Chapter 3

Prestige Academy lived up to its reputation as the city's most elite private school, and even the gates were gilded, gleaming almost blindingly in the sunlight.

I stood at the entrance in my faded blue-and-white uniform.

I looked completely out of place next to the students in their custom designer clothes who pulled up in luxury cars.

Nearly everyone stared at me with undisguised judgment and contempt in their eyes.

The Lane family worked fast, and my "legendary" background had already spread through the entire school before I even stepped through the gates.

The real daughter they found in some backwater town, desperate for money and crawling back to claim her place.

I ignored the stares and headed straight for the administration office.

I barely made it to the hallway corner when a group blocked my path.

Leading them was Violet herself, dressed in her designer custom uniform and surrounded by girls who treated her like royalty.

When she saw me, her face lit up with fake surprise.

"Nina, you actually came. That's so great!" She rushed over with exaggerated warmth and reached for my arm.

I sidestepped and dodged her completely.

Her hand hung awkwardly in midair, and her face went pale as tears instantly welled up in her eyes.

"Nina, are you still mad at me?" she asked, her voice trembling.

One of the girls behind her immediately stepped forward and jabbed a finger at me. "Hey! Who do you think you are? Violet's being nice and you're acting all stuck-up?"

Another girl jumped in. "Seriously! I heard you're the one they found, right? Violet's sister? Violet's always so sweet, so you better not bully her!"

Violet quickly grabbed them both and put on her perfect saint act. "Don't say that. Nina used to live somewhere more simple, and she's not used to things here yet. We should be understanding."

With a few carefully chosen words, she painted me as some country bumpkin who didn't know how to act and was jealous of her successful sister.

And she positioned herself as the kind, forgiving princess who thought of others even when they wronged her.

More students crowded around us, whispering as they pointed at me.

One girl sneered at me. "So that's the real daughter? She looks so basic."

Her friend nodded. "Right? Compared to Violet, she's nothing. One's a goddess and the other is dirt."

Another voice chimed in. "I'd be so embarrassed if I were her. How can she even show her face here?"

I looked at Violet's face, painted with that perfect mask of innocence and sweetness, and I felt nothing.

In my past life, this was how it started. She built me up just to tear me down, isolated me from everyone, and drove me to madness.

But now, watching these kids play their little games, I couldn't help but find it pathetic.

The crowd suddenly parted, and a tall, handsome guy walked through.

He wore the student council uniform with the president's badge pinned to his chest, and his entire presence radiated arrogance.

It was Eric.

The moment he appeared, Violet's tears started flowing like someone had turned on a faucet. She called out to him in that wounded voice. "Eric."

Then she rushed behind him and hid like a scared rabbit.

Eric didn't even glance at me. He just frowned, patted Violet's shoulder with exaggerated concern, and turned to me. "Come with me."

He led me to the empty rooftop.

The wind whipped hard, and his crisp uniform jacket snapped in the breeze.

Eric glared down at me, his voice cold and threatening. "I don't care how you got into Prestige Academy, but you better remember this."

His eyes bore into mine with ice-cold contempt. "Violet is precious to everyone in our family. She's pure, kind, and sensitive. If you dare hurt her, I have a hundred ways to make your life here hell."

The warning was identical to my past life, word-for-word.

Back then, his threats had terrified me, and I'd turned pale, stumbling over my words as I tried to explain I'd done nothing wrong.

But now everything was different.

I lifted my head and met his scrutinizing gaze, my voice steady and calm. "Are you done?"

Eric froze. He hadn't expected this reaction.

I stepped closer and invaded his space, keeping my voice low but making every word count.

"First, I came here for myself, not for you, not for Violet, and definitely not for the Lane family. So save your self-righteous warnings."

I let out a sharp laugh. "Second, she's pure and kind? You're either blind or stupid."

His face flushed red with anger, but I didn't stop. "And finally, keep your sister away from me. If she comes after me again, I can't promise her perfect little innocent act will survive."