Not only did he fail to lift it, the suitcase didn''t even budge.


    What on earth was inside? It was like trying to lift a block of concrete!


    "You''re pathetic," a short-haired guy scoffed, shoving the first one aside. He rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward. "How heavy can a little suitcase li—"


    Caught off guard by the immense weight, the short-haired guy was yanked forward by the force of gravity and fell t on his face. He rubbed his wrist, utterly bewildered and deeply embarrassed as he retreated to the side.


    What was in that thing?


    "It seems a bit heavy. Why don''t we all help Juniper?" someone suggested. The other guys moved in to help, all grabbing a handle. Embarrassingly, they couldn''t lift it either.


    The atmosphere was thick with an almost painful awkwardness.


    Just then, two familiar voices called out.


    "Juniper!" Queenie and J had arrived. "Come on, let''s go."


    "Okay," Juniper replied with a faint smile. Then, without any apparent effort, she picked up the suitcase with one hand and casually strolled away, leaving a crowd of dumbfounded upperssmen in her wake.


    The boys stared after her. Did she really just lift that thing so easily? With one hand? They had just madeplete fools of themselves in front of the campus genius. How mortifying!


    Back in the SUV, a satisfied smirk spread across Shanley''s face. He knew those little pups at Era University were no match for his Juniper. His heart felt at ease.


    After finishing their registration, Juniper apanied J and Queenie to their dorm. As they were walking, they ran right into a familiar face-Ynda Sherwin. She had gotten in as a specialty student, and with her decent exam scores she had naturally been epted to Era University.


    Ynda''s face fell when she saw Juniper. The whole fake-top-schr


    made it hard for her to


    fiasco had m


    vel


    even show her face on campus Luckily she was reasonably attractive and good at ying the victim, so several upperssmen had already offered to help her.


    "Juniper, long time no see," Ynda forced a smile and initiated the greeting. "If Grandpa knew you got into Era, he would have been so happy."


    "What a pity..." Ynda feigned a look of sorrow, her expression a masterpiece of insincerity. "That he''s no longer here to see it."


    At the mention of their grandfather, Juniper''s expression turned to ice, a chill seeping into her eyes. "It''s a good thing he can''t."


    Ynda froze.


    "Otherwise, he''d probably die of anger seeing you impersonate the top schr and tarnish the Sherwin family name," Juniper continued, her voice dangerously soft as her narrowed eyes locked onto Ynda.


    "You—" Ynda''s face paled, and she quickly nced around, terrified someone might have overheard.


    She hoped he had died of anger. Her grandfather must have secretly hired tutors to train Juniper, otherwise how could she have


    gotten a perfect score? She ne


    was the


    real Sherwin, his true granddaughter! What was Juniper? Without the Sherwins, she would have rotted in a gutter somewhere.


    "Let''s go, Juniper," J said, linking her arm through Juniper''s and forcing a smile. "Era University is a nice ce, but there''s just so much trash around. It really ruins our appetite."


    "Your words are as sweet as honey," Juniper said, yfully pinching J''s cheek as they walked away.


    Watching Juniper''s retreating back, Ynda clenched her fists, her eyes burning with hatred and jealousy. "Just you wait. Let''s see if you''re still smiling after two weeks of boot camp." she seethed inwardly.


    The head drill instructor for this year''s training was a rtive of her mother''s. Crushing Juniper would be all too easy.