Chapter 16
Despite the enormous empire Ryan had built by the year 2000, his daily life still contained moments that felt surprisingly normal.
School was one of those rare places where he could temporarily forget about Nova Tech, financial markets, and billion-dollar investments.
At school, he was simply Ryan.
A student.
A friend.
And someone who had two girls constantly occupying his thoughts.
Rachel and Mia.
The three of them spent most of their time together, often joined by Raj and Chandler, forming a small circle that many classmates had grown used to seeing.
Morning usually began the same way.
Ryan would arrive early at school, sometimes with Rachel already waiting near the entrance. Rachel had become so comfortable around Ryan's family that she often stayed over at his house, making it easy for the two of them to arrive together.
Not long after, Mia would appear.
Even after her transformation, Mia still carried some of the shy habits she had developed over the years. She often walked toward them slightly nervously, adjusting her hair or glancing around as if expecting someone to suddenly judge her.
But the moment she saw Ryan and Rachel, her expression softened.
Those moments always made Ryan smile.
Their days at school were filled with ordinary things—classes, group assignments, jokes from Chandler, and Raj's quiet observations about everything happening around them.
Sometimes they studied together after school.
Other times they simply walked through the city.
On weekends they often went to the movies.
Ryan still remembered one evening clearly.
The five of them had gone to see a newly released action movie. Chandler spent half the film whispering sarcastic commentary, while Raj was completely absorbed in the story.
Rachel laughed so loudly during some scenes that several people turned around to look at them.
Mia, sitting quietly beside Ryan, had leaned slightly closer while watching the film.
Moments like that were simple.
But for Ryan they were valuable.
Because despite everything he had achieved, these ordinary moments reminded him that he was still living a life that most people would consider normal.
---
However, Mia's transformation had also brought unexpected problems.
When Mia used to hide behind messy hair and oversized glasses, almost nobody paid attention to her.
Now things were different.
After Rachel's makeover and the gradual growth of Mia's confidence, people began noticing her everywhere.
Students who had ignored her before suddenly started trying to talk to her.
Some boys openly asked her out.
Others tried to impress her during class or lunch breaks.
At first Mia didn't know how to react to the sudden attention.
She had spent most of her life believing she was invisible.
Now it felt like the entire school was suddenly looking at her.
One afternoon a particularly confident student tried to flirt with her right in front of Ryan.
The boy leaned casually against Mia's locker and began talking to her as if Ryan wasn't even there.
Ryan watched the situation quietly for a few seconds.
Before he needed to say anything, Mia simply shook her head politely.
"I already have someone," she said.
Then she walked directly toward Ryan.
The boy quickly realized his mistake.
Raj nearly choked on his drink trying not to laugh.
Chandler later declared it one of the most satisfying moments he had ever witnessed.
Still, situations like that became more frequent.
Ryan never acted aggressively toward those boys, but his presence alone was usually enough to make most of them back off.
Ryan had a reputation at school.
Everyone knew he was wealthy.
Everyone knew he ran a technology company.
And everyone knew he was extremely confident.
That combination discouraged most competition before it even began.
---
Rachel, of course, enjoyed watching the situation unfold.
One afternoon while the group sat together outside the school building, she leaned toward Ryan with a teasing smile.
"You know," she said, "it's kind of funny watching people try to compete with you."
Ryan raised an eyebrow.
"Compete?"
Rachel laughed.
"Please. Half the boys in this school want to date Mia."
Mia immediately blushed deeply.
Raj looked extremely interested in the conversation.
Chandler simply shook his head.
"Honestly," he said, "if I were them, I'd save myself the embarrassment."
Ryan only smiled.
He didn't need to fight anyone for Mia's attention.
Mia had already made her choice.
And Rachel knew that too.
Despite everything, Rachel never distanced herself from Mia.
Instead the two girls had grown surprisingly close.
They often spent time together shopping, studying, or simply talking about things Ryan never fully understood.
Ryan didn't mind.
Seeing them laugh together gave him a strange feeling of peace.
---
As the months passed, Ryan slowly realized something important.
The life he had now was very different from the one he remembered from his previous world.
In his past life, everything had been about work.
Long hours.
Constant stress.
And eventually exhaustion.
But in this life he had something far more valuable.
Friends.
Family.
And two girls who had become incredibly important to him.
Rachel.
Mia.
For now, Ryan allowed himself to enjoy these quiet days.
Because deep down he knew something that none of them knew yet.
The peaceful life they were living would not last forever.
Sooner or later, Mia Thermopolis would discover the truth about her heritage.
And when that day came, everything would change.