From Zero To Trillions

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Meanwhile, in a private room, a few young men were lounging on the couch, the sound of clinking glasses and boisterous laughter filling the air. Sabrina, Georgina, and Ariana, however, sat huddled on the far end of the couch, their bodies a collective shiver of nerves. The air around them felt thick with unspoken dread, a stark understanding of the carefree atmosphere of the men.

This whole mess, surprisingly, hadn't started with Ariana or Georgina. The blame, if you could call it that, lay squarely with Sabrina. She’d had a rather spirited disagreement with someone yesterday, which ended with a rather unceremonious thump. But because the three of them were a package deal at the time, the offended party had simply scooped them all up. A "buy one, get two free" kind of situation, if you will, though definitely not the fun kind.

Sabrina was practically radiating regret. If she'd known the person she’d bumped (or perhaps launched) into yesterday was someone with actual connections and a powerful background, she would have politely curtsied and offered them tea. The man she'd offended was Dante Fest. Dante himself wasn't exactly a titan of terror, but his older brother, Antonio, was a different story.

Antonio was a name whispered with a mix of awe and trepidation across the entire university. He reportedly controlled about eighty percent of the bars and internet cafes in the vicinity. Any student who dared to cross him didn’t just not end up well; they often ended up wishing they’d studied harder for their escape routes.

A sudden, sharp knock, knock echoed through the room, making all three girls jump.

“Come in.” Antonio, who was practically enthroned in the middle of the couch, responded with an expression that could curdle milk.

The door creaked open, and Kelvin shuffled in, looking like a nervous puppy. He bowed slightly to Antonio, his voice shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. “Hello, Mr… Mr. Antonio.”

“Kelvin, it’s you.” Antonio’s response was so indifferent it was almost chilly.

A tiny, desperate glimmer of hope flickered in Sabrina's, Georgina’s, and Ariana’s eyes. If Kelvin really knew Antonio, maybe—just maybe—things wouldn't be as dire as they currently seemed.

“Mr. Antonio,” Kelvin began, his voice a pleading whisper. “My girlfriend, she… she didn't know any better and ended up, uh, redecorating your brother's face. Could you please, please forgive her mistake and let her go? I promise you, this would never, ever repeat itself again. We’ll even get her a crash course in advanced spatial awareness.”

A slow, almost predatory smile spread across Antonio’s face. “Hahahah, Kelvin, since you’re the one asking, I suppose I can grant you this favor.” He paused, letting the words hang in the air before continuing. “I was honestly planning on letting my boys have a little fun with these three girls, but since they’re your… acquaintances, I’ll let this one slide. Only if you agree to pay for my brother’s medical expenses, and then you can take them away. Consider it a discount for knowing you.”

Kelvin chewed on his bottom lip, a silent battle raging within him. “How much medical bills are we talking about?” he questioned, his voice barely audible.

Antonio pointed a casual finger at Sabrina. “The girl who hit him owes not much… a mere six thousand dollars. And the other two? Just three thousand USD each.”

Kelvin stood there, utterly stunned. His mind raced. He’d just blown fifteen thousand USD yesterday, a sum his dad had mercifully bailed him out on. And now, Antonio was asking for another twelve thousand USD? His pockets felt emptier than a politician’s promise.

“What’s the matter, boy? No money?” Antonio questioned, his eyebrow arching as he noticed Kelvin's rapidly paling face. A deep frown settled on his features.

“Mr. Antonio, ughh… isn’t twelve thousand USD dollars a bit too much?” Kelvin whispered, as if the walls had ears and a judging gaze.

Antonio leaned back, a smirk playing on his lips. “It’s fine if you don’t have the money. I would just have these three ladies spend a week with my brother, and afterwards my boys. Then we can call it even. Think of it as a… payment plan, with a very immersive experience.”

“No, no, please don’t do that!” Kelvin instantly pleaded, his voice cracking. He swallowed hard. “How about this, Mr. Antonio? You let me take them first, while you give me some time to gather the money. I promise you, I’ll pay you back. Every last cent, even if I have to sell a kidney. Not my kidney, of course, but someone’s.”

