Chapter 5
Allvar’s head spun as he stared at his father, seated comfortably on the luxurious couch. His father, who he hadn’t seen in what felt like years, looked perfectly at ease in the lavish surroundings. For a moment, Allvar couldn’t speak. The weight of the moment, his confusing arrival, the strange behavior of Mr. Lorentz, and now, the sight of his father, felt like too much to process. His voice finally broke the silence, shaky and filled with confusion. "Dad? What…what are you doing here? Why…why didn’t you tell me anything about this?" He waved his hand, motioning at the grand villa. His father smiled warmly, leaning back in his seat. "Allvar, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. There’s something you need to know, and I think now’s the right time. You’ve graduated from college now, and it’s time you learned the truth." "The truth?" Allvar repeated, bewildered. "What truth? None of this makes any sense! Mr. Lorentz is driving a luxury car and bowing to me, calling me ‘young master.’ What’s going on?" His father chuckled softly, nodding toward the older man who had been standing quietly by the door. "Mr. Lorentz isn’t just your neighbor. He’s been with our family for decades. He’s your butler, son. He’s lived next to you all these years to keep an eye on you, to make sure you were safe." Allvar blinked, staring between his father and Mr. Lorentz, his mouth dry. "Our butler? You’re kidding, right?" "I’m completely serious," his father said, his tone calm but firm. "We’ve kept a lot from you, Allvar, for your own good. But now that you’ve graduated, it’s time for you to step up and take over the family business." Allvar’s heart pounded in his chest as he struggled to absorb the words. "Take over the business? What business? I thought, I thought we were just an ordinary family! I mean, we’ve lived in that modest house my entire life. And you…you’re telling me all of this now?" His father leaned forward, his expression softening. "I know it’s a lot to take in. But we wanted you to have a normal life, free from all the pressures and expectations. Now that you’re older, now that you’ve finished school, it’s time for you to see the bigger picture. Your mother and I…we’ve decided to retire. The business is yours now." Allvar shook his head in disbelief. "I don’t even know what the business is! What am I supposed to do with all this? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" "We wanted to wait until the right moment," his father explained patiently. "We didn’t want you growing up with the weight of this on your shoulders. But you’re ready now." Before Allvar could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the screen, it was his friend from college. "Hold on," Allvar muttered, turning away slightly to take the call. "Hey, what's up?" “Allvar! You coming to the graduation party tonight?” his friend’s voice crackled through the speaker. “Everyone’s going to be there. You should come!” Allvar hesitated, looking around the grand room, feeling the weight of the day’s revelations pressing down on him. "I don’t know, man. I’m not really in the mood. I’m…the only one without a job. It feels kinda weird, you know?" From across the room, his father chuckled, catching the tail end of the conversation. "No job? Son, you’ve got the biggest job of all now!" Allvar hung up the phone, still looking conflicted. "I don’t even know if I should go, Dad. I feel out of place. Everyone else is already moving on with their lives, and I—" "Nonsense!" his father interrupted with a laugh. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a sleek, gold card, handing it to Allvar. "Here. Take this. It’s my graduation gift to you." Allvar stared at the card, feeling its weight in his hand. "What’s this?" "A little something to make your night more fun," his father said with a grin. "There’s more than enough in there to cover anything you want at the party." Allvar’s eyebrows shot up. "How much is on this thing?" His father smiled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Let’s just say you won’t be able to spend it all. But, just for fun, I have a challenge for you." Allvar frowned. "A challenge?" "Yes," his father nodded, leaning back with a satisfied grin. "I want you to spend one million dollars at your graduation party tonight."Chapter 6Allvar blinked, certain he had misheard. "One million…what? Are you serious?""As serious as I’ve ever been," his father replied, his voice smooth. "Consider it your first task as the future head of the family."Allvar stared at him, then at the gold card, his mind reeling. "Dad, I…I don’t even know where to begin.""You’ll figure it out," his father said, his grin widening. "Just remember, this is only the beginning. Enjoy yourself, Allvar. You’ve earned it."Allvar stood there, stunned, as his father gave him a knowing nod. The weight of everything, the revelations, the responsibility, and the sudden windfall pressed down on him. But beneath it all, a flicker of excitement began to stir. Maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all.****Allvar stepped out of the taxi and stared up at the neon-lit sign of the bar. The party was being held in one of the biggest and most extravagant bars in the city, yet he still felt a strange unease. His father’s words echoed in his mind, 'S
Chapter 7Hearing Allvar’s words, the bartender, who had been laughing with his colleague, immediately stopped and pushed the girl aside. "I’ll take it from here," he said, his tone suddenly much more respectful.Allvar frowned, confused by the sudden change in the bartender's demeanor. "Why the change of heart?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.The bartender flashed a wide, almost sycophantic grin. "I knew it all along, sir. You’re one of those low-profile rich guys, aren’t you?" he said, his voice dripping with flattery. "I could tell from the moment you walked in. Let me personally handle your order. A hundred bottles of Éternité, right? Coming right up."Allvar’s frown deepened. "Really?" he said, his voice tinged with disbelief. "You sure weren’t acting like you knew anything a minute ago."Before the bartender could respond, a sharp voice cut through the room. "Allvar?" Allvar turned around, his eyes narrowing when he saw who it was. Serena, dressed in a shimmering, expensive gown
