He handed the key to Alice with a small smile. “This is for you,” he said softly. “A gift.” Everyone around them laughed. “Wait, what?” Jordan squinted at the small object. “That’s a key?” Linda leaned closer, crossing her arms. “Please tell me it’s not for a wheelchair.” Alice turned the key over in her hand, confused. “Is this… a joke?” Someone from the back shouted, “Maybe it’s for a lawnmower!” More laughter. Ben, standing off to the side with his arms crossed, scoffed. “Looks like something from the 80s.” Jordan nudged Alice. “C’mon, what is it really? You hiding a scooter somewhere?” But the guy didn’t laugh. He just stood there, calm, watching them. Alice looked up at him. “You’re serious?” He nodded. “Look at it again.” So she did. The key was heavier than she expected. And smooth. Not like a regular car key. It had a shiny black plastic head, with silver trimming. There was a logo on it… a small round badge with blue and white colors. It wasn’t ve

Jordan leaned closer. “Wait… isn’t that the guy from the restaurant?” Ben’s face was turning pale. “Why’s he with them?” The small man stepped forward calmly, voice quiet but sharp. “Here I am now,” he said, eyes locked on Ben. “What was that you were saying before?” Ben stiffened. His heart dropped straight to his stomach. No way. No way. What the hell is this? He tried to play it off. He really did. But inside? His thoughts were spiraling fast. Why’s he here? Why is he with them? This can’t be right. I slapped this guy—what the hell is he doing walking in with these dangerous looking people? Still, Ben forced his chin up. Tried to act like he wasn’t sweating through his collar. “I… I work for the Irving family,” Ben said, voice louder than it needed to be. “So watch your mouth.” The small man stopped walking. He blinked. Just once. No change in expression. No shouting. Just one quiet moment— SMACK! The slap echoed through the lot. And it was funny. Stupi

Ben wobbled closer to Alice, one hand clutching his ribs, the other wiping blood from the corner of his mouth. His voice came out shaky, rushed, and low.“Alice… Alice, Al, please,” he said, glancing nervously between her and Nolan. “He’s serious. Just—just do what he says, okay? Don’t make it worse.”Alice’s eyes narrowed. “What the hell did you just say?”Ben took another step toward her, desperation painted all over his face. “If you go with him. Just for tonight. Maybe he’ll drop it. Maybe it ends here, and nobody else gets hurt.”Alice blinked in disbelief. “You want me to go with him?” She looked him up and down, disgust growing on her face. “Are you out of your damn mind, Ben?”Ben swallowed. “He’s Leo Vaughn’s brother. The Leo Vaughn. Vaughn Hotels, Vaughn Towers—he’s from that billionaire family, Alice. This guy could bury all of us. I messed up, okay? If you just go, it might fix it.”Her mouth fell open, a bitter laugh escaping. “So because you messed up, I’m supposed to be

Ben was too shocked to even cry out. His jaw dropped, and his eyes darted between Ethan and the shiny, untouched BMW. “No… no freaking way…” he stammered. “That’s a damn fortress on wheels…” His face twisted with disbelief. How?! How could a guy like Ethan buy something eight times the price of my car? He’s supposed to be garbage. Trash. Nobody. He stared, still clutching his stomach, his pride in shambles. But the small man, standing a few feet away, just snorted. He crossed his arms and gave Ethan a long, unimpressed look. “So what? You’ve got a fancy toy. Big deal,” he said coldly. “You think owning a car like that puts you on top? Let me tell you something, boy—people like you think money equals power. But the Vaughn family doesn’t just have money. We have roots. Power. Control. Real control.” His eyes narrowed. “You? You’re just a spoiled brat with a fast car. That car can’t save you from us.” Ethan gave a soft laugh, brushing a hand through his hair. “Ah, yes,” he said

Nolan’s hand was still in the air from the slap. His cheek hurt, and his eyes showed shock and anger. He looked at Leo, his big brother, not able to believe it. “Leo… what did you do?” Nolan said, his voice shaking. “You can’t just hit me like that!” Leo was quiet. He took a deep breath. He looked worried and scared. He looked at the people, then back at Nolan. “This is not about you,” Leo said soft. “I want to stop problems.” Nolan wanted to yell but no words came out. He stepped closer and spoke loud. “I don’t care who he is!” Nolan said, pointing at Ethan, who was already walking away. “That guy came here to make us look bad. To show we’re weak. We can’t just let him do that!” Leo shook his head, looking serious. “You don’t get it. This isn’t about pride. Ethan’s dangerous. You think I wanted to hit my own brother? But you went too far.” Nolan’s hands turned into fists. “Too far? He started it! And you’re just going to let him win?” “Ben already paid for it,” Leo said quiet