After a hearty lunch with Mr. Howard, Mike Carter returned to campus. He needed some quiet time in the library, but what he found was far from ordinary.
Opening his textbook, Mike noticed something familiar—another folded paper star. These little stars had been mysteriously appearing in his books for months. He unfolded it, expecting another cryptic message. Instead, this one contained nothing but a crying emoji: —— ——.
"Crying? What does that even mean?" Mike muttered under his breath.
For months, he had assumed these notes were from Sophia Rivers, the radiant campus queen who always seemed to have an effortless smile. But the more Mike thought about it, the less it made sense. Sophia was bright, social, and dazzling—the kind of person who'd spend her time being admired by others, not crafting anonymous notes.
"I'll ask her directly tonight," Mike decided, stashing the note in the jar where he kept all the others.
At 5 PM sharp, Mike arrived at Sophia's mansion. The house was magnificent, with sprawling gardens and intricate designs that screamed wealth. For someone like Mike, it felt like stepping into another world.
Sophia greeted him at the door, her smile lighting up the dimming evening. "You're early," she said playfully, reaching for his hand without hesitation.
Mike tried to hide his nervousness with a grin. "When a beautiful woman invites me, how could I be late?"
Sophia rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress a smile. "Come on, I'll show you around."
She led him through the grand halls, pointing out family portraits and antique furniture as if they were just casual decorations. Despite the lavish surroundings, Sophia seemed surprisingly grounded.
Mike's nerves spiked again when she pulled him into her bedroom. The room was adorned in soft pink hues, with plush furnishings and custom-made European decor. He hadn't expected this—not in a million years.
Sophia picked up a sleek evening gown from the bed and turned to Mike. "I need your help with something."
Mike blinked. "What?"
Sophia gave him an exasperated look. "The zipper. Turn around and help me with the zipper!"
"Oh, right," Mike stammered, quickly turning to help. But as he tugged on the delicate zipper, he couldn't ignore the reflection in the polished furniture. Sophia's flawless silhouette was stunning, her skin glowing in the soft light. He forced himself to focus on the task, his cheeks burning.
"You're taking forever," Sophia teased. "Someone's coming upstairs. Hurry up!"
Downstairs, Ethan Bear—the infamous young heir to the Bear fortune—had arrived in dramatic fashion. Pulling up in a Maserati Ghibli adorned with red roses, he basked in the attention of onlookers.
"Ethan! Finally here!" someone exclaimed.
Another onlooker whistled. "Man, look at that car. He's showing up to propose, isn't he?"
Ethan climbed out of the car, his polished leather shoes glinting in the evening light. "Where's Sophia?" he demanded, exuding an air of entitlement.
The Rivers' butler pointed upstairs. "Miss Sophia is getting ready in her room."
With roses in hand, Ethan marched upstairs, ready to claim what he believed was his. But as he approached Sophia's door, he froze. Voices drifted out—and one of them wasn't hers.
"Mike, you're pulling too hard! That hurts!"
"Sorry," came Mike's reply. "This is harder than I thought."
Ethan's face turned crimson. His jaw tightened, his mind racing. Was Sophia… with another man? In her room?
He slammed his fist against the door. "Sophia! What the hell is going on in there?"
Sophia's voice called back, unfazed. "What are you yelling about? I'm just getting ready."
Ethan wasn't buying it. His hand found the doorknob, but Sophia opened the door before he could barge in. She stood there in her evening gown, looking radiant and utterly composed.
Behind her, Mike adjusted his tie nonchalantly, as if nothing was out of the ordinary.
Ethan's eyes darted between them, his fury barely contained. "Who's this?"
Sophia looped her arm through Mike's and smiled sweetly. "This is Mike. My boyfriend."
Ethan's mind went blank. "Boyfriend?"
Sophia nodded. "We've been together for a month. Isn't that right, Mike?"
Mike shrugged. "More or less."
Ethan's fists clenched, his nails digging into his palms. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Sophia, his Sophia, had chosen this nobody over him?
"What did he get you for your birthday?" Ethan demanded, desperate to regain some control. "I brought a Maserati and hundreds of roses. What could he possibly offer you?"
Sophia hesitated. Truth be told, she hadn't seen Mike to bring anything. I gave him money to buy him a gift, why didn't he buy it?
But before she could answer, Mike pulled a small velvet box from his pocket.
The room fell silent. Even Ethan's smug expression faltered as he eyed the box.
Mike opened it slowly, revealing a small, glimmering gemstone nestled inside. It wasn't flashy or oversized, but its radiance was unmistakable.
Ethan squinted at it, then burst out laughing. "What's that? A pebble? Did you pick that up from the campus garden?"
Sophia Rivers stared in disbelief.
She had assumed Mike Carter hadn't brought a gift—yet here he was, presenting something mysterious.
But what could it possibly be?
She'd given him $5,000—why hadn't he bought something substantial?
"I told you, don't trust Mike!" Leila Stewart burst in suddenly.
Ethan Bear's smirk widened at Leila's timely support.
He relished the thought of Mike being humiliated and thrown out of the party.
Sophia's patience began to wear thin.
"I gave you the money specifically for this. If you couldn't prepare anything proper, you should have just said so. Why are you embarrassing me like this?"
The tiny stone, no larger than a grain of sand, seemed laughably insignificant next to the Maserati—it was smaller than even an apple.
"Do you know what this is?" Mike asked calmly, understanding their skepticism. After all, unless someone had his family's connections, they wouldn't recognize it.
"What could it possibly be?" Ethan sneered.
Mike, radiating quiet confidence, replied, "Californium."
Just one word left his lips.
But that single word rendered everyone in the room speechless.