The next day was school, and Lila prepared to go—not because she cared about the examination results that would be announced, but because of her family. She didn't want to disappoint them. Besides, it would be amusing to see the looks on certain people's faces when she didn't fail as expected. Truthfully, she was just bored.
When she arrived, she went straight to her seat, slipped on her headset, and unwrapped a lollipop. The chatter in the classroom faded into the background. Before long, Samantha appeared, flanked by her usual shadows, Chloe and Maya. They moved toward her desk like flies drawn to honey.
"I knew you'd still come to disgrace yourself and your family, as usual," Samantha sneered, folding her arms. "Why bother showing up at all?"
Lila ignored her completely, which only seemed to make Samantha's anger boil over. She snatched off Lila's headset, glaring down at her.
"How dare you ignore me? Just because you beat up that useless Derek doesn't mean I'm scared of you!"
Lila smiled faintly, the lollipop still between her lips, calm and unbothered. She leaned back in her chair and didn't even lift her gaze.
Before Samantha could continue, a quiet but commanding voice came from the corner.
"Go back to your seats," Lucien said without looking up from the book in his hand. "You're disturbing everyone."
Samantha's scowl deepened. "She's the one causing trouble, not me! You really believe her, Lucien?"
He looked up this time, his expression unreadable and cool. "Everyone with eyes can see who's at fault here."
The class murmured in agreement. "You're always bullying Lila," someone said. "Aren't you tired already?"
Samantha's face flushed a deep red. Her fists clenched as she turned sharply and stormed out of the room, her two followers scrambling behind her.
Lila calmly slipped her headset back on, pretending not to care, though the faintest hint of amusement curved her lips. She pulled out her phone, scrolling through her screen lazily as if waiting for something. Lucien's eyes flickered toward her a few times, but she didn't seem to notice—or maybe she just didn't care.
At the Ravencourt mansion, Magnus sat quietly in his office, exhaustion written across his face. His daughter Sophia had been asking endlessly about Lila, and though he was glad to see her finally talk again, her sudden attachment to the girl made him uneasy.
"Dad," Sophia said as she entered the room, clutching her teddy bear. "When is my daughter coming? Have you called her? Is she angry with me?" Her small voice wavered. "Tell her not to be. I didn't mean to leave her and her sister. You'll call her, right?"
Magnus let out a slow sigh. "Yes, sweetheart. I'll call her. She'll come soon."
Sophia shook her head, her gaze dropping to the floor. "I'll eat when she's back," she whispered before walking away quietly.
Magnus leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. He wasn't sure which was worse—Sophia's silence before, or this aching longing now. Either way, both tore at him.
Back at school, the atmosphere had shifted. Miss Green entered the classroom holding a stack of exam papers. Everyone grew tense.
"The results are ready," she announced. "I'll be calling out the top ten and the last ten. Let's begin with the last."
The class went silent, the air almost heavy. Everyone already knew who was always last—it had been the same for years.
"150th position—Ryker," Miss Green began. "149th—Ben. 148th—Kyle. 147th—Derek…"
A few murmurs spread across the room. Lila's name still hadn't been called. Whispers began floating around.
"Maybe her paper got lost."
"She didn't even write much during the exam."
"She probably bribed someone."
Miss Green raised her voice, sharp enough to silence them. "Quiet, please." She continued, flipping through the pages before switching lists. "Now for the top ten."
The murmuring stopped instantly.
"10th—Edward. 9th—Evelyn. 8th—Gray. 7th—Ava. 6th—Tessa. 5th—Bella. 4th—Leo. 3rd—Lilith."
She paused, eyes lifting briefly to where Lila sat, her head resting lazily on her desk as she drew absent shapes with her pen.
"This session is full of surprises," Miss Green said. "2nd—Lucien."
Lucien's head jerked up, startled. A wave of confusion rippled through the room. If Lucien wasn't first, then who—
Miss Green's eyes softened as she spoke again. "1st position… Lila."
The class froze. For several long seconds, not a sound was made. Then, chaos erupted.
"What?"
"How?"
"Lila? The Lewis disappointment?" Leo a classmate blurted out, disbelief written all over his face.
Even Lucien dropped his pen.
Lila lifted her head slowly, her expression calm but her eyes glinting with quiet satisfaction. She tilted her head slightly, that faint smirk tugging at her lips.
"Oh," she said softly, "guess who's surprised now."
The classroom fell into stunned silence again. Every gaze turned toward the girl who had always been dismissed, whispered about, and mocked—the one everyone thought incapable of achieving anything.
Now she sat there, at the very top, as if it had always been her rightful place.