2025-11-12 20:27:59Carlos stared at Declan like he'd just sprouted a second head. Then he burst out laughing.
Loud and mocking laughter filled the entire class room.
“You have money?” Carlos said as he wiped tears from his eyes, “Oh, man. That's rich. You really are something, Declan,”
The rest of the class joined in. People snickered and pointed at Declan's clothes.
“Take a look at that outfit,” A red-haired boy from the back called out, “Custom made poverty,”
“Yeah, I can see the ‘brand’” Another voice called out, “Goodwill Special Edition,”
The class erupted in laughter again. Laura placed a hand over her mouth, her shoulders shaking.
Carlos was still grinning as he leaned forward in his seat, “Let me guess. Did you get a raise from working security last night? What did they pay you? Fifty bucks?”
He paused for dramatic effect, “Or wait, maybe they gave you a nice tip? Someone felt sorry for the poor guy in the security booth?”
Declan's expression remained blank, “You don't need to know where I got the money. You just need to know that I'm willing and able to pay,”
“Willing and able,” Carlos repeated, mocking his tone. He looked around at his friends, “Did you hear that? He's willing and able,”
More laughter erupted from the class. Louis slapped his knee, “This is gold,”
Laura shook her head with a satisfied smile on her face. She leaned into Carlos and said, loud enough for the people nearby to hear, “Thank God I cut ties with that fool. Can you imagine? When he empties his pocket trying to save face tonight, where would I go to ask him for money? I really dodged a bullet,”
Carlos kissed the top of her head and caressed her hair, “You sure did, babe,”
Declan waited for the laughter to die down. Then he spoke up again, “My treat comes with one condition,”
The laughter stopped and Carlos raised a brow, “And what would that be, Declan?”
“We split the cost fifty-fifty. You and me,”
There was complete silence again. Everyone stared at Declan.
Then Carlos threw his head back and laughed even harder than before, “Fifty-fifty?. You want me to split the bill with you?” He stood up, still laughing, “Oh, man. This keeps getting better. You really think you can afford even half?”
“Do we have a deal or not?” Declan asked, his hands in his pocket as he stared straight at Carlos.
Carlos’ grin widened. He looked like a cat that had just cornered a mouse, “Deal. Absolutely. Fifty percent is still a price you can never afford in your wildest dreams,”
He walked closer, stopping a few feet away from Declan, “But sure. Let's make it interesting, shall we? When you can't pay your half, I want you on your knees in front of everyone,”
After a short pause, he added, “Begging,”
“Fine,” Declan said with a small smirk.
Louis stood up from his seat, grinning, “This is going to be legendary. I'll be sure to record you begging on your knees. That'll go viral on campus,”
“It's settled then,” Carlos said as he extended his hand mockingly.
Declan didn't take it. He just turned and walked out of the classroom, shoulders squared.
Behind him, the excited whispers started again. This was going to be the event of the semester.
___
Classes ended shortly after.
The energy in the building was electric. Word of what had happened had spread fast and by the time the final bell rang, it seemed like half the school knew about the dinner at Marconi's.
Carlos gathered the fraternity members in the main courtyard. They were all dressed in expensive clothes, designer shoes and watches that cost more than a semester’s tuition.
“Alright boys,” Carlos announced, “Tonight, we are eating like kings. And the best part? Someone else is paying,”
Cheers went up. Some of the members laughed and high fived themselves.
“Where's the chump?” Louis asked, looking around.
“Probably chickened out,” Someone said.
“Nah, he'll show,” Carlos said confidently, “He's too stupid and too proud to back down now,”
Laura appeared beside him and linked her arm through his, “Should we head over, baby?”
“Yes, let's go,”
The group moved together, heading towards the parking lot. Some got into their own cars and others piled into vehicles together. It looked like a parade of wealth.
Marconi's was a twenty minutes drive from the campus. The restaurant – a very beautiful and modern structure – sat on a hill overlooking the city. It was the kind of place where you needed a reservation weeks in advance.
When Carlos and the group pulled up, valets rushed to take their cars. Soft classical music could be heard from inside.
“Damn,” Someone whispered, “This place is fancy,”
“I’ve never been here before,” Another fraternity member said, his eyes wide.
“My dad brought me here once, “ Louis said casually, “The steak cost three hundred bucks,”
Gasps rippled through the group.
Carlos looked around at his friends with satisfaction. “Tonight's going to be unforgettable. Trust me.”
They walked inside. The interior was even more impressive. Crystal chandeliers hung from the ceilings. White tablecloth covered each table and the silver ware looked like actual silver.
A server in a crisp, black suit approached them with a polite smile, “Gentlemen, welcome to Marconi's. Do you have a reservation?”
“We do,” Carlos said with confidence, “Under Reyes,”
The server checked his tablet, “Ah, yes. Party of thirty two. Right this way,”
He led them through the main dining area to a private room in the back. People eating at other tables looked up as they walked by.
Some frowned – a large group of college students obviously was not the usual clientele here.
The private room was spacious with a long table set for their party. The floor to ceiling windows gave a breathtaking view of the city.
“Where’s Declan?” Laura asked as she looked around.
“Not here yet,” Carlos said. He glanced at his wrist watch, “We're five minutes early. Give him time to embarrass himself,”
The server stood at the head of the table, waiting patiently. His eyes scanned the group, clearly trying to figure out who was in charge.
His gaze skipped over most of the and landed on Carlos who was dressed in an expensive designer shirt and had that air of wealth about him.
“Sir, what level of service would you like this evening?” The server asked Carlos directly.
Carlos grinned, “Oh, I'm not the one paying. He is,”
He pointed towards the door and everyone turned. Declan stood in the doorway. He'd arrived so quietly, no one has noticed.
The server’s eyes moved to Declan. He took in Declan's unimpressive outfit and his expression shifted to disdain.
“I see,” The server said slowly. He turned his attention to Declan and his tone became noticeably colder, “Sir, we offer several service tiers at Marconi's. We have our premium tier, our standard tier and our basic tier,”
He paused and his eyes travelled over Declan's clothes again, “Given the size of your party, I would recommend the basic tier. It's the most economical option.”
The fraternity members snickered. Laura rolled her eyes dramatically and Carlos stepped forward with an exaggerated look of concern on his face.
“Hold on. With this many people here,” Carlos said, “We can't possibly choose the basic tier,”
He looked at Declan, “Even if you're broke, you can't do that to us. It would be embarrassing,”
He turned back to the server, “Put us down for the standard tier,”
“That won't be necessary,” Declan said.
Carlos turned around slowly, his eyebrow raised, “What? You think we should go for the basic tier after all?”
Then he laughed, “You expect all these people to suffer through the worst service because you're poor?”
“I didn't say I'd choose the basic tier,” Declan replied.
“Then what –” Carlos started.
“I want the premium tier,”
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Latest Chapter
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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