Yvonne's POV

Tricia smirked, and then, for the first time, her face flickered. "Oh, look. The cleaner's here," she sneered. "What are you going to do? Call security?"

My mom's face tightened, but she didn't lose control.

And just immediately, the student paparazzi didn't even think to stop like I had thought they had behaved themselves. They just kept snapping pictures like it was the funniest thing they'd seen all week.

"Oh look," one of them laughed, "the cleaner's come to clean up the trash."

My stomach dropped. I could take all their insults, I'd been taking them for years, but the moment they dragged my mum into it, something in me snapped. I stepped closer, putting myself between her and their cameras. "Don't talk to my mum like that!" My voice cracked, but I didn't care. She didn't deserve this.

Before I could even breathe, Adrian walked forward. The smirk on his face made my skin crawl. Then-like it was nothing-he shoved my mum down from her wheelchair. The gasp that left my throat burned. The sound of metal screeching against the floor echoed as he kicked the chair away. "I'll do whatever I want to help," he sneered. "And the other students are allowed to talk to your mum however they like. She's just a cleaner. And you? A charity case."

I dropped to my knees instantly, helping my mum up, my hands trembling. Blood smeared on her knees, staining the skin I'd seen tired and bruised from work a thousand times. Seeing it there because of him? That tore me apart. My chest tightened, fury boiling hotter than I had ever felt. "You hurt my mum, you psychopath!" I spat, my voice loud enough to draw the crowd even closer.

Adrian tilted his head, his grin widening like my anger was entertainment. "So what? She's a nobody. And so are you."

Tricia's voice slid in sharp like glass. "You really need to learn your place, Yvonne. Adrian is the principal's son. And you? You're just the dirty cleaner's trash daughter." Her laughter followed, nails-on-chalkboard to my ears.

I wanted to tear her words apart, to spit back something so strong it would shut them up, but before I could, I felt a light tap on my hand. My mum's fingers shook as she whispered, "Yvonne, I'm fine. I'm so sorry, Mr. Adrian. I'm sure Yvonne didn't mean to pick a fight. Couples shouldn't argue in public."

My heart sank. Heat rushed to my cheeks. Couples? Oh God. I had told her-so excitedly-that Adrian had asked me to be his girlfriend. That was why she'd gone out of her way to buy me the dress, the one she could barely afford. She thought she was defending my boyfriend.

Adrian barked a laugh, sounding all sharp and cruel. "Are you stupid? Yvonne was never my girlfriend. I wasn't going to ask her out either. She's just an orphan nerd who does my homework. My own personal AI." He dragged the word like a curse. "And wait till I tell my mother that you spoke out of line. You'll be unemployed before you know it."

I staggered back at his words, my throat tight. He was simply twisting everything and making me feel small on purpose. Rage burned hot in my chest. "You monster, Adrian," I snapped, my voice shaking as I turned to my mum. "Mum, why are you apologizing to this asshole? Don't you see? We were never meant to be. I realized that not too long ago."

"Yvonne," she whispered, fear lining her face, "don't exchange words with him. I can't afford to lose my job, okay?" Her eyes begged me for silence.

My jaw clenched. I hated how her words made me fold, but I couldn't stand to hurt her more. "Okay, Mum," I whispered, laying my hand over hers gently. The familiar blinking of my bracelet caught the corner of my eye-it always did that at 12 noon. The little flash of light I'd always told myself meant hope, meant I belonged somewhere.

Tricia noticed instantly. "Look here." She stepped closer, eyes narrowing as she grabbed my wrist without asking. "What's this?"

I jerked my hand, trying to pull away. "Get off me."

But then, her grip only tightened. "Come on, this looks genuine and there is no way you could afford this. You're a walking discount rack. You obviously stole it." Her words sliced deeper than the laughter building around us.

Murmurs spread through the crowd in whispers and my chest tightened. "I didn't steal it," I said, my voice cracking under the weight of all those eyes. "That's all I have left from my birth family."

