There was a popular saying in Country Z that one could never avoid death and the Golden Triangle.
The Golden Triangle referred to the three major companies that controlled the country's economy.
From textiles to food to medicine, their businesses spanned nearly every sector — impossible to escape.
These three families were Rhodes, D'Arden, and the Kings.
Damien Rhodes was the male lead of the novel, while Emmett D'Arden was the second male lead, pining for Anya's attention.
The Villain belonged to the King family.
Killian Rhett King was so wild that he made Damien's wickidness appear 'tame', yet careful enough to force the always-fighting male lead to join hands so they could deal with him.
If one had to assign each side of the triangle to these families, then Rhodes and D'Arden would share one, while the remaining two would belong solely to the Kings.
The reason for this disparity was Killian himself, who grew up in the lap of luxury.
It was the same for the twins of the Rhodes Group.
Whatever Damien and his sister, Emily, wished for, it was brought to them within seconds.
If Damien demanded wind and rain, no one would dare to scold him.
Even though Anya Hart hadn't directly scolded Damien, the young master took her words as a personal insult to his dignity.
Since then, the cat-and-mouse game between Damien and Anya had begun.
Over the following year, he would bully her, humiliate her—and, in the process, fall for her. All the while, the second male lead, Emmett, would also start to pay extra attention to this fiery young lady.
Later, when Anya and Damien finally got together after dealing with all the obstacles, they turned their attention toward Naomi for revenge.
Naomi, the cannon fodder, got her face ruined and her legs broken. Just as she had done with Anya.
The reason?
In those prophetic dreams, Naomi had been terrified of Damien.
When Damien and Emily demanded she bring Anya to the abandoned classroom, she obeyed.
Under the twins' threat, she struck Anya's leg with a golf club.
Luckily, Anya's leg wasn't broken—she was saved in time. But her heart shattered all the same.
The girl she saved from bullying tried to destroy her future. How could Anya not be angry?
She couldn't participate in the next tennis match because of her injury.
All the while, Damien found Anya's unyielding spirit fascinating. Who else dared to scold him openly? Only Anya.
What a messed-up way of falling in love.
'Ugh... Damn it!' Naomi's fingers dug into the fabric of her shirt.
The pain in her stomach subsided enough for her to drag her body out of the classroom.
Though the hallway was empty, she still wore her blue blazer properly and straightened her back.
Step by step, she walked toward the academy's infirmary.
Come to think of it, the medical facility had been donated by the Rhodes family.
Naomi's pale lips curled up in a mocking smile as she lay on the bed.
How ironic.
She couldn't tell whether it was professional ethics or the fear of offending the powerful families.
The lady doctor efficiently dealt with Naomi's wounds without asking any questions.
A rusty machine that creaked with every movement. That was what Naomi felt.
The slightest movement was enough to bring a heavy jolt of pain thrumming in her veins.
Her complexion was ghostly pale, as if all blood had drained away. Afraid that she might faint, the doctor advised her to sleep in the infirmary.
"Miss Vale, you should rest here. The nurse can take better care of your wounds that way. Although there are no broken bones, the soft tissues are damaged. It's better not to move too much for at least a week."
But Naomi refused.
"Thank you for your concern, Doctor. But I want to sleep on my bed."
The doctor reluctantly allowed her to leave, not before pushing medicines into her hand.
"Take care, Miss Vale."
"Hmm. You too."
Staying there would only remind her of humiliation, of how powerless she was against someone like Rhodes.
By the time she reached her dorm room, it was already dark.
Entering the password, she opened her dorm room door.
To facilitate the rich, the academy's dorms were designed to cater to their needs.
Naomi's dorm was for two people, with a living room as their shared space. There was also a small kitchen, which was hardly ever used.
The other side of the room was shut. Anya had gone back to her home to spend her weekend with her family.
Family...
Naomi shook her head and dragged herself into her room. Was there any point in thinking about family now?
