Chapter 2

I still couldn't believe I was here.

An all-boys academy.

And I was a girl.

Sometimes, I wondered if Don Alistair had even checked my real documents, or if his money was just powerful enough to bypass every rule in this school.

When I first walked into the administration office, I was practically holding my breath. Every time the staff asked for my ID, my heart pounded so hard I thought they could hear it. I prepared myself to get caught, to be questioned, or to be thrown out right on the spot.

My hands were sweating the whole time. If anyone found out I was a girl, my tuition money would vanish, and my life would be completely ruined.

But surprisingly, everything went smoothly.

They processed my documents, confirmed my enrollment, and no one looked at me twice.

I didn't know if I was just extremely lucky or if this school was just careless. Either way, I wasn't going to complain.

Now, standing right outside my assigned classroom, I pulled my collar up and took a deep, shaky breath.

"Here goes nothing," I whispered.

I pushed the door open—and immediately regretted expecting a peaceful day.

The classroom was absolute chaos.

There were guys everywhere, and none of them were acting like actual students. A group near the windows was laughing loudly at a video on a phone. Two guys were wrestling over a plastic chair. Another guy was practically lying flat across his desk with his dirty shoes resting on the empty table in front of him.

Some were playing cards, others were talking about basketball, and a few were throwing crumpled paper balls across the room.

A paper ball flew right past my ear. I froze.

Another paper ball landed right on my shoe. Loud laughter erupted from the back corner.

I took a slow breath. So, this is what happens when you put a bunch of teenage guys in one room with no girls around.

It was noisy, messy, and totally wild. In my old school, someone would always yell at people to shut up. Here? Nobody cared.

I sighed, clutching the strap of my backpack tightly. I just needed to find a quiet seat, blend into the background, and avoid making any mistakes.

My eyes scanned the room and landed on the very last row.

There were a few empty desks, except for one occupied by a boy sitting near the window. He was leaning over his desk, quietly reading a book.

Unlike the rest of the wild animals in this room, he was completely calm. He didn't even look up at the loud noises around him.

His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and his uniform was neat—his tie perfectly pulled up to his neck. He turned a page slowly, totally absorbed in his own world.

I walked over, pulled out the empty chair beside him, and dropped my bag onto the desk.

He didn't look up.

I sat down. Still no reaction.

Well, at least he won't ask annoying questions, I thought.

I rested my chin on my palm and looked around. Don Alistair had told me that his grandchild went to this school. He said his grandchild was super popular because of their good looks, and that everyone knew them.

I expected someone easy to spot—maybe a guy with soft, pretty features or someone who looked slightly feminine. But scanning the room, I couldn't find anyone who fit that description.

Maybe they were absent today.

I glanced at the quiet guy beside me. He was still reading.

"Hey," I said softly.

No response.

I leaned in a bit closer. "Excuse me?"

He slowly raised his eyes. His gaze met mine for half a second before sliding right back down to his book.

I blinked. Is he for real?

I cleared my throat louder. "Are there any absent students today?"

He turned another page.

I waited. Nothing.

"Hello? I'm talking to you," I pushed.

This time, he finally looked at me properly. His face was completely blank, looking at me like I was an annoying fly.

"I'm asking if anyone hasn't arrived yet," I explained.

"How would I know?" His voice was low, deep, and totally cold.

I pressed my lips into a tight line. "Well, you sit here. I thought you might know your classmates."

"Then go ask someone else."

He went right back to reading.

I stared at the side of his face. Wow. What a charming guy.

I leaned back in my chair, giving up. Fine. I didn't want to talk to him anyway.

A few minutes later, the classroom suddenly went quiet as the door opened.

A middle-aged man walked in, holding a folder. His scary aura immediately made the wild boys scramble back to their assigned seats.

"Good morning, gentlemen," the teacher said.

"Good morning, sir!" the class shouted back.

"I am Professor Adrian Whitmore, your adviser," he announced, opening his record book. "Let's start with attendance."

He began calling out names. I sat up straight, quietly setting my notebook on the desk.

"Alexander Veyrmont?"

"Present," a voice beside me answered calmly.

My head snapped toward him.

Veyrmont?

The cold guy beside me closed his book and raised his hand casually.

I repeated the name in my head. Alexander Veyrmont.

That was Don Alistair’s last name.

Aha, I thought. Don Alistair mentioned that some of his relatives and nephews went to this school too. This cold guy must be one of the cousins. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and had sharp, masculine facial features. There was zero chance he was a girl in disguise.

The professor continued calling names.

"Lucas Veyrmont?"

Silence.

Professor Whitmore looked up, scanned the room, and marked his paper. "Absent."

My eyebrows shot up. Lucas Veyrmont?

Could Lucas be the grandchild I was hired to charm? It sounded like a guy's name, but maybe that was just a cover name, or maybe she was just absent today.

Either way, my main target wasn't in class.

"Before we start our lesson, we have a new transfer student," Professor Whitmore said, pointing at me. "Please introduce yourself."

I internally groaned. I hate this part.

I stood up, adjusting my oversized blazer to make sure my chest looked completely flat.

"Good morning. My name is Avery Blake Laurent," I said, putting on my deepest, most casual voice. "Just call me Avery. I hope we get along."

I gave them a quick, friendly smile.

A few guys nodded, but then a boy in the middle row raised his hand.

"Sir, can I ask a question?" the boy named Daniel asked.

Professor Whitmore nodded. "What is it?"

Daniel pointed right at my face. "Is he actually a girl?"

Panic shot straight through my chest like an electric shock. My whole body went stiff.

Oh no. No, no, no.

Another boy leaned forward, staring at me intensely. "Wait... now that you mention it..."

"He's really pretty."

"Yeah, look at his skin. Are you sure you're a guy, bro?"

A few boys started giggling and whispering.

My stomach churned violently. Cold sweat broke out across my back. My disguise was being questioned on my very first day! If the teacher sent me to the clinic or demanded a background check, I was finished.

I looked at the teacher, but then I felt another pair of eyes on me.

I glanced down.

Alexander—the cold guy beside me—had stopped reading. He was staring right up at me, his dark eyes sharp and quiet, as if he was analyzing every single detail of my face.

That made me even more terrified.

I couldn't panic now. I had to act confident.

I let out a loud laugh, running a hand through my short hair, and threw my head back.

"What are you guys talking about? I'm obviously a guy," I said smoothly, rolling my eyes.

Daniel raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

"Of course," I smirked, leaning back against my desk casually. "I can't help it if I'm naturally handsome. Don't be jealous of my good skin, bro."

The classroom went dead silent for a second.

Then, the whole room exploded into loud laughter.

"HAHAHA! Nice one, transfer student!"

Daniel slapped his desk, laughing. "Okay, okay! You've got jokes!"

I laughed along with them, feeling a massive wave of relief wash over me. My heart was still pounding like crazy, but I had managed to pass the test.

Professor Whitmore shook his head, smiling slightly. "Alright, settle down, boys. Let Avery sit down."

I sat back in my chair, letting out a quiet breath. That was way too close.

I subtly looked at Alexander. He had already returned to his book, his face completely expressionless. I couldn't tell if he believed my joke or if he just didn't care.

Probably didn't care.

"You're really quiet, huh?" I muttered under my breath.

He ignored me completely.

I sighed. My seatmate was a human brick wall, and my target, Lucas Veyrmont, wasn't even here today.

Tomorrow, I thought to myself, staring at the empty desk across the room. I'll find Lucas tomorrow.