Benjamin Wayne's Rise to Power

Chapter 8

Third-person POV

For a moment no one moved. The server straightened, his stiff posture turning respectful in seconds.

Benjamin leaned back in his chair. He didn’t look shaken or triumphant. He looked relaxed. Almost bored.

Ryan stared at the receipt as if the numbers might rearrange themselves if he blinked hard enough.

Then Benjamin smiled. Not the warm kind. The sort that came from watching someone trip over their own bragging.

“You all ordered well,” he said. “For people who thought I couldn’t pay.”

Someone let out a small gasp. Ryan’s face drained a shade lighter.

Benjamin stood up, pushed in his chair, and dusted off his sleeve like he had just finished a casual lunch instead of dropping three hundred fifty thousand without a second thought.

“Next time,” he added, “don’t challenge someone you don’t understand.”

Ryan jolted in his seat. “You—”

Benjamin didn’t give him the chance. He turned to the server.

“I’m done here.”

The server bowed nearly ninety degrees. The same man who earlier recommended the lowest tier now spoke with care.

“Thank you for dining with us, sir.”

Benjamin walked out of the private room without looking back. His steps were steady and unhurried. 

And just like that, the room lost its oxygen.

Every pair of eyes turned to Ryan.

The server cleared his throat. “Sir, your portion remains. Three hundred fifty thousand dollars.”

Ryan stared, still frozen. Color crept back into his cheeks, blotchy and uneven.

“What?”

“Your portion,” the server repeated. “Half of the Imperial tier bill.”

The silence that followed was brutal.

Someone at the far end whispered, “Wait, he wasn’t joking?”

Another voice came in, higher pitched, almost breaking. “Three hundred fifty thousand? Are you serious?”

Ryan’s jaw fell open. His mind tried to catch up, but all he found was panic.

The server looked at him expectantly. “Sir, will you be paying now?”

Eyes fell on Ryan from every direction. Dozens of them. This time none held admiration. They only held fear of being stuck with him.

The server sensing the situation, alerted the manager. 

Ryan swallowed hard as sweat trickled down his neck. In less than two minutes the manager walked in with two more security guards.

“What seems to be the problem?” the manager asked calmly, though his eyes were sharp.

The server stepped forward and explained everything.

The manager nodded, then turned to Ryan. His expression dropped into something cold. “Sir, do you have the means to pay this bill?”

Ryan’s legs shook. “I… yes. I mean… no. Not all of it. I’m short.”

“By how much?”

“Three hundred thousand.”

Gasps exploded around them.

The manager’s voice hardened. “Then you must find a solution quickly.”

Ryan’s breath came out fast and shallow. He was shaking so badly his phone nearly slipped from his hand.

“I… I’ll call someone.”

He grabbed his phone and stood up so fast his chair fell over. The sound echoed off the walls. He dialed one number, then another, then another. Each time his voice dropped further.

“No, Dad’s already sent money… no, I can’t get more… it’s for a misunderstanding… no, I can’t explain the details…”

“Hey man, please, I need a favor… three hundred fifty—hello?”

“Auntie, I know it’s a lot but—Auntie?”

Every call ended the same way.

Someone sighed heavily and a few people stood to leave. But before they got far, the manager raised a hand. “Excuse me. No one may leave the premises until the outstanding balance is resolved.”

He signaled toward the hallway.

Two security guards stepped forward immediately.

The fifth person halfway out froze.

“What kind of place is this?” he snapped.

The manager didn’t even blink. “Our policy clearly states that all guests who participate in a group meal are considered jointly accountable for any unpaid balance.”

The room erupted.

“This is insane.”

“I only came because Ryan said it was free.”

“Hey, don’t look at me, I barely ate anything.”

“Ryan, pay the fuck up! You dragged us here.”

Ryan’s face twisted. “And why should I be the one to pay the whole thing? You all ate too, didn't you?”

A heavy thud shook the table.

Sean Calder, the one everyone knew had a temper like dry gasoline, slammed both hands down and rose from his seat. His chair scraped harshly behind him. He grabbed Ryan by the collar and yanked him up.

“You said you’d pay,” he growled. “You bragged about it all day. And now you want us to cover for you?”

Ryan flailed. “I— I didn’t know—”

“Shut up,” Sean snapped. “You wanted to look rich. Pay like you said you would.”

“I—I’m not trying to back out,” he stammered. “I’m saying it’s too much. Three hundred thousand is insane. Who has that kind of money lying around?”

Sean pulled him closer. “Better figure it out.”

A few of the others shifted uncomfortably, but no one stepped in. Not because they agreed, but because they all knew how quickly Sean's temper could ignite. A fight here would only make things worse.

For a second, he looked like a trapped animal. His gaze darted wildly around the room.

Then he saw someone at the edge of the group.

Terence Lin.

The son of Lin Corporation’s CEO. Quiet, aloof, always dressed cleanly but never loudly. He rarely spoke more than a few sentences in class. He didn’t need to. Everyone knew who he was and what his family was worth.

Ryan’s face lit up with a flicker of desperate hope.

