Living a Second Chance as the Richest Daughter

Anna wasn't sure if she should approach Adrian while he was with someone, so she chose to sit two tables away, waiting for the right moment.

From her angle, she couldn't clearly see the face of the man sitting across from Adrian.

Then, she heard Adrian speak.

"I'm not sure why you're here, Nathaniel," Adrian said, his voice cold and detached.

"I just want to make sure you've agreed to my proposal. It's a simple favor, Adrian," the man replied. His voice was deeper, carrying a quiet authority that made Anna instinctively straighten in her seat.

Adrian didn't immediately respond. Instead, he lifted his head, and his sharp gaze locked onto Anna's.

For a moment, they simply stared at each other.

Anna felt her breath hitch. She wasn't sure why, but Adrian's intense stare made her uneasy—like he was studying her, peeling away layers she didn't even know she had.

The other man must have noticed Adrian's distraction because he turned to look in Anna's direction.

His eyes landed on her, scanning her with a hint of curiosity before recognition flickered across his face.

"Shane Tiu."

Nathaniel's voice was smooth, laced with something unreadable—curiosity, amusement, or maybe something darker. His lips curved, but it wasn't quite a smile. It felt more like an assessment, as if he were confirming something for himself.

Anna felt a strange sensation rush through her body, something foreign yet eerily familiar. A shiver ran down her spine, and for a split second, it wasn't just her reaction—it was Shane's.

Her body recognized him.

But why?

Her fingers curled against the edge of the table, gripping it tightly as she forced herself to stay still. She didn't know who Nathaniel was, but if Shane's body remembered him, then he must have been someone important in Shane's life. Friend? Foe? Something in between?

Nathaniel, however, didn't linger on her. He merely turned back to Adrian, dismissing Anna's presence as though she were insignificant.

"Just do this for me, Adrian," he said smoothly, his voice dipping into something almost commanding.

Adrian's expression remained impassive, but Anna caught the slight tension in his jaw.

Without another word, Nathaniel stood up, his movements deliberate and precise. He didn't spare Anna another glance as he walked past her table and exited the café, his presence lingering in the air like a shadow that refused to fade.

Anna exhaled slowly, releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding.

She wasn't sure what just happened, but one thing was certain—whoever Nathaniel was, he was dangerous.

Anna looked at Adrian again, noticing that he was already gathering his things, preparing to leave. Without wasting a second, she stood up and hurried toward him.

"Wait."

Adrian paused, his sharp gaze landing on her. "What do you want?"

Anna swallowed. Mr. Jing and Lucas were right—he's definitely not the friendly type.

"I need your help," she said, steadying her voice.

Adrian raised an eyebrow, his expression unreadable. "What kind of help?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm taking a special exam, and I'm struggling with my major subjects. Mr. Jing said you could help me understand them better."

For a brief second, Adrian just stared at her, expression impassive. Then, he sighed, slinging his bag over his shoulder.

"And why should I help you?"

Anna froze. Right. She hadn't thought this far ahead.

What could she even offer him in return?

Her mind scrambled for an answer, but she had nothing. She had come here completely unprepared, assuming he would just agree.

Adrian stared at her, unimpressed. "If you don't have an answer, don't waste my time."

Panic bubbled in her chest as she watched him turn to leave. She couldn't let him walk away—not when she desperately needed his help.

"Wait!" she blurted out.

Adrian stopped but didn't turn around.

"I'll do anything," Anna said without thinking. "Just name your price."

The moment the words left her lips, she realized her mistake.

Adrian paused mid-step, then slowly turned back to her. His sharp gaze swept over her, assessing, calculating—like he was trying to determine if she was worth his time.

"Anything?" he repeated, his voice calm but laced with something unreadable.

Anna hesitated, but she nodded. "Yes. If it means you'll help me pass this exam, then yes."

For a moment, Adrian said nothing. Then, a smirk ghosted his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes.

"Interesting," he murmured, a smirk ghosting his lips. "Alright, Shane Tiu. Let's see if you can keep that promise." 

Anna swallowed hard. There was something unsettling about the way Adrian looked at her—like she had just stepped into a deal she didn't fully comprehend. But amid her unease, one thing stood out. 

He knows Shane. 

Adrian had said her name with certainty, familiarity. Yet, according to Lucas, their paths had never crossed before. So how did Adrian know Shane?

"Follow me," he said simply, grabbing his bag and heading for the door.

Anna hesitated for a split second before rushing after him.

"Where are we going?" she asked as she caught up.

