The Last Minute of Poverty

chapter 6

Jason leaned over to Colman. "I need to use the restroom," he whispered, stepping away from the group and slipped out of the private room

He headed towards the corridor near the lobby. However, as he turned to a secluded corner, he heard a deep and aggressive voice that made him stop.

Charlotte was pinned against the wall by a burly middle-aged man with a thick, scruffy beard.

Relying on his heavy build and Gangstar vibes, he had her trapped against the wall and spoke to her in a threatening tone.

“You think you can just walk away from us?” the man snarled, as he slammed his hand heavily against the wall, causing it to vibrate in response.

“I don't care who you think you are. You have to follow me, or I drag you along… Either way, you're coming with me.” he declared.

Jason's eyes narrowed. He instantly recognized the man. He's one of John's bodyguards, the same thugs who had surrounded him in the alley the night Rose broke up with him.

Without a second thought, Jason walked calmly down the hall.

"Is there a problem here?" Jason asked, his voice echoing lightly against the walls. He stepped smoothly between them, looking directly at the bearded man. "Our classmates are waiting for her upstairs. It's time for her to go."

The bodyguard spun around, his face twisting into a furious scowl. "Who the hell do you think you are, kid? Get the fuck out of here before I break your… your…"

The words died instantly in his throat the moment he turned to meet Jason's gaze.

The man's eyes widened to the size of saucers as he finally processed the face standing in front of him.

The terrifying memory of the black armored SUV, the shattered sports car, and the absolute bloodbath Seth had unleashed in that alley flooded his mind in a split second.

This was the untouchable young master.

The bodyguard's vicious, gangster aura evaporated into thin air. His face turned ashen, and his knees instantly began to tremble. A dark, wet stain quickly spread across the front of his trousers as he completely lost control of his bladder.

Without a single second of hesitation, the massive man bent forward, bowing at a perfect ninety-degree angle.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know! Please forgive me, Young Master!" the man shrieked in terror.

When Jason didn't respond, and that made him panic even further.

He raised his hands and began slapping his own face with all of the strength he could muster. The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed down the corridor. Within seconds, his cheeks were swollen, and blood began to trickle from his nose and split lips.

"Please spare me! I'm trash! I'm a blind trash!" he begged, continuing to violently beat his own face.

Jason didn't say a single word. He didn't even blink. He simply walked past him while gesturing for Charlotte to follow him.

Charlotte stood frozen for a second, her heart pounding against her ribs. She stared at Jason's retreating back, her mind racing.

Who exactly was this guy?

A question she dared not guess an answer to.

The whole class thought he was just a broke waiter, but a ruthless underworld enforcer was currently beating himself bloody just because Jason had looked at him badly.

Quickly recovering, she hurried to catch up with him.

"What was that about?" Jason asked quietly as they stepped into the elevator.

Charlotte looked away, her composed mask slipping back into place, though her hands were still shaking slightly. "It's nothing. Just... a misunderstanding. Thank you for stepping in." She stammered.

Jason didn't push it. Everyone had their secrets.

When the two of them returned to the Premier Room, the atmosphere was already lively.

However, the moment Jason approached the large dining table, the dynamic shifted entirely.

As he pulled out a chair, the students sitting nearby immediately scooted their seats away in exaggerated disgust, intentionally isolating him.

He was still wondering why they had separated themselves from him when a lady clad in an off -shouldered dress walked up to him, her heavy makeup almost dusting off as she smiled at him.

She bent down as if to sit next to him, then tightly held her nose.

“I can't sit here, this place reeks of poverty.” She looked at Jason with an undisguised disgust before strutting back to the other side of the table.

The whole room burst into laughter. Everyone laughed, except for some of Jason's close friends and Charlotte who was just entering.

Across the table, Matthew was beaming. He had deliberately saved the prime seat right next to him for Charlotte, even standing up and pulling the chair out for her.

"Charlotte, over here," he called out proudly, dusting the seat with his handkerchief.

Charlotte didn't even look at the seat Matthew was offering. Instead, she walked straight past him, her expensive heels clicking against the hardwood floor, as she pulled out the chair directly next to Jason and sat down smoothly, entirely ignoring the isolation tactic the class was playing.

The laughter in the room died instantly. The silence was deafening.

Matthew stood there, his hand still gripping the back of the empty chair, looking like a clueless clown.

"What?" Charlotte asked, looking around the stunned room with an innocent expression. "We are all classmates, aren't we? It doesn't matter where I sit."

Unwilling to accept such a public defeat, Matthew gritted his teeth and shamelessly dragged his own chair around the table, squeezing himself into the seat on the other side of Charlotte.

Jason could sense Charlotte's Goodwill and warmth returned to his heart instantly. Though he knew Charlotte's hidden motive, he didn't care anyways.

An enemy of an enemy is a friend. He doesn't care if he was being used as a shield or not.

Seeing Charlotte sitting so comfortably next to the class outcast made Matthew's blood boil with jealousy. He glared at Jason, his eyes flashing with malice.

"Alright, since we're all settled," Matthew announced loudly, leaning forward to ensure everyone was listening. "Jason here made a very generous promise back in the lecture hall.” He said, then paused for effect before continuing. “He said he was going to treat the entire class to red wine tonight."

Matthew signaled the sommelier with a smug, expectant smirk. "Well, Jason? We're at The Meridian Room. Go ahead and pick a bottle for us. Let's see your taste."