Chapter Three

Georgia's POV

The phone on the table vibrated. It was Holden.

“Come outside. I’m at your place.” His usual swagger came through in his voice.

He didn’t know I had moved back to the estate. He still thought I lived in that basement apartment.

I laughed softly and picked up my purse. “Okay. Give me a few minutes.”

I had my driver drop me off at the corner. As soon as I stepped out of the car, I saw Holden leaning against a red sports car.

He wore a black turtleneck under a fitted overcoat. He looked tall, lean, and handsome enough to make every girl who passed by turn for another look.

I walked toward him.

Holden had been looking down at his phone. When he heard my footsteps, he looked up automatically.

The moment he saw me, he froze.

His phone slipped from his hand and hit the ground, but he didn’t even notice. His usually indifferent eyes were wide with shock and stunned appreciation.

I stopped in front of him and tilted my head slightly. “What’s wrong? Don’t recognize your girlfriend?”

Holden swallowed.

He stepped forward, caught me by the wrist, and pulled me closer. Then he lowered his head and studied my face.

“Georgia... how many surprises have you been hiding from me?”

“A lot.” I looked at him, unable to hide my amusement. “I’m not sure you can handle all of them.”

Holden let out a quiet laugh and rested his forehead against mine. “There’s nothing I can’t handle. Get in. I’m taking you somewhere.”

He opened the passenger door. I didn’t refuse. I slid into the passenger seat.

For the rest of the break, I didn’t spare Nolan another thought. I spent every day with Holden.

We went horseback riding at a private equestrian club and watched the city lights from a rooftop restaurant in Manhattan. He never asked why I suddenly looked so different or where I had gotten the money for my silk dress.

He simply held my hand wherever we went and refused to let go.

On the last day of break, Nolan finally broke his silence and sent me a text.

Georgie, school starts again tomorrow. You’ve had a week to cool off. You’ve dragged this out long enough, don’t you think? Meet me by the drop-off lane tomorrow morning. I’ll bring you a breakfast sandwich.

I read the message and laughed softly.

“See you tomorrow, Nolan.”

On our first day back after break, the drop-off lane at Hawthorne Academy was packed with luxury cars, just as it always was.

Nolan stood beneath an oak tree beside the drop-off lane. He held a paper bag with two egg-and-cheese sandwiches inside, both already starting to go cold.

Savannah stood beside him and whined in an overly sweet voice. “Nolan, Georgia is being so inconsiderate. I can’t believe she’s making you wait this long. Is she still mad at me?”

“Ignore her. She’s always been ridiculously prideful. I’ve ignored her for a week. She has to be panicking by now. She’ll definitely apologize to me today,” Nolan said confidently.

Just then, the crowd suddenly erupted in excited exclamations.

A limited-edition black luxury sedan slowly entered the drop-off lane and stopped less than thirty feet from Nolan.

“Oh my God! Whose car is that? There are only a handful of them in the world. You couldn’t get one even if you had the money!”

“Did one of the school trustees come to campus?”

With everyone watching, the driver got out, walked around to the back, and opened the door.

I stepped out of the car.

The entire drop-off lane went silent.

Instead of my faded secondhand uniform, I wore a new one tailored to fit me perfectly. The fitted blazer emphasized my slim waist, while the pleated skirt showed off my long, straight legs.

I wasn’t wearing my glasses. My long black hair fell over my shoulders. I wasn’t wearing any makeup, but my face looked flawless.

“Who... who is she? Since when did our school have someone that gorgeous?”

“Oh my God, she’s beautiful! She looks like an actual heiress!”

“Wait... doesn’t she look a little like Georgia Harrington, that broke girl in the senior class?”

Someone shouted the question, and the crowd erupted.

Nolan had been watching the luxury car with casual interest. Only then did he turn his head.

The moment he saw my face, the paper bag slipped from his hand and fell to the ground.

He stood rooted to the spot, staring at me in disbelief.

“Geor... Georgie?” Nolan stammered.

He shoved Savannah aside and rushed toward me, reaching for my wrist.

“Georgie! How do you look so different? Where have you been all week? And what’s going on with that car?”

I watched his hand reach for me and started to step back.

Before I could move, a long-fingered hand shot out beside me and clamped around Nolan’s wrist.

Nolan cried out in pain as his face turned white.

Holden appeared at my side. For once, he was wearing his full school uniform. His blazer hung open over a black T-shirt. Standing beside me, he looked as if we had deliberately coordinated our outfits.

He stepped in front of me, shielding me behind him.

Nolan was already breaking into a cold sweat from the pain. Holden fixed him with an icy stare and gave him a mocking smile.

“Well, if it isn’t our future valedictorian. You really thought you could put your hands on my girlfriend right in front of me?”