The Discarded Heir's Billionaire Vengeance

Chapter 4

The hallway talk did not die down after class.

By lunchtime the whole campus had two different stories. Some students said Daniel really had a special card. Others said the board member was just being polite. Liam’s friends worked hard to spread the second story.

Daniel walked into the crowded cafeteria with his tray. The noise dropped for a second when people saw him. A few students looked away. Others stared and whispered.

He found an empty table near the window and sat down. His roommates were already there. They looked worried.

“People are saying weird stuff,” one of them said quietly. “Liam’s telling everyone the card is borrowed or stolen.”

Daniel just nodded and started eating. The food tasted like nothing.

Across the room Liam sat with Maya and his usual group. He laughed loud on purpose so people would look. Every few minutes he glanced over at Daniel with a cold little smile.

Halfway through lunch Liam stood up and walked over with two friends. Maya stayed in her seat but watched everything.

Liam stopped in front of Daniel’s table and spoke loud enough for nearby tables to hear.

“Still sitting here like nothing happened? Most people would hide after getting called out twice.”

Daniel kept eating. “I’m not most people.”

Liam leaned on the table. “That board member yesterday… he was just being nice. Or maybe you fooled him. Either way, nobody important really believes a broke student owns a Reid card.”

One of Liam’s friends laughed. “Yeah. My uncle works at a bank. He said those cards are impossible to get unless you’re born into that family.”

Students at the next tables went quiet and listened.

Daniel slowly put his fork down. He reached into his pocket and pulled the black card out again. He placed it flat on the table between them.

“You keep talking about it,” he said. “You want to look again?”

Liam stared at the card. His jaw tightened. For a second something like real doubt crossed his face. Then pride pushed it away.

“I’ve seen it. Doesn’t change anything. Cards can be stolen. Or faked really well. Or given by someone for a joke.”

He looked around at the watching students and raised his voice.

“This guy wants everyone to think he’s special. But last month he was still washing dishes and counting coins. Suddenly he’s waving a black card? Come on.”

A few people laughed under their breath. The sound stung more than Daniel wanted to admit.

Before he could answer, a new voice cut in.

“Excuse me.”

A woman in a dark business suit walked up to the table. She looked about forty and carried a leather folder. Everyone nearby recognized her — she was the guest speaker for the business department that week. Her name was Mrs. Elaine Torres. She ran a mid-size investment firm in the city and sometimes gave talks at the university.

She looked at the black card on the table, then at Daniel.

“May I?” she asked.

Daniel nodded. She picked it up carefully, turned it over once, and examined the crest under the cafeteria lights. Her expression changed.

She handed it back and spoke clearly.

“This is genuine. The weight, the material, the crest — all correct. I’ve only handled two of these in my career. Whoever owns this card sits very high.”

The tables around them went silent.

Maya’s eyes widened. Liam’s friends stopped smiling.

Liam forced a short laugh, but it came out thin.

“So another person says it’s real. Fine. That still doesn’t explain how *he* got it. Maybe someone is using him. Or maybe there’s a bigger trick going on.”

Mrs. Torres looked at Liam for a moment, then at Daniel.

“I don’t know the full story,” she said. “But the card itself is not a fake. That’s all I can say.”

She gave Daniel a small polite nod and walked away to join the professors.

The cafeteria stayed quiet for a few more seconds. Then the whispers started again, louder this time.

Liam’s face had gone red. He hated looking small in front of so many people. His pride would not let him back down.

He leaned closer to Daniel and spoke in a low, hard voice only the table could hear.

“I don’t care how many people look at that card. I still don’t buy your story. My family has real power in this city. I’m going to find out exactly who you are and how you got that thing. And when I do, everyone will see the truth.”

He straightened up, put on a cold smile for the watching students, and walked back to his table with his friends. Maya looked at Daniel once with a strange mix of fear and confusion, then turned away.

Daniel picked up the card and put it back in his pocket. His roommates stared at him.

“Dude…” one of them whispered. “What is going on with you?”

Daniel shook his head. “Not now.”

He finished his food quickly and left the cafeteria. Behind him he could hear Liam already talking loudly again, trying to control the story.

Outside, Daniel walked across the open campus path. The afternoon sun felt warm, but his chest still felt tight. Every time the card got confirmed, more people believed him a little. But Liam only got angrier and more determined.

His black phone buzzed once in his pocket. A short message from Alexander.

Young Master. Liam Baxter’s father made two quiet calls this morning to old banking contacts. He is asking questions about Reid cards. Shall we respond?

Daniel typed back while walking.

No. Let them dig. I want to see how far they go.

He put the phone away and kept walking.

Across the campus, under a tree near the parking lot, Liam stood with his phone pressed to his ear. His father was on the other end, voice sharp with worry and anger.

“I don’t care how many people say the card is real,” Liam said quietly. “Find out who this Daniel Reed really is. Use every contact we have. I will not let some nobody make me look weak.”

He hung up and stared at the building Daniel had just entered. His hands were tight fists at his sides.

The two confirmations had not ended the fight.

They had only made it deeper.

And Liam Baxter was already planning his next move.