Tricia scoffed, pulling at the bracelet harder. "No. I think you stole it from me. Because there's no way this belongs to you."

"Oh my God," someone whispered. Another laughed nervously.

I held on with everything I had, my fingers gripping her wrist, trying to twist free. I couldn't lose this-not this. The murmurs grew louder, people circling closer, phones up and recording. "Let go!" I shouted. But she smirked, leaning in close so only I could hear. "Give it back or Adrian and I will make sure you and your trash mother lose her job."

I froze. My stomach sank. I looked at my mum. Her face was drawn, exhausted and apologetic. I knew how much this job meant to her. If she lost it, there wouldn't be another waiting. My scholarship might be gone. Again, our survival would be at risk.

Tricia's voice cut again, all sweet and venomous. "And then where would you be? Expelled. Dumpster diving for breakfast."

My grip weakened. I didn't want to, but my mum's pleading face haunted me more than the thought of letting go. Slowly, reluctantly, I eased my fingers open and let Tricia slip the bracelet off. The emptiness on my wrist felt heavier than the weight of her laughter.

But the ache inside me screamed. I clenched my fists, heat flushing my skin. "No!" I snapped, surging forward, ready to fight back and snatch it away. But my mum's hands caught my arms, pulling me back. "Baby," she begged, her voice breaking. "What if I lose my job? What if you lose your scholarship too?"

Her words wrapped around me like chains. I froze, feeling all helpless, rage clawing at my chest. She was right. With Adrian and Tricia's influence, one more step out of line could destroy everything.

Then, suddenly, the buzz of phones filled the air simultaneously. Notifications chimed one after another, spreading like wildfire through the crowd. Heads bent down and their screens lighting up faces. Then, like a chorus, everyone gasped.

"The Diamond Belfort brothers are transferring to Pacesetters High School?"

The scream of excitement that followed made my ears ring. It was as if every single student had rehearsed the reaction, with their voices colliding in perfect unison.

I even felt my stomach flip. The Diamond Belfort brothers. Everyone in town knew that name. The heirs of the richest family in New York. The ones who had everything-looks, fame, money, influence. People whispered about them like they were untouchable, like they lived in a world above ours.

My thoughts scrambled. Why would they come here? Pacesetters High School was beneath their standards and their kind. This was a small-town school. We didn't get heirs and celebrities like them. So, I couldn't really place.

And yet, as everyone buzzed around me, my bracelet gone and my heart raw, I couldn't stop one thought from carving itself deep into my chest:

Maybe their coming means something for me.

Yvonne's POV

"Oh! My God."

"This is the sweetest gist I have heard my whole time in this school."

Since the mention of the Diamond Belfort brothers, everyone kept gushing about it so much that it distracted them from the humiliating scene they had created around me.

"Are we sure about this news? Because what on earth would the Diamond Belfort brothers be coming to our school to do, knowing their status and all?" Someone finally asked the one thing I had considered first, and to think it was Adrian that asked the question made my skin crawl.

But out of nowhere, Tricia replied, flipping her hair dramatically. "Who cares? I mean the Belfort family is one of the wealthiest in the world. If you and I get in with them, we won't ever need anybody else again-we'll be set for life." She squealed like she was already cashing in on their bank accounts.

Someone in the crowd chimed in, "I heard their dad owns like half of New York."

Tricia scrunched her nose. "Half? Oh please! Try all of it. As far as I'm concerned, the Belforts practically own this entire country. And their mum? She's basically the queen of Hollywood. Do you know how many celebrities line up just to be invited to their birthday parties?" She made it sound like she had been there herself.

I stared at her, baffled. How did she even gather this much information? I only knew the basics-that they were rich and famous. But Tricia spoke like she had their family tree saved on her phone. Her obsession was embarrassing, even for her.

Adrian looked equally curious now, leaning in. "That's insane. But do you think they'll even talk to us? I mean, why would they want to mingle with us in the first place?"

