System Revenge: From Trash Boy to Top Boss

Chapter 4

Damon stood still as he walked toward Aria Golden, who was standing in front of the Fendi Custom Glow bag, in her hand taking a little picture of the intricate designs in its leather. This bag, a masterpiece of luxury, just seemed to glow through the soft lights of the store. 

It was the first grade, the bag that cost $100,000, and every girl on campus wanted one, and yet none of them had it, and most had to settle for the minor version that cost merely $20,000.

“Would you like to buy it?” Damon asked, his voice surprisingly unbroken in the tacky striped t-shirt.

Aria turned, and with a tinge of surprise in her eyes, she found him, with the slight widening of her pupils. Damon could see that she had a gentle smile on her lips, amused but not laughing.

“Oh, I wish,” she agreed with a breathless hum. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it? But no, I don’t have that kind of money just lying around for a bag. I’m here for the second-grade bag. It’s still gorgeous, but a little more... practical. This one I really can afford.” 

She glanced at the $100,000 bag, back at the purse of her dreams, and said, “I just came to admire the bag; it’s the closest I’m going to get to having it. ”

“I mean, it all depends on you, really,” Damon said, his voice slightly cooler, more measured.

Aria raised her eyebrows in a playful expression and turned to stare straight ahead. “Oh? And how is that, Mr. Clown? Are you planning to buy it for me?” There was some playful fun about her tone and no bit of malice.

Damon smiled, the kind that somehow made the clown paint seem less ridiculous. “I could, if you want to make a deal with me. ”

Aria stepped over to him and looked at him through the big shoes to the floppy hat. The weird correlation between his petty clothing and his confidence. She did not shrug in disgust, she did not laugh, but, in fact, she did look thoughtful to him.

“A deal?” she repeated, her voice intrigued. “You certainly have an interesting way of making a first impression. What do you want in return?”

“Your company,” Damon replied simply. “Tonight, as my date for a birthday party.”

Aria let out a soft, surprised laugh. It was a genuine, delightful sound. “Your date? For a party. That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Damon confirmed.

She looked at him again, a long and appraising look. “Fine, if you actually manage to get me this bag,” she gestured to the Fendi, “then I’ll date you for real. Not just for the party but for a week, if you want.” Her eyes sparkled with a playful dare.

Damon’s smile widened. “Just the party tonight will do for now. But I might just take you up on that offer if tonight goes well.”

He turned and called out to the lady at the counter, “Miss! Could you bring out this bag, please? The first-grade Fendi Custom Glow.”

Jessica, the salesgirl, who had been hovering nearby, watching the bizarre interaction, approached with a forced smile. “Sir, we don’t typically remove items from display until the purchase is finalized.” Her eyes darted from Damon’s clown suit to Aria, then back to Damon, a clear message of doubt in her gaze.

“Of course,” Damon said smoothly. “We’re buying it. Just bring it over to the counter.”

Aria watched, a flicker of genuine surprise in her expression. She leaned in curiously. “Are you sure about this challenge? You can back out now, if you want.”

Damon shook his head, his smile unwavering. “Not a chance.” He walked straight to the counter, Jessica trailing behind him, clipboard still clutched in her hand.

“Alright, lady,” Damon said, placing the clothes he’d picked out on the counter. “What’s the total for these items?”

Jessica quickly scanned the tags. “Let’s see… The suit is forty-five thousand, the shirt is five thousand, the tie is two thousand, and the shoes are eighteen thousand. That comes to… seventy thousand dollars, sir.” She said the last part with a hint of challenge, as if daring him to react.

Damon nodded, unfazed. “Perfect and add this, please.” He picked up a gleaming Rolex from a nearby display, its face sparkling with diamonds. “This one, the thirty-thousand-dollar model.”

Jessica’s eyes widened slightly. “Sir, that brings your personal total to one hundred thousand dollars.”

“Excellent,” Damon said, as if he were discussing pocket change. “Now, add the Fendi Custom Glow bag for this lady here.” He gestured to Aria, who had followed him to the counter, her expression a mixture of fascination and disbelief.

