THE BILLIONAIRE'S DARK LEGACY

The alarm on Aria's phone rang at 4:45 a.m. She reached across the narrow mattress and silenced it before it could wake her brother. The room was still dark. A weak bulb above the kitchen doorway flickered, and rain tapped against the rusted sheets covering the roof. For a moment, Aria stayed still, listening. Her brother was breathing. That was the first thing she checked every morning. “Daniel?” she whispered. The little boy shifted beneath the thin blanket. His face looked tired even in sleep, and the small scars along his arm stood out against his skin. Aria brushed his forehead with the back of her fingers. He felt warm, but not as warm as he had the night before. She let out a quiet breath. “Sleep a little longer,” she murmured. She washed her face at the plastic basin, tied her hair back and put on the cleanest uniform she owned. The collar had begun to fray, and one of her shoes had a thin c***k near the sole. On the table sat a small loaf of bread and a bottle of water. She divided the bread, wrapped half in a paper bag and placed it beside Daniel's schoolbooks. He was too ill to attend school most days, but she still helped him practise reading whenever she had time. Beside the bread lay an empty medicine bottle. Aria stared at it. The clinic had given them enough tablets for a few days. When the medicine ran out, the nurse had written another prescription and told her to bring Daniel back for a review. Aria had nodded as if she knew exactly how she would pay for it. She had become very good at nodding. Her phone vibrated. A message from the woman who owned the small restaurant where Aria worked after school reminded her to arrive early that evening. Aria typed, “I'll be there,” then slipped the phone into her bag. She checked Daniel once more before leaving. “There's bread on the table. Don't forget to drink water.” He opened his eyes. “Are you coming home late?” “Not too late.” “You said that yesterday.” A small smile tugged at her mouth. “And I came home, didn't I?” He smiled sleepily. It was enough to make the morning feel a little less heavy. Aria locked the door and wheeled her old bicycle out of the narrow passage. Their neighbourhood was already waking. The street was filled with the familiar sounds of people preparing for another day. Aria rode quickly. By the time she reached the school gates, the first bell had not rung. She parked her bicycle near the wall and walked into the compound, ignoring the curious glances that followed her. At school, people had opinions about Aria. Some called her proud or difficult. They noticed how she rarely joined conversations and ate lunch alone. What they did not know was that Aria had no spare energy for pretending. She had bills to think about, medicine to find and a brother who needed her. She could not afford to worry about whether her classmates liked her. “Aria!” She turned. Melissa stood near the classroom door, holding a notebook against her chest. “You didn't come yesterday,” Melissa said. “The maths teacher gave us an assignment.” “I was working.” “You're always working.” “Then you already know why I wasn't here.” Melissa looked as if she wanted to say something else, but Aria had already walked past her. Inside the classroom, Aria took her usual seat near the window. It was the one place where she could look outside when lessons became difficult to follow. She opened her notebook and copied the date from the board. A few minutes later, the classroom grew noisy. Five new students were joining them, and rumours about their wealthy father had already spread. Aria kept writing. Rich students arrived with expensive phones and drivers who waited outside the gates. They became the centre of attention for a while, then everyone moved on. It had nothing to do with her. The teacher entered, followed by five boys. The room fell quiet. They wore spotless uniforms and carried the easy confidence of people who had never needed to wonder whether there would be food at home. One of them whispered something that made the others laugh. “Class, we have five new students joining us,” the teacher announced. “I expect you to make them feel welcome.” The boys introduced themselves. Aria barely listened until the last one stepped forward. “Ethan Williams,” he said. His voice was calm. He glanced around the room, taking in the faces watching him. Then his eyes stopped on Aria. She finished writing the line in her notebook before meeting his gaze. For a second, neither moved. Ethan gave her a friendly smile. Aria's expression did not change. She turned back to her work. The teacher pointed to the empty desks. “You five can sit at the back. There are enough spaces.” But one desk beside Aria was empty, and Ethan noticed it. “May I sit there?” he asked. The teacher nodded. Ethan crossed the room and placed his bag beside the desk. “Hi,” he said quietly. Aria continued writing. “I'm Ethan.” “I heard you.” He seemed surprised, then amused. “And you are?” She closed her notebook and looked at him. “Someone who came here to study.” A couple of students nearby exchanged glances. Ethan let out a short laugh, not offended so much as intrigued. “All right,” he said, settling into his seat. “I'll remember that.” Aria faced the board again. She had no idea that the arrival of those five boys would change the direction of her life. To her, they were simply new students—wealthy, popular and far removed from the world she knew. She had already decided she wanted nothing to do with them. And Ethan Williams, who had never struggled to get anyone's attention, had just met the one girl who seemed determined not to give him hers.