Aaron's already foul mood plummeted when he saw Keeley walk into cla.s.s wearing an NYU hoodie over her uniform the following Monday. It was yet another reminder that she was leaving him. He only had a couple months left to forge enough of a relations.h.i.+p that they could stay in contact when he went to Harvard.

　　He tried talking to his parents about potentially going to Columbia instead—he had gotten into four different Ivy League schools—but that was fruitless.

　　The rare occasions both of his parents were home to have dinner with him were awkward enough already but the tension became thick enough to cut with a knife when he casually said, "I've been thinking about attending Columbia in the fall."

　　His mother was so scandalized she nearly dropped her salad fork. "Why on earth would you go to Columbia when you already got accepted into Harvard? That was a back-up school!"

　　"Out of the question," his father said while emitting a deathly aura. "Seven generations of Hales have attended Harvard. We have connections there. They have a building named after us. If you're going to succeed me someday, those connections are necessary."

　　"I can forge my own connections," he tried to insist. "Columbia has almost the exact same acceptance rate as Harvard and their business school is one of the best out there."

　　"Absolutely not!" Alistair Hale roared, slamming his hands on the table so it shook. "If you don't go to Harvard you can kiss your future role as CEO of Hale Investments goodbye!"

　　Aaron shut up and stabbed his arugula mutinously. That was a low blow. His entire life—both of his lives—had been spent devoted to his role as the heir of his family's legacy. His chance at a normal childhood was lost due to preparations for his eventual role in the company.

　　After Keeley died and he buried his grief in work, the company grew 64% in less than a decade. It was the most well-known investment company in the entire country by the time he had his heart attack and since he was the only child of an only child, it was handed off to his vice president.

　　How dare that man threaten to take away the only consistent thing in his son's life after all he did already!

　　Unfortunately, Aaron didn't have enough power to go against his father's wishes just yet. So that plan was out. Winning her over before graduation was Aaron's only chance unless he wanted to risk losing her to someone else while they were apart for four years.