Chapter 4
Allvar stood frozen on the sidewalk, watching the older man step out of the luxury car. His heart raced as he recognized him, Mr. Lorentz, his neighbor of several years. But how? The man had never been wealthy. In fact, he had always seemed like a regular, unassuming old man living next door. Now, here he was, stepping out of a car that probably cost more than Allvar had ever made in his entire life. "Mr. Lorentz?" Allvar's voice cracked, barely believing what he was seeing. "What are you doing here? What’s going on?" To Allvar’s utter shock, Mr. Lorentz walked up to him with a calm but respectful air. The older man bowed slightly, his expression serious but respectful. “Young master,” he greeted him, voice low and steady. “Please, come with me.” Allvar blinked, his head spinning. “Young master?” he repeated, bewildered. “What the hell are you talking about? This—this has to be some kind of joke, right?” The older man straightened, his face unreadable. “I assure you, young master, it’s no joke. Please, get in the car.” Allvar’s mouth went dry. His feet felt glued to the ground. “I don’t understand,” he said, almost to himself. “What’s going on? Mr. Lorentz, you… you’ve lived next to me for years! How are you, what is all this?” Mr. Lorentz offered him a small, enigmatic smile but didn’t answer directly. “You will understand soon enough, young master. But for now, I must insist that you come with me. There’s someone waiting to see you.” Allvar felt dizzy, because everything was abnormal today. First the failure of the interview, next the betrayal of Serena and now this. Allvar hesitated, his mind racing with questions, doubts, and a creeping sense of dread. But there was also an odd pull, a curiosity gnawing at him. “This better not be some kind of prank,” he muttered under his breath before stepping toward the car. He slid into the back seat, the leather seats soft and cool against his skin. Mr. Lorentz entered after him, sitting calmly as the driver pulled away from the curb. The silence in the car was heavy, almost suffocating, and Allvar’s mind was buzzing with confusion. “So,” Allvar finally spoke, glancing sideways at his neighbor, “are you rich now? Is this all some lottery win or something? Because this…” he gestured vaguely at the expensive car around them, “this doesn’t make any sense.” Mr. Lorentz chuckled softly, though he still kept his eyes straight ahead. “It’s not quite that simple, young master. You’ll know everything very soon.” Allvar frowned, feeling more disoriented by the second. “Stop calling me that,” he muttered, rubbing his temples. “I’m not anyone’s ‘young master.’ I’m Allvar, the broke guy whose life you’ve been watching fall apart next door.” Mr. Lorentz remained quiet, his face still unreadable. The car moved swiftly through the city, and before Allvar could wrap his head around what was happening, they were pulling up to a massive wrought-iron gate. Behind it loomed a sprawling villa. The sheer size of it made Allvar’s stomach churn. “What… what is this place?” he whispered, more to himself than to anyone else. The car rolled to a stop, and Mr. Lorentz turned to him, his expression softening slightly. “Welcome, young master. We’ve arrived.” Allvar didn’t move, his hands gripping the seat beneath him. “Why are you calling me that? What the hell is going on?” “You’ll find your answers inside,” Mr. Lorentz said gently, opening the door and stepping out. Allvar followed reluctantly, his legs feeling weak as they walked toward the grand entrance of the villa. He was too stunned to notice the opulence around him, the marble floors, the crystal chandeliers, the lush gardens that surrounded the estate. His mind was reeling, trying to make sense of everything. As they entered the massive double doors, he was immediately drawn to a figure seated in the grand living room. Allvar’s breath caught in his throat. There, sitting on an ornate couch, was his father.Chapter 5Allvar’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, cal
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