CHAPTER 26.New Dorm. About thirty minutes later, they finished eating and left the café."Miss Lily gave you money?" Ben asked curiously. It had been on his mind since he heard Olivia mention it.Robert nodded. "Yes, I aced the test, and she rewarded me for it."Jacob squealed happily. "Damn, egghead!" The two boys swelled with pride. They couldn't be happier and prouder of their friend.Later, when they reached their dorm, Ben and Jacob waved goodbye to Robert before heading to their own dorm. Meanwhile, Robert walked a few more kilometers before reaching his own dormitory.Upon reaching Room 050, he took out his keys from his pocket, opened the door, and was greeted by a pleasant scent mixture of coffee and vanilla. A smile crossed Robert's face.Simon had finished renovating the room, and he did an excellent job! As Robert stepped inside, he was enveloped in a warm and inviting atmosphere that exuded comfort and sophistication, a stark contrast to how dark and unwelcoming his room
CHAPTER 26.Flexing his wallet.The following day, Robert quickly took his bath even before his mom was up. He rushed outside, and the only person he met in the living room was Simon."Good morning, Rob," Simon greeted. "Are you going to work out?"Robert shook his head. "Partially."Simon smiled and went on with what he was doing, but Robert quickly stopped him."Hey, Simon!" he called out, and Simon quickly turned. "What's that, Rob?"Robert cleared his throat before he started talking. "What car would you recommend to someone like myself, except an Audi Q7? Any other nice ones you know?" Robert narrowed his eyes at Simon, eagerly waiting for his reply. It was Saturday, and he felt the need to buy a new ride instead of always using his mother's.Simon smiled. "Wow! Hell to the fucking no, that's a good move," he praised. "Instead of an Audi Q7, we also have the BMW X5. It's a very comfortable ride with exceptional handling and dynamics, and it also has a very impressive interior space
Two of the salespersons exchanged glances as the manager stepped up to Robert.Robert regarded the man for a minute before hinting, "I just said I wanted to buy a car. I never gave you my price or budget, so why do you need to tell him how much the cheapest one is?" Robert was getting annoyed with the condescending treatment.The manager, seemingly unaffected by Robert's words, flashed him a smile. "I have been watching you from my office, and you have been drooling over the Audi Q8. Do you think you can afford that?""Look at you, an Audi Q8? Be real. I'm sure you don't believe that yourself either," he added mockingly, and the other salespersons burst out laughing.Robert's face flushed red with anger, but he didn't say anything and ignored the man. He walked around the car, unable to help but smile. The Audi Q7 was his dream car, but damn, the Audi Q8 was even better. It had a sleek and athletic exterior design, blending luxury and SUV elements.Robert slowly touched the dynamic li
"Oh, shit!" Robert muttered frustratedly. "Why do I always have to run into Olivia wherever I go?" he thought to himself.At that moment, Olivia nudged Cheryl and whispered, "Isn't that your new boyfriend who claimed he paid for your rent?"Cheryl quickly turned and, upon seeing Robert, furrowed her brows and replied, "Never! Not in this lifetime. This poor broke guy who borrows money just to get by. No way, I can't be with him." She said it in a very snobbish manner, causing the others to laugh.Olivia chimed in, "Imagine if I were still with him, or if you were his new girlfriend, how would we be here buying a new ride?""I was about to say the same thing," Quinn added, the next girl who also worked in the same department as Robert. "If you were still with him, it would mean you'd have to give up our friendship or buy the car yourself."The three girls walked closer to where Robert was standing. Olivia's gaze fell on him, and she couldn't help but chuckle. "Damn, look at those eyes.
Cheryl quickly intervened. "Just shut it, Robert! All the acting, and you can't even afford a new departmental uniform. You're talking down on our cars when they cost a whopping $175,000? Only a fool who can't afford even a tenth of that would try to mock others for it," she snarled.Luca laughed. "All that English, and you can't even ace your tests." Cheryl felt like she had been struck by lightning, but Robert wasn't done taunting. "Go on with your cars. I understand your boyfriends can't afford more than that."The manager exchanged glances with his staff, clearly surprised by the escalated tension between Robert and the ladies."You must think the world revolves around you because you became popular for your donation," Olivia smirked. "Well, let's watch how you will pay your fees. I see you quickly paid this semester's fees, but I'll wait for the next semester.""Are you still in love with me? You're keeping tabs on me more than my friends even do," he said with a hint of sarcasm.
