2025-10-18 18:25:13The air around the parking lot was thick with tension as Salvatore approached Charlie, his men flanking him on both sides like a pack of wolves closing in on prey. The afternoon sun burned down, glinting off the metal chains around their necks and the smirks on their faces.
“Charlie,” Salvatore growled, his voice low and dangerous. “You’ve been avoiding us. Your debt was due twenty-four hours ago. We’ve been searching for you.”
Charlie looked calm, almost amused. “I’m aware,” he said. “I wasn’t on campus for a while.”
Salvatore’s expression darkened. “You dare to default on my loan and talk back? Do you want me to squash you right here unless you pay up—with interest?”
Charlie’s lips curved into a faint smile. ‘How funny.’ Twenty-four hours ago, he had been the one kneeling and begging. But now? He could buy Salvatore—and his entire bloodline—with a single swipe of his card and it won’t even make a dent.
Before Salvatore could reply, a mocking laugh echoed across the lot.
Mr. Wonderful, still lounging proudly against the Lamborghini, folded his arms with arrogant confidence. “Did I hear that right?” he said loudly. “This clown owes money? How shameless can one man be?”
He eyed Salvatore with mild curiosity. “How much does this loser owe you?”
Salvatore glanced at the luxury car, realizing instantly that anyone with a Lamborghini that sleek had power. His tone softened out of respect. “He owes me three thousand dollars, sir. But since he defaulted, it’s now ten thousand.”
Charlie chuckled. “That’s a lie. Our agreement was clear—I still have two hours left before the 24-hour mark is over. Then the 20% daily interest begins.”
Salvatore’s patience snapped. “Shut the hell up! Men of power are talking!”
Gory snorted, stepping beside him. “Charlie, just drop that shameless pride for once. Maybe Mr. Wonderful will help you out.”
Charlie’s gaze flicked to Gory, unimpressed. “I don’t need help paying my debts.”
Mr. Wonderful smirked, sensing an opportunity to humiliate him further. “Tell you what,” he said, his tone dripping with mock generosity. “I’ll help clear your debt. All you have to do is apologize for pretending this car is yours and walk away quietly.”
Charlie’s laughter rolled out soft and deadly. “Apologize? For claiming my car? No. Because it is mine.”
That earned a roar of laughter from everyone present.
Salvatore slapped his thigh, nearly doubling over. “Yours? You borrowed three grand from me two days ago, and now you own a supercar? Did you win the lottery or something?”
Even Vera giggled mockingly. “Charlie, you must be living in some fantasy world—like those Meganovel characters. What’s next? You’re secretly the Charismatic Charlie Wade?”
Charlie smiled faintly. “I’m better than Charlie Wade. I’m the Incredible Charlie Maxwell. But I’ll let the story prove that soon enough.”
The group burst into fresh laughter.
Mr. Wonderful, bored of the talk, waved his hand. “Enough of this nonsense.” He pulled out a stack of cash and handed it to Salvatore. “Here’s ten thousand. His debt’s paid. Now, Charlie, you should thank me. You’ve just witnessed what it means to be a rich man.”
He tilted his head, daring Charlie to speak. “If you don’t, Salvatore and his boys will help you understand gratitude.”
The ladies gasped, clearly impressed. Ten thousand dollars—just like that? If he could throw that kind of money away for someone who insulted him, what could he spend on them?
Salvatore’s eyes glimmered. “Boss, if you ever need men like us—we’re yours.”
Mr. Wonderful laughed. “You’re already employed.”
The group cheered, turning to Charlie with smug faces. “Apologize to our boss!”
Gory ordered. “Now!”
Charlie only smiled. “I pity you all.”
Mr. Wonderful wrapped his arms around the ladies’ waists and grinned wide, the picture of triumph. “You should. Now, crawl away, Charlie.”
Charlie sighed. “Ladies,” he called calmly, “bring my bags.”
Everyone turned as two elegant store attendants appeared, each holding several designer shopping bags and jewelry boxes. They walked straight to Charlie.
The crowd went silent.
Charlie nodded at valet beside him. “Bill the parking ticket to Mr. Wonderful. Since he claims the car’s his, it’s only right.”
The valet who had received the key earlier smiled professionally. “Of course, sir. The parking f*e for the VVIP section is one hundred thousand dollars.”
“What?” Mr. Wonderful blurted, his smile freezing. “A hundred thousand—for parking?”
The guy nodded. “Yes, sir.”
Everyone’s jaws dropped. Gory’s eyes widened. Salvatore whistled. Even Vera blinked in disbelief.
