Rachel Crawford was the second-richest student on campus, her father ranking just below Charlie's in both wealth and influence. The two men had been close friends and business partners for years, making their families nearly inseparable.Her silky blonde hair cascaded gracefully to her hips, swaying gently with every elegant step she took. Beneath perfectly shaped brows, her light blue eyes carried a quiet authority that demanded attention without a single word. Every click of her designer heels echoed through the corridor as she carried herself with the effortless poise of a queen.The lively atmosphere that had filled the hallway moments ago seemed to vanish the instant she arrived. An invisible pressure settled over the crowd, silencing whispers as every pair of eyes turned toward her."What exactly is going on here, Charlie?" she asked, her calm voice carrying an unmistakable edge of anger.Charlie licked his lower lip before flashing an amused grin. "Hey, babe. What are you doing

“Young master Daniel! I know you must be surprised, and I promise I will explain everything to you. But I am so grateful that after all these years, you have finally found your way back to us.” The excitement in her voice was unmasked. Unfortunately for her, Daniel didn't share in her excitement. “Who the hell is this? Do you think you're funny? Calling me and wasting my time with this nonsense.” He spat angrily, immediately blaming himself for answering the call. “I am in no mood for whatever you're doing. Don't you ever call this number again!”He sighed frustratingly, his life was falling apart and yet someone thought it would be funny to prank him. His heart started beating in an unusual rhythm and the tears he was so determined not to shed was starting to blur his vision. Just then, the sound of his ring tone filled his ears again. “What the fuck did I just say?!” he answered without checking the caller.He only paused after hearing the angry voice of his landlord on the other

Daniel sat with a teacup trembling faintly in his hands, not from its fragility but his own. He'd never felt so tense in his life. Wealth like this didn't just surround a person — it pressed in on them, made the air feel thicker, made every breath feel like it needed permission.He didn't need anyone to tell him who Robert Raines was. Everyone in America, and beyond, knew that name. Fifty trillion dollars. A number so large it stopped being a number and became a kind of myth, the second-richest man on the planet trailing behind at a mere one trillion. Generational wealth so vast it broke calculators, broke comprehension, broke the part of Daniel's brain that tried to make sense of anything anymore today.He lifted the teacup and drank, mostly to give his hands something to do.The taste bloomed across his tongue, warm and faintly floral, and something in his chest loosened before he could stop it. His shoulders dropped. The tightness behind his ribs eased like a held breath finally re

He knew better than to let his newfound wealth twist him into someone ugly. But one thing had settled in him, quiet and certain as stone: he would get back at every single person who had ever made trash of him.The classroom buzzed the moment he stepped through the door. Whispers rippled from desk to desk, no one bothering to lower their voices, as if he was deaf. They'd all heard about the expulsion, the hours spent in a holding cell, the humiliation of it. News like that didn't need an official announcement. It just needed one mouth and twenty minutes.He took his seat and pulled out his notebook, keeping his eyes down, though he could feel the stares crawling over him like insects.Charlie approached with his usual swagger, the kind that came from years of never once being told no. He dropped into the seat beside Daniel's desk like he owned it, like he owned everything, the way boys like Charlie always assumed they did."Who would've believed it," Charlie said, loud enough for th

Charlie burst out laughing, and the crowd around him followed, feeding off his amusement like it was contagious. The idea that someone like Daniel — someone they still called an unclaimed dog — could cover everyone's drinks struck them as the funniest thing they'd heard all year.None of it touched Daniel. He knew exactly what he had access to, and he had no intention of backing down now.The bartender didn't bother hiding his skepticism either. "Look, kid, I don't know what you're on, but I'm not in the mood for jokes." His tone had an edge to it now, impatience sharpening every word. "You haven't even paid for your *own* drink, and now you're running your mouth about everyone else's. Do you even have a clue what their tabs add up to?""You're the bartender," Daniel said, unbothered. "I'd assume you'd know better than me."The bartender scoffed and turned to the register, fingers moving over the screen as he pulled up the night's tabs. When he faced Daniel again, there was a smugness