Suddenly, Eliza’s eyes locked onto the boy surrounded by the entire class. He was wearing the standard school uniform, but the jacket hung lazily over his shoulders. His gaze was detached, his long, narrow eyes cold and deep—danger practically seeped from them. Eliza’s breath caught. She remembered now. Nolan—heir to Hayes Corp. Cold, ruthless, a natural-born predator. From what she’d heard in her previous life, Nolan was infamous. He had once been arrested for arson and murder, spent time in juvenile detention, and only transferred to Townsville High a year after his release. In this school, the name Nolan was taboo. No one dared go near someone so dangerous. Back then, Eliza had kept her distance just like everyone else. Their paths never crossed. So why was he allowed to participate in a city-level math competition? Then it clicked. She’d seen his name before—on the school bulletin board listing the most recent exam scores. Last time, Naomi had placed third thanks to their test swap. Zayden was always second. First—was Nolan. As she stared at him, Nolan suddenly dragged a chair across the floor, the screech of it piercing through the room. He curled his lips into a smirk. “New girl. Sit here.” A bad feeling crept into Eliza’s chest. But it was clear—Nolan ruled this class. Everyone here answered to him. Eliza had no choice but to walk over and sit down across from him. If this were her past life, she’d be trembling in his presence. But she’d already died once.This version of her had nothing to fear from a teenage boy. Some students exchanged surprised glances. A girl joining Class Six was rare enough. But to not be scared of their boss? “Eliza is one of you now,” the homeroom teacher said. “Be kind. Don’t bully your new classmate. We’ll start study period soon.” And with that, the teacher left. Free study period was almost unheard of in a competitive school like Townsville High. Clearly, the faculty had given up on this class. “Hey, new girl. Why’d you come to Class Six?” a boy with a cocky smile dragged his chair over beside her. He didn’t seem hostile—just curious. “I want to join the math competition,” Eliza answered calmly. “You came here just to join a competition?” he said, incredulous. “Do you even know what Class Six is? Aren’t you scared?”Everyone in this class was considered a lost cause by parents and teachers. If their families weren’t wealthy, they’d have been expelled long ago. Eliza shook her head. “You’re not bad people. Why should I be afraid?” The room fell silent. Not bad people? That was… a first. Nolan’s gaze sharpened on her from across the table, like he was trying to see through her. “I’m Henry. He’s Lewis. That’s Colton. And—” Before Henry could finish, Colton cut in. “No need for introductions. No one said she belongs to Class Six.” Colton stood around six feet tall, eyes sharp like a hawk, tanned skin, and buzzed red hair—he radiated wild energy. Lewis, on the other hand, looked like a soft-spoken gentleman. Eliza silently took note of each of them. Hayes. Gray. Foster. Goodman.In the future, these families would be top players in Westbrook’s business world. The last thing she wanted was to make enemies now. She had to build ties with them early—especially with Nolan. “Come on, Colton,” Henry said cheerfully. “She’s just a girl. No need to be cold.” He turned to Eliza with a grin. “Don’t worry about him. That’s just how he is. From now on, we’re desk buddies—if you’ve got a problem, come to me. I’ve got your back.” Henry thumped his chest in promise. A flicker of warmth stirred in Eliza’s chest. “Thanks.” With someone like Henry on her side, Class Six might not be so hard after all. During study period, Eliza pulled out her workbook—full of past math competition problems. She was halfway through the thick packet, but still had a long way to go. Henry glanced over and his eyes widened. “You’ve already made it this far?” Eliza paused her pen. Even Colton, sitting by the window, turned to look at her workbook. Page after page, questions already solved. “Wait a minute,” Henry said. “If you’re this diligent, why are you even here? What did you get on your last monthly exam?” “…Five seventy-four,” Eliza said. “Five seventy-four? No way!” Henry grabbed her workbook. He’d watched her solve a tough paper earlier—almost every answer was correct. This kind of accuracy and pace didn’t come easy. “How much did you score in math?” “…Barely passed.” “Get out of here.” Henry stared at her in disbelief. With problem-solving like this, math had to be her best subject.How could she have barely passed? Eliza felt a chill on her back. From the moment study period began, she had sensed that icy gaze on her. Now, it felt sharper. More dangerous. She quietly pulled her workbook back. Henry looked puzzled. “Didn’t you almost outscore our Nolan a few tests ago? I remember the math teacher saying you were close.” Eliza blinked, remembering. Before she started switching tests with Naomi, she had outscored Zayden once. Missed a perfect score in math by a single point. She’d placed second in the entire grade. But after Zayden got scolded at home for slipping in rank, she started purposely tanking her scores. She hadn’t known then— That Nolan had gotten full marks in every subject except language arts.