Dean’s Pride (Daisy POV)
“Vivian! Did you see the announcement?”
I froze mid-step, the stack of papers slipping from my hands as my heart thudded. I looked up at David, whose face was brighter than I’d ever seen it, eyes sparkling, breathless with excitement. “What announcement?” I asked, my voice careful, like touching something precious I wasn’t supposed to yet.
David nearly jumped with impatience. “Vivian’s grades! She made the Dean’s List! She’s officially top of her batch!”
I blinked, a rush of warmth and pride immediately filling me. Vivian—my niece, my little sister in spirit, my chaos and my calm—had done it. The girl who had once sulked at every academic task, who had argued with me about homework like it was a personal attack, was now the star of her class.
I knelt to hug Da
