The news spread like wildfire. “The beggar is back.” That’s what the school forums, gossip groups, and anonymous message boards all titled their threads. Every student with a phone had either seen the Clorox Bar video or heard about it. Max, bloodied and humiliated. Max, the delivery boy who dared to touch Gina. Max, now mysteriously back on campus.
No one expected him to return, not after that night. They all thought he was injured, or just maybe he was dead.
Yet there he stood, outside his dormitory door, his hand still on the bell after pressing it twice.
The door creaked open slowly.
“Max?” Roland’s voice broke into a whisper, shocked like he was seeing a ghost. “Bro! Where have you been?” Roland grabbed him by the shoulder, looking him over with wide, anxious eyes. “You look like hell.”
Max chuckled weakly. “Feels like it too.”
Roland pulled him in immediately, slamming the door shut behind him. “Man, I was going crazy. I called the hospital, the police—I even thought of calling Sister Grace from the orphanage.”
Just then, the sound of tires screeched outside the dormitory window. Sarah Vernon’s red BMW convertible parked hastily. Trisha Macy climbed out from the passenger side, both girls nearly tripping over each other in their rush up the steps. Moments later, the door flew open.
“MAX!” Trisha gasped, running straight to him, throwing her arms around his neck.
Sarah stood in the doorway, hands on hips. “You had better have a damn good reason for going ghost on us.” But there was a trace of relief in her voice.
Max sat down heavily on the couch as Roland, Sarah, and Trisha all gathered around.
“I—I was just tired of everything,” Max said. “Needed some space. I didn’t mean to scare you all.”
Sarah folded her arms. “We warned you about Gina. Told you she was a social climber. Told you she didn’t care.”
“I know,” Max said, eyes low. “You were right.”
“Well, no more gloom,” Sarah declared, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get you out. Clear your head. There’s a new Italian fusion restaurant that opened near the East Wing. Our treat.”
“No arguments,” Roland said, pulling Max to his feet.
They arrived at La D’Argento, one of the most expensive restaurants near campus. With glass-paneled walls, velvet chairs, and classical music playing in the background, it was where only the rich or bold dared to dine.
Just as their food arrived, the peace was shattered.
Jerry McCormick strode in like he owned the place, Nicolas Herrera and Arnold Bricks trailing behind him like hyenas. Jerry’s smirk widened when he saw Max seated near the window.
“WELL, WELL, if it isn’t the campus clown!” Jerry barked loud enough for the whole restaurant to hear. “Back from your tragic little adventure? Or did you finally find a trash can cozy enough to sleep in?”
Max flinched but said nothing.
Jerry strolled to their table, arms spread in mock joy. “Ladies and gents, allow me to reintroduce Max—future Employee of the Month at Clorox bar.”
Snickers rose from a nearby table. Sarah's eyes narrowed.
“Didn’t you hear?” Jerry continued, spinning theatrically. “Our poor Max here was planning a grand gesture for the queen herself, Gina—yes, Gina! But he couldn’t even afford a decent handbag. Imagine!”
Then he pointed out the window.
“Take a look, Max. That’s what a real man looks like.”
Outside, Ethan sat on a shimmering Ducati bike, Gina pressed against him, both of them laughing while feeding each other ice cream. Cameras flashed as students passed by.
Sarah’s hands clenched under the table. “You’re sick,” she hissed.
“And now,” Jerry continued, “for the big reveal—let me introduce the legend himself!” He swept his hand dramatically toward Arnold Bricks. “Arnold Bricks! The heir to the Bricks fortune. Six international business awards, four national ones. His family is worth six hundred million dollars and he is worth over a hundred million dollars before the age of twenty-five.”
Nicolas leaned in, glowing with pride. “He’s the real deal. The next Elon Musk. Only sexier and richer.”
Roland rolled his eyes. “And what does this have to do with us?”
“EVERYTHING!” Jerry shouted. “Because Mr. Bricks here has decided to add a new treasure to his collection—Sarah Vernon.”
Everyone at the table turned toward Sarah, her face frozen in disbelief.
Arnold gave a lazy smile, licking his lips as though savoring something. “I’ve liked every post you’ve made for the past eleven months, Sarah. I even commented fire emojis. Didn’t you notice?”
Sarah gasped. “Wait—you’re that Arnold Bricks? The stalker from F******k? The one who said I looked ‘edible in red’? The one leaving those nasty comments about my boobs?”