Antonio squinted at Kelvin, a long, assessing look. Then, in a low voice, he said, “Alright, just because we’ve known each other for a while, I suppose giving you some leeway won’t be bad. I remember that you have a car, right? Why don’t you leave the car keys with me? If you manage to gather the money in a month, I’ll return the key. If not, well, I’ve always wanted a new car to, you know, decorate.”

Kelvin stared at Antonio, a deep frown creasing his face. “No, no. It’s not that…” He sighed, shook his head, and with a defeated gesture, handed the car keys to Antonio. His beloved car, traded for… well, for the girls. He hoped his dad wouldn’t ask too many questions about its sudden disappearance.

“Good boy. Now take your girlfriend and leave.” Antonio said nonchalantly, jingling the keys in his hand.

“Let’s go.” Kelvin mumbled, looking at Sabrina, Georgina, and Ariana.

The three girls sprang up instantly, ready to bolt for the door. But just as they were about to make their grand exit, Antonio’s voice cut through the air. “When did I say the three of them could leave? I specifically said you could take your girlfriend and leave. The other two have to stay.”

Ariana and Georgina froze in their tracks, like deer caught in headlights. Their faces drained of color, replaced by a mask of pure shock and fear. They stared at Sabrina and Kelvin, their eyes wide with a desperate plea.

“Kelvin, please, you can’t just leave us here with them!” Ariana cried out, her voice a fragile whisper.

Kelvin turned, frowning at Ariana. “I can barely save my own self right now. How do you expect me to worry about you two? You two are on your own. Besides, I already traded my car for one of you, and that’s my emotional quota for the day.”

Kelvin, to be fair, had never been particularly invested in either Georgina or Ariana. Agreeing to take them too would cost him an additional six thousand USD. So, naturally, he decided against getting involved. With that final, cold statement, he grabbed Sabrina’s arm and practically dragged her towards the door, leaving a trail of shattered hopes behind them.

Georgina and Ariana stood there, speechless, stiffened, stunned, and utterly hopeless. Never in their darkest dreams had they imagined that Kelvin, their knight in slightly tarnished armor, would abandon them so ruthlessly.

“Are you two planning on paying off, or spending weeks with my brother and boys?” Antonio questioned them both, lounging back onto the sofa with a wide, unsettling smile. He eyed them, a calculating glint in his eyes.

Ariana was quite attractive, with a stylish and appealing appearance. Georgina, while not as strikingly beautiful, was decent-looking and had a somewhat pale complexion. Antonio’s brother, Dante, would certainly be happy even if they didn't have the money. He had… diverse tastes.

“Mr. Antonio, we… we would get your money, we promise you!” Ariana stammered, trembling so violently she could barely stand still. She quickly fumbled for her phone and began frantically making calls. Georgina, equally terrified, did the same, contacting every friend she could think of.

Both Georgina and Ariana came from decent, middle-class families, but they weren’t exactly swimming in cash. Coming up with a hefty sum of three thousand USD each was no small feat. It was like trying to find a unicorn that also happened to be a millionaire.

In just three agonizing minutes, both girls had contacted every single friend in their phonebooks. But not a single one had that kind of money to lend. The silence on the other end of the line was deafening.

“Ariana, what the hell are we going to do? All the people I’ve contacted said they had no money!” Georgina said, on the verge of tears, her voice literally getting choked with sobs. Her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

“I… I don’t know what to do either, everyone I called has no money or don’t have any to lend…” Ariana told her, her own voice trembling so badly it was almost a whisper. Her body felt like it was buzzing with an electric current of fear.

Georgina paused for a moment, her mind racing through every conceivable option. Then, a spark of an idea. “Ariana. I heard from Sarah that Austin recently won himself a lottery. Maybe… maybe we could call him and ask him for help. Maybe he could lend us money…”

“Do you think he would help us?” Ariana hesitated, a flicker of doubt in her eyes. Austin wasn’t exactly known for his boundless generosity due to the fact that they had all looked down on him.

“We don’t have anyone else to turn to right now. I think it’s worth a try. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? He says no? At least we’ll know we tried,” Georgina uttered, a hint of desperation in her voice.

“Alright then,” Ariana nodded lightly, a desperate hope blooming in her chest. Immediately, she searched for Austin’s number from the class group chat and dialed. She bit her lips, her heart hammering against her ribs, praying he would pick up, praying he would be their unlikely savior.