Chapter 1

The icy water shocked the air from my lungs.

It was a sharp, final cold that burned all the way down. As I sank into the dark lake, the last thing I saw was the acceptance letter from Harvard lying on the grass, its crisp white paper a cruel joke.

Just yesterday, this was all I had ever wanted.

But that was before Noah Vance destroyed my life.

It started the night before the college entrance exams. He had cornered me behind the gym, his usual smirk plastered on his face, his friends flanking him like vultures.

"Ava Miller," he' d said, his voice dripping with arrogance. "I have a little secret. I can read minds."

I just stared at him, my books clutched to my chest. He' d been bullying me for years, but this was new. This was insane.

"Don' t believe me?" He leaned closer, his shadow swallowing me. "You' re thinking about your brother, Liam. About that bone marrow transplant he needs. About the bills piling up so high you can' t sleep at night."

My blood ran cold. How could he know that? I never talked about it at school.

He saw the fear on my face and his smirk widened. "So let' s make a bet. I' ll get into an Ivy League school, just like you. I' ll even read your mind and get the exact same score."

I almost laughed. Noah Vance was a joke. He slept through class and never turned in homework. He was always at the bottom of the class rankings.

"And what if you don' t?" I challenged, my voice shaking slightly.

"If I don' t get in," he said, his eyes locking onto mine, "I' ll pay for the entire transplant. Every last cent."

My heart hammered against my ribs. The money. It was an impossible amount, a figure that haunted my family' s every waking moment. My parents worked double shifts, and it was never enough. Liam was getting weaker.

"But if I do get in," he continued, his tone dropping into something dark and possessive, "you' ll be my personal assistant for three months. No questions asked. You do whatever I say."

I thought of my grades, my perfect record, the years of sleepless nights I' d spent studying. There was no way. It was impossible. He was toying with me, but the offer was a lifeline I couldn' t ignore.

"Fine," I gritted out, the word tasting like poison. "You have a deal."

The day the results came out, I got the call from Harvard first. A wave of relief so powerful it almost brought me to my knees washed over me. I did it. I could get scholarships, a good job. I could save Liam.

Then I saw the public scoreboard.

My name, Ava Miller, was at the top. And right below it, with the exact same perfect score, was his.

Noah Vance.

It didn't make sense. It was a statistical impossibility.

Before I could even process it, he and his friends were there. They didn't drag me into an alley with cheering and laughter. They dragged me into the shadows with cold, hard hands.

"Looks like I won," Noah sneered, his face inches from mine. He didn' t look happy. He looked like a predator who had finally trapped its prey.

There was no money for Liam. There was only the bet.

They held me down. They broke me. Not just my spirit, but my body. When they were done, they left me crumpled on the dirty asphalt, laughing as they walked away.

The next few days were a blur of pain and shame. I couldn't tell my parents. I couldn't tell anyone.

Then the call came from the hospital. Liam had developed a complication. An infection. They needed to operate immediately, but without the funds, they couldn't proceed.

He died two days later.

And with him, the last piece of me died too.

So I walked to the lake, the Harvard letter in my hand. I looked at the calm, dark water and felt nothing. No fear. No sadness. Just a profound, hollow emptiness.

Until my last breath, I couldn't understand. How did he do it? How did a slacker like Noah Vance get a perfect score?

The water closed over my head, and everything went black.

Then, I opened my eyes.

I was in my bed. Sunlight streamed through my window, hitting the worn-out textbook on my nightstand. My phone buzzed. A text from my best friend, Sarah.

'You ready for the last day of hell before exams? Don' t forget the review session at lunch!'

I sat bolt upright, my heart pounding. I looked at my hands. No bruises. I touched my body. No pain. I scrambled out of bed and looked in the mirror. My eyes were clear, not swollen from crying.

I was back.

I was back to the day before the exams. The day before the bet.

A slow, cold smile spread across my face. This time, I wouldn't be his victim. This time, I wouldn't be naive.

This time, Noah Vance would not succeed.