Arnold laughed. “Guilty.”
Nicolas grinned and leaned into Max. “And guess what? Jerry here demanded a hundred grand from Arnold in exchange for helping him get Sarah. And Arnold paid. Up front”
Sarah’s mouth fell open. “You what?”
Jerry shrugged. “What? It’s business. And besides, now that we’re being honest, I was also the one who got Max fired.”
Max’s jaw tightened.
“I called your boss, Mr. Brandon. Told him you were unstable, potentially violent. And I arranged the delivery to Clorox bar myself. I personally requested you delivered it. I Wanted you to walk right into it.” Jerry chuckled. “All for entertainment. And now look at you—back to zero.”
The table was dead silent.
Until Roland exploded.
“You arrogant little parasite—!”
“Careful, Roland,” Jerry cut in with a sneer. “I could have you both thrown out of this school with a single phone call. You forget whose son I am?”
Sarah stood up, her voice cold as ice. “And you forget who our fathers are, Jerry. The Vernons and Macys donate over fifteen million annually to this institution. Don’t think you’re untouchable.”
Jerry waved her off. “Money talks. And Arnold’s willing to talk louder.”
Arnold leaned forward. “I’ll donate twenty-five million to this school—if Sarah agrees to date me.”
The entire restaurant seemed to pause.
Twenty-five million.
Even Jerry looked stunned.
Sarah stared at him. “You think you can buy people like…like…”
“Yes,” Arnold said simply. “Everyone has a price. Even you. And am willing to pay”
Jerry recovered quickly. “In fact, I’ll make the call now.” He pulled out his phone, dialing his father. “Let’s see if he agrees that this kind of generosity deserves a little… persuasion.”
Before he could hit ‘Call,’ Trisha stood up.
“You’re a disgrace, Jerry. And you too, Arnold. You think all women are objects you can bid for.”
“I’m just saying,” Jerry said with a smug smile, “if persuasion doesn’t work, Nigeria’s got voodoo. I hear the Igbo people there make love potions stronger than anything here. I’ll fly there myself if I have to.”
There was a loud gasp from a table nearby.
Roland stood up slowly, his body trembling—not from fear, but fury.
“That’s enough.”
Jerry turned to him with amusement. “What’s the beggar friend gonna do now? Cry?”
Jerry laughed. “Oh yeah? What are you gonna do?”
Roland boiled with anger but Trisha advised him to keep calm.
“Yeah
, boy. Keep calm!” Jerry added and proceeded to call his father.

Latest Chapter
Chapter 247
“And she’s doing it because she knows what will happen to her if she failed us,” Bobby finished. “Keep your head straight, Tommy. We need to be angry at Max for sending his man. We need to demand compensation. We need to look like we failed, but we won.”Tommy nodded, his expression hardening. “Right. Let’s call the mayor. We need to start spinning this story now. We need to make sure Max knows we controlled the situation, even if his little dog got a lucky bite.”They walked toward their armored SUV, ready to leave the scene of their bloody victory.Just as Tommy reached for the door handle, a convoy of black, unmarked SUVs sped onto the pier access road, kicking up dust and debris. They weren't police. They weren't press. They were too organized, too quiet.“Hold up,” Bobby muttered, his hand going to the sidearm holstered at his hip.The lead SUV stopped twenty feet away. The doors opened simultaneously, and a dozen men in dark suits, all wearing earpieces, stepped out. They were p
Chapter 246
The air at Pier 18 tasted like copper and burnt rubber. The sun was just beginning to climb, casting long, sickly orange shadows over the wreckage. Tommy Becker stood amid the debris, wiping grime from his face with a blood-stained sleeve. His breathing was ragged, but his eyes held a satisfied, if weary, fire.“That’s it,” Tommy yelled, kicking a discarded rifle into a puddle. “Clear the last section! Anyone moving, shoot them. Anyone breathing, drag them out here.”Bobby, Tommy’s twin, emerged from the mouth of the cannery building, his movements slower, more methodical. He looked less like a warrior and more like a butcher surveying his work.“We swept the basement, Tommy. The foreman’s office, the utility tunnels. We got a Hundred and Twelve of theirs. We lost sixry good men.”“Sixty is a good trade for what they brought,” Tommy spat. “But where is Kim? And where is Lena?”Bobby shook his head. “Kim’s gone. The basement was a mess. Someone hit him hard. Found his pistol, but no bo
