Aria’s POV:
Back at the orphanage, I had already received an acceptance letter from the Louisiana Collegiate Institute. At the time, I only saw it as a stepping stone—a way to leave that place behind.
But now, everything was different.
The principal showed up in person. After learning that I had been adopted by the Viremont family and that my name had been changed to Aria Viremont, he reissued my admission letter. He even brought a group of reporters with him, appearing right at our doorstep, saying it was for a “public showcase”—for the school, and for me.
What had once been a quiet villa turned into a whirlwind that lasted the entire day.
Camera flashes, interviews, questions, congratulations… wave after wave, without pause.
I sat on the sofa, holding my mother’s hand, answering qu
