Badass in Disguise (Shadow) novel Chapter 21

“You ungrateful little bitch!” Linda Morgan’s shrill voice pierced through the house as Jade walked away from the dining table. “I raised you, fed you, put clothes on your back, and this is how you repay me?”

Frank jumped up, reaching for his wife’s arm. “Linda, please, let’s just calm down-

“Shut up!” Linda snapped, whipping around to face him.

When Linda turned back to continue her tirade, she found herself staring directly into Jade’s eyes. Something in that gaze–cold, calculating, and utterly devoid of fear–made Linda’s voice die in her throat mid–sentence.

The entire room fell silent. Even Emily felt a chill run down her spine as she stared down at her half- eaten pasta, her appetite completely gone. Five hundred dollars. Her sister had just casually sent five hundred dollars like it was nothing.

Later that night, Emily lay scrolling through Instagram, but her mind kept wandering back to Jade. Everything about her sister had changed–not just her personality, but her entire presence.

She thought back to the Jade she knew before: overweight, constantly looking at the floor, flinching at the slightest criticism. That Jade wore baggy sweatshirts from Walmart and thrift store jeans.

Now? Emily had noticed the labels. Calvin Klein tops. Levi’s jeans. An Apple Watch that definitely wasn’t a knockoff.

“Where the hell is she getting all this money?” Emily muttered to herself. “And how did she lose all that weight so fast?”

She sat up suddenly as another thought struck her. Jade had always been the family disappointment -the one with terrible grades, the one who’d never get into a decent college. That had been Emily’s consolation: at least she was the smart one.

But if Jade could change everything else about herself so dramatically… what else might she be capable of?

Emily shook her head firmly. “No way. Her grades have been trash for years. That doesn’t just change overnight.”

Chapter 21

“Max? You still up?” Linda pushed his door open without waiting for a response.

Max was hunched over his computer, fingers flying across the keyboard. “I’m learning Python programming,” he explained without looking up. “Jade showed me some basics. If I get good enough, I might be able to make money like she does.”

Linda’s expression changed at the mention of Jade’s name. “That computer,” she said slowly, eyes narrowing. “How much did it cost?”

Max hesitated. “About… twelve hundred.”

“Twelve hundred dollars?” Linda’s voice rose sharply. “That good–for–nothing-”

“Jade bought it for me,” Max said defensively. “It’s for school and programming.”

Linda crossed her arms tightly. “Your sister thinks she’s so special now. Has she mentioned anything about where she’s getting all this money?”

“She’s good with computers. She makes money online.”

Linda’s expression softened into something calculating. “Maybe you could ask her for a little more help for the family? She clearly has plenty to spare.”

Max finally turned to face his mother, his expression unusually hard. “No, Mom. I won’t do that.”

“Max-”

Frank appeared in the doorway. “Linda, come to bed. It’s late.”

Linda looked like she wanted to argue, but after a moment, she followed Frank out.

“You think you can get a perfect score on the AP Calculus exam today?” Max asked the next morning, sliding a plate across the counter to Jade.

Jade glanced at the egg white omelet Max had prepared. “Is there any doubt?”

“It’s supposed to be pretty tough this year.”

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900

Chapter 21

“I’ll get a perfect score,” she said simply.

“I made you breakfast, Max said unnecessarily. High protein, low fat. Good for your… um, weight loss plan.”

Jade took a bite. “Thanks.”

Max watched his sister eat with a mixture of curiosity and admiration. The transformation he’d witnessed over the past few months still amazed him. Not just the physical changes–though those were remarkable–but the way she carried herself, the confidence that seemed to radiate from her.

“You’re staring,” Jade observed without looking up.

Max blushed. “Sorry. I just… I’m still getting used to-” he gestured vaguely at her -all of this.”

At lunchtime, Max checked Reddit and nearly dropped his phone. The post with Jade lution had exploded overnight. Over thirty thousand comments. More than ten thousand share

Several professors from MIT and Caltech had commented, analyzing the solution and expressing astonishment. Some were debating the implications for quantum field theory. Others were demanding to know the identity of the mathematical prodigy behind the work.

Max scrolled through the comments with widening eyes:

“This is revolutionary. The approach breaks conventional quantum alignment theory.”

“I’ve been working on this problem for almost a year. This solution is… I don’t even have words.”

The hashtag #Quantum Wunderkind was trending. As he continued scrolling, a direct message notification popped up from Edward Sheldon.

“Your solution is nothing short of brilliant. I’ve been working on this problem for months. Would you be willing to share your contact information?”

It wasn’t the first message from Sheldon. There were five others, all sent over the past twelve hours.

That afternoon, Jade sat in the AP Calculus exam room, surrounded by nervous students frantically

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reviewing notes. She looked bored.

C

When the test booklets were distributed, Jade immediately began writing. Other students were still reading the instructions when she flipped to the second page.

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