Billionaire Redemption

Chapter 11

Ayra’s POV

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I sat outside the school gate, legs tucked beneath me, the early morning breeze brushing lightly against my skin. The street was still quiet, just the occasional sound of a bird chirping or a vehicle humming far away. My eyes hadn’t stopped twitching since I ran.

Ran.

From Leon Kael.

The image was still playing in my mind on a loop, his face when he looked up and saw me, his unreadable gaze, and how I panicked like a criminal caught red-handed. God. I didn’t even give him a second to speak. I just turned and ran like a frightened cat with one leg malfunctioning.

A frustrated puff escaped my lips.

“What if he thinks I’m unstable?” I muttered, pressing my face into my palm. “Or worse, that I’m some obsessed fan girl following him around with a limp.”

I groaned softly, dragging my fingers down my face. This was officially the most embarrassing moment of my entire existence. And I’d once fallen flat in front of the entire Art Department while trying to chase a floating exam sheet.

The gate groaned, cutting into my mental spiral.

It was exactly 6:00 a.m., and the ever-sleepy gateman, still rubbing his eyes with a grumble, unhooked the chains and pushed the gate open. I didn’t waste time. I picked up my bag and walked straight in.

Inside the classroom, I went to my usual corner, right beside the window where I could watch Mother Nature stretch and yawn into the morning.

The trees swayed gently, golden light spilling through their leaves, dancing on my desk. For a brief second, the world was calm again.

I brought out my books, ready to bury myself in revision.

Until, Leon again.

My mind was such a traitor.

I found myself thinking about his calm, the way he held his tablet like it was an extension of his hand, how his eyes never left the screen, how his black glasses sat perfectly on his nose. I groaned again and smacked my forehead.

“Focus, Ayra,” I muttered under my breath. “This is your final. Your future. Not some fictional romance novel!”

I turned my gaze back to my notes, forcing my eyes to stay on the formulas.

It wasn’t long before footsteps echoed in the hallway. Then the classroom door opened and my classmates began to trickle in, one after the other.

As usual, their comments began like clockwork.

“She came early like she owns the school.”

“Still pretending to be smart.”

“Does limping give you access to extra time?”

I didn’t flinch. I didn’t look up. I just let the words roll off like drops of rain on glass. They weren’t new. And they weren’t worth my breath.

Then he walked in.

Aurelian.

The school’s golden boy. The strange, sharp, quiet type who always had the top grades, the top awards, the top everything.

He barely spoke, never smiled, and never looked interested in anything except books and perhaps the occasional chess match.

Girls practically melted at the sight of him.

One, in particular, was already clinging to his side, Vanessa, the ever-persistent blonde with perfectly curled hair and an ego the size of Jupiter.

She leaned in close to him, laughing exaggeratedly, trying her best to capture his attention.

Aurelian barely glanced at her. He simply walked to his desk and sat down, pulling out his notes like she wasn’t even there.

I couldn’t help it. A soft giggle slipped from my lips. Not because of Vanessa’s failed attempt, but because… for a brief second, Aurelian’s disinterest reminded me of Leon’s focused silence.

“Not as handsome as Leon, though,” I whispered under my breath, lips curving into a small smile.

Apparently, Vanessa heard it.

Because in the next moment, hot coffee came flying straight to my face.

I gasped, jerking backward as the warm liquid soaked my skin and uniform. My books. My table.

The classroom went dead silent.

“You think you can laugh at me?!” Vanessa shrieked, voice dripping venom. “Because Lian ignores me, you feel the need to mock me? You think you’re better than me, you pathetic limp-legged freak?!”

My eyes widened, still dripping, shocked, heart hammering against my ribs.

Every face turned. Every eye locked on me.

The world paused and I could feel the weight of their stares pressing on my skin like needles.

My hand trembled slightly as I wiped at my face, my body still frozen from the shock of hot coffee against my skin.

I blinked, trying to process it all—Vanessa’s screaming, the thick tension in the room, and my racing heartbeat pounding in my ears.

Then, I finally found my voice.

“I wasn’t laughing because of Aurelian or... anything about you,” I said, still seated, my wet shirt clinging to my skin.

Vanessa’s eyes darkened. “Oh really? Then what made you bring out that horrible little smile, huh?” She sneered, stepping closer. “Or maybe—just maybe—a freak f*cked the living day out of you?”

The class gasped, but it didn’t stop them from smirking, chuckling, whispering.

I swallowed hard, fists tightening at my side, my throat burning, not just from embarrassment, but from trying not to let the sob crawl its way out.

I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it again.

“Or maybe the freak who f*cked you promised to buy you a phone to replace this empty, barren trash you’re carrying around. Or did he promise to change that pathetic uniform of yours? Or is it your torn-out sock?” Her voice rose, venomous and loud. “Or your sandals that look like they were scraped out of a mud pit?”

Laughter erupted around us. Cruel. Loud. Echoing through the walls like a slap to the face.

A single tear slipped down my cheek. I didn’t wipe it.

I just looked at her.

Right in the eyes. Quiet. Broken. But unflinching.

Vanessa’s smile faltered for a second, and she stepped back. “Don’t look at me like that. What? You want to beat me now? Huh?! Look away, you cursed freaking soul!”

I didn’t answer.

She raised her hand.

I flinched.

But the slap didn’t come.

Because a hand caught hers mid-air.

The entire class fell into a stunned silence.

My eyes widened as I looked beside me—and saw Aurelian.

His expression was unreadable. Calm. Sharp. Cold.

He slowly released her hand with a disgusted twist, like it was something unclean. “At least her soul,” he said, his voice as calm as thunder before a storm, “is purer than yours… with a soul that reeks like a rotten egg.”

A few gasps. A few choked laughs. But mostly silence.

Vanessa’s mouth opened, then closed.

And without sparing her another glance, Aurelian turned to me. He looked down, his eyes scanning mine like he could see straight through the layers I’d used to hide my shame.

Then he took my hand.

Gently.

And just like that, without a word, he pulled me up and led me out of the class.

I could feel the whispers behind me. The stunned looks. The shift in the air.

I followed him, still silent, wondering why someone like him… would ever reach for someone like me.