"Of course they will, Boo," Tricia said, smirking. "We practically run this school. And they'll be new here, which means they'll definitely need us. Trust me, they'll want to be seen with us."

Adrian nodded like her nonsense made sense. "True anyway."

While they were carried away by the chatter and fake dreams, I took it as the perfect chance to slip away with my mum. She had been dragged into enough humiliation already with me. If I could at least get her out of sight, maybe the ache in my chest would soften.

*****

I wheeled my mum to the school clinic, the squeaky wheels of the chair echoing against the tiled hallway. Inside, the nurse didn't ask too many questions-she just gave me a sympathetic look and went to work. She dabbed gently at the blood on my mum's knees with cotton soaked in antiseptic. Mum hissed quietly but kept still, clutching the sides of her chair.

The nurse cleaned the scrapes, then spread ointment before wrapping them with fresh white bandages. My stomach twisted, watching my mum flinch at every touch. She had been through enough without Adrian adding to her pain.

When the nurse left us alone, I pulled the chair closer and held her hand. That was when the weight of everything slammed down again. The bracelet. Adrian's betrayal. Tricia's cruelty. It all piled on like heavy bricks. I couldn't hold back anymore-tears slipped past my lashes.

"I don't get it," I muttered with a cracked voice. "Adrian lied to me, used me, and he didn't even hesitate to push you to the ground. And now Tricia has stolen the only thing I had left of my birth family. How is this happening to us, Mum? Why does it always have to be us?"

Mum squeezed my hand, her voice soft but steady. "My daughter, you should know by now that people like Adrian and Tricia always have power here. They take what they want because no one tells them no as they have never been stopped in their lives."

Her words stung because I knew she was right. But anger still boiled in me. "I wish I could stand up to them. I wish your job wasn't on the line every time. I wish I could afford your surgery so you wouldn't have to suffer anymore. I wish..." I stopped, the lump in my throat choking me. "I wish life wasn't this unfair."

Mum reached up, brushing a strand of hair from my wet cheek. "Oh, sweetheart..." Her eyes carried both pain and pride. She always tried to be strong for me even when I knew she was breaking inside too.

But then my thoughts circled back, sharper than before. "She took my bracelet, Mum. That bracelet is the only lead I have to my birth family. Maybe... maybe they could help us. Maybe if I find them, they could help with your surgery. They could help us both."

The words tasted desperate, but they were true. My bracelet wasn't just jewelry-it was my only connection to the life I might have had. And without it, that link might be gone forever.

I slumped against the chair, feeling all exhausted. "But without the bracelet, there's no way. She has it now. And I can't fight her for it without risking everything for you."

As if on cue, the loud crackle of the school's PA system interrupted us. "Students, this is the principal. Please make your way to the gymnasium for a special announcement."

I closed my eyes, letting out a heavy sigh. Of course. No time to cry. No time to think. The world just kept moving, even when I felt like I was falling apart. "Mum, I have to go now. If I'm late, the principal will make things worse."

She held onto my wrist before I could turn away. "It's fine, my daughter. Go. Just take care of yourself. And remember, I'll be here when you need me, always."

Her voice cracked, but she smiled anyway. That smile cut deeper than any insult Tricia had thrown today.

I bent down, holding her hand with both of mine. "Mum, before I go... I just need to say thank you. For everything. For adopting me. For raising me like your own even when you had nothing. For loving me when life was already too hard for you. I don't take any of it for granted." My words trembled as they left me, raw and real.

Her eyes glistened, but she pulled me into a half-hug. "Yvonne, I would do it all again. A thousand times over. Don't thank me, my daughter. Just promise me you'll keep going. That's all I need."

I nodded into her shoulder, breathing in the faint scent of laundry soap clinging to her uniform. "I promise, Mum."

With that, I straightened, wiped my eyes quickly with the back of my hand, and turned toward the door. "Bye, Mum. I'll see you later."

