In the car, Mr Leo looked at John. “Brother John. You are now a very important member of this club. I know you wish to stay out of attention. But I request that when around the club, dress more professionally, that way no one will disrespect you.”John looked at his clothes. He was still dressing like a college student despite having massive wealth.He nodded. “Thank you for your concern. I will do as you say.”The sun was low over the city when the black SUVs pulled up to the gates of the Gulf Club. The Gulf Club was big. White walls. Tall gates. Men in black uniforms stood at the entrance. Inside you could hear music and see lights from the pool. Rich people walked around with drinks in their hands.The car doors opened. Mister Leo stepped out first. Suit. Sunglasses. He looked calm. Behind him came the other members of the S.C.S.C. club. The same men John had met earlier that morning in the hall. Uncle Ray. The younger guys. All of them walked together like one group.John got ou

John got in the car and shut the door. The sound of it closing was louder than it should have been. He didn’t wait. He turned the key and sped off, both hands tight on the steering wheel like that was the only thing keeping him steady. The streetlights outside blurred past. His chest felt heavy.He pulled out his phone with one hand and dialed Mister Leo. It rang twice before it picked up."John?" Mister Leo answered fast. He sounded out of breath, like he was already walking somewhere. "Is everything okay?""No," John said. His voice was flat. Too flat. "Mister Leo, who owns the Golden Tide Hotel?"There was a short pause on the other end. "Golden Tide? That’s a man named Mister Christopher. Old money. He’s on the board for two hotels downtown too. Why?""Do me a favor and send me his number." John’s jaw was clenched. "Right now.""I’ll send it immediately," Mister Leo said. "Do you need me to come too? I can be there in twenty.""No, need. I’ll call you back." John hung up before L

John pulled up to the gate of Lisa’s school in the black posh car. The engine was quiet, but the car itself was not quiet at all. It was long, shiny, and black like it just came out of a magazine. The moment it rolled through the school entrance, everything stopped.Students standing by the gate turned their heads. "Wait, is that a black posh?" one girl said. "Does anyone have this in our school?" another boy whispered. "Oh my God. I’m posting this on social media," a girl with her phone already out said, and she started recording.More phones came up. People were whispering and pointing. The car moved slowly down the driveway until it stopped in front of the main building.The door opened and John stepped out. He was wearing a plain black shirt and dark pants. He looked calm, but his eyes were scanning everything, like he was making sure Lisa was safe.A second later the passenger door opened and Lisa stepped out. Next to her was her friend. Both of them looked fine now. No bruis

John leaned back in his chair and looked at them. They were still shocked after CEO Christopher told them John was a member of the SCSC.John turned his head towards CEO Christopher."Christopher, I won't hold grudges against them," He said. "They truly misunderstood me. But I hope they are clear now."He turned back to the man and the woman. "So... how much do you guys need in total?"The woman answered quickly. "We are still five billion short to start the project."John smacked his lips. "Just five billion?"He turned to CEO Christopher. "For your sake, I will pay."Everyone blinked.John took out a black card and handed it to the man. "Swipe the card."The man took it, hands a little shaky. "Wow... you are so decisive. I like people like you."The lady raised an eyebrow. "You didn’t even waste time to prepare the money," she said. "So you walk around with money on you? Interesting. But won’t you check the project? Or do some inspection? You just want to pay up wit

“Wait,” Jasmine said. Her voice cut through the noise like a bell. Everyone paused. Even the security guards stopped mid-step.Jasmine stepped forward and stood right beside Lisa. “She’s with me,” Jasmine said firmly. A few guests near the dessert table turned their heads. Whispers started again. “She’s my temporary assistant,” Jasmine added, lifting her chin. “So let her be.”Jasmine’s friend, who had been standing behind her with the camera still in her hand, quickly nodded. “Yeah,” the friend said. “We asked her to help us with photos tonight. She’s with Jasmine.”Mr. Andrew’s face twisted. He looked from Jasmine to Lisa like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “You two,” Andrew said, pointing at Jasmine and her friend. “Don’t meddle in this. Do you know who I am? Crushing two actors for me is as easy as crushing ants. One call and your next contract disappears.”Shira immediately jumped in, desperate to regain control of the moment. “She’s lying,” Shira said, vo