2025-10-28 00:56:16
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CHAPTER NINE
Saturday arrived faster than I wanted it to.I spent most of the day pacing my apartment, alternating between reading articles about "proper gala etiquette" and telling myself this was a terrible idea.At 6:30, I started getting dressed.The tuxedo fit perfectly, of course. The shirt was crisp, the bow tie took me three YouTube tutorials to get right, and the shoes were so polished I could see my reflection in them.I looked at myself in the full-length mirror and barely recognized the person staring back.Gone was the broke college student in secondhand clothes. In his place was someone who looked like he belonged at a charity gala. Someone confident. Someone who mattered.It was unsettling.At exactly 7:00, my phone buzzed. A text from the driver.*Waiting downstairs, Mr. Cole.*I took a deep breath, grabbed the invitation Victoria had messaged me, and headed down.The car waiting for me wasn't a BMW. It was a black Mercedes S-Class with a professional driver in a suit."Good evenin
CHAPTER EIGHT
My phone buzzed with a reminder. 2:45 PM. The car would be here soon.I decided to go down to the lobby to meet the delivery. I needed to get out of my apartment anyway, clear my head before Sarah sent another desperate email.The elevator ride down was smooth and silent. When the doors opened, I stepped into the marble-floored lobby, nodding at the security guard who'd dealt with Sarah earlier."Mr. Cole," he said with a respectful nod. "Your vehicle just arrived. The delivery driver is waiting outside.""Thanks."I walked through the glass doors and stopped short.The BMW was beautiful. Sleek, black, with tinted windows and chrome accents that caught the afternoon sun. The delivery driver, a young guy in a crisp uniform, was holding a tablet and a set of keys."Mr. Cole?" he asked."That's me.""Congratulations on your new vehicle, sir. If you'll just sign here..." He handed me the tablet. "I'll walk you through the features."I signed where he indicated, still half-convinced this w
CHAPTER SEVEN
After we hung up, I sat there for a while, staring out at the city. A week ago, I'd been eating ramen and working the night shift at Walmart. Now I was waiting for a BMW to be delivered to my luxury loft while my CEO discussed my enrollment at one of the country's top universities.It still didn't feel real.I opened my laptop to check if Victoria had sent those documents. Instead, I found another email from Sarah.*Subject: I'm not giving up*Ethan, I know you were there today when I came to your building. The security guard told me you were home but "unavailable." I get it. You don't want to see me. But I'm not going away.**I need to explain what happened. It's not what you think. There are things you don't know about Dylan, about why I did what I did.**I'm losing my apartment in two days. I have nowhere to go. I know I don't deserve your help but I'm desperate.**Please. Just respond. Even if it's just to tell me to go to hell. At least then I'll know you read this.*I stared at
CHAPTER SIX
Three days after moving into my new loft, I was starting to feel almost normal. Or at least, what passed for normal in this new reality.The apartment was incredible. Two floors of open space with exposed brick walls, massive windows that looked out over the city, and furniture that probably cost more than I used to make in a year. I'd spent the first night just walking around, touching things, making sure they were real.Victoria had been true to her word. She'd arranged everything—movers to transport my belongings (though calling them "belongings" was generous; most of what the Blakes had thrown in those garbage bags was hardly worth keeping), a personal shopper to fill my closet with actual clothes instead of secondhand Walmart clearance, even a chef who'd stocked my refrigerator with food I couldn't pronounce.I was sitting at my kitchen island—because I had a kitchen island now—drinking coffee that cost more per pound than I used to spend on groceries, when I checked my email on
CHAPTER FIVE
“I'll need to think about it."I said with surprising authority."Of course! Take all the time you need. I'll send the acceptance packet to your email address. We look forward to hearing from you, Mr. Cole."She hung up, and I set my phone down slowly, staring at Victoria."Prestige University?" I said. "That's one of the top schools in the country.""Top five, actually," Victoria said, not looking up from her laptop. "I took the liberty of submitting applications to several institutions this morning. Prestige was the first to respond, but I expect you'll hear from others by this afternoon.""You can't just... do that.""I can, and I did." She finally looked at me, her expression matter-of-fact. "You're intelligent, Ethan. Your grades prove that—maintaining a 3.8 GPA while working three jobs is remarkable. You deserve to be at a school that challenges you. Community college is fine, but with your resources now, why limit yourself?"I wanted to argue, but she had a point. I'd chosen com
CHAPTER FOUR
I woke up in a bed so comfortable I thought I was still dreaming.Hell, I couldn't tell the difference between dream and reality anymore.For a long moment, I just lay there, staring at the ceiling—which was at least fifteen feet above me—trying to remember where I was. Then it all came flooding back. Sarah. Dylan. The hundred million dollars. Victoria Ashford.The penthouse!I sat up slowly, taking in my surroundings in the morning light. The bedroom alone was bigger than the entire storage closet I'd been sleeping in at the Blake house. Floor-to-ceiling windows offered a panoramic view of the city skyline. The furniture looked like it belonged in a museum. There was actual art on the walls—not prints, but original paintings.My phone buzzed on the nightstand. I grabbed it and saw a text from an unknown number.*Good morning. Breakfast will be ready in the dining room whenever you are. Take your time. - Victoria*I glanced at the clock. 9:47 AM. I couldn't remember the last time I'd
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