Ariana White stood in front of the cracked mirror hanging on the wall of her tiny bedroom.

She tilted her head slightly before forcing a smile.

"No," she whispered to herself.

She tried again.

This time, the smile was brighter. Confident, effortless and perfect.

It was the same smile she wore every morning before stepping into St. Augustine Elite Academy, the smile of a girl who belonged to a world of private jets, designer clothes, and billion dollar family fortunes.

A world she had never been part of.

She grabbed her school blazer from the chair and carefully brushed away an invisible speck of dust.

The uniform had to look flawless. At St. Augustine, appearance was everything. One wrinkle, one scuffed shoe, one careless mistake, and people started asking questions.

Questions she could never afford to answer.

"Ariana?"

Her eyes softened as she heard her mother's voice from the living room.

"I'm coming."

She walked out to find a plate of toast and scrambled eggs waiting on the small dining table.

Her mother was already dressed in a plain blue work uniform, her hair tied neatly beneath a scarf.

"I have to leave early today," her mother said, checking the time on her old wristwatch. "Breakfast is getting cold."

Ariana sat down and smiled.

"You worry too much, Mom."

"And you don't worry enough."

They laughed together.

One of the few Ariana didn't have to fake.

Her mother reached across the table and squeezed her hand.

"Study hard. One day, all of this will be worth it."

Ariana nodded.

"It will."

She hoped her voice sounded more certain than she felt.

A few minutes later, she picked up her backpack and headed for the door.

"Love you," she called.

"I love you more."

The apartment door closed behind her.

The moment she stepped onto the street, Ariana inhaled deeply.

Another day.

Another performance.

At the end of the block, a silver sedan pulled up beside the sidewalk.

The driver lowered the window and smiled warmly.

"Good morning, Miss Ariana."

"Morning, Mr. Harris."

"You ready to impress that fancy school again?"

She laughed.

"I'll try."

"You always do."

Mr. Harris wasn't a family chauffeur.

He was just the same rideshare driver Ariana had been booking for almost two years.

Kind, reliable and always on time.

He had never asked why she wanted to be dropped off a block away from the other students' luxury cars.

He simply respected her wishes.

As the academy's towering gates came into view, Mr. Harris pulled over.

Before Ariana could reach for the door, he hurried out of the driver's seat and opened it for her with a polite smile.

"Have a wonderful day, Miss Ariana."

"Thank you."

Several students turned to look.

One whispered,

"That's probably her family's driver."

Another nodded.

"The Whites must be ridiculously rich."

Ariana heard every word.

She lowered her eyes for a brief second.

Then she smiled.

Not because the words made her happy.

Because correcting them would destroy everything she had spent three years building.

She adjusted her blazer, lifted her chin, and walked through the academy gates.

The girl from the tiny apartment disappeared.

In her place stood Ariana White one of the elite.

The moment Ariana stepped onto the academy grounds, she became someone else.

Her shoulders straightened.

Her smile turned effortless.

Every trace of the girl from the small apartment disappeared behind the confident expression she had spent three years perfecting.

"Good morning, Ariana!"

She turned to see three girls waving at her from the fountain.

Sophia, Olivia and Vanessa.

The daughters of CEOs, politicians, and billionaires. They were the most admired girls at St. Augustine Elite Academy, and somehow, Ariana had become one of them.

"Morning," Ariana greeted with a bright smile.

Sophia linked their arms together as they walked toward the main building.

"I swear, this school lets in more scholarship students every year."

Vanessa rolled her eyes.

"They should make them use a different entrance. Looking at them ruins my mood."

The girls burst into laughter.

Ariana laughed too.

It sounded natural.

Convincing.

No one would have guessed the laughter felt like a stone in her throat.

That could have been me...No.

That is me.

She quickly pushed the thought away before it could show on her face.

If she stopped pretending for even a second, everything would fall apart.

Just then, the sound of a powerful engine echoed across the courtyard.

Every conversation came to an abrupt stop.

A sleek black sports car rolled through the front gates.

The girls around Ariana squealed in excitement.

"Damon is here!"

"I heard he skipped school yesterday."

"He looks even hotter today."

The car came to a smooth stop.

A tall boy stepped out, dressed in the academy's uniform as if it had been tailored just for him.

Damon Knight.

Cold, confident.

Untouchable.

Without looking at the crowd surrounding him, he slung his backpack over one shoulder and walked toward the main building.

Girls smiled at him.

Some even called his name.

He ignored every single one of them.

Ariana's heart beat a little faster.

Three years.

She had admired him from a distance for three years.

He had never noticed.

Not once.

As Damon walked past, Ariana lowered her eyes before she could embarrass herself by staring.

He disappeared into the building without so much as a glance in her direction.

Sophia sighed dramatically.

"I don't think that guy is capable of falling in love."

Vanessa laughed.

"Who cares? Whoever marries him will own half the city."

The girls giggled as they entered the hallway.

Ariana smiled with them.

Inside, another tiny piece of her heart broke.

She had learned a long time ago not to dream about impossible things.

As she reached for the classroom door, Sophia suddenly snapped her fingers.

"Oh! I almost forgot."

She turned to Ariana with a grin.

"My dad reserved a private room at the Royal Club after school tomorrow."

Olivia clapped excitedly.

"Perfect! I've been craving their lobster."

Vanessa nodded.

"We're all going."

Sophia looked straight at Ariana.

"And don't even think about saying no."

Ariana's smile froze.

The Royal Club.

One dinner there cost more than her mother earned in an entire week.

For one terrifying second, she couldn't breathe.

Then she smiled.

"Of course," she said smoothly.

"I'll be there."

The girls cheered and walked into class.

Ariana remained outside for a heartbeat longer.

Her smile slowly disappeared.

She looked down at the few crumpled dollar bills in her wallet.

They wouldn't even pay for a drink.

She closed the wallet with trembling fingers.

How am I going to get out of this?