Chapter 2

The air seemed to freeze.

The students around us had all stopped in their tracks, faces lit up with the thrill of watching a spectacle.

Faye stood with her arms crossed, practically giddy at the thought of Mia actually going through with it.

Mia was shaking all over. She looked at Linda, then back at me.

Her eyes were full of conflict and terror.

To her, this circle was everything.

Being blacklisted meant all her effort had been for nothing. It meant crawling back to that rundown apartment and going back to a life with no future.

"Mia—"

I started to speak, wanting to tell her she didn't have to be afraid.

But Mia suddenly took a deep breath and stepped forward.

She moved in front of me, shielding me, and bowed deeply toward Linda.

"Linda, I'm sorry. I was out of line."

A smug smile curled across Linda's lips. "That's more like it. Smart girl. Now go ahead."

Mia straightened up. Her eyes were red, her voice trembling — but absolutely resolute.

"No."

The smile froze on Linda's face.

"What did you say?"

Mia clenched her fists so hard her knuckles went white.

"I said no. Vivian is my best friend, and she didn't do anything wrong. If your so-called finishing school is built on crushing people's dignity, then I'd rather not learn."

The words seemed to drain every last drop of energy from her body. She looked ready to collapse.

I stood there stunned for a moment, then felt a wave of warmth flood through me.

In this world where self-interest ruled everything, Mia had just thrown away the opportunity she'd been chasing her whole life — for me.

Linda's face turned black with rage.

"Fine. Great."

She let out a furious laugh and hurled her wine glass at the ground.

The shattering glass cut through the silence like a scream.

"Since you two are so devoted to each other, I'll make sure you go down together. Starting today, I'm not just blacklisting Mia — I'm making sure neither of you can survive in this city!"

Linda turned to the students behind her and announced at full volume:

"Anyone who says a single word to either of these two is making an enemy of me — and of every socialite in New York!"

The students scrambled backward like she'd announced a plague, terrified of being contaminated by association.

Faye dramatically pinched her nose. "Ugh, hurry up and leave already. You're polluting the air."

Linda gave one last cold snort and marched off with her entourage.

Mia and I were left standing alone in the empty corridor.

Mia finally broke. She crouched down and sobbed.

"Viv, I've really lost everything…"

I knelt beside her and gently patted her back.

"You didn't lose anything real. You lost a con artist — but you just earned yourself an actual fortune."

Mia was crying too hard to even process what I'd said.

"Stop trying to make me feel better… you can barely make rent yourself…"

I sighed, reached into my bag for the probate documents, then thought better of it and tucked them back.

If I showed her now, she'd either think I'd lost my mind or that I'd forged the whole thing.

If Linda wanted to play games, I'd play along.

I was going to let Mia watch with her own eyes as that so-called "socialite circle" crumbled in the face of real money.

"Come on. I'm taking you somewhere."

I pulled Mia to her feet.

"Where? Back to the apartment for instant noodles?" she asked between sniffles.

"No." I stared in the direction Linda had gone, a cold edge forming on my lips. "Shopping. Isn't there supposed to be some legendary 'elite gala' tomorrow night? We're going."

Mia's eyes went wide. "Are you insane? We've been blacklisted! And the tickets cost half a million each — plus a wealth verification!"

"Relax." I pulled out my phone and texted the butler.

"We don't need tickets. Because the venue? It's mine now."