Signed away by my step father

CHAPTER 11

The next morning, a sleek black town car from the Vance Estate dropped me off at the iron gates of Oakridge High. I was wearing a brand-new uniform—the same plaid design, but this one actually fit my frame perfectly and didn't smell like the stale grease of Richard’s Bistro.

As the luxury car smoothly pulled away from the curb, a few students turned to stare. I kept my head down, clutching my backpack tight against my chest as I hurried up the concrete steps.

"Sylvia!"

A familiar voice cut through the morning chatter. I turned to see Daisy sprinting up the stairs, her track bag swinging wildly over her shoulder. The moment she reached me, she grabbed my arms, her eyes wide with frantic, terrified worry.

"Oh my god, Syl, I’ve been trying to call you all night!" Daisy hissed, pulling me into the shadow of the brick alcove by the main entrance. "Your phone was completely dead. I went by your house after track practice yesterday and it was completely dark. There were moving trucks outside, and some guy in a suit told me the property was seized. What happened? Where are you staying? Did that... did that Vance guy do something to you?"

"Daisy, breathe," I whispered, reaching out to squeeze her hands. The genuine panic in her voice brought a warm, grounding comfort to my chest. "I’m okay. I promise I’m okay."

"Then where were you?"

"I’m staying at the Vance Estate," I said, my voice dropping so low it was barely audible over the sound of slamming lockers inside. "Richard defaulted on a massive debt to the Vance Group. He... he tried to barter me away to clear it. Valerian Vance stepped in and made him sign a legal marriage contract. My family is gone, Daisy. They left the city. Valerian owns everything now. The house, the restaurant... and me."

Daisy’s jaw dropped, her face turning entirely pale. "A contract marriage? Sylvia, that’s insane! He’s a multi-billionaire tycoon, he’s ruthless! You can’t just let him—"

"Look who decided to crawl back to school."

The sharp, mocking voice sliced through our conversation like broken glass.

Selene was standing at the top of the stairs, flanked by Chloe and her usual circle. She was holding a vibrant iced latte, her manicured fingers tapping against the plastic cup as she looked down at me with pure contempt.

"I heard your pathetic little family restaurant went under yesterday, Sylvia," Selene sneered, taking a slow, deliberate step down toward us. "My dad said the banks finally locked the doors because your stepfather is a degenerate gambler. So, what’s the plan now? Are you going to start begging for lunch money in the cafeteria?"

The words should have stung. Forty-eight hours ago, they would have made me shrink into myself, my throat tightening with a familiar, suffocating shame. But standing there in a pristine uniform, remembering the cold, terrifying weight of Valerian Vance’s protection and the absolute validation he had given my cooking just yesterday, something inside me shifted. The fear was gone.

I looked up, meeting Selene’s cruel eyes with a calm, unblinking steady gaze that she clearly didn't expect.

"My family's business is no longer any of your concern, Selene," I said, my voice smooth, quiet, and entirely steady. "And honestly, neither am I. Excuse me, I have to get to homeroom."

Selene’s face instantly flushed a furious, ugly red. The total lack of fear in my reaction shattered her sense of control. She took two aggressive steps forward, reaching out to shove my shoulder. "Don't you dare turn your back on me, you little—"

Before her hand could even make contact with my blazer, a tall, imposing figure stepped out from the main hallway doors, completely blocking her path.

It was Mr. Jennings. He was wearing a sharp, tailored black suit instead of his traditional butler’s attire, his posture incredibly rigid and his expression completely stone-cold. Two large men in security uniforms stood right behind him.

"Young lady," Mr. Jennings said, his deep, formal voice cutting through the courtyard silence like a physical barrier. Selene froze mid-air, her hand dropping to her side as she stared at the intimidating men in sheer shock. "You will refrain from touching Miss Sylvia. As of this morning, she is under the direct legal protection of the Vance Group. Any physical or verbal harassment directed toward her will be treated as an immediate legal liability against your family's estate."

A heavy, breathless silence fell over the entire school courtyard. Students stopped walking, their eyes wide as they stared at the security detail surrounding me.

Selene stepped back, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water, her face turning from red to a ghostly, humiliated white. She looked at me, then at the towering guards, realizing in an instant that the girl she had spent years tormenting was suddenly entirely untouchable. Without a word, she spun on her heel and fled inside the building, her friends scrambling frantically behind her.

Daisy stared at the security team, then turned to look at me, a slow, disbelieving grin spreading across her face. "Okay... so maybe the 'handsome wall' has his perks."

I let out a soft laugh, the remaining tension finally melting from my shoulders. But as I looked back at the sleek black town car waiting at the curb, I knew this protection came with a price. Tonight, my training under Monsieur Dupont would begin, and I would have to prove to Valerian Vance that I was worth every single penny he had paid for me.