2025-11-12 20:24:42They both stood frozen, staring through the glass. Declan walked through the garden with his hands in his pocket, looking completely calm and peaceful.
“This doesn't make sense,” Carlos muttered as his hands balled into fists, “There's no way he can afford to stay here,”
Laura's eyes narrowed, “Maybe he's working here? Like security or maintenance?”
Carlos’ jaw tightened. Something was wrong, “Come on,” he grabbed Laura's arm roughly, “We’re going to find out what the hell is going on,”
They walked through the doors that led to the garden. The cold night air hit them, carrying the scent of flowers and fresh grass.
Declan was about thirty feet ahead, still walking at that maddening calm pace.
“Declan!” Carlos shouted. Declan stopped and turned around slowly.
For just a moment, surprise flickered in his face. Then it was gone.
Carlos and Laura approached him fast, confusion written all over their faces.
“How can you be here?” Laura demanded, “Shouldn't you be in your storage room?”
Declan looked at them both, with an unreadable expression, “I could ask you the same thing,”
Carlos stepped forward, “Don't play games with us, Declan. Even if you didn't like that storage room, that doesn't mean you can sneak into a six star hotel,”
“I didn't sneak in. I entered legally,” Declan said, simply.
Laura gave a humourless laugh, giving Declan a demeaning look, “Stop lying. Do you know how much a night at the Grand Silverton costs? More than three Dior bags. And it took you three whole months to save up for one. So there's no way in hell you can afford this place,”
Declan’s jaw tightened. His fists clenched at his side, “It doesn't matter. I'm staying here. Deal with it,”
Carlos pulled out his phone with a snug smirk on his face, “Security! We need security right now. There's someone who snuck into the hotel,”
In the next couple of minutes, two security guards arrived. They looked between Carlos, Declan and Laura.
“What seems to be the problem?” One of them asked.
“This man –” Laura pointed at Declan, “ – snuck into your hotel. He doesn't belong here. He can't even afford to be here. You need to throw him out immediately before he causes more problems,”
The security guard frowned. He looked at Declan, taking in his casual clothes and worn sneakers.
“Sir, we can't judge whether one is a legitimate guest based solely on their appearance,”
Carlos’ face went red, “What are you talking about? Look at him. He works at Walmart,”
The other guard spoke in a patient but firm tone, “Actually, sir, many of our wealthiest guests prefer to dress casually. Old money often prefers understated clothing. It's usually new money that prefer flashy things,”
His eyes flicked to the Hermès bag Laura was clutching.
Laura's face flushed red from embarrassment. She tried to hide the bag behind her. Carlos, on the other hand, looked like he'd been slapped.
“That's ridiculous,” He snapped, “I demand to speak to your manager,”
The first guard nodded, “Of course. We'll need to speak to the manager anyway to confirm. Please wait here,”
As the guard walked away, Carlos turned to Laura with a smug grin, “Perfect. Once the manager gets here, Declan’s finished.”
“You know The Grand Silverton belongs to the Apex Financial Group right?” Laura said, her eyes shining with malicious glee, "Once Declan gets blacklisted by this hotel, it's over for him. He'll be blacklisted by every property Apex owns,”
Carlos laughed, “That’s right. Then, he would be a loser for the rest of his pathetic life. He'll be gossip fodder for everyone at school. The school’s biggest mistake. Truly pathetic,”
"At least I earned my job," Declan shot back. "What have you ever earned that daddy didn't buy you?”
Carlos' face darkened but he pushed on.
“Meanwhile,” He said as his hands wrapped around Laura's waist and pulled her closer, “We’ll move on to our internships at top financial institutions. We'll lock down amazing offers right after graduation. And Declan?”
He looked at Declan with pure contempt.
“You’ll be stocking shelves and taking out trash,”
Laura giggled and ran a finger down Carlos’ chin then turned to Declan, “Maybe we'll come visit you at Walmart sometimes. You know, just to say hi to an old classmate,”
Declan smiled slightly. "You might want to wait on that visit.”
“Here comes the manager,” Carlos said, his grin widening “This is going to be good,”
Manager Liu appeared, walking quickly across the garden to where they stood.
