Chapter 2

Right before the SAT exams, the school gave everyone half a day off to relax.

By the time I finished a full practice paper and walked out, it was already completely dark.

To get home faster, I decided to cut through an alley. I stood at the entrance for a moment, staring into the pitch-black stretch, hesitating, then forced myself to go in.

Just as I was about to exit, a group of sketchy girls blocked my path.

"Hey, lend us some cash."

"Ooh, look at that skin. Wonder if he’s got abs under there."

As they spoke, they reached out, trying to strip off my clothes. Panic shot through me and I stepped back.

Just as their greasy hands were about to grab me—

"Back off!"

Keira appeared out of nowhere.

My face stayed hidden in the shadows as I watched her fight them off.

This entire setup had been staged for me from the start. It didn’t take long before the girls scattered. She ended up with a wound, collapsing right into my arms.

I slipped into character instantly, looking at her with concern. "You actually got hurt for me? That’s a deep cut. It must really hurt. This is all my fault."

I called an ambulance and sent her to the hospital. To make it convincing, she had taken a real slash across her arm.

I took leave from school and stayed by her side all night.

The next day, when she saw my bloodshot eyes, a flicker of hesitation crossed her face.

"That’s great. The doctor said it won’t scar. You were really brave. I’ll head back to school first, and I’ll come see you after class."

On my way back, the program kept pinging nonstop. Her affection level was rising rapidly.

Curious, I asked what caused it.

Even the program couldn’t explain it. It only told me that right after I left, Archer rushed to the hospital.

The moment he walked in, he said, "Did it work? After that whole damsel-saving act, is he completely hooked on you now?"

A faint smile tugged at my lips. Spending the whole night at her bedside hadn’t been a waste. Before, she only had him around with no comparison to make.

Now, "Does it hurt?" and "Did it work?" were two very different things. Of course, she would start weighing them.

'I think I’ll complete this mission soon.'

As a top student, once I locked onto my target, I did my research thoroughly. She was the only daughter of the Johnston Group. They were a powerful family, but still slightly below the Bowens.

So rather than calling her his childhood friend, it would be more accurate to say she had been chasing after him all these years. She had always been the one trying to please him, which made me curious.

Did she value him more than the family behind him?

I went back to the hospital and stayed with her for a few more days.

During that time, our relationship warmed quickly.

As the program reported higher and higher numbers, I acted more and more like I was falling for her. I behaved like some lovestruck guy who’d gotten swept up into high society and couldn’t escape.

Until the night before the exams, she grabbed my hand, her gaze locked onto mine.

"Zane, let’s do something exciting tonight. Something adults do. Okay?" Her voice was hoarse, desire surging in her eyes like it might swallow me whole.

When I didn’t answer, she stepped closer, aggressive, wrapping her arms around me. Her body heat seeped through the thin fabric between us, almost burning.

Instinctively, I tried to pull back, but she tightened her grip, locking me in place.

For a moment, everything went silent. Only the sound of summer cicadas filled the air.

I glanced down unintentionally and saw that her ears were flushed red. I wrapped my arms around her, my hand resting on her slender waist, and answered softly, "Sure."