Alec, the new transfer student, had juste in from a prestigious university abroad and had recently taken over the Tredgold family business. It only took six hours for Alec to be the buzz of the entire school.


    Inside the senior ssroom, Fiona was chewing on her pencil and shot a disgruntled look at Alec, who sat beside her. "My folks sent you to babysit me, huh?"


    Alec was eighteen now, a far cry from the kid she once knew. Fiona hadn''t seen him in two years, and he seemed to have shot up in height since then. Back in elementary school, Alec wasn''t even taller than her, but now he towered over her by at least a head. His shoulders were broader, and his jawline was sharper. He didn''t look like a regr high school senior at all. Instead, he carried the same aura her dad did-cold and hard to read. But while her dad''s demeanor was genuine, Fiona suspected Alec was just putting on an act. She even felt like calling him out: "You''re such a phony!"


    "Keep dreaming," Alec said coolly. "My mom faked an illness just to drag me back here and dump thepany mess on me."


    "Wait, wasn''t that mess always my parents'' problem?" Fiona asked, confused.


    Alec gave her a sideways nce. "Your parents have been hands-off for years." "Seriously? Then who''s been running things?"


    Seeing the nk look on Fiona''s face, Alec turned hisptop towards her, tapping the screen. "Take a wild guess."


    Jenna and Adler were a perfect example of parents raising kids to care for them in their old age. Sophie and Colby showed how to reach the pinnacle of being hands-off. When Alec was just ten, Uncle Shaw decided to teach him about finance. He even sent Alec to Burke International for a year of intense training. Then he joined Aldridge Global for aplete overhaul. During his time abroad, Alec was sent to the Pord family''s headquarters for some hands-on experience and studiedw under Aunt Sandy. In fields like finance, economics,w, and human resources, Alec reached levels most people couldn''t even dream of. It felt like he was being tossed into one crucible after another. His folks often nagged about hisck of sunshinepared to his dad''s youthful charm. But in that environment, how could he be anything but reserved?


    "If you''re so busy, why bothering to my school?" Fiona mumbled through a straw, sipping her milk. "You could just buy a diploma; you already know everything."


    High school was no challenge for Alec, and Fiona couldn''t fathom why he''d put


    himself through it. Looking at her, Alec slowly said, "I''m unwell."


    "Huh?" Fiona thought for a moment, then nodded, "Yeah, that checks out!"


    "Fiona, heads up!" came a shout from outside the ssroom, and a basketball came hurtling toward her. Alec''s brow barely furrowed. In the next instant, the ballnded squarely in his raised right hand without him even ncing at its trajectory. The boy outside froze, feeling the chill of Alec''s piercing gaze sweep over him, sending shivers down his spine.


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