Piss Off, This Is My Money

20

He came around, grabbed Maya’s hand, and shoved through the crowd until they reached Jace and the third-year girl—who hadn’t made it far because everyone was blocking the path, trying to record the drama.

“Hey, Jace,” the guy drawled, stepping directly into Jace’s path, still gripping Maya like she was some trophy. “How about a double date with you and your new girlfriend?”

Jace eyed both of them like they were fucking ants crawling on his shoe.

He had never seen this clown before, but the trust-fund energy was loud as hell.

“Why the fuck would I want a double date with you two?” Jace asked flatly.

“Oh, right—my bad,” the guy said with a fake, polished smile. “I forgot to introduce myself. Name’s Robert. Thing is, we placed a bet on that fresher’s party night.”

He turned to Maya. “I personally laid down a million dollars, because I didn’t know Maya would pull that off. I already paid her.”

Jace blinked once, unimpressed. “How the hell does that relate to me?”

Robert gave a slow shrug. “I thought you’d figure it out. But, eh… poor kids perks. Anyway, Maya wasn’t alone. I was in on it too. So if you’re dragging her ass to court, you’ll need to drag me along.”

“Meet us in court tomorrow then,” Jace said, already pulling the third-year girl forward.

“Should we talk during the date,” Robert called after him, “or you want us to talk here?”

“Piss off.”

That should’ve been the end.

But then Robert let the devil fuck his brain.

“How’s your mother? She out of lockup now? Or maybe she’s back doing her junkie shit?”

Jace stopped.

The third-year girl’s face crumpled. “Why are you all like this? Don’t talk about his family—”

“Little girl,” Robert said with a warning stare, “stay out of this. I don’t like hurting pretty girls.”

Then he turned back to Jace.

“So… you in for the date?”

Jace didn’t even look at him. “Do your worst.”

He stepped away with the girl.

He had barely taken three steps when—

BAM!

Everyone screamed and scattered like it was a gunshot.

Jace slowly turned back toward his Rolls.

His tires were slashed flat.

His windows—shattered.

Glass everywhere.

And Robert was standing beside it with that smirk—that “rich demon child” smirk—like he was proud of himself.

Jace crossed the distance in two long strides.

“Dreg’s Restaurant,” Jace said coldly. “Meet me there. Meanwhile, figure out how the fuck you’re fixing that.”

The crowd erupted.

Because everyone knew:

The cheapest thing at Dreg’s was buttered bread—and that shit cost fifty thousand dollars.

Even their bottled water hit over sixty grand.

This wasn’t a date.

This was financial murder.

Robert clearly didn’t believe what he heard.

Dreg’s Restaurant?

A poor kid naming a place like that?

His lips curled into an impressed smirk—like Jace had accidentally spoken alien language but he was willing to humour him.

Beside Jace, the third-year girl was freaking out. For real. Her fingers were ice-cold.

Jace didn’t look stable at all—more like someone running purely on adrenaline and spite—and she was terrified he’d walk into Dreg’s and embarrass himself in front of the world.

But Jace didn’t look scared.

Not even one percent.

“I’ll see you there in thirty minutes,” Jace said, voice steady as hell. “I need to dress up my girl.”

He turned to her like she was the only thing breathing.

Maya’s chest burned.

The way Jace looked at the third-year girl… she wasn’t used to that. That softness, that attention—those used to be hers.

And now it was aimed at someone else?

Her stomach twisted.

She watched him turn around, one arm guiding the girl away like he used to guide her whenever they went out.

Funny how her memory was suddenly clear as day.

Jace used to be a cool guy, huh?

But she would get him back.

He belonged to her.

He was just acting out. Playing with other girls. He’d come home eventually.

Robert glanced at her.

“You okay?” he asked.

She nodded.

He smiled, but she knew that smile.

Robert wasn’t doing this for her—he was doing it for ego, for rank, for attention from the top dogs on campus.

And honestly? She was fine with that.

She needed that energy right now.

The crowd had gone feral.

Not many of them could even afford Dreg’s air, talk less of a bottle of water.

“Who’s going to film it? I’m dropping two thousand bucks!” someone yelled.

In minutes, everyone was shouting offers.

When they finally counted it, they had raised a hundred thousand bucks to send at least two people inside and keep the Livestream running.

Meanwhile, the internet was melting.

Clips everywhere.

Edits everywhere.

Jace trending like a natural disaster.

Half the comments called him a legend.

The other half said he was a reckless idiot who was about to regret this for the rest of his existence.

And while all of this chaos blasted online, the VC couldn’t leave his office.

He had been stuck there for hours, dodging interviews and calls.

Because honestly? He didn’t know who the hell to support.

Maya—the rich girl, the media darling?

Or Jace—the sudden majority shareholder who now owned eighty percent of the entire school?

Either way, the fame storm was bringing massive attention to the university…

And that meant free advertisement for rich kids.