Jackson dragged his tired feet into the hostel, his shirt damp with sweat, his pockets heavier than usual but never heavy enough. Another day of being everyone’s errand boy—running across campus, fetching food, carrying bags, doing whatever it took to scrape together a few dollars. Today was his birthday. And Emily’s too. The one thing they had in common, the one thing that made him work even harder. He had skipped lectures, swallowed insults, and humiliated himself all day just to make sure he had enough for her.Two thousand dollars. Enough to buy her a luxurious handbag, maybe. Enough to take her out to an expensive restaurant. Enough to make her happy, at least.As he stepped into his room, the scent of cheap vanilla frosting filled his nostrils.“Hey, birthday boy!” Andrew grinned, pointing at a small, homemade cake on the desk.James patted Jackson’s back. “We know you’ve been running around all day, so we thought, you know… You deserve something too.”For the first time all da

Luxury Avenue was the kind of place Jackson had only ever walked past, never into. The massive glass windows displayed designer outfits with price tags that could feed an entire family for months. Everything about the place screamed wealth—gold-trimmed walls, velvet-carpeted floors, chandeliers hanging from the ceiling like something out of a royal palace. Even the air smelled expensive.James and Andrew walked in confidently, dragging Jackson along. “Come on, bro, don’t overthink it. You deserve something nice,” Andrew said.Jackson hesitated. “I know you guys don’t have this kind of money. Where’d you get it from?”“Don’t worry about it,” James shrugged, but Jackson wasn’t letting it go.After a bit of back-and-forth, they finally admitted it—they had been saving up their allowances for months to start a business after school, but seeing everything Jackson had gone through, they decided he needed the money more.Jackson was speechless.Fifteen thousand dollars wasn’t much in a place

Nancy skidded to a stop in front of them, her breath coming fast. “Wait… what?” She looked them over, confused. “You guys are out? Just like that?”James and Andrew exchanged glances, still unsure how to process what had just happened themselves.“I thought you were in trouble,” Nancy continued. “I was literally on my way to help. The whole thing was on Tyler’s livestream. What happened?”Jackson took control before anyone could blurt out too much. “We were allowed to pay for what we could afford.”Nancy’s brows furrowed. “That doesn’t sound like Julian.”He shrugged. “It’s done now.”She exhaled, shaking her head, then turned to Jackson with an apologetic look. “I’m really sorry for what happened back there. I should have been there sooner.”Jackson gave her a small smile. “It’s not your fault.”“Well, I can at least make sure that salesgirl gets fired,” Nancy said firmly. “The manager’s a close friend of my mom. She’ll handle it.”Jackson said nothing, but deep down, he didn’t care

Jackson walked out of the club immediately.Nancy, James, and Andrew hurried after him, their voices laced with concern.“Jackson, wait—come on, man. Don’t let that idiot get to you.” Andrew caught up first, grabbing Jackson’s arm.James joined in. “Jonah’s just being Jonah. You know how he is.”Nancy hesitated, looking at Jackson’s unreadable expression. She sighed. “Please, don’t let them ruin your night.”Jackson shook his head and gave them a small smile—one that didn’t quite reach his eyes.“It’s fine,” he said. “I really do have something to do.”He wasn’t lying. He had plenty to think about.The way they had looked at him—Claire, Jonah, even Nancy…They still saw him as the broke, struggling Jackson.And honestly, he understood.He never flashed his wealth. Never tried to prove anything to anyone. Why would they think differently?But what stung the most wasn’t the way Jonah mocked him. It wasn’t even the way Claire had sneered at his gift.It was Nancy.Even though she had def

As Mr. Webb entered, a wave of submission swept through the lounge. Every head bowed. Employees straightened their backs, hostesses folded their hands, and the music lowered as if the walls themselves knew better than to offend him.Carl Webb owned this place. Evergreen Lounge was his kingdom, and in his eyes, only the worthy deserved to be in his presence. His gaze was sharp, his stance unwavering—a man accustomed to power, to having the world bend to his will.Raymond’s girlfriend was enthralled.This was the kind of power she craved—the command, the respect, the fear. But a part of her wished this was Jerry Haas instead. If Carl Webb commanded this level of submission, she could only imagine what it would be like when Jerry walked into a room.Carl walked up to Raymond, greeting him with a firm handshake, the kind exchanged between men who knew their places in the hierarchy. But his eyes barely lingered before shifting to the unwelcome presence standing nearby.Jackson.Carl’s face