THE HEIR'S REVENGE

chapter 4

Ethan POV

The car pulled up in front of Sterling Mall, one of the most expensive shopping centers in the city. I'd walked past it a hundred times but never dared to go inside.

"I'll wait here for you, young master," the driver said. "Take as much time as you need."

I nodded and stepped out of the car. Henry had insisted I leave my old clothes behind—he'd literally thrown them in the trash while I wasn't looking.

As I walked into the mall, I scanned the stores. Designer brands everywhere. Price tags that made my eyes water.

Then I saw it—a display case with a rabbit doll that had emerald eyes and a gem hanging from its collar.

Is that a real diamond?

The emerald eyes reminded me of Lily's. She'd probably love it.

I reached for the display case, but a sharp voice stopped me.

"What do you think you're doing?" A saleswoman appeared beside me, her face twisted with suspicion. "Do you think you can steal that with all the cameras around here?"

She shoved me away from the display and put her hands on her hips. "There's no way you'll get away with stealing from this store. You should leave."

Her loud voice drew attention. Other shoppers turned to stare, their expressions judgmental.

"I'm not stealing," I said calmly. "I'm here to buy it."

"Buy it?" She laughed mockingly. "Look at yourself! You can't even afford decent shoes. How are you going to buy a $50,000 doll?"

My eyes widened. Fifty thousand dollars for a toy? But Lily would love it.

"I'll transfer the money right now," I said. "How much is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "I'm giving you a chance to leave before I call security. Don't waste it."

Other customers whispered among themselves.

"He's probably homeless."

"Why do they even let people like that in here?"

"Someone should call security."

A male salesman approached nervously. "Ma'am, maybe we should—"

"Stay out of this, Kevin," the saleswoman snapped. "This trash is trying to steal from us."

I looked at Kevin. He seemed like he actually wanted to help.

"I want to buy that doll," I said clearly. "And I can afford it. If you help me, I'll make sure you're compensated."

The saleswoman burst out laughing. "Compensated? Listen to him! He talks like he's somebody!"

She stepped closer, her voice dripping with contempt. "If you can really afford anything here, I'll let you call the cops on me. How about that?"

"And if I can afford it," I said, meeting her eyes, "you'll crawl around this store three times while apologizing."

Her face flushed red. "What did you say?"

"You'll also apologize to him," I added, gesturing to Kevin. "Deal?"

She smirked. "Deal. Not that it matters—you can't afford anything here anyway."

Kevin carefully retrieved the rabbit doll and handed it to me. I examined it. The craftsmanship was incredible. Lily would definitely love this.

"I'll take it," I said. "And I need some clothes, shoes, and other things."

The saleswoman followed me as I picked out items throughout the store. Designer suits. Casual wear. Shoes. A watch. I chose based on what I liked, not the price.

By the time I was done, Kevin had helped me bring everything to the counter.

The saleswoman calculated the total with a smug expression. "Your total is $500,000."

The crowd that had gathered murmured excitedly, waiting for me to fail.

I frowned. "That's it? I thought it would be more."

The saleswoman's smile widened. "You can't afford it, can you? Look at him! Just a poor kid pretending to be rich!"

"I was just surprised it's so cheap," I said. "What's your account number?"

Her smile faltered for a second, but she quickly recovered. "Fine. This is the store's account." She handed me a card with the details. "I'll call our finance team right now to confirm when your imaginary money arrives."

I pulled out my phone and transferred exactly $500,000. Then I turned my phone around to show her the confirmation.

She stared at it, her face going pale. "That... that must be fake!"

"Call your finance team," I suggested.

She snatched a phone from another saleswoman and dialed frantically. "Tell me if we received $500,000!"

A moment later, her hand started shaking. "What? Are you sure?"

She hung up slowly, her face ashen.

"Well?" I asked.

"The... the money has been received," she whispered.

The crowd erupted in shocked whispers. The saleswoman who'd been so confident minutes ago now looked like she wanted to disappear.

"Now," I said calmly, "we had a deal, didn't we?"

She looked around desperately, but no one came to her rescue.

Slowly, she got down on her hands and knees. Her face burned red with humiliation as she started crawling across the store floor.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I'm sorry."

"Louder," I said. "Everyone should hear you."

"I'M SORRY!" she shouted, tears streaming down her face.

Other customers pulled out their phones, recording the whole thing. She'd probably be all over social media within hours.

After she'd made three laps around the store, she crawled over to Kevin.

"I'm sorry," she told him, her voice breaking.

Kevin looked uncomfortable, but he nodded.

I turned to the other salespeople who'd supported her. "Let this be a lesson. Respect every customer, not just the ones who look rich."

They all nodded quickly, avoiding my eyes.

Kevin and the other staff helped load my purchases into the car. As I slid into the back seat, Kevin approached the window.

"Thank you," he said quietly. "She's made my life hell for months."

"You helped me when no one else would," I replied. "That's worth something."

As the car pulled away, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction. It was a small thing, but it felt good to stand up for myself.

And for the first time in my life, people had to respect me.

Not because of who my family was. But because I had the power to demand it.