Chapter 1

Marlowe’s POV

It was eleven at night, and I sat in our cramped staff quarters, staring at the tuition bill on the table.

"Marlowe, turn off the light and get some sleep."

Mom's voice drifted from the next room, exhaustion bleeding through despite her efforts to hide it. She'd just gotten back from her shift in the Aldridge estate kitchen, her apron still stained with grease.

I didn't answer, just kept running my finger over the paper. Senior year tuition—thirty-two thousand dollars. For some people, that might be pocket change. For us, it was insurmountable.

"Mom, go to sleep. I'll figure something out."

I heard her soft sigh, then the creak of her mattress. She was forty-five, spent over ten hours a day on her feet in that kitchen, her back killing her, but she never complained in front of me.

I grabbed the calculator and ran the numbers again. Mom's monthly salary: twenty-eight hundred. After our living expenses, rent, and her medications, we could save maybe four hundred a month.

Four hundred times twelve. Forty-eight hundred. Not even close.

My hands started shaking.

Maybe Mom was right. Education wasn't meant for people like us.

I was about to tear up the bill when someone knocked on the door.

"Who could that be at this hour?"

I walked to the door and peered through the peephole. My heart stopped.

Vivienne Aldridge—the estate owner—stood in our dingy hallway. She wore a silk robe that gleamed even under the dim corridor lights. Two servants flanked her like statues.

I fumbled with the lock, nearly tripping over my slippers.

"Mrs. Aldridge? How did you—"

"Let me in." Her tone was calm but brooked no argument.

I stepped aside as she entered our tiny living room. Her gaze swept over everything—the threadbare sofa, cracked walls, cheap decorations—something unreadable flickering in her eyes.

"Who's here so late—"

Mom emerged from the bedroom, her face going white when she saw Mrs. Aldridge. She frantically tried to smooth her messy hair, starting to bow.

"Ma'am, what brings you here personally? Did I do something wrong?"

"Relax." Mrs. Aldridge raised a hand, stopping her.

One of the servants silently pulled out a clean towel and spread it over the sofa. Only then did Mrs. Aldridge sit gracefully, as if our beat-up couch had transformed into a throne.

"I have a proposition that could change your lives."

The air went still. Mom and I exchanged glances, both seeing the confusion and tension in each other's eyes.

"Please, go ahead." My voice came out shaky.

"I can have Marlowe enrolled at Ashford Academy tomorrow."

What?

My mind went blank. Ashford Academy—the legendary prep school where tuition ran eighty thousand a year, double what regular private schools charged. The students there were children of politicians and CEOs. I'd never even dreamed of it.

"Full scholarship. Tuition, uniforms, books, living expenses—everything covered." Mrs. Aldridge continued.

Mom nearly fell off her chair.

"Really? Ma'am, you'd truly help us like this?" Tears welled in her eyes. "Thank you, thank you so much! I don't know how to repay—"

"Mom, thank you, Mrs. Aldridge!" I stammered, overwhelmed. This was like winning the lottery—no, better than that.

Mrs. Aldridge nodded with a faint smile.

"There is one small condition."

My heart rate spiked.

"What condition?" I asked carefully.

"My son Caspian—you've probably seen him around. He just returned from Europe last month and will also be attending Ashford Academy. I'd like you to be his study partner, help him adjust to school life."

I remembered Caspian—the quiet boy I'd sometimes see walking alone around the estate. He'd recently come back from abroad, seemed reserved but kind. We hadn't interacted much, but I had a good impression of him.

"Of course!" I nodded immediately. "I'd be happy to help him."

"Excellent." Mrs. Aldridge stood. "I'll have someone bring over the uniforms and paperwork shortly."

Mom and I walked her to the door. In the hallway, Mrs. Aldridge suddenly stopped and turned to me.

"One more thing, Marlowe."

Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper.

"I'd appreciate regular updates on how Caspian is doing at school. Nothing formal—just casual conversation between friends. But he must never know about this arrangement."

I blinked. It sounded like normal maternal concern.

"I understand, Mrs. Aldridge. I'll take good care of him."

She nodded approvingly and left.

I closed the door, still feeling like I was floating. Everything that had just happened felt surreal.

"Mom, pinch me."

"Silly girl." Mom wiped away happy tears. "This is real. Our luck has finally turned."

I returned to my room and looked at that tuition bill. Thirty-two thousand dollars? Now I was headed to a school that cost eighty thousand a year.

I picked up the paper and tore it to shreds without hesitation.

But as the pieces scattered, an odd feeling crept over me.

This was all too sudden, too perfect.

Did things like this really happen?

I shook my head, pushing the thought away. Maybe this was just how wealthy people helped the less fortunate. I should be grateful, not suspicious.

Within the hour, servants delivered a complete Ashford Academy uniform.

When I unfolded it, Mom gasped.

The uniform was exquisite—fine fabric, impeccable tailoring, gold-threaded school crest. It looked more expensive than everything in our apartment combined.

"This one uniform probably costs more than all our furniture put together." Mom touched the fabric reverently. "Marlowe, you have to make the most of this opportunity."

I nodded. Tomorrow would be the start of everything changing.