Chapter Thirty-oneNever did Benedict expect that the person backing the insurance company would be Mr Lawson.His plan had been simple. He wanted to use Mr Lawson’s name and influence to scare the insurance company and win Lina’s parents over with a grand display of power. Now he deeply regretted his action at that moment.Who would have thought Benedict had offended Mr Lawson before he could even make his plan come true.He thought far and wide to his father, he swallowed the lump in his throat. His father would kill him if he found out about this.The silence that followed Benedict's betrayal was so heavy.The old protesters stood frozen in shock as the unbelievable scene unfolded before them. Martha’s face went from a triumphant glow to the ashen gray of a corpse. Her lips trembled, but no sound came out. The golden son she had been parading like a trophy had just offered to help the man who robbed her.Martha along with the other protesters had put high hopes in Benedict to get

Chapter Thirty-three"Andrew, don't just stand there with your mouth open like a dead fish!" Martha snapped, slapping her husband’s shoulder as she watched Adrian’s battered scooter weave into the traffic. "We’re going to the Imperial Club! And we’re not going as some beggars in a taxi."Andrew stammered, his face still pale. "But Martha Adrian just warned you. He said if you push your luck, he’ll take the money back. Maybe we should just be quiet and—""Quiet? When has being quiet ever gotten me a diamond ring?" Martha scoffed, already pulling out her compact mirror to fix her smeared lipstick. She didn't feel a shred of gratitude; she only felt a surge of adrenaline. "He’s my future son-in-law! Whatever he has, he owes to me for putting up with his scholarship student act for three years. Now move! Lina's induction dinner starts in twenty minutes!"The entrance to the Imperial Club was a spectacle of blinding gold and polished floors. A row of Ferraris, Bentleys, and Rolls-Royces pu

Chapter Thirty-fiveThe gilded doors of the Diamond Pavilion hissed shut, leaving the room in a state of sudden silence. Outside in the hallway, the sound of Trevor’s muffled protests and Chloe’s sobbing faded as they were hauled toward the service elevator by four massive security guards."Their memberships are revoked," the Manager whispered, bowing so low he was practically whispering to Adrian’s shoes. "Their families will be blacklisted from every establishment under the Trust’s umbrella by midnight. Is this satisfactory, Master?"Adrian didn't even look up from his plate. He was peeling a shrimp for Lina with meticulous care. "I don't care about their memberships. Just make sure they don't spoil the air on their way out.""Immediately, Sir!" The Manager backed out of the room, sweating as if he had just escaped a firing squad.Lina sat frozen, her fork hovering over a piece of Wagyu beef that cost more than her college tuition. She looked at the deep red Romanée-Conti in her gl

Chapter Thirty-SevenThe night air outside the Imperial Club was crisp, carrying the scent of rain and the distant hum of the city. As Adrian, Lina, and her parents stepped onto the marble portico, the atmosphere shifted entirely.The same valet who had earlier sneered at Adrian’s scooter was now standing as stiff as a board, his eyes fixed on the pavement as he quivered."Wait," Lina said, stopping near the curb. Her head was still spinning from the events in the Diamond Pavilion. "Where is the scooter? And where are the buses? It’s past midnight, we’ll have to call a car." She bit her lips. “That is if we can get any at this hour.”Martha, clutched her handbag which was now bulging with stolen gold-leaf cake and a half-finished bottle of wine, scoffed. "Call a car? Lina, did you see the way that Patriarch crawled? After what Adrian did for the Chairman's luck, the least they can do is drive us home!"Just then, a flash of headlights cut through the darkness.A jet-black Rolls-Royce

Chapter Thirty-NineThe whisper of five million dollars had turned the university into a pressure cooker. By the time the afternoon sun hit the central courtyard, the story had mutated. To the students, Adrian wasn't a genius; he was a fraud who had somehow cast a spell over Marcus Vale.Julian Vale stood on the steps of the Humanities Hall, surrounded by a crowd of elite students who lived off their parents' credit cards. His face was a mask of cold, jagged envy."Don't be fooled by a number!" Julian shouted, his voice echoing across the quad. "My brother Marcus is a brilliant man, but even the best can be tricked by a professional con artist. This consultant business is a scam! How can a scholarship rat who can't even afford a car advise on a multi-billion dollar audit?"Chloe, standing beside him with her arms crossed, added fuel to the fire. "He’s probably laundering money for a criminal syndicate. Why else would he be so low-key? Real wealth doesn't ride a scooter!"Just then, Ad