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Chapter 15
After moving to San Francisco in 1998, Ryan's life slowly settled into a new rhythm.
The house his family bought was located in a peaceful neighborhood not far from the hills overlooking the city. The area was quiet, filled with trees and colorful houses lined neatly along the streets. It was the perfect place for both family life and Ryan's growing ambitions.
Although Nova Tech and Nova Investments were now operating on a global scale, Ryan's daily life still looked fairly normal from the outside. He continued attending school, spending time with friends, and occasionally helping his parents with small things around the house.
But one thing had changed after the move.
Rachel began spending more and more time at Ryan's house.
At first she only came after school, but slowly she started staying over on weekends and holidays. Ryan's parents liked her a lot, and before long she had practically become part of the family.
Rachel didn't mind at all.
For her, Ryan's house felt like a second home.
She was also the only person who knew Ryan's true secret.
Months earlier she had overheard him talking about the mysterious system. Instead of being scared, she had confronted him calmly. Ryan eventually told her everything about the strange system that appeared in his mind and how their world seemed to be connected with fictional worlds.
However, Ryan did not reveal one thing.
His past life.
That secret remained buried in his heart.
Even Mia didn't know it.
Only Rachel knew about the system and the strange fate surrounding Ryan.
---
Soon after starting school in San Francisco, Ryan met someone who would change his life again.
Her name was Mia Thermopolis.
The first time Ryan saw her, she was sitting quietly in the classroom trying her best not to attract attention. Her curly hair was messy, her glasses were too large for her face, and she looked nervous whenever someone spoke to her.
Most students ignored her.
But Ryan immediately recognized her.
This shy girl was the future Princess of Genovia.
Ryan approached her casually one afternoon and introduced himself. Mia seemed surprised that someone like Ryan would talk to her so naturally.
At first their conversations were simple.
School subjects.
Homework.
Books.
But little by little Mia began relaxing around him.
Rachel noticed Ryan spending more time with Mia and quickly understood what was happening. Instead of becoming jealous, Rachel did something completely unexpected.
She walked up to Mia one afternoon and introduced herself.
"Hi," Rachel said warmly. "I'm Rachel. Ryan's been talking about you."
Mia looked completely shocked.
"R-really?"
From that moment Mia slowly became part of their group.
Raj and Chandler welcomed her as well. Raj remained quiet and polite as usual, while Chandler constantly joked about everything, which surprisingly helped Mia relax.
With their support Mia gradually began gaining confidence.
Ryan watched this change quietly.
He noticed how kind Mia was, how intelligent she could be when she forgot to be nervous, and how her smile slowly became brighter every day.
Without realizing it, Ryan had fallen in love with her.
---
The confession happened one evening after school.
Ryan and Mia were sitting on a quiet hill overlooking the city as the sun slowly set in the distance.
Ryan spoke honestly about his feelings.
Mia was completely stunned.
For someone who had spent most of her life being ignored, it felt unbelievable that someone like Ryan liked her.
But after a long silence, she nodded shyly.
And just like that, they became a couple.
Rachel was the first person Mia told.
Instead of reacting badly, Rachel simply laughed.
"I knew it would happen sooner or later."
Raj congratulated them politely, while Chandler began teasing Ryan endlessly.
But Rachel had another idea.
---
One weekend Rachel gathered everyone together and announced something suddenly.
"We're fixing something today."
Mia looked confused.
"What do you mean fixing?"
Rachel grinned.
"Your makeover."
Mia nearly panicked when she heard that.
But Rachel, Raj, and Chandler dragged her to a beauty salon anyway.
Ryan stayed outside while they worked, trusting Rachel's judgement.
For several hours the stylists worked carefully.
They styled Mia's curly hair properly.
Her oversized glasses were replaced with contact lenses.
Her clothes were changed into something more elegant and modern.
When Mia finally walked out of the salon, everyone fell silent.
Even Ryan stared for a moment.
The shy girl who used to hide behind messy hair and glasses was gone.
Standing there was a beautiful young girl whose confidence had finally begun to show.
Rachel hugged her proudly.
"See? I told you."
Mia blushed deeply while Ryan smiled softly.
---
Later that evening Ryan and Rachel stood quietly watching Mia laugh with Raj and Chandler.
Rachel crossed her arms and looked at Ryan.
"You really like her," she said.
Ryan nodded.
"But that doesn't change anything between us," he replied honestly.
Rachel looked at him for a moment before smiling.
"I know."
Rachel had known Ryan longer than anyone else. She understood his heart better than anyone.
She also knew that Ryan's future was far from ordinary.
The system.
The strange merging worlds.
The mysterious future waiting for him.
Only Ryan and Rachel knew the full truth about it.
For everyone else, Ryan was just a brilliant young entrepreneur.
But Rachel knew that someday the world around them might change completely.
And when that day came, she would stand beside him.
Together with Mia.
Ryan looked at the two girls laughing together with their friends and felt something rare.
Peace.
Even with the power of billions of dollars, a growing empire, and a mysterious system guiding his destiny…
moments like this were the ones that truly mattered.
And deep down Ryan knew something important.
This story was only beginning.