She raised her hand in a small wave as I walked out, my chest heavy but my steps forced steady. Whatever waited for me in that gymnasium, I had to face it-even if the whole school was still buzzing with gossip about the Diamond Belfort brothers.

Yvonne's POV

As soon as we got to the gymnasium, the noise inside could've shaken the ceiling. Everyone was already seated, whispering, buzzing, bouncing on their chairs like we were about to witness the arrival of actual royalty. The principal tapped her mic, clearing her throat until the place quieted down a little. Then she smiled wide, like she had the juiciest news of the decade.

"Students," she began, her voice echoing across the gym, "please join me in welcoming Gentle, Jack, and Bobby Belfort, heirs to the Belfort fortune, who have generously donated a brand-new wing to this high school."

The principal clapped like she'd just announced world peace, and the whole place erupted in applause. Some kids whistled, some stomped their feet. A girl behind me squealed so loud I thought she might faint.

"Yes, amazing, right?" the principal beamed, soaking in the cheers. "And that's not all. They have gifted each of you with a brand-new iPad."

Gasps and shouts broke out everywhere. Teachers moved down the aisles, handing out shiny boxes. The sound of cardboard being ripped open was almost louder than the clapping.

"I'm never doing homework on paper again!" a boy shouted two rows ahead.

Another chimed in, "Do you think they'll give us free Wi-Fi too?" The place dissolved into laughter and chatter.

"Students!" the principal said, raising her hands. "On that note, I expect you all to show them the respect they deserve."

That was it. The tension snapped back like a stretched rubber band. All eyes glued themselves to the entrance of the gymnasium, the doors like a stage curtain about to lift and the buzz in the air felt almost electric.

And then-they walked in.

The double doors swung open, and Gentle, Jack, and Bobby Belfort strode inside like they had been trained for this moment their whole lives. Their walk was slow, confident, perfectly in sync, like the floor belonged to them. All neck tilted, jaws dropped, and eyes widened as they crossed the aisle. You could practically feel the room holding its breath. Each one of them had that kind of presence you only see in glossy magazine covers-their suits were adorably fitted and their hair styled like it had been blessed by Hollywood itself.

The cheers rose, bouncing off the gym walls. Tricia, especially, was impossible to ignore. She was bouncing in her seat like a toddler on a codeine diet. Her squeals pierced the air, her hands clutching her chest dramatically. And I am quite sure that if someone handed her a fan right then, she would have fainted into it.

When the noise simmered down, the tallest of the brothers stepped forward, his voice smooth but heavy with meaning. "I know you all must be wondering why we chose to come here. Fifteen years ago, our baby sister disappeared."

The gym fell into complete silence, the kind where you could hear a pin drop. "We vowed not to rest until we found her, chasing every lead and never giving up. Now, we finally know where she is, and that is why we are here."

Another brother, the one with sharper features, added, "We have come to bring her home. To bring her back to the family where she belongs."

The third spoke next, his lips curving into a smile that sent more gasps through the girls in the room. "She would be sixteen by now. Blond hair. Outrageously attractive, just like her brothers." The arrogance in his tone made a few kids giggle, but no one dared say anything.

And then the first brother raised his hand, pulling back his sleeve. My stomach tightened instantly. "Most importantly, she has a bracelet. One like this."

Together, all three of them lifted their wrists. Three identical bracelets glittered under the gym lights. And at the moment, it was like my lungs stopped working.

"Oh my God." The words tumbled out of my mouth in the faintest whisper, meant for no one but myself. My fingers trembled on my lap. "That looks exactly like my bracelet."

The first brother spread his arms, gaze sweeping the crowd. "Sis, wherever you are, come on up here. We are waiting for you. Anyone?"

The gym rippled with whispers, heads turning and searching. My chest pounded so hard it hurt. Could it be me? Could I actually be the missing Belfort heiress? My bracelet... it was the only clue I ever had. But now it was gone, stolen by Tricia. My throat burned with panic.

