Apocalypse Domination: A Cold Rebirth

Chapter 4

"Wait a second. Is that Liam?"

A wealthy business student squinted through the glaring construction lights. He pointed past the heavy excavators toward the tall figure directing the demolition crew. The elite patrons of The Ivy Room had stepped out of the restaurant in their tailored suits and designer dresses. They were initially drawn outside by the deafening roar of diesel engines tearing up the vacant campus lot.

Now they stared in absolute shock.

"It makes perfect sense now," another student murmured loud enough for the crowd to hear. "He wore those worn-out sneakers and ate cafeteria food every single day. We all thought he was a charity case."

A girl with a designer handbag laughed maliciously. "It was a loyalty test. My father warned me about wealthy heirs doing this. They pretend to be poor to see if their partners actually love them for their personality."

The crowd turned their collective gaze toward Chloe.

"She failed the test," a boy sneered from the back of the group. "She threw away a secret billionaire just to sleep with Julian. What a monumental mistake."

The whispers spread through the wealthy students like a virus. They showered Chloe with looks of pity and mockery. They realized she traded a man who could buy an entire city block in cash for a guy who merely rented a hotel suite.

Chloe stood frozen on the pristine sidewalk. Her heart hammered violently against her ribs. Cold sweat prickled the back of her neck despite the cool autumn wind.

A secret billionaire? That was impossible.

Just a few hours ago, Liam stood in a hotel hallway and accepted her brutal insults without a fight. Where did this money come from? What if he told all these wealthy students the truth about the hotel room? If he revealed how quickly she betrayed him, her carefully crafted high society reputation would shatter overnight.

She took a step backward and felt entirely overwhelmed by panic.

Julian noticed her trembling. He stepped close and kept his voice to a harsh whisper to avoid the eavesdropping students.

"Chloe, calm down," Julian muttered. "Think about this logically. He is just playing a game."

Chloe swallowed hard. Her eyes darted between Julian and the massive construction site across the street.

"He spent the last two years acting like your obedient servant," Julian sneered. "He bought your food and did your homework just to get a smile from you. A little bit of sudden money does not change a person overnight."

"But he walked away from us at the hotel," Chloe whispered back.

"He was just throwing a tantrum because he got caught," Julian replied while adjusting the collar of his expensive shirt. "Look at the facts. If he truly wanted nothing to do with you, why buy the property directly across from our favorite restaurant?"

Julian smiled a predatory smile. "He is putting on a show just to get your attention. He is desperate for your validation. He wants you to beg him to come back."

The words washed over Chloe like a soothing balm. Julian had to be right.

Liam had always been painfully obedient. He craved her affection for years. He was probably waiting behind that chain-link fence right now, hoping she would finally tell him she was impressed by his wealth.

Her posture straightened immediately. The greedy gleam returned to her eyes.

If she played her cards right, she could easily manipulate him back into her control. With his newfound fortune, she could dominate the entire university social scene. She would never have to worry about tuition or cheap dinners again.

Chloe stepped forward and walked toward the property line with her arms wide open. She pasted on a radiant smile for the audience of wealthy students watching her every move.

"Liam, my sweet Liam!" Chloe called out loudly. She made sure her voice carried over the roar of the heavy machinery. "You really kept this a secret from me! You finally made something of yourself, and I could not be more proud of you." She reached out and prepared to embrace him. "Come here. I missed you."

Liam did not change his expression. He looked at the woman who locked him out into the freezing polar storm to die.

In his past life, she traded his devotion for a fake bunker pass. Now she offered him fake affection simply because he held a thick bank account. It was pathetic.

As Chloe leaned in for the hug, Liam raised his right hand.

A sharp explosive crack echoed through the crisp night air.

The slap was brutally heavy. It connected perfectly with Chloe right across her cheek. The sheer physical force spun her around on her heels. She stumbled awkwardly and collapsed onto the dusty concrete sidewalk.

A stunned, horrifying silence fell over the gathered crowd of students. The elite patrons of The Ivy Room could not believe their eyes.

Chloe touched her burning cheek. A bright red handprint was already swelling on her skin. She looked up at Liam. Her eyes grew wide with disbelief and rising terror.

"Are you insane?" Julian roared to break the silence.

He charged forward with his fists clenched tight. Julian stopped right in front of Liam. His face flushed bright red with rage.

"How can you treat a woman like this?" Julian shouted for the crowd to hear. "She loved you!

She gave you the best years of her life when you had nothing!"

Julian pointed a shaking finger at Liam. "You are just an ungrateful coward throwing a tantrum because she finally realized she deserved better!"

Julian tried to immediately spin Liam into the villain of the story. He wanted the crowd to forget the loyalty test and focus on the violence.

Liam tilted his head slightly. His cold eyes locked onto Julian.

Without a single word of warning, Liam swung his arm again.

Another sickening crack split the air. Julian did not just stumble. The backhand slap caught him directly on the jaw and lifted him slightly off his feet. He crashed backward into the temporary construction fencing with a heavy thud. Julian groaned in pain and spat a mouthful of blood onto the pavement.

Chloe screamed and rushed to his side. She looked from Julian and his bleeding mouth to Liam and his towering presence. A sickening wave of regret washed over her. She had truly lost him forever.

"You want to talk about love?" Liam asked. His voice was not loud, but the icy edge in his tone made several students shiver. "Do not speak to me about morality while her perfume still reeks off your collar from your hotel room."

The crowd of students collectively gasped.

The scandalous revelation swept through them like wildfire. The students whispered excitedly about the cheating scandal. Chloe and Julian lost their perfect high society image entirely right in front of their peers.

"You..." Julian stammered while holding his bruised jaw. "You are dead, Liam. You think some money makes you untouchable?"

"I think it makes me your landlord," Liam replied smoothly.

He pulled a pristine white handkerchief from his jacket pocket and slowly wiped his knuckles. He looked at the bleeding heir and the trembling girl on the ground.

"Let me make something clear to all of you," Liam said to the elite crowd. "I bought this property for one reason only. I am building my own life without parasites dragging me down."

Liam tossed the used handkerchief onto the ground at Chloe and her lover. He stepped back behind his property line and signaled the site manager to close the gates.

"If any of you step foot onto my land again," Liam warned coldly, "I will have my security break your legs."