Benjamin Wayne's Rise to Power

Chapter 5

The moment Ryan and Rose stormed out of the garden, the air seemed to settle again. For the first time since they appeared, Benjamin could breathe.

The manager turned to him at once, his posture stiff with guilt. “Sir, I sincerely apologize for their behavior.”

“You don’t need to,” Benjamin said. “They’re not your problem.”

The manager shook his head. “Even so, they caused trouble under my watch. I take that seriously.”

He paused, choosing his words carefully. “I will arrange two plainclothes bodyguards to accompany you from now on. They will stay out of sight but close enough to step in if something like this happens.”

That startled Benjamin. “Bodyguards? Isn’t that a bit much?”

“Not for someone of your status,” the manager said quietly.

Benjamin wasn’t sure what his status even was yet, but the manager continued before he could reply.

“There is another matter. Your appearance…” He hesitated. “Some might mistake you for staff. If you would allow it, we can provide several new outfits.”

Ah. Clothes. Benjamin raised an eyebrow.

His eyes dropped to his faded shirt and worn-out jeans. The manager wasn’t wrong. For the first time in years, he actually felt self-conscious.

Then he remembered what the guard had said. The rich and elites dressed simply. Custom-made, understated, quiet. Only the insecure flaunted the latest labels.

“No logos. Just a few outfits that look… old money, I guess.”

The manager’s relief was instant. “Of course. We will have them tailored and delivered to your suite in the morning.”

Benjamin almost smiled. “Thanks.”

The manager bowed slightly, almost too respectfully. “Please rest well, Sir.”

The next morning, sunlight slipped through the tall windows and warmed the edge of the king-size bed. It was softer than anything Benjamin had ever slept in. He lingered for a moment, sinking into the blankets, wondering if this kind of comfort would ever stop feeling unreal.

But reality wasn’t going to wait for him.

He got up, showered, and changed into one of the outfits left neatly folded on a chair. The fabric was clean and tailored. The shirt hugged him perfectly without feeling tight. Not a single label in sight. The pants fit as though they had been measured on him. Even the shoes felt custom-made.

Simple. Comfortable. Clean.

He looked almost like someone who belonged somewhere.

Almost.

Benjamin grabbed his backpack and headed down. The manager was already in the lobby, standing with two men who blended into the setting too well.

“Your escorts,” the manager said quietly. “They will stay discreet.”

Benjamin nodded. “Alright.”

With that, he left the hotel and made his way to campus. It felt strange walking through the gates in clothes that actually fit. No one stared at him for looking shabby. They stared because he didn’t look shabby at all.

Memovile University wasn’t a bad school. It was just… shallow. Most students came from comfortable families and made sure everyone knew it. A few were like Benjamin, stuck between wanting to belong and knowing they never truly would.

Back then, he could have gone somewhere better, but scholarships only covered so much. His adoptive parents wouldn’t pay so much as a cent so long as it involved him. Memovile University offered a half scholarship. That was it. End of discussion. So he ended up stuck in the same place as Ryan.

Lucky him.

When Benjamin stepped into Professor Aaron Caldwell’s classroom, the vibe shifted instantly. Everyone stopped talking and turned their gaze toward him.

Even Professor Caldwell paused mid-sentence.

For a moment, Benjamin simply stood there as their eyes locked onto him as if he had grown horns.

Then Ryan’s voice cut through the silence.

“Look who finally crawled out of the security booth.”

A ripple of laughter broke out around him.

Benjamin turned toward the sound. Ryan and Rose were lounging in the back row, flanked by his usual entourage. Ryan leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on Benjamin with a sharp, hungry kind of amusement—like a pack waiting for the signal to pounce.

Benjamin smiled faintly and took his seat.

“If someone who bought his way in can attend class, then why can’t I?” he said, turning just enough to see Ryan’s face.

Ryan’s expression tightened. “At least I didn’t sneak into a hotel like a rat,” he shot back.

Benjamin shrugged. “But you got slapped like one.”

The laughter that erupted was quick and sharp.

Professor Caldwell cleared his throat loudly. “Benjamin.”

The whole room quieted.

“You may think you’re being funny, but I suggest you treat Ryan better. With his family rising in influence, someone like you should learn to be polite.” His smile was thin and petty. “There is a reason people like him will always excel. And people like you… well. You should understand your limits.”

Benjamin couldn’t hold back a small laugh. “Professor, maybe you should focus on teaching instead of kissing up to students. I mean… you could get involved in a scandal one day, if you’re not careful.”

Gasps rippled through the room.

Professor Caldwell’s face turned a violent shade of red. “You—how dare you speak to me like that! I could fail you!”

Benjamin met his glare calmly. “You can try.”

A chair scraped loudly as someone stood up. One of Ryan’s goons, Chris, cracked his knuckles.

“That’s it. I’m tired of listening to this loser.” He jerked his chin toward a few guys behind him. “Let’s teach him a lesson.”

Behind Benjamin, there was movement. The hair on the back of his neck rose. His bodyguards were probably already watching.

He stood and looked Chris dead in the eye. “Try it.”

He didn’t raise his voice, but something in his tone must have gotten through. Chris hesitated. His friends exchanged confused looks.

Before anyone moved, another voice cut in.

“Seriously? You guys sound like gangsters.” Elise crossed her arms, then shifted her gaze to Ryan. “This is school. You’re going way too far.”

Elise had always been decent. Benjamin expected nothing less, considering she came from a wealthy middle-class family. Unlike the others, she had never looked at him or treated him like dirt.

Ryan scoffed. “Relax. I’m not going to hit him.” He pointed at Benjamin. “But he embarrassed both me and Rose last night. And there has to be a price for that.”

Benjamin raised an eyebrow. “Price? And what’s this price, if I may ask?”

Ryan leaned back with smug confidence. “Well, our fraternity is having dinner at the Grand Prix Hotel tonight. Foot the bills and we’ll call it even—that’s if you can.”

The class went silent.

Elise stepped forward. “Are you crazy? You’re trying to trap him. The Grand Prix Hotel? Ryan, that’s thousands of dollars. You know he doesn’t have that kind of money.”

Ryan smirked. “That’s the point.”

Benjamin looked at Elise for a moment, then back at Ryan. Then he smiled—the kind that twisted just enough to make Ryan’s smirk falter.

“Ryan,” he called out. “Deal.”