And then, before I could think, my body moved on its own. I rose halfway from my seat, with legs shaking and my knees threatening to buckle. But just as I found the courage to steady myself, a hard shove hit me from behind.

"Shift! Get out of my way, trash." The venom in her voice cut through me.

I stumbled forward, catching myself on the edge of the seat in front. My eyes darted up-and of course, it was her-Tricia. Who else? Her smirk said it all as she strutted down the aisle.

No. Please no.

"Brothers!" she screamed, fake joy spilling out of her like bad perfume. Her arm shot up, flashing a bracelet. My bracelet. The one she ripped from me. My stomach dropped to the floor.

The brothers' faces lit up, unguarded excitement softening their sharp features. "Baby sis!" they shouted in unison, arms opening wide to her.

She launched herself at them, squealing and wriggling like a child reunited with candy. "Brothers!" she cried again, her voice so high-pitched it hurt. She clung to them, milking the moment, tears she didn't have shimmering in her eyes.

"Baby sis, we finally found you. You must have dealt with so much," one of them said, his voice dripping with sympathy.

"Yeah, it's been a trial," she replied quickly, almost sounding like she had it all rehearsed. "But you're here now. And that's all that matters."

Her words were fake, hollow, but nobody seemed to notice. All the students gushed, sighing like they were watching a movie scene.

"Oh my gosh, she's their sister."

"Can you believe it? Tricia Belfort!"

"Her life just changed forever."

I sat frozen, my hands balled into fists so tight my nails dug into my skin. This can't be happening. How could they fall for this? Couldn't they see the way her eyes sparkled a little too much, the way her voice cracked in all the wrong places?

But the brothers only leaned in closer. "We want to spoil you after all these years. So of course, we brought presents. We tried to guess what you'd want, but in the end, we decided to bring everything."

The doors at the side of the gym opened. A line of attendants rolled in racks of glittering clothes-dresses sparkling under the lights, rows of designer shoes gleaming like treasures. Jewelry cases clicked open, dazzling gems shining all over the space. Pictures flashed on the projector and at the lineup that could make anyone dizzy.

"The Belfort family presents," one of the brothers declared proudly, "a new wardrobe straight from the runways of Miami, ten luxury cars to suit every mood, and unrestricted access to the Belfort family jet."

The gym exploded in the other students' cheers here and there.

"Ten cars?!"

"I'd take one! Just one!"

"Imagine having a family jet. Forget college, I'd just fly everywhere."

Tricia's smile stretched so wide it looked painful. "I am just so excited to finally reunite with my family," she said, clutching her chest like she was overwhelmed with love.

I couldn't take it anymore. Anger bubbled in me like lava, threatening to spill over. Every laugh, every cheer for her made me want to scream. But another scene? More humiliation? My chest tightened. No. Not today. Maybe it was better to stay quiet, to swallow the pain and walk away.

So I stood, forcing my legs to move, heading for the exit while everyone else was lost in Tricia's performance. Maybe disappearing would hurt less than watching her steal everything.

But then-

"Yvonne." My mom's voice stopped me at the doors. She had somehow found me, her face pale but determined. Her words pierced straight through my panic. "But the bracelet is yours. It was the only thing on you when I found you as a baby. And that was exactly 15 years ago."

I froze. My head spun. "Mum... I think it must be a mistake. Or... or something. I can't be the Belfort heiress." My voice shook, barely above a whisper.

Her gaze hardened. "Yvonne. You didn't spend your whole life wondering where you came from just to back down now. You know the truth."

My chest rose and fell fast, the truth colliding with the lies in my head. My hands clenched and unclenched at my sides. She was right. Deep down, I knew it. I knew it from the first second I saw their bracelets. From the way my heart nearly leapt out of me. From the emptiness I'd carried all my life.

I couldn't let Tricia steal what was mine. Not this time.

A boldness I didn't recognize surged through me. My legs moved, strong and steady now. I turned back toward the center of the gymnasium, toward the brothers, the crowd, and Tricia's lies.

It was time to step into the light.