If they knew she had made the young master of Rhodes unhappy, they would be furious, especially her sick mother.
It all started with one wrong decision.
She wouldn't repeat what she did in those dreams. She would never harm Anya.
That should change her fate.
Throwing her dirty clothes away, she burrowed under the soft duvet.
Perhaps it was the effect of medicine, or maybe she was too tired; her sleep was much better.
There were no messy nightmares haunting her.
However, as soon as she got up, her mind became fuzzy.
Fragments, like scenes from an old movie, began to flicker in her mind. The large amount of details instantly made her wince.
"Haa... Haa." she gasped, trying to control her breathing. But it was of no use.
Hastily, she rushed toward the bathroom.
Cold sweat trickled down her neck. Her stomach churned, unable to digest all the information she had just received.
Due to not eating any dinner, her stomach could only let out gastric juices.
When she stared at the mirror, she was startled to see her own reflection.
Contrary to her dream self, she looked much better. There were no hideous marks on her face, nor were her legs broken.
Now that she had sorted all those memories, she could say one thing for sure.
This life, she wanted to live for herself.
Just as she sat on the couch after a long, warm bath, her phone rang.
It was the vice-principal of the academy.
As soon as she answered the call, a hearty voice echoed in her ears.
[Naomi, how have you been? Have you eaten?]
Old people always liked to start with that question.
"I'll eat in a while, uncle. How are you doing?"
The vice-principal was the father of Naomi's childhood friend. He also very kindly helped Naomi to deal with her situation.
[You know who rules the academy, child. So I won't hide it from you. It's better to settle this matter as soon as possible. I've asked someone to arrange a place for you to talk. Anyway, young people's quarrels shouldn't be taken too seriously.]
Naomi let out a tired sigh. Her barely pleasant mood vanished with that reminder.
But that was indeed the reality.
Her family stood several steps below the Rhodes family, making her position even more awkward.
"Thank you, uncle. And... please don't tell it to my dad. He'll worry. I want to settle this myself."
[Sure. Sure. Only if my brat was half as sensible as you.]
Naomi ignored those words. As her mind was already drifting through the recent fragments of the book.
After her last dream, all the missing puzzle pieces seemed to have fallen into place.
She could see it with clarity.
Although the book mainly focused on how Damien bullied Anya—the spirited young lady who later stole his heart—it also revealed glimpses of their business world.
Those were going to be Naomi's ladder to get out of this quagmire.
Money was power. And that was the goal she had set for herself.
All of a sudden, a message pinged on her phone.
It was a location of a Fiala Ground. A place where people liked to enjoy their free time.
According to the book, this was where Naomi's leg was broken. There were still five years till then.
"Emily Rhodes," she murmured absentmindedly, "I sincerely hope we can put this matter behind us."
Another message chimed in.
[Tomorrow evening at 7:00, be there on time.]
Naomi rested her head against the sofa and stared at the ceiling.
{The ceiling was pure white, just like the innocence hidden deep inside Anya's fiery body. Damien wanted to pull that whiteness and spread it in his dark world.}
The words from the novel excerpt flashed in front of her eyes. Only then did Naomi realize how plain their dorm room really was.
White and muted shades of brown.
At the beginning of their classes, it was up to them to choose the design of their rooms.
As she was too busy dealing with her private investment company, she picked the default setting.
Who would have thought that such a small decision would paint her future with the darkness waiting to consume her?
Even her investment company was taken away by Rhodes and gifted to Anya as an apology.
Five years... All her hard work to stand on her own feet was taken away just like that.
The future she saw in those dreams was brutal enough to make her stomach churn again.
Don't think about it, Naomi. You have to stand strong. You have to. For yourself, for your mother...
She wanted to rest, but dreaded moments, like storms, always arrived sooner than expected.
For her, that storm wasn't dressed in branded clothes and a high ponytail, but in a leather jacket.