Mr. Wonderful’s throat went dry. “This… this is absurd.”
Charlie’s expression didn’t change. “You said the car’s yours. Pay up.”
The crowd started murmuring, enjoying the unfolding humiliation.
Gory snatched the ticket from the valet. “Our boss can handle it. He’s rich.”
Salvatore and his men began cheering again. “Pay it, Boss! Show him real money!”
But Mr. Wonderful’s face was pale now. He couldn’t admit the truth—that the car wasn’t his. Not after bragging this long. He hesitated, but the stares from his new ‘employees’ and the watching crowd burned into his pride.
Finally, sweating bullets, he handed his card to the valet. “Fine. Charge it.”
Beep.
The transaction went through—$100,000 debited in one go.
Charlie chuckled softly. “Thank you, Mr. Wonderful. You’ve now paid $110,000 on my behalf.”
“What do you mean?” Vera demanded. “How—”
“You’ll see,” Charlie interrupted coolly. “Ladies, load the bags into the car.”
The attendants obeyed immediately. The crowd watched in stunned silence as Charlie gave the Lamborghini a simple voice command.
“Open, Maxwell.”
Beep!
The Lamborghini chirped in response, doors unlocking automatically as it said,
“Welcome back, Mr. Maxwell.”
Gasps rippled through the spectators. The car spoke to him.
Mr. Wonderful froze. “T–that’s impossible!”
The car’s console screen lit up with Charlie’s profile photo, confirming ownership.
Charlie turned his gaze on Mr. Wonderful. “You said this car was yours. Then explain this.”
Mr. Wonderful stammered. “Y-you must have hacked it—”
Charlie ignored him and gave another command. “Car, take photos of these people and report an attempted theft to the police.”
The car’s cameras flashed rapidly, taking photos of Mr. Wonderful, Salvatore, Gory, Vera, and the others. Their faces appeared on the car’s display with the label ‘Suspects Identified.’
Mr. Wonderful dropped to his knees instantly. “Please, no! Cancel that order, Charlie! I—I just got out of jail last month—for fraud! I didn’t mean to steal your car. I was just—showing off!”
The crowd burst into murmurs, some laughing, some recording with their phones.
Charlie tilted his head. “That’s not my problem.”
But after letting him sweat for a moment, Charlie said coldly, “Car, abort the report.”
The lights on the dashboard dimmed.
Charlie got into the driver’s seat. The ladies placed the last of his bags in the trunk, then stepped aside. He looked once at the trembling group and smirked.
“Next time you see me,” he said, “remember this feeling.”
The engine roared to life, and the Lamborghini sped away, leaving behind the scent of burnt rubber and broken pride.
Mr. Wonderful watched helplessly as his ‘prestige’ dissolved with the dust trail. He wanted to beg for the $110,000 back—but the shame was already punishment enough.
Salvatore, Gory, and Vera stood frozen, speechless.
After a long silence, Vera fumbled for her phone and called Angela. “You won’t believe this—Charlie’s super rich! I just saw him drive off in a fifty-million-dollar Lamborghini!”
Angela laughed mockingly. “Vera, stop the jokes. Charlie? Rich? That’s impossible.”
“I’m serious! He—”
“Forget him!” Angela snapped. “I’ve got real news. The Grants are about to close a deal with Claire Corporation. Tonight’s party is everything. Their net worth’s about to hit ten billion. And guess what? A representative of the Claire Corporation will be attending!”
Vera frowned. “Claire Corporation? You mean—”
“Yes, the Maxwells. Apparently, their new heir’s running Claire Corporation now.” Angela’s voice dropped into an excited whisper. “Be at the party. This is our chance. Jey told me he’s giving me a million dollars after the deal’s signed.”
Vera tried again, desperate to make her believe. “Angela, I think—”
Angela cut her off. “Stop wasting time on that broke Charlie. He’ll never amount to anything.”
The call ended.
Vera stood there in silence, phone trembling in her hand. The irony was almost cruel.
Because the man Angela had just called “stupid Charlie”…
…was the very heir running Claire Corporation.
