Javier stepped out of the training hall only to be met with the same looks he had grown used to—ridicule, amusement, superiority. The Everhart name had once carried weight, but not anymore. Not since the fall of his family. Not since everyone believed he had nothing left.“Look who’s dragging his feet again,” someone sneered from behind.Javier didn’t turn. He recognized the voice—Kellan Ward, a Beta’s son with an ego far bigger than his actual strength.“Maybe he’s hoping someone will pity him enough to offer a real meal,” another boy added loudly. “I heard he skipped breakfast again. Can’t afford it?”A small crowd laughed.Javier kept walking. His jaw tensed, but his expression remained unreadable. He refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing him react.If only they knew the truth—that the man they mocked owned corporations powerful enough to shut down half the businesses in their pack town overnight. That he was richer than the Alpha they worshipped. That he was here underco

The weapons hall remained silent long after Javier left it, but the silence didn’t follow him far. By the time he stepped into the main corridor, voices rose again—louder, bolder, emboldened by distance.“There he is.”“Dorian said he got lucky.”“No way he beat Dorian. Maybe Dorian slipped.”“Or maybe Everhart bribed someone. Fallen houses always use dirty tricks.”Javier continued walking, unbothered, until another group of trainees blocked his path near the stairway. There were five of them—Aidan, Kellan, Royce, and two others he didn’t bother to recognize.Aidan smirked. “Heard you made a fool out of Dorian.”Kellan laughed. “You? Seriously? What did you do, threaten to cry?”Royce crossed his arms. “Dorian says you cheated.”Javier’s voice remained even. “Believe what you want.”Aidan leaned closer. “Oh, we will.”Kellan bumped Javier’s shoulder. “Everhart, do you even understand where you stand here? You’re nothing. A nobody. A charity case.”Royce pointed at Javier’s worn-down

Javier stepped out of the storage room, dusting his hands as if the act itself could shake off the humiliation. The corridor outside the cafeteria buzzed with chatter—students heading to their afternoon classes.He kept his gaze forward, already used to the looks that followed him. Some curious. Some mocking. None respectful.“Hey, Everhart!”The voice came sharp from the left. Javier stopped. Against his better judgment, he turned.Three boys leaned against a locker—Marcus, Taro, and Finn. The same trio who had made a game out of mocking him since his first day at the academy.Marcus clicked his tongue. “So, the janitor-in-training emerges. Did you finish scrubbing the floors, Everhart?”Javier exhaled slowly. “I told you. I wasn’t scrubbing. I was—”“Organizing the cleaning tools?” Finn cut in, grinning. “That’s literally the same thing.”Taro snorted. “Damn. Imagine coming to an elite academy and still smelling like bleach every day.”A couple of passing students laughed under thei

Henderson closed the boardroom door behind them, leaving Cole and the rest of the executives whispering like confused children.“Follow me,” Henderson said, voice low.Javier didn’t comment. He simply walked beside him as if the hallway wasn’t filled with people stopping mid-step just to stare.Some whispered openly.“Why is the CEO talking to him?”“Is he in trouble?”“Maybe Henderson feels sorry for him.”Someone snorted. “He looks like he needs charity, not a private meeting.”Javier ignored all of it.Henderson led him into a smaller conference room and shut the door.“Sit.”Javier took the chair without hesitation.Henderson stayed standing, arms folded, studying him with the cautious curiosity of a man who knew he’d overlooked something important.“How did you know the numbers?” Henderson asked.“I read,” Javier answered simply.Henderson frowned. “Everyone reads. Not everyone understands.”“That’s not my problem,” Javier replied.The CEO let out a dry exhale. “You’re… an intere

The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Javier stepped into the empty hallway, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed. The meeting room behind him was still filled with stunned executives, whispering frantically, but he paid them no mind.He walked toward the lobby.Calm.Unhurried.He didn’t need their approval.He didn’t need their respect.He came here for one purpose—and being insulted was part of the process.But the executives weren’t done with him.Especially Cole.Cole burst into the hallway seconds later, face red, breathing heavily as he pointed wildly at Javier’s back.“There! That’s him! Get him OUT of this building!”Two security guards stationed near the corridor turned their heads.The first frowned. “Who? The guy in the suit?”“Yes, HIM!” Cole snapped. “Get him out! Now!”The second guard raised a brow. “We don’t throw out guests unless there’s a reason.”Cole stepped closer, jabbing a finger. “He is NOT a guest. He’s an intruder. A nobody. A parasite who sl