Chapter 2

As I was lost in thought, a few loud shouts echoed behind me. The door burst open.

A basketball flew at me out of nowhere and smacked me straight in the head.

Clang.

“Hey! You there—the new country bumpkin! Bring me my basketball.”

A lazy, arrogant voice rang out behind me, thick with American entitlement.

I slowly turned around. Standing in the doorway was a tall blond boy, about my age, but with a larger build.

He stood with his chin raised, chewing gum, looking down at me like a young king surveying a servant.

If I wasn't mistaken, this was Asher Sterling—the only heir of the Sterling family.

He was the type who loved underground racing, skydiving, and every other thrill-seeking sport. A textbook rich playboy.

He had no interest in the multi-billion-dollar business empire his family owned.

In my previous life, he’d gotten into a serious accident during an illegal race. His legs were crushed, and he spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair—angry, bitter, and erratic.

“Hey, what are you spacing out for? Didn’t you hear me?” he snapped, his voice closer now, annoyed.

I snapped back to attention, picked up the basketball from the floor, and handed it to him.

Remembering the driver’s warning, I added politely, “Here you go, Asher.”

He blinked, seeming briefly caught off guard.

“Well, you’re good at sucking up,” he sneered. “Don’t tell me you think that’s enough to score a piece of the Sterling trust fund?”

With a scoff, he turned and walked off.

For the next few days, I barely saw Mrs. Sterling. Asher was even more elusive—he probably spent his time hopping between parties and underground circuits.

The butler took me around the estate, showing me the grounds.

The mansion was enormous. After the tour, he handed me a printed schedule.

It was densely packed with elite-level coursework.

“This is your schedule,” he said. “Starting tomorrow, you’ll begin one-on-one training in business management, equestrian skills, and etiquette. Madam has arranged everything. All you have to do is study hard. There will be rewards in the future.”

He gave me a look. “Think you can handle it?”

These were all things Liam and I had only encountered in our past life after launching a startup in Silicon Valley.

Now, at just fifteen, I had access to it all. I nodded without hesitation. “Of course, Sir.”

He looked slightly surprised, then said nothing more, just continued listing things I needed to pay attention to.

To make sure I didn’t fall behind in my regular high school studies, Mrs. Sterling had also hired a very expensive private tutor for me.

But I had already mastered all of this in my previous life. It was child’s play now.

Within a single year, I absorbed and applied every AP subject with ease.

“She’s a genius,” the Ivy League tutor gushed to Mrs. Sterling. “Not only has she mastered the entire high school curriculum, she can even follow MBA-level case analysis.”

I sat quietly nearby, listening in silence.

“If she keeps this up, she doesn’t even need to go to a prep school. She could apply straight to Harvard or Yale.”

But that wasn’t Mrs. Sterling’s plan.

She wanted me to attend a prestigious private high school with Asher. Then we’d go to the Ivy League together.

Her excuse was that we’d look after each other.

In truth, she wanted me to rein in her wild, reckless son.

She handed the tutor a generous check. When she looked at me, her eyes softened slightly with approval.

“Come here,” she said, pulling me down to sit beside her.

She handed me an admission letter from St. Jude Elite Preparatory Academy.

“Well done. Asher’s GPA is hopeless, so help him out. I’m not asking for much—just make sure he passes.”

“Once you graduate, I’ll send both of you to study abroad in the UK. What do you think?”

There was no sugarcoating. Mrs. Sterling laid her cards on the table from the start.

I didn’t hesitate. “Thank you, Mom.”

Her brows lifted, and a smile tugged at her lips. She gripped my hand tighter.

“Good girl.”