The woman didn’t blink. She studied me for a long second, then tilted her head with a small smirk tugging at her lips.“The King’s Ball?” she asked. “That’s quite the leap, Mr. Eli.”I lifted my chin slightly. “I was humiliated in front of that crowd before. I want them to see me now. I want them to feel it. I know what I am asking for." I said immediately trying to let her know I was not settling for less. The king's ball was mainly for the elite, the richer kid and of course for the affluent who decide the fate of the lesser ones. But not anymore, I was going to step up my games and I was going to pay all of them back. She nodded once, turning on her heel and walking toward a smaller room off the main hallway. “Then you’ll need a suit. And not just any suit—you’ll need to arrive like you own the place. Because after tonight, you just might.”The way she said it sent a ripple down my spine.Inside the room was what I could only describe as a private boutique. Mannequins stood lined

A lot was going through my mind as I returned back home. I had tasted what it meant to be rich, to dine with people who had ridiculed you and humiliated you.I must say, it feels good.Power, money, and wealth…maybe a little fame was also good. I got back home and met my grandmother seated on the couch. I could tell she had something to say judging from the look she had on her face."Where are you coming from, Eli?" She said, staring at me."I went to see a friend. Homework." I said immediately, trying to hide the fact that I had gone out."A friend, huh?" my grandma said, staring at my hand, which was now betraying me."And do you want to tell me where you got that ring from?"Damn it!It was the only thing I didn't remove from my finger. The ring Celeste had given to me was the only Turner jewel I had longed to keep."Do you have something you want to say to me?" Alexia said again. I was quiet all through, and I don't even know where to begin. "Have you been seeing someone?" she ask

I couldn't sleep. I had managed to get a doctor to come and treat Alexia with the money I had in my account. I kept wondering who could have wanted to kill my grandmother, and the only person I could think of was Celeste. I looked at her in the sickbed and cleaned the hot tears that were threatening to spill from my eyes. If this was the price I had to pay for the money and the luxury of life, then I don't want it. I want Alexia to be a part of the life I was going to live after I inherited the fortune that awaits. My phone buzzed again. "Meet me at the nearest cafe near your house," she said, and the line went dead. I clenched my hands in anger as I stole a long-lasting look at my grandma. "I will be back, grandmother." I said, finally cleaning the tears on my face. In all my years of staying with her, I had never seen her weak, even on a sickbed. She had been the strongest woman I had known all my life. She was my role model, and I sometimes learn through her ways o

It's been days now. I have not been going to school. Alexia was sick, and she needed all my devoted attention. I had taken my time to sit right at her bedside, wondering when she was going to open her eyes. "You need to let go, Eli. She is going to be fine, and don't tell me you don't want to go to school tomorrow." Celeste said, looking at me. "I need to be here when she wakes up. My face has to be the first thing she sees." I replied, yawning. Celeste looked at me and smiled. "I understand that you live here very much, but then you need to continue with your life. You can't possibly put everything on hold simply because she is not up and about. I am sure she won't want you doing this." "And do you know what she thinks now?" I said with a bit of anger in my voice. "Listen to me, Eli." Celeste said, drawing my face closer to hers, that for a second, I thought she was going to kiss me. Celeste was not that much older than I am, and I was very sure she would be a year or two older

The students burst into a loud laughter as I tried to support myself but it was too late. I groaned, more out of shock than pain, as I slowly pushed myself up from the concrete pavement. My palms scraped the rough ground, and my books spilled across the floor. For a moment, everything was still—the murmurs, the gasps, the faint laughter. Then came the voice I dreaded the most. “Well, well, well. If it isn’t the rat boy in a Lexus.” he said in a mockery voice. Jordan. Of course, it had to be him. I turned slowly, brushing the dust off my shirt and locking eyes with the one person who hated my existence more than anything else in the world. Jordan stood with his signature sneer, flanked by his usual crew of shadows—two tall boys in designer jackets who wouldn’t last a second in a real fight without him. “Your daddy’s car too heavy for your weak legs?” Jordan chuckled, stepping closer. “Or maybe the seat was too soft for a street kid like you.” I didn’t answer. My fingers curled