Chapter 1The Serendipity of It All

I showed up at Berkeley College to enroll, only to be told Lia Lockwood had already registered.

She was even living in the villa my dad bought for me.

And she and my fiancé were playing the happy couple.

I rubbed the calluses on my fingertips, hardened from years of playing the guitar.

What in the absolute hell?

If she was Lia Lockwood...

...then who was I?

And was this condescending jerk looking down his nose at me really my fiancé?

* * *

“Lia Lockwood has already completed her registration.”

“Impossible!” I stared at the admissions officer. “This is my acceptance letter.”

“That letter was sent out over six months ago. If it was yours, why wait until now to show up?”

I clutched the letter, a slow burn of fury building in my chest. Right after my mom passed away, my dad had pushed me to attend Berkeley and, while I was at it, marry some fiancé I’d never even met. We’d had a massive fight, and his bodyguards had unceremoniously dumped me on a plane.

The moment I landed, I’d made a decision. This was my life. Before shackling myself to college, I was going to take six months to see the world.

But yesterday, my dad had called, his voice clipped and cold, announcing he was coming to visit. Panic seized me. I knew I couldn't hide anymore, so I rushed here to finally enroll, only to be met with this disaster.

Well, if I couldn’t register, I’d at least go to the villa Dad had bought for me. I needed a place to crash.

All the way there, one question hammered in my mind: Who had the audacity to steal my life?

When I got to the house, I punched in the security code. The screen flashed bright red: ACCESS DENIED.

I tried again. And again. Same result.

Just then, I heard footsteps inside. “Who’s out there?” a man’s voice called.

A knot of dread tightened in my stomach. The door swung open, revealing a tall, well-built man.

From inside, a woman’s voice drifted out, laced with curiosity. “Peter, who is it?”

My blood ran cold.

Peter? My fiancé. The one I’d never met.

A moment later, an impeccably dressed girl appeared behind him. She was about my age and looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place her.

Stunned, I managed to ask, “You’re Peter? Then… she is?”

Peter’s gaze swept over me, his expression turning to ice. “This is my fiancée, Lia Lockwood. Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

So, this was her. The imposter who’d stolen my spot at school and was now living in my house. A wave of rage washed over me.

I met his cold stare and said evenly, “This is my house.”

Peter laughed, a short, ugly sound. “Are you serious? Everyone knows Mr. Lockwood bought this place for his daughter, Lia.”

“I’m Lia Lockwood!”

“You?” His eyes raked over me, from my tangled hair down to my frayed t-shirt and dust-caked boots. He shook his head in contempt. “The Lockwood heiress is a pristine little princess. Her family worships the ground she walks on. You, dressed like that? You expect me to believe you’re a Lockwood?”

The girl calling herself Lia arched an eyebrow, her smile sickeningly sweet as she adopted a look of magnanimity. “Seeing as we share a name, if you’re really that broke, I could spare some cash. But you really shouldn’t lie, you know.”

I clenched my fists, taking a deep breath to quell the fire in my gut. “You’re sure she’s Lia?”

“Of course I am. Now get lost! I’ve never seen someone so shameless.”

I stared them down, a cold plan forming in my mind. I pulled out my phone, opened a familiar online forum, and found a thread that had once been my digital home.

I typed a single message: I’m back.

The replies came instantly, a flood of notifications.

Whoa! You’re finally here! Where have you been for the last six months? You promised us a jam session when you arrived!

Yeah, after all these years as online friends, we finally get to meet you in person! We have to see you!

A smirk touched my lips. I scrolled through the excited comments and dropped the villa’s address.

I’ll be home tomorrow. Bring your guitars.

Then, looking up at the two of them, I let out a low, cold laugh. “Just you wait.”