The Pizza Boy Who Owned the City

Chapter 8

Just as Ed was about to call the police, a voice suddenly interrupted him.

“Excuse me, sir.”

Everyone turned.

The sales assistant who had been standing nearby finally stepped forward. There was a cautious look on her face as she approached Ed with the invoice in hand.

“We will be closing soon,” she said politely. “May I ask how you would like to settle your order?”

Her words fell like a hammer.

Ed froze.

Only then did he remember that he had ordered the exact same set as Dan.

He stiffly took the invoice from the sales assistant. The moment his eyes landed on the total, his face changed.

“Sixty… sixty thousand dollars?” His voice almost cracked.

A chill ran down his spine.

He only had the ten thousand dollars he had withdrawn earlier. There were a few thousand more on his card, but even all of it together was nowhere near sixty thousand.

He looked up at the sales assistant, his lips twitching.

“Did you make a mistake? How can a few pieces of clothing cost sixty thousand dollars?”

The sales assistant’s expression immediately cooled.

“Sir, all prices at Valmont Couture are clearly marked. You personally requested the same suit, overcoat, shirts, tie, belt, and shoes as this gentleman. Are you suggesting our boutique is trying to overcharge you?”

“I…” Ed’s face stiffened.

Before he could explain, the store manager walked over with two security guards. “What seems to be the problem?”

The sales assistant quickly explained the situation.

The manager’s gaze turned cold as it landed on Ed.

“Sir, if you placed the order, then please settle the bill. Valmont Couture is a luxury boutique, not a place for people to place empty orders just to show off.”

The words struck Ed directly in the face.

He had been too eager to compete with Dan. Whatever Dan ordered, he ordered the same thing without thinking.

Now Dan had paid his bill easily.

But Ed could not.

“What should I do?” Ed muttered, sinking back into his seat.

His mind was racing, but he could not think of a solution.

It was not just Ed who was panicking.

Caroline was stunned as well.

She had never expected Dan to actually afford the clothes.

And she found it even harder to believe that Ed was the one trapped by the bill.

Ed suddenly turned to Caroline and Lucas.

“Caroline, Lucas… I didn’t bring enough money today. How about we all chip in first?”

Everyone’s expression changed.

Lucas quickly clutched his stomach.

“Ed, I… I’m not feeling well. I need to use the restroom.”

Caroline also took half a step back, clearly unwilling to get involved.

Ed stared at them in disbelief.

For the first time, Ed felt the humiliation of being abandoned.

And somehow, he suddenly understood how Dan must have felt when everyone had looked down on him.

Desperate, Ed turned toward Dan. “Dan, can you—”

“No,” Dan cut him off coldly.

Ed’s face stiffened.

Dan looked at him calmly and said, “I warned you. This place isn’t for everyone. If you couldn’t afford it, why did you insist on showing off?”

Ed’s face burned with shame.

Dan’s voice remained flat.

“As for the money, figure it out yourself. I can’t help a poor man pretending to be rich.”

Those words landed like a slap across Ed’s face.

After saying that, Dan turned and walked out of Valmont Couture.

Ed could only watch him leave, his face twisted with embarrassment and anger.

Outside the boutique, the evening lights of Harkins City had already come on.

Tall buildings stood on both sides of the street, their glass walls reflecting the neon glow of traffic lights and luxury storefronts. Cars streamed past one after another, and well-dressed pedestrians moved through the night as if this city had always belonged to them.

He had seen this view countless times while delivering pizzas.

Back then, he had always been in a hurry. He would ride through the cold wind with a delivery box strapped behind him, worrying about late orders, bad reviews, and whether his scooter had enough gas to last until the end of the day.

The city had always looked bright.

But only tonight did Dan suddenly feel that Harkins City was truly beautiful.

His city was truly beautiful.

Dan took a slow breath, then turned to leave.

But just as he was about to head home, he suddenly noticed a familiar figure standing by the roadside.

It was Ella Pattinson.

The beautiful neighbor who had helped him with his rent.

Tonight, she looked different from usual. She was dressed more carefully, with light makeup on her face and a faint trace of anxiety in her eyes.

Dan walked over.

“Ella?”

Ella turned around and looked surprised to see him.

“Dan? What are you doing here?”

“I was about to ask you the same thing,” Dan said.

Then his expression softened. “Also, thank you for helping me with the rent earlier. I’ll pay you back.”

Ella waved it off. “There’s no rush. Pay me back when you can.”

As she spoke, she looked toward the street as if waiting for a taxi.

A moment later, one pulled up beside her.

Before getting in, Ella said, “Sorry, I have something urgent to take care of. We’ll talk another time.”

Then she got into the cab and left.

Dan stood there, watching the taxi disappear into the traffic.

For some reason, he felt uneasy.

It was already late, and Ella had looked like she was in a hurry.

After a brief hesitation, Dan hailed another cab.

“Follow that taxi,” he said.

His instincts told him that Ella might be heading into trouble.