Chapter 114 Everything Spins Around Amelia
Prestige High School, Class A.
When Amelia walked in that morning, the stares she drew were far fewer than yesterday. Most eyes were locked on the back row, where Zander and Dorian sat.
Zander had claimed the far-left seat against the wall. Asher and Dorian occupied the middle two desks, and further to the right sat Amelia and Leroy.
Same uniform, similar sharp features… yet the impression they gave could not be more different. Tobias carried an air of reckless defiance, while Zander radiated something colder—aloof, refined, untouchable.
From where she stood, Amelia could see him leaning back in his chair, headphones in, gaze lowered to the book in his hands. Even surrounded by classmates, he seemed apart from them, as though the noise of the room never reached him.
Black hair fell in neat, slightly tousled strands. His blazer hung crisp over a perfectly knotted tie, the shirt beneath immaculate. When he turned a page, his long, pale fingers moved with unhurried precision.
As if sensing her eyes on him, Zander lifted his head.
Their gazes met for a brief moment.
Up front, Rachel noticed Amelia looking toward Zander. Her jaw tightened, a bitter taste rising in her mouth. Ever since Amelia had come from the countryside to River City, Kevin and Tobias had been shamelessly doting on her. Even Chris, who used to avoid coming home, had started showing up more often. And Ryan—who rarely took time off—had been all smiles around her, calling her "Little Cutie" and even holding her like she was something precious.
Little Cutie? The very sound of it made Rachel's stomach turn.
Amelia was nothing but trouble. She had stolen the attention of brothers who once belonged to Rachel alone, and humiliated her twice in front of the entire internet. Now, the only one left untouched was Zander—someone Amelia had never met, someone she hadn't had the chance to charm.
And yet, here he was, barely back in the country, and Amelia was already staring at him in class? Was she planning to walk over and ingratiate herself?
Rachel's lips curled in a silent, contemptuous laugh. Amelia probably had no idea what kind of person Zander really was.
He was a prodigy, the kind of boy who had kept himself apart from everyone since childhood. Ordinary people never even made it onto his radar. Rachel herself was exceptional, and even then, Zander treated her like she was invisible at home.
What did Amelia have? A talent for piano and songwriting? Did she really think that was enough? Zander would never waste his time on her.
Sure enough, the next second Rachel saw Amelia start walking toward him.
Here it comes…
Rachel's pulse quickened. She locked her gaze on Amelia, phone already in hand, ready to record the moment Amelia's warm smile met Zander's cold indifference. She wanted to capture her humiliation for the whole class to see.
Around them, other students turned their heads, eager for the spectacle. Zander's looks, his intellect, and his solitary nature were legendary at Prestige High School. Even classmates who shared a room with him had never seen him speak to anyone outside of Asher.
Zander's desk mate's seat was empty, so Amelia slid into it.
But what happened next caught everyone off guard. As soon as she sat down, Zander looked up—not at her, but at the entire classroom.
His features were almost too perfect, his skin carrying a faint, unhealthy pallor. His eyes darkened, deep and still as a midnight lake, and there was a chill in them that made the air feel sharper.
The effect was immediate. Students flinched under his gaze, turning back to their own desks as if they'd been caught doing something they shouldn't.
One girl, still clutching her phone, typed a quick message: [Oh my god, this is the first time in three years I've actually made eye contact with Zander. He's absurdly handsome.]
Her friend replied: [Eye contact? That wasn't eye contact. That was a warning—telling everyone to stop staring.]
"Zander," Amelia said softly as she settled into the seat, pulling a small wooden box from her pocket and holding it out to him. "This is for you."
Zander's brows lifted slightly. "What is it?"
Asher and Dorian leaned in as Amelia flipped the box open, revealing three green and three black pills.
Dorian's eyes lit up the moment she saw them. "Wait… did you make these? For Zander?"
"Yes," Amelia said simply. "I finished them last night." She picked out one green and one black pill and placed them in his palm.
The cool weight of the pills pressed against his skin.
Earlier that morning, Zander had heard from Dorian that Amelia knew about his hemophilia. Since elementary school, he'd never needed bodyguards to keep people away—he did it himself, staying apart, avoiding contact. Only the Martinez family, Asher, and Dorian knew about his asthma and hemophilia.
Amelia knowing was one thing. But making medicine for him? Overnight?
They'd left late last night, well past midnight. And now she was telling him she'd finished these before morning. Had she stayed up all night, working for him without rest?
He noticed the faint shadows under her eyes, and something in his chest tightened.
Because of me.
Even though this was the first time we've met… she didn't need a reason to care.
"These are both for the morning," Amelia explained. "You can swallow them directly. They address both conditions and will gradually strengthen your body. I only had enough materials for three days' worth, but that's fine. Three days is enough for me to prepare the next batch."
Zander's fingers curled slowly around the pills. He drew in a breath. "Thank you."
"You don't have to thank me," Amelia said, her voice gentle. "Zander… you've been alone for so many years. It must have been hard."
"From now on, it won't be," she added. "As long as I'm here, I won't let you suffer from illness again."
Beside them, Asher let out a wistful sigh. "I wish I had a sister like that. Think it's too late to ask my mom to have another kid?"
Dorian shot him a look. "Childish."
From her seat across the room, Rachel stared, stunned.
Zander and Asher had only just returned today. They'd never met Amelia before—so why did they seem so at ease with her? And Zander… Zander had actually accepted something from her? Since when did he take anything from strangers?
And Dorian, the new transfer—how had she gotten so close to them so quickly? Why was she already treating Amelia like an old friend?
What was going on? What didn't Rachel know?
Why did it feel like the whole world was suddenly revolving around Amelia?
Her chest burned with frustration. Tears pricked her eyes, and she dropped her head onto her desk.
Once, if she cried in class, half the room would rush to comfort her. But after the piano competition scandal—despite her uncle burying the story—her popularity had never recovered.
Her fists clenched tight.
She swore to herself she would take back everything she'd lost. She would never let Amelia keep standing over her, smug and untouchable.
Just then, Gilbert Donny walked into the room. And what he said next made Rachel's head snap up, her eyes bright with sudden hope.
Finally… her chance to turn the tables had come.