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CHAPTER 71
The rented event space buzzed with energy as over a hundred students filed in, filling rows of chairs arranged theater-style. Jerry Stone stood at the front, adjusting his tie with practiced calm, watching his empire assemble.Charlie would have dismissed this as undergraduate theatrics six months ago. He'd have been wrong.Victoria Hunt approached with a printed agenda. "Final headcount: one-oh-seven. Twelve corporate sponsors confirmed for fall. Budget approved by student activities."Jerry nodded, scanning the crowd. YEN had evolved from a loose coalition of wealthy students into something structured, professional, and undeniably legitimate. Officers wore matching blazers. Committee chairs coordinated logistics. A constitution—actual bylaws, governed operations."Ready?" Victoria asked."Always."Jerry stepped to the microphone as conversations died. "Good evening. Thank you for being here."The room quieted completely."A year ago, this organization didn't exist," Jerry began. "To
CHAPTER 70
The email arrived Monday morning, simple and direct: Charlie, please come to my office during your free period today. - SterlingCharlie showed up at two p.m., expecting another mentorship conversation about balancing academics and professional experience. Instead, Sterling's expression was unusually grave, the kind of seriousness that made Charlie straighten in his chair before a word was spoken."Close the door," Sterling said.Charlie complied and sat."I'm hearing concerning things," Sterling began, folding his hands on his desk. "The Grant brothers are back, and they're working with Jerry Stone's network to undermine your reputation systematically. Students are talking. Questions are spreading about your scholarship, your summer internship, whether your success is merit or privilege."Charlie nodded. "I'm aware. Daniel filled me in."“And you’re not worried?”"Not particularly," Charlie said honestly. "I dealt with Nathan Cross trying to sabotage a multi-million dollar acquisitio
CHAPTER 69
Charlie first noticed Jim and Jey Grant on a Wednesday afternoon in late September. They were crossing the main quad with a group of students, and something about them had fundamentally changed. Gone were the flashy clothes and loud confidence. They wore simple button-downs and joggers, their expressions serious, their posture controlled.The summer had hardened them.Daniel noticed too, nudging Charlie as they walked past. "The Grant twins are back. They look different.""Different how?""Dangerous," Daniel said quietly. "Like they learned something over summer."Charlie filed the observation away but didn't think much of it. He'd survived Nathan Cross's sabotage and Perry Stone's political maneuvering. Whatever undergraduate drama the Grant brothers could produce seemed minor league by comparison.He should have paid more attention.The Grant family's collapse had been comprehensive. Charlie learned details from campus gossip: the mansion foreclosed, Charles and Claudia's marriage b
CHAPTER 68
Jacy’s absence landed harder than Charlie expected. He’d known she was staying in San Francisco at Rebecca Wong’s VC firm had made the offer irresistible but understanding the decision didn’t dull the feeling of being left behind.Their Sunday calls still happened at eight, steady and familiar, though the substance had changed. Jacy appeared on screen with the Golden Gate Bridge behind her, business casual even on weekends, laptop always within reach. She looked energized and focused, already embedded in a life Charlie could watch but not enter.Cindy remained in Thailand, her extension approved through December. Her connection flickered, backgrounds shifting between rural villages and cramped NGO offices, but her voice carried certainty. She spoke about trauma counseling and microfinance with a passion that cut through the static.Daniel was the only one still nearby, though increasingly occupied with classes and part-time work at his father’s firm. They ate together, studied togethe
CHAPTER 67
Charlie pulled into Yorkers University's parking lot on a Tuesday morning in late August, the familiar brick buildings rising against a cloudless sky. He'd driven this route hundreds of times, but something felt different now. The campus looked smaller somehow, less significant after three months navigating Claire Corporation's glass towers and boardroom politics.He grabbed his bag and walked toward the main quad, where students clustered in familiar patterns with freshmen looking lost, sophomores pretending confidence, seniors already nostalgic. Their conversations drifted past him: class schedules, party plans, who hooked up with whom over summer.It all felt strangely trivial.Daniel found him at their usual spot near the fountain, grinning wide. "There he is! The corporate warrior returns."They hugged, and the warmth was genuine, but Charlie noticed something beneath it. A hesitation, a gap that hadn't existed in May. Daniel had spent his summer filing papers and fighting copy
CHAPTER 66
Charlie's final day at Claire Corporation started with scheduled exit interviews, a ritual he'd initially dreaded but now approached with something close to relief. Three months compressed into institutional feedback, measured and documented.Emily Torres sat across from him in her office, the same glass-walled space where she'd first handed him that impossible Riverside assignment. Her expression was softer than usual, though not by much."You have real potential," she said without preamble. "Not because you're connected to the Maxwell family, but because you think strategically and you're willing to admit when you don't know something. Those are rare qualities."Charlie nodded, absorbing the weight of her words. Coming from Emily, this was practically effusive praise."Most people defend their ignorance," she continued. "They pretend to know things they don't, then make catastrophic decisions based on false confidence. You asked questions. You verified assumptions. That depreciation
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