Chapter 1 The Admission Letter Under His Feet

The heavy test-prep book slammed into Chloe Lynn's face with a dull thud. She let out a cry and stumbled to the floor, clutching her reddened cheek.

"Chloe!" A panicked male voice rang out from the back of the crowd.

I turned around.

It was Dominic Sterling, the underprivileged student I had sponsored for the past three years. He was now the top-ranked student in the entire state.

He charged forward and shoved me aside, hard.

I crashed onto the cold tile floor of the hallway. A tearing pain shot through my shoulder blade, and cold sweat instantly soaked my back.

Yet, he didn't even spare me a glance. Instead, he carefully pulled Chloe into his arms.

Then, he turned and glared at me. "Selene Shaw, have you lost your mind? You're nothing but a delinquent who never even graduated high school. How dare you come into this school and cause trouble!"

I swallowed the metallic taste rising in my throat and let out a sneer. "I never went to school? Dominic, open your eyes and take a good look at who's in front of you."

As I regarded the ungrateful fool before me, I felt a surge of disgust and disappointment.

I was the youngest president in Kingsfield University history, the person who held ultimate authority over admissions for the nation's top students.

And yet the student I had supported for three years was pointing at me and calling me a street thug.

Dominic's eyes were filled with contempt as his voice rose. "Of course, I know who you are. You're that bar worker who's been shamelessly throwing herself at me."

He helped Chloe to her feet, his face full of concern.

"Chloe's the heiress to Lynn Group. She's got the only guaranteed-admission spot to Kingsfield University this year. You're not even close to being in her league."

Chloe leaned against Dominic and pointed at the torn recommendation form on the floor. She sobbed so hard she could barely speak.

"Dominic, don't blame her. She's only jealous because she loves you so much and couldn't stand seeing me receive a recommendation to Kingsfield University. But this form was personally approved by the dean. Now, it's ruined. How am I supposed to explain this to the school?"

The students around us instantly erupted.

"What a shameless woman! A low-class skank actually dared to hit Chloe?"

"Just look at her cheap clothes. She's obviously desperate to latch onto Dominic. Doesn't she own a mirror?"

"Throw her out! Don't let her contaminate the air around the Honors Class!"

The dean of students, Vincent Vance, pushed through the crowd and pointed a finger at me.

"Where did this vagrant come from? You actually dared to destroy Ms. Lynn's Kingsfield University recommendation form? Do you have any idea how valuable that document is? You couldn't afford to repay it even if you sold yourself."

Dominic stood and looked down at me, his expression colder than ice.

"Selene, Chloe is generous enough not to hold this against you. Get on your knees right now and apologize to her. Then, get out of our school and never show your face in front of me again."

Vincent immediately chimed in and shouted down the hallway, "Security! Where are you? Get over here and make this little thug grovel to Ms. Lynn!"

Four burly security guards rushed over and clamped their rough hands onto my shoulders.

As I gazed at the young man into whom I had poured three years of effort, I found the entire situation laughable.

I ignored the guards' hands on me as I stared straight into Dominic's eyes.

"Dominic, are you sure this is how you want to treat me? Have you forgotten who sent you money every month for the last three years? Who pulled you out of that leaky shack you used to live in? I can guarantee that your future is over if you let them lay a hand on me today."

Dominic froze.

A flicker of uncertainty crossed his eyes, as though he had remembered the mysterious benefactor known as Ms. Shaw.

The hand he had raised stalled in midair, and he instinctively looked ready to stop the guards.

Chloe immediately clutched her cheek and cried out in pain.

"It hurts so much. Dominic! Is my face ruined? I'm supposed to represent the senior class and meet the president of Kingsfield University tomorrow. How am I supposed to face anyone looking like this?"

The hesitation vanished from Dominic's eyes. All that remained was disgust and disdain.

"Stop pretending you're connected to my benefactor. My sponsor is a respected philanthropist. There's no way she'd be someone as low as you."

He snatched the confidential document envelope from my hands, the one bearing Kingsfield University's highest official seal.

Then, he tore the envelope open without hesitation, scattering the contents across the floor.

"You're using fake documents now? Security, get her on her knees."

The papers strewn across the ground were none other than the university's sole guaranteed-admission offer letter.

I had personally drafted it overnight and stamped it myself.

It was the only document of its kind in the entire country, a confidential piece of paper that even the state education commissioner had no authority to touch.

Dominic's name was printed clearly across the page.

I didn't get angry when he stomped on the admission letter. Instead, I laughed.

Everyone thought I was some desperate girl chasing after him.

They had no idea that I was the true president of Kingsfield University, the person who held complete authority over admissions to the nation's most prestigious institution.

The university's publicly recognized president, Gordon Grant, would bow respectfully the moment he saw me.

And now Dominic had personally destroyed the only opportunity he would ever have to change his fate.

The two security guards grabbed my arms and tried to force me to my knees.

I dropped my shoulder and twisted free, snatching the rubber baton from one guard's belt. Then, I shattered the glass of the hallway fire cabinet with a swing.

Glass exploded across the floor. Several shards sliced Chloe's calf, and she shrieked as she staggered backward.

Even the security guards froze, intimidated by the fury in my eyes.

Blood dripped from the back of my hand onto the pristine white tiles below. As I stepped across the broken glass, I slowly swept my gaze across everyone present.

My voice cut through the hallway like a blade. "You want me to kneel? Fine. Bring Gordon here. Why don't we bet whether he'll agree to your little condition?"