My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 104

Chapter 104 He Memorized My Dreams

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“Words hold no weight in the real world,” my mother stated. She picked up her water glass. The ice clinked against the rim, a sharp, ringing sound. “Men in tailored shirts sell lies every day. I serve them coffee at the diner. They talk a big game. They make promises. A week passes, and they leave the mess behind for someone else to clean.”

“Mom, I warned. The heat rose in my cheeks. I gripped the edge of my chair. “That is enough.”

Ryder held up his hand.

“Let her speak, Raisa, Ryder said. His gaze never left my mother. “She has every right to protect her house.”

My mother set the glass down. She folded her hands.

“You possess a massive safety net, Ryder,” she said. Her voice carried a hard, weathered edge. “Your father owns half the real estate in this county. You break a rule, a check clears the damage. You fail a class, a strategic donation secures a passing grade. You navigate life on a padded floor. My daughter walks a tightrope. A single slip destroys her.”

“I understand the difference, Ryder replied.

“Do you?” She leaned closer. The exhausted lines around her mouth deepened. “If she loses her Crestview Prep scholarship, she loses her university prospects. She loses her entire future. She cannot afford a scandal. She cannot afford the chaotic orbit of a bad boy. She needs focus. You are a distraction.”

“I am not a phase, Ryder countered. The rough gravel returned to his tone.

“You are a liability. My mother delivered the verdict without hesitation. “What happens next year? Raisa goes to a top-tier university. She studies medicine. She builds a career out of nothing. What do you do? You inherit a company you do not care about. You drag her into a world of corporate galas and empty wealth. You suffocate her drive.”

Ryder did not flinch. The harsh critique struck him, but he absorbed the impact. He took the hits. He accepted the brutal assessment of his own character. He looked down at his plate. He traced the rim of the chipped ceramic dish with his thumb.

He lifted his eyes to mine.

“You are wrong about one thing,” Ryder said. He shifted his attention back to my mother. ‘I would never suffocate her ambition. I revere

You think I do not see her?” he asked. The question hung in the space between us. “I see the way she works. I see the biology flashcards hidden in her blazer pockets. I see her skipping lunch to review complex chemistry equations.”

My breath caught in my throat. My hands trembled under the table.

He continued ‘She wants to run a research lab. She wants to secure funding for the diseases the elite ignore. She maps her life on index

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Chapter 104 He Memorized My Dreams

cards, and she executes every single step with a brilliant, terrifying precision. She stays awake until two in the morning tracing cellular

diagrams.

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My mother remained silent. The shock registered in her posture.

I am a mess, Ryder confessed. He gestured to his tailored shirt, dismissing the polished exterior. “I carry a chaotic past. I carry a name I despise. You are right to call me a liability. But I know her worth. I know she possesses the power to change the world. And I swear to

you, Mrs. Petrova. I will burn my own life to the ground before I let anyone stand in her way.”

He reached across the small table. He did not ask for permission. He wrapped his warm, calloused hand around my cold fingers.

“I am not a hurdle, he promised. ‘I am a shield. I will take the hits. I will clear the path. I will make sure she reaches the finish line, even

if I have to stay behind.”

A thick, heavy lump formed in my throat.

I stared at him. The dining room blurred around the edges. A hot tear slipped free, tracking down my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting the overwhelming wave of emotion. He saw me.

For my entire life, I carried the weight of my future alone. I fought for every grade. I fought for every opportunity. I assumed a romantic relationship required a sacrifice of my goals. I believed love meant compromise.

My mother watched the exchange. She looked at our joined hands. She looked at the tear tracking down my face.

She picked up her fork. She stabbed a piece of garlic potato.

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