CHAPTER ONE Austin Parker shuffled towards the entrance of the bar where he worked. His clothes told a story of hardship – torn in places, the fabric faded and stretched, and his jeans had seen better days, sporting rips at the knees and frayed hems. His gaze was fixed on the worn-out pavement, as if he hoped to find some lost treasure or perhaps just an escape from his current reality. Sadly, the ground offered no such comfort. He often escaped into his own thoughts when he walked. This gave him a short rest from his nagging problems that piled up each and everyday. Despite the state of his clothes, Austin was undeniably a handsome young man. He had a kind face and a natural charm, but today, those features were overshadowed by the shabbiness of his clothes, which looked as though they hadn't felt the touch of soap and water in ages. As he walked through the front doors of the bar, the early evening customers, dressed in their smart casuals, couldn't help but stare. Their eyes fol

CHAPTER THREE The moment Austin yanked the door open, his jaw nearly dropped. Standing there, as unexpected as a rainstorm in dry season, was Mr. Patrick. The landlord, a man whose belly strained the buttons of his shirt and whose weight probably rivaled a small car, glared at Austin. A knot of young men stood menacingly behind him. "Mr. Patrick! Well, hello there," Austin stammered, trying to sound casual, though his mind raced. What on earth was the landlord doing here, with what looked like a small army, at this hour? Mr. Patrick's face was a thundercloud. "Cut the sweet talk, boy! You know why I'm here. You've been dodging me like the plague. My calls go unanswered for days! Four months, Austin! Four months you've owed me rent! Pay up now, or my boys here will help you pack your bags... permanently!" His voice boomed, shaking Austin to his core. "Mr. Patrick, please," Austin pleaded, his voice barely a whisper. "The month is almost over. My paycheck is coming soon, I swear. J

CHAPTER FIVE Austin was back inside the elevator, his chest heaving like he'd run a marathon. He knew he was walking a tightrope. What if the person on the thirtieth floor slammed the door in his face? What if they, too, called him a beggar? The thought made his stomach churn. But right now, a bigger question looms. That massive amount of money... Where did it come from? Was it truly his? He desperately wanted to believe it, to feel the crispness of those bills between his fingers. Yet, a knot of fear tightened in his gut. What if this "gift" came with strings attached? What if it dragged him into a world of trouble he couldn't even imagine? He had to know for sure. With a soft 'ding,' the elevator shuddered to a halt. The doors slid open, revealing the thirtieth floor. Austin hesitated, his feet glued to the floor. This was it. He had to step out. Taking a deep breath, he forced himself forward just before the doors could close again. His eyes widened in disbelief. Before him str

CHAPTER SEVEN Xavier had a thought. He wanted to make sure Austin got a car to go back to his new mansion. You see, Austin Parker was now the big boss, the chairman of Ledger Group. He had so much money, like a mountain of it to live a luxury life for eternity! Xavier worked for him, so he wanted Austin to feel comfortable around him. He wanted to be helpful. But then, Austin left very fast. He went into the elevator, and Xavier didn't even get a chance to say goodbye or offer a ride. Xavier had to wait for the next elevator to go down. When he got out! He noticed a very familiar woman. She had strong-looking guards with her. They were standing in front of Austin, blocking him from leaving the elevator area. Xavier's body ran cold and sweaty when he saw this. “Lieutenant Xavier! What… what are you doing here?” Elsa said. She looked behind Austin, and she seemed very surprised. “Elsa! What in the world do you think you are doing?” Xavier asked. He took a step closer to them, and hi

CHAPTER NINEWhen Kelvin heard Austin say, all cool-like, that he would pay for everyone's dinner, Kelvin's eyes went all squinty. Like, how could this broke dude suddenly become Mr. Moneybags? It just didn't make any sense! Austin was acting like he had found a secret stash of cash under his bed or something.Sabrina also looked at Austin with a "huh?" face. But then she thought, "Oh, he's probably just trying to look cool so he doesn't feel like a loser." In her head, there was no way Austin had enough money to feed the whole class.Right then and there, Sabrina felt a little happy that she had dumped him. In her mind, she was safe from any embarrassment. Austin was just a big zero, not only poor but also not very smart.“Hey, Austin… What in the world is going on with you?” Vince asked, his face all scrunched up like he was trying to solve a really hard puzzle.“What else could it be? Sabrina gave him the boot, and now Kelvin here is trying to make him do something totally crazy. H