As they continued walking towards Ms. Wood's classroom, Hailey could feel the other woman's gaze fixed on her. It seemed skeptical and scrutinizing, as if she was having second thoughts about accepting Hailey. However, Hailey was unfazed. Despite inhabiting the body of a new adolescent, her mental prowess far exceeded her age. A teacher's piercing stare held no power to intimidate her. Finally, Ms. Woods broke the silence, "I'm not a harsh person, but I must warn you beforehand. I have my own rules, and I expect them to be treated with importance. I hope you can integrate with your peers as quickly as possible." Hailey nodded quietly and replied, "Yes, ma'am." It felt somewhat strange to address someone who was probably just a few years older, or even the same age, as 'ma'am.' Ms. Woods pursed her lips and added, "Also, I do not take losses lightly, and I despise losing. Bringing you into my class is a kind of trial, and it may cost me the chance to win the teacher's cup this year."

It was midday, and there were only a few minutes left until the end of the lecture. Cassidy twirled the pen in her hand thoughtfully. Just then, Mr. Ross finished his lecture and dropped the mic on the podium. He looked at them, his expression becoming more solemn as he spoke, "You all need to focus on your studies and do your best. Some of you are already doing well, but you have to continue giving your best. Your class is the best in the whole school. Surely, you don't want to lose face by falling off the ranks when the results come out. Is that understood?" "Yes, sir," everyone chorused as he stepped out of the door. Once he was gone, Cassidy focused on the list of fashion bags of the year, contemplating which one to choose. She was planning to ask Luke to pay for it. Just then, her desk mate leaned in and exclaimed, holding her phone up to Cassidy's face. "Check this out, Cassidy. Have you seen it?" Cassidy looked up with a frown, clearly displeased by the interruption. "What is

A moment later, he was pushed into the room. There was a small, polite smile on his lips as he was guided to the front of the table where the directors sat. His gaze was focused as he made eye contact with each of them. Despite it being his first time at the company, he appeared calm and relaxed. Furthermore, he didn't seem to be embarrassed about being in a wheelchair; in fact, he exuded more confidence than someone with fully functioning legs. He stood there for a moment, choosing not to sit immediately, leaving the men to wonder what his intentions were. Suddenly, he bowed lightly and began speaking solemnly, "I apologize for being late, everyone." Some of the directors who had initially planned to challenge him had no choice but to swallow their discontent. Max, however, was dissatisfied. He was already on edge because Nolan had his father's support, and he wanted to discredit him in front of the board. Even if it meant resorting to dirty tricks, he was determined to bring Nolan

It was early winter in Beijing, and intermittent snowfall gave the city a picturesque white hue. As the snow settled on buildings and rooftops, it contrasted against the asphalt roads, which were occasionally split by passing cars. The freezing wind blew, occasionally howling to emphasize its intensity. In the Rothschild Corporation, Nolan had just arrived at the office. He took off his windbreaker and hung it on the coat rack by the entrance before entering the main office. Unlike the simple and minimalistic design of his mansion's office, this one had a European setting. It consisted of a separate main office and a lounge area with sofas and a wine rack. Inside the office, a large and tidy desk stretched from one edge of the room to the other, with only a mini PC and a few arranged files adorning its surface. Behind the desk, a long and wide bookshelf was installed into the wall, filled with books of various sizes and covers. Nolan picked up the remote for the heater on his desk a

Heather believed she was being benevolent again and didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings, so she tried to mediate. This only made her angrier as she saw Hailey as another bully taking advantage of Cassidy's kindness. She barked at Hailey, "No, I did not misunderstand anything. I'm sure this person must have cheated as they said." Hailey observed the interaction between the two and had to hold back her laughter. It seemed that no matter which life it was, Cassidy still had that charm of manipulating others to get what she wanted. Cassidy must have bad-mouthed her to the other girl, explaining the hostility. Nevertheless, Hailey couldn't be bothered to deal with anyone who couldn't see through Cassidy's actions. She had fallen for it in her past life, but she wouldn't be so easily fooled this time around. Tara, who stood beside Hailey, was also annoyed by the girls' interference. She stepped forward and looked at Heather before saying, "And why is that any of your business? Even if sh