" Th - three . " Zachary stammered , caught off guard by the question . As soon as the words left his mouth , the bus rolled to a stop , letting in a fresh crowd of pasengers . The momentary hush inside the bus vanished , replaced by the familiar clamor of chatter and shuffling feet . " Did I hear that right ? Did that girl just call Zachary her brother ? " " Her real brother ? I thought his sister was Ileana ? " " Oh , wait - I remember now . Shirley said Ileana's family took her back . Apparently her biological parents are loaded , so she won't be at our school this semester . She's transferring across the street to Aristocrat Academy . " " What ? Real - life princess vibes ! How lucky can one person get ? She already had three handsome brothers - everyone was jealous enough about that . I figured she'd be down on her luck after her family went bankrupt , but now , surprise , she's a rich heiress again ? " " Comparing yourself to others just makes you miserable . " " So … that means the heiress we knew was a fake? " " Wow , that's wild . Suddenly , this school day doesn't seem so hard to get through after all . " " But didn't her family go bankrupt ? How do they still have money to send her to that fancy school ? " " That's what you don't get . She'd rather die than comé to a regular school like ours . Gotta keep up appearances , even if it kills you . " Zachary couldn't take it anymore . He opened his mouth to argue , but Alessia gently pressed his hand , stopping him . Frustration burned in his eyes , but he sw . down and looked at her instead . wed it " People's dark sides work like that , " Alessia said quietly , her voice calm and detached . " If you try to argue with them , you just end up stuck in a mess trying to prove yourself . Whether you win or lose , they don't care about the truth . That's why it's so easy to start a rumor , but nearly impossible to clear your name ." Her composure only made Zachary's heart ache . It was as if , after hearing too many rumors , she could finally see through it all . She didn't feel the need to defend herself anymore , just watched everyone invent stories about her - and could even 1/2 Chapter 47 laugh it off , her indifference making it almost painful to witness . If Ileana were here , she would have dragged him into a noisy argument right there in the aisle . Not that he thought that was wrong . But in this moment , Zachary finally understood what it meant to say , " Those who are loved can afford to be fearless . " No matter how much trouble Ileana caused , they would always stand by her side , ready to support her . Zachary pressed his lips together , and neither of them spoke again until their stop arrived . The two schools stood across from each other , but the scenes at their gates couldn't have been more different . On one side , Crestview High students in uniforms , backpacks slung over their shoulders , made their way inside , some munching on sandwiches or seaweed rolls picked up from the food stalls behind the school . Across the street , luxury cars lined the entrance of Aristocrat Academy . Butlers in black tailcoats swung open car doors , bowing as their young charges strode in , each one sporting a designer backpack and a distinctively stylish outfit . Students from Crestview High cast glances across the road - some curious , some dismissive , some quietly envious . The private academy students , meanwhile , had no time for gossip , already deep in animated debates about who would take home the trophy that day . Of course , there were always a few who wanted to stir up trouble . " Guess life really is unfair , " someone remarked , a mixture of envy and resignation in their voice . A friend just snorted in contempt . " Look at them . Not even acting like students - always showing off . No wo … er they never beat us in exams . " " Oh , look , if it isn't one of Crestview's grade - obsessed students . " A boy rounded the corner , his clothes edged with rebellious flair . One ear sported a dangling cross earring , his hair dyed a bright red . He bit into a seaweed roll , grinning as he joined the group . 13