Jessica’s jaw dropped. “The… the one hundred thousand dollar bag? Sir, that would make your total two hundred thousand dollars.” Her voice was barely a whisper, laced with shock.

Damon just smiled. The system had deposited a million dollars; two hundred thousand was a drop in the bucket. “That’s right, please continue.”

He pulled out his card and handed it to the counter. Jessica stared at it, then at him, then at Aria. Her eyes flickered with a desperate hope that this was all a joke, a prank.

Aria, meanwhile, was watching Damon with intense curiosity. She knew the rich kids on campus, their families, and their names. This guy, in a clown suit, was completely unknown to her. Was he secretly wealthy? Or was this some elaborate and desperate bluff?

“You really can call it off, you know,” Aria whispered to Damon, a hint of concern in her voice. “That’s a lot of money.”

Damon just gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. Just swipe the card, lady.”

Jessica, however, hesitated. Her mind was racing; Xavier and Jane had just warned her about him. They knew him personally and they said he had nothing. So why was he acting like this? This confidence felt… wrong. It felt like a setup and she didn’t trust him.

Her hand instinctively reached for the phone beneath the counter. She discreetly dialed a number. “Security, this is Jessica at the luxury apparel store. We have a… situation. Could you send someone over?” She kept her voice low.

Within moments, the heavy glass doors of the store swung open, and two burly security guards strode in. They were the same two who had tried to stop Damon at the entrance of the complex. Their eyes immediately locked onto his clown suit.

“There he is!” One of them boomed, pointing a thick finger at Damon. “We’ve been looking for you, pal! How’d you manage to slip past us?”

The other guard stepped forward, his face grim. “We knew you were up to no good. Trying to steal, huh?”

Jessica, seeing the guards, nodded vigorously. 

“I knew he was trouble. He’s trying to impress this lady, but he’s clearly a criminal!”

Aria’s eyes widened, a mixture of shock and dawning understanding. “Ran away from security?” she murmured, looking at Damon. The other shoppers, drawn by the commotion, began to gather, their whispers filling the air.

“He must be a thief!” someone hissed.

“Look at the poor girl, getting involved with a criminal.”

“She’s going to ruin her reputation.”

The saleslady, emboldened by the security’s presence, pointed at Damon. “Get him before he gets away with anything!”

The two guards moved in, flanking Damon. One grabbed his arm in a tight grip.

“Are you a criminal?” Aria asked Damon, her voice surprisingly steady, her gaze unwavering.

Damon looked directly at her, his eyes clear. “No, Aria, I’m not and I came here to shop. Those two,” he nodded at the guards, “misjudged me and they thought I was a nuisance, so I had to find a way to get past them.”

“He’s lying!” the guard holding his arm snarled, tightening his grip. “He’s a common thief, trying to pull a fast one!” He raised his free hand, as if to strike Damon.

“Stop!” Aria’s voice cut through the air, sharp and authoritative. It wasn’t a plea, but a command.

The guard froze, his hand still raised. Everyone turned to Aria. She wasn’t just the most beautiful lady on campus; she was a model, an icon, from a prominent, wealthy family. She just couldn’t afford to spend a hundred grand on a fancy bag; she would rather invest the money into buying stocks.

“Let him go,” Aria ordered, her eyes fixed on the guard. “And Jessica, swipe the card. Now.”

Jessica hesitated, her eyes darting between the guards and Aria. She signaled to the guards to immediately unhand Damon, as they all know you don’t disrespect Ms. Aria Golden.

“Let him go,” Jessica said to the two men as they released Damon’s arm and stepped back.

The murmurs from the other shoppers grew louder. “What is she doing?”

“She’s downgrading herself!”

“Why would Aria Golden get involved with someone like that?”

Aria ignored them all. Her gaze was fixed on Jessica, who, despite her reluctance, now knew she had no choice. The weight of Aria’s presence, her unspoken authority, was undeniable. Jessica swallowed hard, picked up Damon’s card, and prepared to swipe.