Chapter 8Allvar sneered, his lips curling in disdain as he stood outside the bar, finally piecing it together. His ex, his classmates, he had always known deep down what kind of people they were. Now, it was all glaringly clear.As he was about to walk away, the sound of laughter grew louder. A group of his old classmates entered the bar, chattering excitedly. None of them acknowledged him, not even with a glance, except for one person."Allvar!" A voice called out. He turned to see his best friend, Mikel, weaving through the crowd toward him. Mikel, the only one who had bothered to check in on him earlier, clapped a hand on his shoulder."Man, I can’t believe how fake they all are," Mikel muttered, shaking his head. "They’re only avoiding you because they’re jealous. You were always the best in class, and Serena was the hottest girl around. They couldn’t stand it."Allvar gave a bitter smile. "It doesn't matter anymore. They’re all vultures."Mikel’s eyes darkened as he glanced t
chapter 9The bar fell eerily silent after Allvar’s bold order, but only for a moment. The hush didn’t last long before the group of former classmates erupted into laughter, their amusement spreading like wildfire."Did you hear that?" one of the guys hooted, slapping his knee in exaggerated laughter. "The 'loser' wants to buy the most expensive drink here? He couldn’t even afford bread back in the day!"More laughter echoed across the room, and the mockery began to build, each voice eager to take their turn."Yeah, right," another chimed in, smirking smugly. "Éternité? The guy can’t even find a job, and now he thinks he can afford champagne worth more than all the money he’s ever seen in his life?""Maybe he’ll offer to pay in Monopoly money," a girl quipped, earning a round of snickers from those around her.Serena’s new lover, sitting back comfortably with a self-satisfied grin, glanced at Allvar with an air of condescension. "What a joke," he muttered, loud enough for everyone to
Chapter 10More laughter filled the air, and Allvar’s eyes flicked up, locking onto the man’s smug face. The waitress nervously clutched the card, eyes darting to Allvar before continuing her sentence. "I… I was just returning your card, sir," she stammered, holding it out toward him. "The drinks are too heavy, so my colleagues are bringing them over."The entire bar went silent. Serena’s lover, who had been smirking the entire time, furrowed his brows. He leaned forward, his voice dripping with disbelief. "Wait… what do you mean, 'bringing them over'?"The waitress blinked, seemingly confused by the reaction. "I mean," she said slowly, glancing at the group, "the payment went through. We’ve already charged his card for all ten bottles."What?A heavy, stunned silence followed."You’re joking," Serena’s lover blurted out, his face twisting in disbelief. "You mean to tell me he actually 'paid'? For 10 bottles of Éternité? That’s… that’s 100 grand!"The waitress nodded, visibly perplex
11Allvar’s fingers itched to tighten into fists, but he kept his expression neutral as the accusations flew at him from every direction. The bar had fallen into a tense, anticipatory silence, with everyone waiting for his reaction. Serena’s lover, eyes gleaming with malice, leaned forward and laughed darkly.“You’re not getting away with this, man. No way in hell you paid for all that. You think we’re fools? Just admit it — you stole the card,” he sneered, glancing at Serena, who was smiling smugly by his side.Serena tilted her head, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “It’s not too late to turn yourself in, Allvar. You know what? I think you should. You might avoid a worse sentence if you confess now.” She paused dramatically, then added with a twisted smile, “Lucky for you, my boyfriend’s uncle works for the police. He could help… or not.”Her lover’s grin widened as he pulled out his phone. “That’s right! My uncle would love this. Catching a thief like you? That’s a career boos
12 Allvar hung up the phone and straightened up, his entire demeanor shifting from tense to confident. He slipped his phone back into his pocket, a calm expression settling over his face. Serena’s brow furrowed as she noticed the change in him. “What’s with the sudden attitude? You really think some lowlife you called is going to help?” she sneered, though her voice wavered slightly. Her lover, sensing her unease, pulled her close. “Babe, don’t worry. He’s bluffing. It’s all part of the act. Uncle Tom will handle this, no problem.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze, but the smirk on his face faltered just a little. Allvar met their gazes coolly, his confidence unwavering. “We’ll see who’s bluffing when this is over.” Serena laughed, but it lacked the same malice as before. “You’re really digging your own grave, Allvar. When Uncle Tom gets here, he’s going to eat you alive.” “Sure he will,” Allvar said evenly, his eyes not leaving hers. “But I wonder how your boyfriend will feel w
Allvar barely had time to process what was happening when the voice cut through the noise. It was icy, commanding, and sent a ripple of unease through the crowd."Let him go."Heads turned, eyes searching for the source. Stepping through the door was a striking woman, her beauty undeniable, with sharp features and an aura of confidence that made the entire room hold its breath. Her gaze locked onto Uncle Tom, and even he faltered for a moment before regaining his composure.Uncle Tom's lips curled into a sneer, his eyes lingering on her in a way that made the onlookers shift uncomfortably. “Who do you think you are, huh? You think you can just waltz in here and tell me how to do my job?” His voice was dripping with lewdness as his gaze raked over her. “If you get in my way, I’ll be happy to take you down to the station too. Maybe give you a lesson in respect.”The woman didn’t flinch, her expression remaining ice-cold. She didn’t even bother to acknowledge his crudeness, instead raisi