"My lab," Adrian answered without looking at her. "If I'm going to help you, we're going to do it my way."

His lab? Anna wasn't sure what she had expected, but the idea of being alone with him in a lab sent a shiver down her spine. Still, she had no other choice.

As they stepped out of the café, Anna glanced back, half-expecting to see Nathaniel watching them. But he was nowhere in sight.

She turned back to Adrian, determined.

Whatever she had just gotten herself into, she would deal with it. Because failure was not an option.

-

Anna followed Adrian across the campus, her mind racing. He walked with purpose, not bothering to check if she was keeping up. The few students lingering around gave him a wide berth, whispering among themselves.

He had an intimidating aura—cold, unreadable, and entirely unapproachable.

After a few minutes, they arrived in front of a sleek, modern building, its reflective glass exterior gleaming under the evening sky. It stood adjacent to the Computer Science and Information Technology Department, where she had met Lucas earlier.

Without a word, Adrian pulled out his student ID and swiped it against the sensor. A soft beep sounded, and the glass doors clicked open.

"This is the Computer Science research center," he said flatly, leading her inside.

Anna glanced around. The place was eerily quiet, filled with rows of workstations, multiple monitors displaying lines of code, and a few students typing away, completely engrossed in their screens.

Adrian led her to a private lab at the back. He punched in a passcode, and the door slid open.

The room was nothing like she expected. It looked more like a hacker's den than a school lab—dimly lit, multiple monitors glowing, servers humming softly in the background. Papers, diagrams, and books were scattered across the desk, and a large whiteboard was covered in equations and algorithms.

Adrian dropped his bag on a chair and turned to her.

"Sit," he instructed, pointing to a seat across from his workstation.

Anna hesitated but obeyed.

Adrian leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "Tell me what you know."

Anna exhaled, trying to organize her thoughts. "I can understand the theory, but when it comes to programming, my brain just... freezes. I've tried reading the textbooks, watching tutorials, but nothing sticks."

Adrian studied her for a moment, then let out a quiet sigh. "Fine. Let's start with something simple."

He turned to his computer, pulling up a blank coding interface.

"Write a basic program that prints 'Hello, world.'"

Anna blinked. "What?"

Adrian shot her a look. "If you can't do that, we have a long way to go."

Anna took a deep breath and reached for the keyboard. Her fingers hovered over the keys. She had seen this before. It should be easy.

She started typing.

Anna typed slowly, her fingers hesitating on each key. She could recall bits and pieces—things she might have learned before—but it was like trying to grasp smoke.

print("Hello, world")

She pressed enter, and the screen displayed exactly what it should. A small sense of relief washed over her.

Adrian glanced at the screen and gave a curt nod. "At least you know the absolute basics."

Anna frowned. "That was just muscle memory. If you ask me to do anything more complicated, I'll probably mess it up." 

It was the truth—Anna had no prior knowledge of Computer Science, not even in her own life. But now, living in Shane's body, she could feel the lingering traces of Shane's muscle memory. The subject, while challenging, didn't feel entirely foreign. It was as if her hands and mind instinctively knew what to do, even when she struggled to fully grasp the concepts.

Adrian didn't respond immediately. Instead, he pulled up another file, this time containing a block of code.

"Debug this," he said, stepping back.

Anna leaned forward, scanning the screen. The lines of code swam before her eyes, a mix of symbols, numbers, and logic she should understand—but didn't.

She chewed her bottom lip. "I... don't know where to start."

Adrian sighed, rubbing his temple as if already regretting agreeing to help her. "Figures."

Anna bristled. "Hey, I never said I was good at this."

"No, but you should be," Adrian said, his voice sharp. "You're a Computer Science major at Royal University. If you don't even know how to debug basic code, how have you survived this long?"

Anna stiffened. She couldn't tell him the truth—that she wasn't actually Shane, that she had no memories of what Shane had learned.

"I was... struggling before the accident," she lied quickly. "That's why I need help now."

Adrian studied her, his sharp eyes scanning her face as if he could see right through her. For a moment, she worried he might press the issue.

But then he exhaled, shaking his head. "Fine. Let's see how bad you really are."

He pulled up a chair beside her and took control of the mouse. "Watch closely," he instructed, his tone all business. "I'll walk you through this once. If you don't get it, don't waste my time."

Anna swallowed, nodding.

As Adrian began explaining the logic behind the code, she forced herself to concentrate. She had no choice. If she wanted to pass those exams, if she wanted to stay in school, she had to understand this.

Even if it meant learning from someone who clearly had no patience for her.