Chapter 16
Chapter 16
Robert and Yvonne felt like everything that had happened today was just a dream.
Nina walked around the house, pretending to be curious, then suddenly remembered something her parents had said before. “Mom, Dad, what was the surprise you were talking about?” she asked.
Robert smiled warmly. “We got so lucky today, I almost forgot,” he said, heading for the door. “It’s in the car. I’ll go get it.”
But once he went downstairs, he frowned. He took out his phone and sent a text to a number marked “Unknown”: [No need to decorate yet. Also, check the previous owner of 901 Starlight Avenue, Unit 201. I want everything you can find.]
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After that, he pulled an express envelope from under the front passenger seat and went back upstairs.
“Nina, guess what this is?” Robert asked, holding up the envelope as he walked in.
Nina took it. “A letter?”
“Open it,” Yvonne said, looking just as curious.
Nina opened it and found a folded sheet of thick paper inside, with gold designs on a white background. It was an acceptance letter.
She froze for a second, then quickly read what it said: [Ms. Nina Edwards, your application has been approved. You are accepted to our school. Please arrive within three days to complete registration. Late arrivals will not be processed.]
“Aqualore International High School?” Nina read the name slowly, in disbelief.
It was the most famous elite school in Hanston-super hard to get into, and the tuition alone started at over ten thousand dollars. She had no idea how her parents had managed to get her in.
Yvonne looked a little surprised. “Nina, you know this school?”
Nina realized she hadn’t hidden her reaction well. Thinking fast, she made something up. “I saw someone selling the school uniform online yesterday, so I looked it up. It’s super expensive. And before, I—”
The conditions at Hawthorne Orphanage had been terrible. Most of the kids there only studied up to fourth or fifth grade before they were sent off to work in factories. So when Nina forged her records, she hadn’t listed any education past elementary school.
She couldn’t believe Aqualore International High School had accepted her anyway.
“Nina, you don’t have to worry about any of that,” Robert said.
He let out a sigh and went on, “A couple years ago, when I was driving deliveries, I saw a car accident and called the police and an ambulance.
“Turned out the man I helped was a teacher at Aqualore. After he got out of the hospital, he reached out and told me if I ever needed anything, to just ask. So the moment we found you, I contacted him.
“He didn’t even hesitate-got you a spot at the school and even helped us get a scholarship. We just need to pay everything off in one lump sum when you graduate.”
That didn’t sound like any scholarship Nina had ever heard of. She was suspicious, but this time she was careful not to show it. Her parents had already seen enough weird stuff for one day.
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Chapter 16
“We were planning to rent a place in the city and maybe take out a loan to start a small business,” Yvonne said. “But then today happened-we got lucky, and now we have a grocery store.”
She seemed to have fully accepted everything, her eyes full of hope. “If we run it well, we’ll have no problem covering your tuition. Our life’s going to get better and better. Nina, I think all of this happened because you came back to us.”
Nina just smiled, a flicker of quiet satisfaction in her eyes.
The night sky was full of stars.
After making sure her parents were fast asleep, Nina quietly opened the window and slipped out without a sound. Dropping two stories felt like nothing more than a game to her.
“Nina!” Chris was waiting behind a tree just below. The moment he saw her, his eyes lit up without him even realizing it.
09 pm
