Chapter 44

Jevon’s POV

When Nydia carefully slid that math problem toward me, my heart sank.

Forget solving it. The moment I saw that long string of symbols and formulas, my skull started buzzing.

I could hear prey breathing from hundreds of meters away in the forest.

Too bad none of that helped when I was staring at cold, dead numbers.

I had only written one line of the geometric proof when my head began to throb faintly.

I couldn’t show weakness. I cleared my throat twice and forced myself to sound calm.

“I haven’t looked at 11th‑grade algebra for a long time. Let me study it for a moment.”

Nydia waved her hands quickly, said cautiously. “It’s okay! I’m not in a hurry!”

Then, like she was afraid I’d mind the time, she added softly, “Jevon, don’t worry. The time you spend reading the problem counts as tutoring hours too.”

She kept saying “Jevon” like a dedicated prayer, her eyes full of unhidden worship.

Meanwhile I felt anxious as hell.

If she found out her idol couldn’t solve one math problem, how crushed would she be?

I lowered my head and pretended to think, but my eyes were scanning the room.

Wolf instincts are sharp. A tiny rustle behind the camera, fabric against fabric, hit my ears.

And then I saw it.

A staff member was crouched behind the cameraman, holding up a white cue card.

On it was the full solution… and even the exact lines I was supposed to say.

Relief flooded me, but I kept my “deep in thought” expression.

Acting was instinct by now.

At first, Nydia was still starry‑eyed, practically melting in her seat.

But slowly, her smile faded. Her gaze drifted, empty.

My heart tightened.

Did she see the cue card?

If she exposed me on the spot, the livestream would blow up in seconds. Haters and rivals would tear me apart alive.

Thankfully, she didn’t say a word.

I immediately followed the cue card and started “teaching” the steps.

My memory was not bad. I could memorize most of it with one glance. If I forgot, I used the motion of pushing up my glasses to steal another quick look.

The livestream chat was pure worship:

“Genius Jevon!”

“Of course his IQ matches his face!”

“His persona is solid! So solid!”

Nobody noticed anything.

Only Nydia looked distracted the entire time.

That single problem, I “explained” it for a full hour.

$2,100 hit my account, but I didn’t feel lighter.

Nydia’s eyes made my blood run cold. She was disappointed. She had to be.

When the tutoring ended, I saw Lilith hunched on the sofa with a novel, lazy as a cat.

I told the cameraman, “Turn off the livestream for a minute. My mic is acting up. I need to adjust it.”

The mic was strapped to my body. To adjust it, I’d have to lift my shirt, so everyone thought I was being shy about fans seeing my abs.

The cameraman cooperated. The screen went black, and the chat started screaming about “wanting to see the six‑pack.”

The second the camera cut; I sent the cameraman away.

I had to talk to Nydia. This couldn’t leak. Not ever.

I turned to her, sincerely. “I’m sorry. I haven’t learnt math for too long. I didn’t understand it at all.”

Nydia nodded awkwardly. The disappointment in her eyes was almost impossible to hide.

I hurried to add, “Give me more time and I’ll get it. But it was a livestream. If I stalled too long, the haters would latch onto it. And if they start attacking me, you, as my fan, will get dragged too. They may even attack your grandma. She’s old. She can’t handle that kind of stress. So… let’s make this our little secret, okay?”

I softened my voice on purpose, a hint of pleading.

Nydia was simple. Easy to move.

“I know you’re disappointed,” I said. “But I promise, once I’m back, I’ll study hard. I won’t mess up like this again.”

Sure enough, her eyes brightened little by little.

She smiled and nodded fast. “Okay, Jevon! I believe you! I’ll keep the secret!”

I finally exhaled. I patted her shoulder lightly and praised her in a fond tone.

“Good girl.”

Her face flushed bright red with excitement.

Inside, I felt nothing.

It was just a way to soothe a fan.

Whether she’d be even more disappointed later, that was a problem for the future.

I went to find Lilith.

We needed to leave. The situation might deteriorate over time.

On the way, Lilith kept an unpleasant expression.

“What’s wrong?” I coaxed her helplessly.

“You just patted another girl’s shoulder! Do you not like me anymore?” she pouted.

“I like you, Lilith. Of course, you’re my most precious little sister.” I comforted her gently.

The moment the words left my mouth, a shout erupted nearby.

“Move! Move—get out of the way!”

I looked up. Mia was driving a pickup truck, rushing down the slope out of control, the whole truck shaking like it might fall apart.

Lilith clutched her chest, eyes wet. “Jevon! She did it on purpose! She’s trying to scare us!”

But Mia’s cameraman came running after, drenched in sweat, yelling, “The brakes failed!”

I stared toward the corner where Mia vanished, and to my surprise… a thread of worry rose in me.

But the moment I remembered her sharp mouth and cold eyes, I crushed that feeling and grabbed Lilith’s hand.

“Let’s go. The money’s in. We’ll clean the house first.”

“Jevon… you’re not renting with me?” Lilith asked carefully.

I paused. Mia’s contemptuous gaze flashed through my mind. I clenched my teeth.

“No. I’m staying in the haunted room.”

“But… that house is dirty.” Lilith frowned. Even if it was just a set, the props looked too real, too unsettling.

“We have money now. We can hire cleaners,” I soothed her.

Truth was, in the first recording, I’d never actually stayed there. I’d had my assistant stay, while I secretly went to Lilith’s rooftop room.

Lilith looked disappointed, but she still nodded obediently. “Okay.”

Mia’s POV

The pickup bounced violently down the hill. The steering wheel shook like it was trying to rip itself free, grinding my knuckles raw.

The brakes were completely dead. I could only shout with everything I had, “MOVE! GET OUT OF THE WAY!”

Wind screamed past my ears. I heard the audience’s gasps. My legs burned like the muscle might snap.

The truck was about to slam into a stone barrier.

I lifted my leg and planted my foot against the ground, forcing the truck to stop by sheer brute resistance.

The inertia slammed into my chest so hard I almost got thrown out.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead; my back soaked through. I braced a hand against the wall and sucked in air.

By the time I pushed the pickup to the convenience store, the sky had already darkened.

Neal leaned against the doorframe; eyes half‑closed as he smoked.

When he saw me shove the empty truck back, he lifted a brow, suspicious.

“The water… you actually delivered it all?”