Chapter 245
“No, Max,” Lena whispered. “But he was terrified of them. He said they were coming tonight.”Max walked over to the window, his back to them. He stood there for a long moment, the silence broken only by the distant wail of a siren.“I underestimated him,” Max finally said, his voice heavy. “I thought Kim was focused on revenge. I thought he was trying to break me. He was trying to dismantle me, piece by piece, and sell the parts.”He turned back to Nathan, his expression now one of grudging respect.“You disobeyed every order. You risked the entire operation. But you brought back the intelligence that saved Sarai and possibly the family. And most importantly Lena. You have my gratitude, Nathan. And my apology.”“I did what I had to do, Max,” Nathan said simply.“I know,” Max sighed. “But understand this: your actions have consequences. The Beckers are now fully engaged. The police are mobilized. We have a war on our hands, and we have an unknown enemy, ‘The Architect,’ who knows where
Chapter 244
The safe house was a small, unassuming apartment above a closed laundromat on the edge of the city. It was clean, quiet, and insulated from the noise of the world. Elias and Cruz had secured the perimeter.Trisha immediately set to work. She had Nathan stripped to the waist, cleaning the deep graze on his shoulder. Lena sat on the edge of the bed, wrapped in a thick blanket, watching every move.“It needs stitches, Nathan,” Trisha stated, her voice flat and professional. “But we don’t have time for a clinic. I’ll use medical glue and butterfly strips. It’ll hold.”“Just make it fast,” Nathan winced as Trisha swabbed the wound with antiseptic.Lena reached out and gently stroked Nathan’s uninjured arm. “You shouldn’t have come. He was waiting for you.”“I had to, Lena,” Nathan replied, meeting her gaze. “He had you.”“He knew that would work,” Lena whispered, pulling the blanket tighter. “He kept saying it. ‘The Errand boy will break protocol for the girl.’ He knew you would risk every
Chapter 243
“I don’t know. But the message confirms everything. Kim didn’t want to destroy Max with the video; he wanted to distract Max with the video while he recovered Sarai to use as a bargaining chip for a much bigger player. He used Lena to draw you out, to force Max to reveal his position on Sarai. He was testing Max’s defenses.”“So, the whole thing—the Beckers, Lena, me—it was all a diversion for a larger operation?” Nathan asked, the exhaustion momentarily forgotten in the face of the revelation.“Yes. And if this message is right, Sarai is in danger right now. She’s not safe at the mansion. They’re planning to move her tonight.” Trisha pocketed the phone. “We have to get out of here and call Max. He needs to know his security detail on Sarai is compromised.”***Trisha helped Lena sling Nathan’s good arm over her shoulder. They moved quickly, Trisha leading the way back toward the utility tunnels.“Stay close, Lena. Don’t look at anything but the floor,” Trisha instructed.“Where are w
Chapter 242
The silence that followed the gunshot was thick and heavy.Trisha was the first to move. She kicked the weapon out of the hand of the nearest guard she had just dropped, then spun toward the grappling figures on the floor.“Nathan! Report!” she barked into the darkness.A groan answered her.“He’s hit!” Kim’s voice, strained and furious, sliced through the air.Trisha flicked on the small tactical light mounted on her pistol. The beam cut through the gloom, illuminating the scene.Nathan was sprawled on the floor, clutching his left shoulder. Blood was already soaking through his jacket. Kim was beneath him, his face contorted in pain, his arm pinned awkwardly under Nathan’s weight.The shot had not come from Kim’s silver pistol, which lay several feet away. It had come from a small, backup derringer Kim had managed to pull from an ankle holster in the struggle. The bullet had grazed Nathan’s shoulder, tearing through flesh but missing the bone.The two guards Trisha had shot were dow
You may also like
The Secret Billionaire Son-in-law
Perry will86.3K viewsThe Indestructible Alexander
Adam Aksara92.7K viewsThe Billionaire Pauper
JOHNSON198.9K viewsThe Legendary Conglomerate
Lord MOH119.4K viewsTRILLIONAIRE'S COLD REVENGE
EL JHAY2.3K viewsThe unexpected student billionaire
Elvis Brown 51.2K viewsHOUSEKEEPER TO HEIR
Hop-Grip510 viewsWHO IS MALIK HAMPTON?
Storian writer970 views
