I Thought Zane's Cousin Is Ugly

POV: Third-person limited (Serena).

Within mere minutes of the heavy wooden classroom door clicking shut, Marcella had successfully and maliciously painted Serena to their gullible classmates as a wicked, deeply ungrateful sister. Marcella spun a tale claiming Serena had shamelessly stolen eighteen years of her comfortable, luxurious life. Serena knew the vicious, baseless rumors were brewing on the other side of the wall. She could almost hear the judgmental whispers and the indignant gasps of her peers, all manipulated by Marcella's tears.

Yet, Serena remained unfazed. She calmly followed her counselor, Mr. Graves, down the quiet, sunlit corridor. The polished marble floors echoed softly under her shoes, a peaceful contrast to the toxic drama she had just left behind.

Mr. Graves stopped near a tall window overlooking the courtyard. He turned to her, his demeanor deeply respectful, bordering on reverent.

"Ms. Sterling," he said politely, intentionally lowering his voice. "Your mother is a renowned, celebrated opera singer, and your father sits on the prestigious school board. It is an honor to have you in the theatrical arts department. If you ever need any assistance or special accommodations during your time here, please feel free to come directly to me."

Serena shook her head gently. Her gaze met his, steady and clear.

"I'm here to study as an ordinary student," she replied with a firm, genuine tone. "Sir, please don't give me any special treatment. It would be far too strange."

Mr. Graves blinked in surprise. In his experience, students from affluent families usually went out of their way to inform the faculty of their status on the very first day. The Voss family's newly minted daughter, Marcella, had eagerly flaunted her wealth and connections in the classroom just moments earlier. Serena’s sincere desire to keep a low profile was a stark, refreshing contrast. Deeply impressed by her humility, Mr. Graves found himself developing a sudden, profound liking for the grounded new student.

"Alright," Mr. Graves smiled warmly. "I won't disturb you any further. However, the campus is quite large."

As they continued down the corridor, Mr. Graves flagged down a tall, exceptionally handsome sophomore walking in the opposite direction.

"Gideon, come over here for a second."

At the sound of that name, Serena froze. Her breath caught tight in her throat. She turned her head slowly, her eyes locking onto the approaching figure.

It was Gideon Adler.

He was the prestigious Adler family heir and the future, internationally famous actor she had desperately, secretly admired in her previous life. Seeing him striding down the hall felt like a vivid nightmare bleeding into reality. He had been her first real crush. Back then, when her world was saturated with misery and rejection, Gideon had seemed like a beacon of light in her existence. She had watched him from afar, harboring a quiet, painful longing since freshman orientation.

But he had ultimately, tragically ended up falling for Marcella.

Looking back with the clarity of a second lifetime, Serena understood the sick truth. Marcella, knowing the future, had used her rebirth advantage to aggressively pursue Gideon early on. Marcella had deliberately seduced him just to break Serena's heart. It had never been about true affection; it was a calculated move to establish dominance. Once Marcella secured Gideon, she used his immense influence to steal Serena’s much-anticipated debut role. The betrayal had shattered Serena's early career and left her devastated.

Serena stared at his striking, perfect face right now. The sharp jawline, the deep expressive eyes, the confident stride—it was the exact same face that had haunted her memories for years. She braced herself for the familiar ache, expecting her chest to tighten with lingering pain.

Yet, Serena was shocked to find her heart utterly still. It didn't stir even a fraction. The idolized image of Gideon Adler had crumbled to dust. She felt nothing but a cold, empty void where her foolish affection used to reside. Meeting him in this new life, with her eyes wide open, severed whatever invisible thread had once tied her to him.

"Mr. Graves," Gideon greeted, stopping in front of them.

"Serena, this is your senior, Gideon Adler," Mr. Graves introduced warmly, motioning between them. "He is also from the theatrical arts department. I'll have him take some time to show you around the campus."

Gideon looked down at her delicate, flawless profile. A flicker of genuine interest sparked in his dark eyes as his gaze swept over her fair neck and stunning features.

"Hello," he greeted smoothly, offering a perfectly calibrated, charming smile.

Ignoring his magnetic presence and his practiced smile, Serena kept her gaze locked strictly on the counselor.

"It is fine," Serena said, her voice devoid of any warmth. "I can explore the campus on my own. There is no need to trouble him."

Without offering Gideon a single second glance, she abruptly turned on her heel and walked away. She didn't hesitate or look back.

Gideon stood rooted to the spot. His charming smile faltered, replaced by a look of sheer confusion. His intense gaze lingered heavily on her retreating, elegant figure. He was the student council president, accustomed to girls blushing, stammering, and vying for his attention. This girl had dismissed him as if he were thin air. He was thoroughly and undeniably intrigued by the cold new student who had just flatly rejected him.

Exiting the heavy double doors of the faculty building into the bright morning sun, Serena barely had a moment to catch her breath. She adjusted the strap of her bag on her shoulder and looked up.

A conspicuous group was approaching the stone steps.

It was Kaelen Hawthorne, walking side-by-side with three other prominent, god-like figures on campus: Zane, Silas, and Roman. They moved with an effortless, commanding presence that instantly drew the eyes of passing students.

Zane was pacing slightly ahead of the group, waving his arms frantically and chattering incessantly in a sheer panic. He wore a casual brown baseball jacket, looking stressed out of his mind.

"Kael, seriously, what does my cousin really look like?" Zane whined, dragging a hand through his hair. "You didn't actually just leave her behind at the station, did you? Oh man. How am I going to explain this massive screw-up to my old man tonight?! He's going to kill me! What was I thinking? I shouldn't have asked you to pick her up. It's my fault, it's all my fault."

Roman grinned wickedly, bumping his shoulder against Zane's side. He clearly loved watching his friend squirm.

"She's definitely been left behind," Roman teased, his voice carrying over the courtyard. "Zed, you're such a fool. How could you ask Kael to pick her up? He hates playing chauffeur. Did you guys make some sort of fishy, under-the-table deal to get the notoriously antisocial Kaelen to do this?"

Zane's face flushed red. He aggressively and loudly denied the accusation. "Rome, what do you mean by that? Am I someone who would do such a thing? Though, if Kael wants a deal like that, I'll put up with it."

"That's enough," Kaelen cut in coldly.

His deep, authoritative voice sliced through their banter like a blade. The other boys instantly quieted down. Kaelen's dark, penetrating gaze was already fixed intensely on Serena as she stood frozen on the steps.

As the group drew closer, Zane, Silas, and Roman followed Kaelen's line of sight.

They stopped dead in their tracks.

They were immediately, uniformly awestruck by the incredibly gorgeous, ethereal new student standing before them. The bright morning sun illuminated her ruffled white dress, casting a soft, radiant glow around her delicate frame. Her beauty was arresting, almost angelic against the backdrop of the grand faculty building.

Zane stared for a long second, his jaw going slightly slack. Then, he shook his head, utterly blind to the truth. He glanced around the immediate area, his eyes searching past the stunning girl on the steps.

"Kael, should we wait for her here?" Zane asked, his voice still laced with panic. "Perhaps my poor, ugly cousin hasn't come down yet! We can't miss her! Should we go look inside the lecture hall?"

Kaelen stopped walking. He slid his hands into his pockets and stared directly at Serena, his expression unreadable.

"She's right in front of you," Kaelen replied dryly.

The three men froze simultaneously. They turned their heads slowly to stare in utter disbelief at the angelic girl on the steps. Their minds short-circuited trying to process the information. Wasn't Zane's cousin supposed to be incredibly ugly, scarred, and unpresentable?

Was this breathtakingly stunning girl really her?