He slipped out of Sean’s grip and hurried over to Terence, lowering his voice so the others wouldn’t hear.

“Terence… help me out,” he said. “Just cover the difference. Please. I’ll pay you back, I swear.”

Terence lifted his eyes from the menu he’d been absentmindedly flipping through. His expression didn’t change.

“And why would I do that?”

His tone wasn’t cruel. It wasn’t even emotional. It was cold in that detached, effortless way that came from someone who grew up watching people scramble for his approval.

Ryan swallowed. “Because you can afford it. And we’re in the same fraternity. Isn’t that worth something?”

“No,” Terence said simply.

Ryan blinked. “What?”

Terence closed the menu and stood. “I have money. That part is true. But you’re not worth spending it on.”

The words landed like a punch.

Ryan’s mouth opened and shut. “Terence, please—”

Terence’s gaze cut through him. “Don’t beg. It’s embarrassing.”

Ryan flinched.

Then Terence turned away from him and walked toward the manager, who straightened immediately, adjusting his tie.

“Sir,” the manager said carefully. “If you intend to leave, I’m required to inform you that the exit is temporarily restricted until the bill is resolved.”

Terence studied him for a moment.

“You’re going to stop me?”

The manager didn’t answer at first. His posture stiffened. His fingers tightened around the tablet. You could almost see the calculation happening behind his eyes. Lin Corporation. Memorized faces. Memorized hierarchies. Hotel training manuals filled with lines about who you could inconvenience and who you absolutely could not.

He stepped aside at once.

“My apologies. You are free to leave.”

Terence nodded once, then walked toward the door without another word.

The security guards silently parted for him.

No one dared call after him. No one tried to follow.

Everyone then turned their attention back to Ryan.

"Sir, are you paying or do I need to take drastic actions?" The manager asked once more, his patience running thin.

Someone scoffed. Another cursed under their breath and once again, the room buzzed with panic.

Sean shoved him. “What are you waiting for?? Pay up, you idiot!"

Ryan’s voice cracked. “I don’t have that kind of money. I really don’t.”

"Your family has money.”

“Not liquid money!” Ryan shouted back. “Even they don’t keep three hundred thousand lying around.”

That only made things worse.

Sean's fist came down on Ryan’s shoulder. Ryan yelped, stumbling into the table.

“You useless idiot,” Sean spat. “First you drag us here. Now you can’t even pay.”

Before he could strike again, a familiar voice called out.

“Ryan?”

Everyone turned.

Rose rushed in, her heels clicking sharply on the marble floor. Her makeup was perfect, her outfit expensive, her bag gleaming.

She looked around the room, confused and annoyed. “Someone told me you were in trouble. What happened?”

Ryan lit up like a drowning man spotting a lifeboat. “Thank God you’re here.”

He rushed to her, grabbing her hands. “I need your help. I’m short on a bill. Three hundred and fifty thousand.”

Rose froze.

Her smile slipped.

Her eyes widened into disbelief. “Three hundred fifty—what?”

“No time to explain,” Ryan said quickly. “I just need the money. Right now.”

Before she could answer, Ryan snatched her Hermès bag from her arm. She gasped. “Ryan!”

He dug inside without shame, pulling out her wallet, her diamond earrings, her bracelet, even the necklace she wore. He piled everything onto the table with frantic hands.

“Stop!” she shouted. “Ryan, what are you doing?”

“If I don’t pay, they’ll lock us all inside,” he snapped. Sweat poured down his face. “Don’t argue.”

He emptied the last of her things and then reached into his own pockets. He pulled out his own cards, cash, even a few red envelopes.

All of it together still wasn’t enough.

“Wait,” Ryan muttered. “Wait, I have more. My parents sent money earlier. Combine that with your things…”

He calculated with shaking hands.

Finally, he forced a breath. “Three hundred fifty. Barely.”

He handed everything to the manager.

The manager counted it with professional calm, then nodded. “The amount is sufficient.”

The tension in the room broke like a snapped wire. People exhaled. Someone actually cheered weakly. Chairs scraped as everyone rushed to leave before anything else could go wrong.

Rose stood stiff, watching her jewelry disappear into the manager’s box.

She had no words.

As the frat members filed out, she grabbed Ryan hard. “What happened?”

Ryan wiped sweat from his forehead. His legs nearly buckled. “It’s all because of him. Benjamin. He didn’t have the money, so he must have borrowed it. He ruined himself just to spite me.” He forced a bitter laugh. “Let’s see how long he survives after owing that much.”

Rose stared at him. “And what about me? My bag. My jewelry. You took everything. What am I supposed to do now?”

Ryan snapped. “You’re really going to complain right now? Why do you always think about yourself? I almost got destroyed today and all you care about is a bag?”

Her mouth dropped open.

Ryan rubbed his temples, exhausted. “Look, it’s fine. I already arranged something. My family has connections. We can both intern at Trinity Corporations. It’s owned by Mercury Corporation. We’ll be set for life. Stop worrying.”

Her face brightened instantly. “Really?”

He nodded. “Of course.”

She clung to his arm, smiling again.