Inheritance Redefined

Chapter Thirty-Five

Viremont was louder than usual that morning – not chaotic, but charged, like the air before a summer storm. Even the teachers seemed tenser, their voices clipped as they directed students through the gleaming marble halls.

It wasn't every day that all five heirs were on campus at once.

The Calvieros, the Drakos, the Vasilievs, the Moreiras – and now, for the first time in years, a Wei.

Kai Wei.

He was the newest arrival, the one who'd apparently convinced the Academy Board – and his very powerful father – that he needed more "structure." Judging by the amused smirk on his face as he strolled across the courtyard that morning, jacket unbuttoned and tie missing, his eyes sharp with mischief – no one was entirely convinced.

Kai seemed completely at ease. Elara caught a glimpse of him that morning leaning casually against the stone railing near the fountain, chatting with Thiago as if they've been best friends for years.

"Someone's already fitting right in," Anastasia muttered as she, Olivia, and Elara crossed the courtyard toward their next class.

Thiago laughed too loudly at something Kai said, and a group of students nearby stopped, pretending not to listen.

Olivia rolled her eyes. "He's barely been here a day and he's already creating chaos."

"That's his thing," Elara said quietly, though she couldn't help a small smile. "He likes to test boundaries."

"Yeah, well," Anastasia said, grinning, "he's about to learn this school has almost none."

---

By the time lunch rolled around, the tension had shifted from curiosity to expectation. Everyone wanted to see what the Wei heir would do. The head table gleamed beneath the chandeliers – the unofficial throne of the academy's elite.

Elias, Matteo, and Nico Calviero sat together on one side, trading comments over their plates. Across from them, Adonis and Orion Drakos kept the rhythm steady – calm, poised, but alert as always. Nikolai Vasiliev was at the end, pretending not to listen while clearly listening to everything. Thiago lounged in his chair, looking like the embodiment of "I couldn't care less."

Elara sat beside Anastasia as she and Olivia whispered commentary about everyone's fashion choices.

That's when Kai appeared.

He slid into the seat beside Elara without asking, tray in hand, and grinned like he'd been there all along.

"Alright," he said, glancing around the table, "I have a very important question."

Elias didn't even look up. "You're already worrying me."

Kai ignored him completely. "What do you people do for fun here?"

The table went quiet. Not from shock, but more from confusion.

Matteo blinked. "Fun?"

Thiago raised his glass, smirking. "We're heirs. We don't do fun."

"Exactly my point." Kai leaned back, balancing his chair on two legs. "You've all been here too long. This place is turning you into old people way before your time."

Anastasia arched an eyebrow. "I'll have you know, we're plenty fun."

"Is that so?" Kai's grin widened. "Because all I've seen is people pretending not to yawn through lectures."

He stood suddenly, pushing his chair back with a scrape that made the whole table turn. "Let's change that. Everyone's skipping class for the rest of the day."