Chapter 85: Caught a Cold

Lucas originally planned to meet Benjamin and head to school together. However, the moment he stepped into the Moore family estate, he saw Benjamin's father in a rage and wisely decided to disappear.

“Benedict has always been overlooked in the Moore family, but this time he really shot himself in the foot. He’s done for. Mr. Benjamin didn’t come to school this morning either, probably caught up in family drama. Otherwise, he’d know even more juicy details.”

Olivia showed no interest in this predictable turn of events. All of this had already happened in her previous life—the only difference now was that Benedict had taken Benjamin’s place as the main target.

Lucas wasn’t done trying to drag Olivia into his gossip when she suddenly sneezed.

“Achoo!”

Lucas looked at her in surprise, noticing for the first time that her complexion didn’t look quite right.

“Don’t tell me you caught a cold?”

“A cold? No way,” Olivia said, shaking her head. She’d always been in excellent health and rarely got sick. But no sooner had the words left her mouth than she sneezed three more times in quick succession, her small nose turning an unusual shade of red.

Lucas’s lips twitched slightly as he pulled out a tissue and handed it to her.

“Young lady, you’re really going to tell me this isn’t a cold?”

Olivia wiped her nose, thinking back to the events of the previous night. Between the cold bath and the hours spent under the blasting air conditioning… Maybe, just maybe, I did catch a cold.

Lucas reached out to touch her forehead, his expression shifting when he felt how warm she was.

“Seriously? You’re burning up like this and still came to school? Do you think being a model student is worth it? Come on, we’re going to the nurse’s office.”

He tried to guide her out of the classroom, but Olivia, harboring a deep-seated aversion to hospitals after her grandmother’s death in one, stubbornly refused to move.

The girls in the class were practically green with envy as they watched Lucas fuss over Olivia, some wishing they could take her place.

What’s Lucas’s deal? Why is he being so nice to that plain-looking girl?

Just then, Sophia, fresh from an international exchange program, stepped into the classroom. She immediately spotted Lucas crouched next to Olivia’s desk, speaking gently to her.

What’s going on? I’ve only been gone a month, and Olivia’s already getting involved with Lucas?

Sophia’s arrival didn’t go unnoticed by the other girls in the class, who visibly stiffened. Mia, in particular, shot her a sour look.

Sophia, as if oblivious to the tension, walked straight over to Olivia with a radiant smile.

“Livi, I’m back.”

Hearing the familiar voice, Olivia instinctively glanced up. When she saw Sophia, her eyebrows raised slightly in recognition.

Sophia? She’d almost forgotten about her…

Sophia was the first person Olivia had befriended after transferring to St. Rona Academy, and in her previous life, Olivia had thought of her as her first true “friend.” Sophia was undeniably beautiful, with a soft, non-threatening kind of beauty. When they first met, she stood out from the other students with her warmth, going out of her way to show Olivia around and make her feel welcome.

In her past life, Olivia had thought she’d found a genuine friend. But later, she realized Sophia never saw her as an equal. She’d only kept Olivia close because her plain appearance served as a convenient foil to highlight Sophia’s own beauty. The “kindness” Sophia showed Olivia was nothing more than a performance for others, a way to showcase her so-called generosity and goodness.