Chapter 3

The director led us into a private office. Inside stood a few young boys whom Mrs. Gable had personally selected. They were all handsome, polite, and looked eager to please.

My eyes instantly locked onto Logan Vance, who was standing right in the middle.

Ha. Even at this young age, he already knew how to play the game. He had dressed himself perfectly to look fragile and pitiable, yet his eyes held a strange, calculated intensity.

If I hadn't died once because of him, I probably would have been fooled by his innocent act too.

Unsurprisingly, the moment we stepped into the room, Chloe gripped my hand tightly.

"Serena! Serena! Him! Tell them we want him!"

Chloe’s eyes practically lit up the moment she saw Logan. She was absolutely certain that this was the "Chosen Male Lead" of her dreams.

She pulled my arm hard.

But my gaze bypassed Logan entirely, landing straight on a boy sitting quietly in the far corner.

Ah.

Found him.

Tristan Thorne.

The future "villain" in Chloe and Logan’s eyes once they reached adulthood.

Tristan was a genius. In my past life, his business empire rose so fast that it completely crushed the Miller family's declining assets.

I shook off Chloe's hand and pointed directly at young Tristan.

"Mom! Dad! I want him!"

Predictably, Chloe lost her mind.

"No! I don't want him! I want Logan!"

She screamed at the top of her lungs, completely failing to notice how our parents' expressions instantly darkened.

This was the very first time we were meeting these boys. How on earth did Chloe know Logan's name?

Of course, Mom and Dad wouldn't suspect their own young daughter of anything sinister. Instead, their sharp, suspicious gazes fell directly on Logan, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.

To them, it looked like this boy had somehow manipulated their little girl beforehand, making her throw tantrums just to get him adopted.

I almost laughed out loud.

Even Chloe didn't notice that in her moment of sheer stupidity, Logan shot her a murderous glare. If looks could kill, she would have been dead right there.

As Chloe kept screaming and crying, Mom and Dad flatly refused to accept Logan—a boy who clearly seemed too manipulative and untrustworthy.

Eventually, fed up with the noise, I walked right up to Logan and kicked him as hard as I could.

Caught completely off guard, Logan—who was two years older than me—tumbled onto the floor with a pathetic thud.

The office fell into a dead, bizarre silence.

Only Tristan, sitting in the corner, let out a soft, amused scoff.

I turned back to my parents with a completely innocent face. "Mom, Dad, I think if we're getting a brother, he needs to be strong enough to protect us. This guy is a total weakling. I don't want him."

I pointed at Tristan, who was currently watching the drama play out with a smirk. "I want him! He looks tough!"

The smirk on Tristan's face vanished instantly.

Perhaps he didn't understand why a girl like me would choose a troublemaker like him at first glance.

He looked rough around the edges, and my parents looked highly skeptical.

But I was the only one who noticed Tristan's fist, resting at his side, slowly clenching.

He was nervous. And he was hoping to be chosen.

In the end, Tristan was brought home as the companion I had personally selected.

What was interesting was that the moment we stepped out of the facility, Tristan completely shed his rough, rebellious attitude. He became incredibly quiet and well-behaved, keeping his eyes glued to my hand, which was holding his.

His long eyelashes fluttered slightly as he stared down at our joined hands. He looked remarkably handsome.

"Why did you choose me?"

Chloe was throwing a massive fit back in the director's office because things hadn't gone according to her plan. While our parents were busy calming her down, I had slipped out with Tristan.

As we got into the back of the car, Tristan asked me that very question.

I just stared at him.