The next day...
This is it.
This is finally it.
Exam day.
And let me tell you—
I am completely not okay.
I staggered out of my room like a zombie, textbooks and notebooks shoved into my bag in a last-minute panic.
My hair was a mess, my clothes were wrinkled, and I'm pretty sure my eyes had developed permanent dark circles overnight.
I stumbled into the massive kitchen, where Aurelius was already waiting—looking like he just stepped off the cover of some luxury magazine, sipping his coffee casually.
Unfair.
So unfair.
He glanced up when he saw me and immediately smirked.
"Good morning, sunshine," he said, far too cheerful for my fragile state of mind.
I groaned, dropping my bag onto the counter with a loud thud.
"Don't. Speak."
He chuckled, sliding a plate of breakfast toward me—eggs, toast, fresh fruit.
"You need energy," he said.
"I need a miracle," I muttered, shoving a piece of toast into my mouth anyway.
He just shook his head, looking weirdly proud of me like I was some exhausted little soldier marching to war.
After a quick (and painful) breakfast, he insisted on driving me to campus.
"You're too stressed to drive," he said, taking my keys right out of my hand before I could even argue.
And maybe, just maybe, he had a point, because my brain was basically leaking out of my ears at this point.
The ride to campus was oddly quiet.
I sat there, staring blankly out the window, mentally reviewing everything I'd crammed into my brain.
Aurelius kept sneaking glances at me, probably wondering if I'd survive the day without passing out.
When we finally pulled up to the university gates, he stopped the car and turned toward me.
"You'll do fine," he said firmly.
I blinked at him, nerves knotting my stomach into an anxious mess.
"What if I fail?"
"You won't," he said immediately.
His voice was steady, certain, unshakable.
Like he already knew the future and it had me winning written all over it.
Before I could overthink any more, he leaned over and pressed a light, quick kiss to my forehead.
"For luck," he said, smirking as he pulled back.
I sat there frozen for a second, heart hammering stupidly in my chest.
"Go," he added, chuckling at my flustered face. "Show them what Callista Evangeline Moreau is made of."
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my bag and got out of the car, trying to channel some of that impossible Aurelius confidence.
This is it.
No turning back now.
I marched toward the building, ready—or at least, pretending to be ready—for the battle ahead.
The hallway to the exam room felt like it stretched on forever.
Every step echoed.
Every breath felt too loud.
Other students were laughing, chatting nervously, flipping through last-minute notes—
But me?
I was stone cold serious.
I pulled my hoodie tighter over my head, gripped my notes like they were my sword and shield, and marched forward like a soldier about to walk into battle.
No distractions.
No small talk.
No mercy.
By the time I reached the room, I was practically radiating "do not talk to me" energy.
Some of my classmates even gave me a wide berth. Good.
I found my seat — front row, dead center — and sat down with a mechanical thump.
I organized my pens and pencils in a perfect row, straightened my exam pass on the desk, and stared ahead like a hawk watching its prey.
The invigilator walked in with the exam papers.
I didn't blink.
I didn't even breathe wrong.
When the papers were handed out, I waited, pen poised, vibrating with pure academic rage.
"You may begin," the instructor announced.
The moment the words left his mouth, I attacked the exam paper like it had personally offended me.
Question 1? Done.
Question 2? Shredded.
Question 3? Come at me.
I was writing so fast, so intensely focused, I barely noticed the world around me.
The only thing that existed was this exam and my determination to crush it.
Halfway through, a few students around me were already sighing, tapping their pencils, slumping in despair.
Me?
My back was straight.
My eyes sharp.
My hand moving at the speed of light.
Nothing could stop me.
Except maybe one stupid question.
I froze, frowning hard at it.
A tricky one.
For a split second, panic tried to creep into my chest.
But then—
I remembered Aurelius's voice.
"You'll do fine."
I clenched my pen tighter and gritted my teeth.
No.
