Chapter 1

The auditorium buzzed, a low hum of parental pride and teenage relief.

I sat straight, my hands clasped in my lap, trying to look calm.

Principal Peterson beamed from the podium, his voice echoing slightly.

"And now, for the Starlight Innovators Scholarship, a full ride to MIT..."

My breath caught. This was it.

"...the recipient is Ashley Miller!"

Applause erupted. A wave of warmth washed over me. I did it.

I stood, a small smile on my face, ready to walk to the stage.

"Hold on just a minute!"

A sharp voice cut through the clapping.

Brenda Sullivan, Kevin's mom, was on her feet, her face a mask of outrage.

Kevin, next to her, smirked. He'd been my rival for this since freshman year, though his grades were a joke.

"My partner, Richard Miller, a Vice President at NovaCore Industries, just funded your new Digital Arts Center!" Brenda announced, her voice dripping with entitlement.

"My son, Kevin, deserves that scholarship!"

A murmur went through the crowd. Necks craned.

Principal Peterson looked flustered, then glanced towards where my father, Richard, usually sat. He wasn't here tonight.

"NovaCore, you say?" Peterson's eyes lit up, clearly impressed. He loved big donors.

Brenda seized her advantage. "Yes! And Ashley comes from such an... ordinary background. Kevin has connections. He'll do more with it."

Ordinary. If she only knew.

My mother, Eleanor Vance, was the reclusive genius behind NovaCore, its founder and CEO. My father, Richard, was just... Richard. Charming, but living entirely off Mom's fortune, pretending to be a big shot.

I pulled out my phone, fingers flying across the screen.

"Mom, Richard is making a spectacle with 'his' money again at school."

I hit send, then looked up, my voice calm.

"Mrs. Sullivan, that's a significant claim about the Digital Arts Center funding."

I turned to Principal Peterson. "Our school district has a transparency policy for major contributions, doesn't it? Could we see the official donation records?"

Peterson hesitated. "Well, that's a bit unusual..."

"It's a public school, Principal. Transparency is key," I stated, keeping my tone even.

Brenda scoffed. "What are you trying to pull, little girl?"

Peterson, looking uncomfortable under the sudden scrutiny, finally nodded. "Alright, Ms. Miller has a point. Let me get Mrs. Henderson, our financial officer, on the line."

He fumbled with his phone, putting it on speaker.

A crackly voice answered. "Henderson speaking."

"Mrs. Henderson," Peterson began, "we have a question about the funding for the new Digital Arts Center."

"Ah, yes," Mrs. Henderson's voice was clear. "That was a very generous private donation from a Ms. Eleanor Vance."

The name hung in the air.

Brenda's face went slack for a second.

"And Mr. Richard Miller?" Peterson pressed, glancing at Brenda.

"Richard Miller?" Mrs. Henderson sounded puzzled. "Oh, yes, his name is on a PTA donation from last fall. Five thousand dollars, I believe. For the bake sale fundraiser."

A few snickers rippled through the audience.

Brenda's face flushed a dark red. "That can't be right! Eleanor Vance... she must be Richard's assistant! Someone who works under him at NovaCore! He's too generous, always letting others take credit!"

I almost laughed. Richard, generous? With Mom's money, maybe.

"Actually, Mrs. Sullivan," I said, my voice clear and carrying in the sudden quiet. "Eleanor Vance isn't Richard's subordinate."

I paused for effect. "She's my mother. And she's the CEO and sole owner of NovaCore Industries. My father, Richard, has no executive role there. He doesn't work at NovaCore at all."