“What's happening here?” He asked, with a composed look on his face.
“Manager, I'm a paying guest at this hotel,” Carlos said, taking a step forward, “Room 1847. And I have to say I am completely appalled by the security here. How can a six - star hotel let just anyone sneak in?”
He pointed at Declan, “This man doesn't belong here. He's broke but somehow he's wondering around your private garden like he owns the place,”
Manager Lou's eyes landed on Declan and his face went deathly pale.
Carlos saw this and his grin got even wider, “See, even the manager knows this is unacceptable. We demand he be thrown out this instant. And honestly, after this experience, I think you should comp our room,”
“Absolutely,” Laura chimed in, nodding enthusiastically, “This has completely ruined our evening,”
Manager Liu’s mouth opened, then closed. He looked at Declan, then back at Carlos and Laura. When he finally spoke, his voice was almost a whisper, “You're right. This truly is my mistake,”
“Finally, some accountability around here,” Carlos said as he threw his hands up.
“I really didn't let anyone in,” Manager Liu continued.
Laura smiled triumphantly, “Exactly. So throw him out and –”
Manager Liu’s had moved so fast and a slap connected with Carlos’ face with a sharp crack that echoed across the garden.
Carlos stumbled backward and his hand flew to his cheek, “What the –”
“The Grand Silverton does not welcome guests like you,” Manager Liu said coldly.
The garden went completely silent, even the wind seemed to stop. Carlos stood frozen, staring at the manager with wide eyes. His cheek was already turning red where he'd been hit.
“Did you…did you just hit me?” Carlos asked, still in disbelief.
“You must have made a mistake,” Laura said. She sounded panicky now, “We’re the paying guests here. Not him. We paid four thousand dollars for our room. We even have the receipt,”
Manager Liu gave her an icy look, “There’s no mistake. Someone like this gentleman,” He gestured to Declan, “is exactly who belongs to at the Grand Silverton. You two? You don't,”
“But…but how did he even get in? Everyone knows he doesn’t have any money,” Laura asked.
Declan finally spoke, calmly, “I came to the hotel. Met with the manager. Got in without paying.”
Laura's eyes lit up as if she had just solved a puzzle, “Oh! So you came here to work as security?”
She turned to Carlos with a look of relief on her face, “See? I told you there had to be an explanation. He's working here,”
With a nod, Carlos turned to Manager Liu, his voice indignant, “I can't believe this establishment would place security guards over paying guests. This is outrageous. And you know what? We won't be staying at a hotel with such backward priorities anyway,”
He grabbed Laura's hand and started to walk away with his head held high. Just then, his phone rang.
He pulled it out and glanced at the screen, “It's my parents,” He answered, “Hello?”
As the person on the other end of the line began talking, his face went from smug to shocked to furious in seconds. His whole body went rigid.
“What? When did this happen? Who –” He stopped and listened. His eyes, filled with pure hatred, slowly moved to Declan, “I understand. I'll handle it.”
He hung up.
“You sent people to beat up my parents,” He said through gritted teeth.
Declan didn't answer, he only stare at Carlos with the same blank expression.
“You're going to regret this,” Carlos spat, “I'm going to make your life hell at school. Every single day. I'll make sure everyone knows what sort of trash you are. You'll wish you weren't born,”
He turned to Laura, “Let's go now,”
They left the garden fast with Laura practically running to keep up with Carlos' angry strides.
