked for a withdrawal. At first, she looked at my clothes and tried to call security. Then, she swiped my card. Her face turned white, her manager came out and offered me a private office and a cup of expensive coffee, and ten

I stood there for a second, looking at the man in the SUV. His eyes were like a shark's—empty and cold. But before he could open the door to come after me, a loud shout came from the direction of the lecture hall."Ethan! Get back here!"It was Bryan. He had come running out of the building, his face a mess of red and white blotches. He didn't even notice the scary black SUV. He was too busy being humiliated. Behind him, Professor Sarah and the rest of the class were pouring out of the doors, watching the drama unfold.Bryan was pointing his phone at me like it was a weapon. "I knew it! I just checked the school’s Wi-Fi logs. There was a massive spike in data right when you were at the board. You cheated, Ethan! You used a hidden transmitter to get the answers from someone outside!"The students started muttering. Bryan was desperate, and he was trying to drag my name through the mud to save his own pride.Professor Sarah walked up, her eyebrows knitted together. "Bryan, that’s a seri

The first guy reached me with a plastic cafeteria tray, swinging it like an axe. In my head, I could see the path of the tray before it even got close. I didn't even have to try. I just stepped an inch to the left, and the tray whistled past my chest, hitting the empty table with a loud crack. Before he could pull back, I tapped him twice on the ribs. It wasn't a hard punch, but I hit the exact spot that makes your lungs forget how to breathe. He dropped the tray and fell to his knees, gasping for air like a fish out of water. "One," I whispered. Then, three more jumped at me at the same time. One tried to grab my waist, another swung a wild left hook, and the third tried to kick my legs out from under me. I didn't stay still. If I stayed still, they would swarm me. I moved like a ghost. I stepped on the seat of my chair and jumped over the first guy’s head. While I was in the air, I kicked the second guy in the shoulder, spinning him around so he crashed into his own friend

Elena was still screaming for security, her face turning a nasty shade of red. She looked like she was about to pop a vein. The other two salesgirls were standing behind her, whispering and pointing at my old sneakers like they were toxic waste. In the back, Silas Thorne didn't even turn around. He just kept adjusting his silver tie in the mirror, looking bored as if a fly was buzzing in the room."Where is security?!" Elena barked, slamming her hand on the marble counter. "I want this trash out of the store right now!"I didn't blink. I didn't even look at her. I just tapped the screen on my phone and hit the call button for the top contact in my list. It picked up on the first ring."Mr. Wang," I said. My voice was low, but in that quiet, frozen store, it sounded like a gunshot.On the other end, the man’s voice sounded like he’d just run a marathon. "Mr. Vance! Yes! I was just about to call you. I heard you were in the Diamond District. Is everything okay? Is the service to your li