I wasn't going to freak out now.
I broke the problem down piece by piece, step by step, just like he showed me last night.
Slowly, methodically, I dismantled it like a bomb technician defusing an explosive.
Boom. Solved.
Time flew by faster than I realized.
When the invigilator called, "Pens down!"
I slammed my pen on the table triumphantly and leaned back, breathing hard.
I did it.
I survived.
I might've even—
No, no jinxing it.
I packed my things slowly, still dead serious.
Other students stumbled out of the room looking half-dead, but I marched out with my head held high.
And right outside, leaning casually against his sleek black car under the late afternoon sun—
was Aurelius.
Arms crossed.
Wearing those sunglasses that made him look like he owned the whole planet.
Waiting for me.
When he saw me, his mouth twitched into the smallest, proudest smile.
I kept my face serious, lips pressed together tight, but inside?
Inside, I was basically screaming.
It's over.
It's DONE.
But nope.
Not a single emotion shown on my face.
Not yet.
I walked up to him like a boss, threw my bag into the car, and slid into the passenger seat with the air of a war hero returning from battle.
"You look like you just committed murder," Aurelius commented as he started the engine.
"In a way," I said seriously, buckling my seatbelt. "I murdered that exam."
He laughed—a rich, genuine laugh—and ruffled my hair affectionately.
"That's my girl."
I tried not to smile.
I failed.
The next few days were pure torture.
Waiting for the exam results felt like standing on the edge of a cliff with no idea when the ground would give out.
I pretended to be calm.
I went to classes.
I studied a bit.
I trained a bit.
I even hung out with my friends and the twins once or twice.
But deep inside?
I was screaming.
Loudly.
Even Aurelius noticed.
Every time I paced around the house, biting my nails, muttering formulas under my breath, he would just glance up from whatever he was doing—phone calls, emails, meetings—and smirk.
"Relax, Evangeline," he'd say. "You already won."
Yeah, easy for him to say. He wasn't the one who had to deal with a grade that could decide my future!
Finally, after what felt like centuries, the university sent out the results online.
I sat in my study room, laptop open in front of me, staring at the "CLICK HERE FOR RESULTS" button like it personally insulted me.
Aurelius sat across the room, casually reading a book.
Totally unconcerned.
Totally unhelpful.
I clenched my fists, cracked my knuckles, inhaled deeply—
And clicked.
The screen loaded slowly.
Painfully.
Spinning... spinning...
"JUST OPEN ALREADY!" I screamed at the screen, causing Aurelius to chuckle without looking up.
Finally—
It loaded.
I scanned the page, heart pounding out of my chest.
And then—
My eyes widened.
Top 1%.
High distinction.
Nearly perfect score.
I blinked.
Blink again.
Rubbed my eyes.
Was I hallucinating?
I read it five times before it really hit me.
I passed.
I didn't just pass—
I crushed it.
For a full ten seconds, I just sat there, frozen, my brain refusing to process reality.
Aurelius finally spoke up lazily, "Judging by your stunned silence, I'm assuming it's good news?"
I slowly turned to look at him.
Then, without warning—
I screamed, launched myself across the room, and tackled him right off the couch.
He caught me easily, laughing as he landed on his back, arms automatically wrapping around me.
"I PASSED!" I yelled right into his ear.
"I gathered," he said, chuckling, completely unfazed by the attack.
"I DIDN'T FAIL! I ACTUALLY PASSED!"
"You did more than pass, little star," he murmured, brushing his hand through my hair gently. "You conquered."
I couldn't even argue.
I was too giddy, too high on victory.
I flopped dramatically onto his chest, sprawling there like a cat.
"Let me bask," I mumbled.
"Take your time," he said, stroking my hair. "You earned it."
And for the first time in what felt like forever—
I let myself relax.
The war was over.
Victory was mine.
And somehow, despite everything...
I knew this was only the beginning.
End of chapter 23.