The Billionaire Who Stole My Heart

Kari couldn't help but marvel at how Ronald was consistently amazing.

By 10 a.m., the grades were posted online.

Kari was the first to hit refresh, and Ronald took a deep breath. Before he even had a chance to look, Kari's eyes lit up with surprise, and she suddenly hugged Ronald tightly, exclaiming, "Bro! You nailed it-totally nailed it!" For a moment, Ronald froze.

Kari, two years his junior and in the throes of adolescence, carried a faint scent of flowers on her - it was the fragrance of the shower gel Willa had bought, yet mingled with a unique sweetness that belonged to her youth. The moment she leaned in, Ronald felt his blood run cold.

Kari was ecstatic, "Bro, you're absolutely brilliant!"

Feeling awkward, Ronald gently pushed Kari away, "Let me see."

On the computer screen was a string of numbers.

748 points.

Out of a possible 750.

Except for English, he had scored perfect marks in all subjects.

"Bro, you've actually made it to the Ivy League of high schools!"

Seeing the score, Ronald breathed a sigh of relief. He had felt immense pressure lately, afraid of letting Willa down or causing her trouble.

As Kari laughed, she remembered Ronald's hard work over the past few months and began to tear up, "Bro, you've worked so hard recently. Let's take it easy this summer."

Ronald took a photo of the score with his phone, pulling Kari along, "Mom mentioned she wanted shrimp. Tonight, I'll cook some garlic butter shrimp for her."

"Awesome!" Kari cheered.

The siblings headed to the market to buy the freshest shrimp and returned home before Willa was back.

Ronald was a great cook, but Willa worried it would distract him from his studies and rarely allowed him to cook.

Rolling up his sleeves, Ronald got to work while Kari chatted on the phone with a friend, pride in her voice, "Yeah, my brother's results are out. He scored 748, definitely the top of his class-" Even through a closed door, Ronald could feel Kari's happiness.

For the first time in a while, Ronald allowed himself a small smile.

When Willa came home and learned of Ronald's scores, she was overjoyed. The family even celebrated with a bottle of plum wine.

"Ronald, keep up the good work and aim for a top university!" Willa, slightly tipsy, advised.

Kari, having only sipped a little, held her flushed face, "Bro, now I'm the sister of an Ivy League high school genius!"

Raising his glass, Ronald toasted, "Thanks for supporting me these past few months. I've already found a part-time job and start tomorrow."

"A part-time job?" Willa thought he meant returning to the garage and frowned in disagreement.

"I've asked a teacher for help finding a tutoring job. It won't be too hard."

Their homeroom teacher had called earlier to confirm his top placement and, using this as leverage, secured him a tutoring job that paid $300 a day a much better deal than manual labor. en

Hearing it was a tutoring job, Willa relaxed, "Do what's best for you, but don't overdo it."

Ronald spent almost all his summer at the tutoring center, with Kariè responsible for bringing him lunch. Seeing Ronald confident on the podium, Kari felt immense pride.

Her brother was exceptional!

Before summer ended, the tutoring center's staff had grown fond of Ronald. Upon settling his salary, they hoped he would continue to work on weekends. After much thought, Ronald declined.

"No, I want to spend more time focusing on my studies during weekends."

The boss, knowing his academic prowess, encouraged him, "Focus on your studies and aim for the top university entrance exam score. If you come back here, I'll double your pay!"

Returning home with nearly $20,000, Ronald offered the money to Willa.

"I can't accept this."

Willa refused to take it.

The school had recently awarded Ronald a scholarship, and under his insistence, she had reluctantly accepted $10,000. She couldn't possibly take any more.