Archie had bought it for her.


    She nced again at the route traced in red pen through the guidebook: from Kingsford to Sris City, with two major legs and three stops along the way.


    First, Kingsford to Magnolia Harbor; then from Magnolia Harbor, following Highway 317 all the way to their final destination, Sris City.


    Nearly three thousand miles in total.


    She did a quick calction-if they made good time, they could be there in seven days.


    M put the guidebook down and turned to watch the springndscape shing past the window. Her heart felt suddenly hollow.


    How long had it been since she''dst taken in the scenery outside, just for the simple pleasure of it? Just for a bit of peace, with nothing weighing on her mind?


    She honestly couldn''t remember.


    Life had been so crowded with responsibilities and troublestely, she''d barely had a chance to breathe.


    Her eyelids grew heavy as these thoughts drifted through her mind. She''d only just recovered from a fever, and after lunch she''d taken her medication. The exhaustion—both physical and mental-pressed down on her, making it impossible to resist sleep.


    Her eyes fluttered closed, and soon she''d drifted off.


    Archie, behind the wheel, noticed M slumped asleep in the passenger seat. He quietly changed the music to something mellow, then eased off the gas, letting the car glide more gently down the road.


    Half-awake, half-dreaming.


    M found herself drifting back into old memories.


    She dreamed of the time after she''d first glimpsed Lysander from afar the first moment anyone had ever truly made her heart skip.


    It had taken herpletely by surprise.


    After that brief encounter, she couldn''t help herself-she kept thinking about him, searching for any scrap of information about the boy she''d only seen once.


    It wasn''t hard to find.


    Lysander was well-known at their university-not just because he came from a prominent family, but because he was a star in every field: academics, sports, you name it. He was the kind of brilliant, dazzling talent everyone noticed.


    Finding out about him was almost too easy.


    What really shocked her, though, was that someone so perfect-so out of reach- had never once been rumored to date anyone.


    In fact, girls who liked him had given him all sorts of nicknames: Heartbreaker, Girl-Proof, Untouchable...


    Lysander, it turned out, had a reputation for turning down confessions with brutal honesty: sometimes dismissing a girl''s grades, sometimes her looks, sometimes her background.


    The message was always clear: None of you are good enough.


    It drove people crazy, but even so, his poprity only seemed to grow.


    No wonder he had everything: status, brains, athleticism, and looks to match. If he had a w, it was his sharp tongue; otherwise, he was practically perfect.


    The more M learned about him, the more discouraged she felt.


    She knew she was decent-looking, and her grades weren''t bad either-but she couldn''t hold a candle to Lysander, who was a year ahead and already in a league of his own.


    And as for family background? She didn''t evene close.


    Compared to Lysander''s world of privilege, her own messy family life was painfully ordinary-no, worse than ordinary. They weren''t just from different worlds; it was like he was living in the clouds while she was stuck underground. He was the moon, she was just dust.


    There was no way they could ever be a match.


    So many talented, well-connected girls had tried-and failed to win his heart. What chance did she have?


    It seemed hopeless.


    Yet, this was the first time M had ever fallen for someone, and despite how impossible it all felt, she couldn''t help herself. She wanted to give up, but her heart wouldn''t listen.


    She remembered that moment in the snow, when their eyes had met. That one nce from him had turned her whole world upside down-she couldn''t forget it, no matter how hard she tried.


    After wrestling with her feelings for so long, M finally made up her mind.


    She had to try.


    Giving up without even making an attempt just wasn''t her style.


    So, with all the reckless bravery of a girl who''d never known heartbreak, she took her first step forward.


    Straight toward the impossible.