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Chapter 0155 - The Invitation
The envelope arrived on a Tuesday morning.It came through channels that told Declan immediately it wasn't ordinary correspondence. Not through Steele Corporation's mail system or through Franklin's usual network. It appeared on his desk in the training facility after his morning session with Edmund, placed there by someone who had accessed a room that regular staff didn't enter. The seal on the back was a jade-coloured phoenix in raised wax.He brought it to Edmund without opening it.His grandfather looked at the seal for a moment and then nodded once. "Open it," he said.Inside was a single card, heavyweight paper, the text printed in a style that was formal without being decorative. An invitation to a gathering of young cultivation talents from various families and organizations. The host was identified as the Jade Phoenix Society. The date was one month out. The location would be communicated separately to confirmed attendees.Edmund sat with the card in his hands for a while aft
Chapter 0154 - Growing
Georgina's last evening at the estate, they walked through the gardens after dinner.The grounds were lit at intervals along the paths, the main buildings visible behind them through the trees, the night sky clearer out here than it ever was in Boston.She had been quiet since dinner, not unhappily, more like someone processing a large amount of information and finding that it was taking longer than expected."Say what you're thinking," Declan said.She was quiet for another moment. "It's a lot," she said finally. "This place, your family, the scale of everything." She looked at the main building visible through the treeline. "I keep thinking about the café on Meridian Street where we used to sit and talk, and then I look at this and the distance between those two things is difficult to hold in your head at once.""I know," Declan said. "I live that distance every day.""Does it feel strange to you still?""Sometimes," he said honestly. "Less than it did."She looked at him. "Do you t
Chapter 0153 - The Visit
The crowd's reaction came in two distinct waves.From one side of the seating, genuine applause, building quickly into something sustained and loud. From the other side, where Sebastian's supporters had been most vocal during the duel, a silence that was heavy and particular, the silence of people revising their positions in real time.Declan stood in the centre of the arena and breathed steadily while his legs finished their complaint about the Phoenix Rebirth Strike and went back to functioning normally. His vision had fully cleared. He felt emptied out in the specific way that complete energy release produced, not weak exactly, more like a room after everything has been moved out of it, spacious and quiet.He looked across at Edmund.His grandfather was not applauding. He was sitting very still with his hands resting on his knees and an expression on his face that Declan had not seen there before. Something open and unguarded that the old man made no effort to conceal.His mother w
Chapter 0152 - Phoenix Rebirth
Sebastian entered first.He walked into the arena with the ease of someone who had been in formal settings his entire life and knew exactly how to use them. The cultivation robes he wore were elaborate, dark with gold detailing at the collar and cuffs, clearly chosen for the occasion. The ceremonial sword at his hip was decorative, its purpose symbolic rather than practical, but it completed the image he was presenting to the crowd. He bowed to the family elders with practiced precision and took his position at the far end of the arena.Several people in the crowd applauded.Declan entered from the opposite side.He was wearing a simpler outfit, dark and clean, nothing ceremonial about it. He bowed to the elders and walked to his position and stood there looking across the arena at Sebastian without any particular expression on his face.The elder who was officiating stepped to the centre and addressed the crowd and then both fighters in turn. The rules were clear and standard. The du
Chapter 0152 - The Duel
Declan raised the challenge at a family dinner three days after his father's warning.He waited for a natural pause in the conversation and then looked directly at Sebastian across the table and said, "I'd like to propose a formal cultivation duel. You and me. In front of the family."The table went quiet immediately.Sebastian set down his wine glass slowly. Whatever he had been expecting from Declan, this apparently wasn't it. He looked at Declan for a moment with the expression of someone recalculating.Then he smiled. "Accepted," he said.The confidence in his voice was genuine, which told Declan that Sebastian believed he had already won. Years of formal cultivation training from childhood, within a family that had practiced these methods for generations, against someone who had started learning a few months ago under a field medic at a war zone. From Sebastian's perspective the outcome was straightforward.The duel was scheduled for one week out.Edmund called Declan to the trai
Chapter 0151 - Settling In
The routine established itself within the first week. Mornings with Edmund in the training facility. The sessions ran two hours on easy days and closer to three when Edmund decided Declan was ready for the next layer of something. The old man was a demanding teacher, more exacting than The Physician had been and with considerably more depth to draw from. He rarely praised directly but Declan had learned to read the small indicators, the slight nod, the adjustment of a technique that meant the previous version had been accepted rather than corrected. His cultivation was progressing in ways he could feel clearly. The energy he could access was deeper and more responsive than what he had worked with at the Northern Border. The Phoenix Heart Ring was a constant presence, warming slightly each morning when he settled into practice as if it recognized what was happening and was participating in it. Afternoons with his parents in the Steele Corporation offices, which occupied an entire wi
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