Chapter 1

When I tore up my acceptance letter from Harvard, my guidance counselor froze.

“Amara—what are you doing?”

That year, only four seniors from our school had been admitted to Ivy League universities.

And among them, I was the one with the strongest academic record—the highest GPA, top recommendations, a résumé that had been quietly passed around the faculty long before acceptance letters arrived.

The expectations hadn’t rested on my counselor alone.

They had settled over the entire school.

I said calmly—almost too calmly,

“I won’t be going to Harvard after all. I’ve accepted an offer from a special research program at Princeton. They’ve agreed to provide full-time medical support for my grandmother.”

There was a pause.

My teacher looked at me for a long moment—surprise giving way to something quieter, heavier. Regret, perhaps. Or sympathy.

“I know how much she’s meant to you,” she said softly. “And I understand why you’d make this choice. It’s not an easy one.”

Then, after a breath, she added, “Just don’t forget—you’re doing this not only for her, but for yourself too.”

I nodded.

But I didn’t allow myself the luxury of mourning the life I’d just let go of.

Marcus Black and Damian Knight were already calling, urging me to come downstairs.

As I walked down the stairs, I could hear people gossiping about me.

Someone stuck a foot out on the stairs and hissed, “Bitch.”

I stumbled, barely catching myself before I fell. By the time I limped back to my feet and turned the corner, voices drifted toward me.

It was Elena Rivers, chatting with two girls we’d grown up with.

“I mean, I did see Amara getting out of a car registered to someone on Harvard’s board late last night,”

Elena said lightly, as if it were nothing more than an afterthought. “But that doesn’t really prove anything. I’m sure there could be a perfectly reasonable explanation.”

A pause followed—the kind that invited imagination.

“Stop defending her, Elena,” someone scoffed. “She hasn’t even released her grades. If she had nothing to hide, why keep them secret?”

“Exactly,” another voice chimed in, sharp with disdain. “You’re always too nice. She knows how to play people. Girls like her will do anything to get what they want.”

I pressed my back against the wall, my heart sinking.

After joining the research group, I’d signed a strict confidentiality agreement. My academic records weren’t mine to disclose—even if my silence made me look complicit.

It turned out to be the perfect opening for Elena Rivers.

And the two of them—the boys who had grown up with me, who had watched me stay up night after night, who knew exactly how hard I’d worked for every single opportunity, all for my grandmother—still chose to believe her version of the story.

Not that I had earned my place.

But that I had traded something else for it.

I let out a soft, bitter laugh and told myself it didn’t matter.

Once I stepped onto that campus, my identity would be sealed, my past erased.

And when that happened, I would cut every last tie that bound me to them.

No more hearing hurtful words, no more living in lies and deception, and no more ending up with a tragic death.

I pretended not to hear anything and walked in front of the three of them.

“Is there something you need?”

Marcus Black smiled at me, a contrast to the disdain from before. “Amara, it’s great that we’re in the same school again. Your hard work all these years has finally paid off.”

Marcus Black, heir to the infamous Black family, a powerful name in the underground world, known for their control over international arms trafficking, money laundering, and high-stakes gambling rings.

His family’s influence extended deep into politics and business, and their wealth was built on power that was often acquired through violence and manipulation.

Damian Knight also smiled. “We’ll protect you like always, but four years isn’t enough. We’ll be here for a lifetime!”

Damian Knight, on the other hand, was the heir to the Knight family, a notorious organization dealing in smuggling, extortion, and illicit banking operations.

The Knight family had a long-standing reputation for ruthlessness, and Damian, as the next in line, was trained to handle everything from dirty negotiations to running the family’s covert operations.

In my previous life, the four of us went to the same university. I worked hard to ensure a bright future, attending every school event.

But in the end, my scholarship, the recommendation for further study, and all my opportunities were secretly given to Elena Rivers.

There were even rumors that I had an inappropriate relationship with the school officials.

I was isolated and bullied for four years.

And the whole time, these two swore to stand by my side, to protect me.

But after I died, I discovered they were the ones who started it all.

During all the sleepless nights and endless tears, they used my suffering to please their beloved Elena Rivers.

Seeing me silent, Elena Rivers spoke with a sour tone. “You’re so lucky, Amara.

As I prepared to leave, Marcus Black noticed my strange mood. He grabbed my hand, a look of guilt in his eyes.

“Amara, don’t overthink it. We care for Elena because she’s your friend.”

Damian Knight ruffled my hair like he used to when we were little.

“Don’t think too much. It’s been so long since the exams ended. How about we go for a drive? We’ve prepared some gifts for you.”

I nodded, not refusing. Soon, I would be leaving this city.

I just wanted one last look at the place we all grew up.