His colleagues quickly held him back. Two of them took him away from the scene to where he would be treated; his nose was bleeding. The whole place went silent. Even Quinn and Cheryl were stunned. They had never seen Robert hit someone, but Olivia wasn't new to it. She could still vividly remember the proposal scene where Robert stormed in and punched Owen in the face."Lunatic!" Quinn yelled,she was still shocked by how hard he had hit the salesperson. "All you know is fighting! Put those muscles into getting rich!"She turned to the manager, who stood there like a log of wood. "What are you still waiting for?" she yelled. "Call the police!"The man didn't flinch. Calling the police was useless. Of course, if Robert wanted to leave before the policemen came, he would still walk away unscathed. No one would want to hold him.He felt a knot forming in the pit of his stomach, tight and constricting. He was also scared of Robert and didn't want to make any move on him, definitely not a p
The man didn't care to look at Robert, instead he walked around the car and his lips twitched into a smirk as he thought. "This is so fucking sleek and comfy, I really want this for going to work and a little stroll around town."He turned to the Manager and said, "I love the Audi Q8, like I don't know, but it's just so good and sleek!" Words of compliments left his lips.Of …..course. i hate that it is limited. It is one of the best Audi I have ever seen as a manager of a car showroom... Just so sleek and rich," the manager added."Just take a look at the front," he walked over to the front of the Audi Q8. "It has a Singleframe grille with chrome accents and the Audi logo looks so sleek," he touched and turned to the buyer. "Fuck! That's some gold right there, not the plastic logo, man!"The man quickly walked over to where the logo was and touched it to confirm if it wasn't just the shiny plastic logo, he smiled, clearly impressed by the car."What!" Quinn was shocked. "The Audi Q8 h
The man walked up to Robert, he scrutinized him for a moment, kind of checking the height difference. Actually, Robert was around 5 ft 8, and the man in question is about 6 ft 1. He glanced over at Luca, more like looking over his head."I guess your bank account is as short as you are, boy. Go away. Go find some fancy bikes that you can afford," he spat coldly.With that, he walked over to the manager. He sighed, "How do you allow some crazy little poor boy inside such a glamorous showroom like this?" He scolded the man in a stern voice. "I mean, where are your securities?"Everybody glanced up at Robert. At least, he has met his match."I am, I am very sorry, please ignore him," the manager pleaded in a very polite manner. He was not ready for Robert to jeopardize this mouth-watering deal for him."Please, sir, let's go back to what we were doing. Should I go on and bring the inventory?" The manager didn't want to waste any more time; he had a whopping six percent cut on each car sa
The company, once vulnerable in the wake of Madam President’s death, was now regaining its footing under Robert’s guidance. But his journey had only just begun, and he knew that he needed to be vigilant, for there were still enemies lurking in the shadows.His mother’s funeral, though somber, had not only been a farewell but also a declaration to the world that Robert was no longer the boy who lived in his mother’s shadow. He was stepping into his role with a newfound sense of purpose, and he would not be undermined.In the weeks that followed, Robert spent long hours at the company’s headquarters, pouring over documents and familiarizing himself with every intricate detail of the empire his mother had built. His butler, an older gentleman named Alfred who had served the family for decades, became an indispensable ally. Alfred had known Robert since he was a child, and he had seen the boy transform into the man standing before him.One evening, Alfred found Robert still working in hi
Madam President, as she was fondly known to the world, was a woman of unparalleled influence and charisma. Her life was a tapestry of triumphs, woven from years of building her empire and leading her company with a firm but compassionate hand. She had overseen countless business successes and was a beloved public figure, admired for her resilience and business acumen.But even the strongest of leaders are not invincible. Behind closed doors, the indomitable Madam President had been battling a relentless illness. The diagnosis had come suddenly and without warning, sending shockwaves through the lives of everyone who knew her, especially her only son, Robert. Despite her physical decline, she never let her illness dim her spirit or her drive to oversee her company’s affairs. Robert often marveled at his mother’s sheer determination, even when she was confined to her bed, issuing orders and signing documents with the same unwavering authority.The family spared no expense in providin
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier as the final figure was announced. Lila’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind reeling at the sheer audacity of it all. How could this be happening? Robert was supposed to be the pauper here, the one barely scraping by, not the one making extravagant purchases without a second thought.Meanwhile, Anita’s smile grew even wider, a mix of disbelief and glee painted across her face. To her, it felt as though she had won the jackpot, her wildest dreams unfolding right before her eyes.Robert, however, merely smiled sheepishly, his calm demeanor unshaken by the staggering total. He turned to Anita and said, "I hope you’re satisfied with your picks. Let’s get these wrapped up."At the same time, When the assistant called out the total—$350,000—the shock on Lila and her companion’s faces was almost palpable. Lila’s eyes widened in disbelief, her carefully calculated confidence beginning to unravel as she processed the staggering figure. The man besi
Lila and her companion stood frozen, their eyes locked on Robert. The confidence with which he moved, the calm in his demeanor, and the absolute lack of fear in his voice were all completely at odds with the image of him they had clung to for so long. Every word he spoke, every action he took seemed to defy the expectations they had so carefully built around him.Lila's breath hitched as she watched Anita wheel the overflowing cart towards the register. Her gaze darted to the items, her mind racing as she tried to calculate the worth of everything piled inside. Her heart sank as the numbers began to add up—thousands upon thousands of dollars. The realization was like a punch to the gut. Could this really be happening? Could Robert, the man she had always considered beneath her, actually afford this?For years, Lila had carried a deep-seated belief that Robert was a nobody, someone to be mocked and dismissed. But that belief was now crumbling under the weight of what she was witnessin
Robert let out a calm smile, his eyes narrowing slightly as a cold expression settled on his face. "You're right, why won't I?" he responded, his tone icy and composed.Lila's scorn was unmistakable. She threw her head back and let out a sarcastic laugh, her eyes gleaming with mockery. "Really? Robert afford a bag this much?" she sneered, her gaze landing on the $89,000 price tag of the bag Anita had been eyeing earlier. "You? A pauper like you? Trying to level up so bad—it’s laughable!"She continued, "You’re in way over your head, Robert. You’re just digging your own grave, pretending to be something you're not. This is going to put you in serious trouble one day, mark my words."Her words dripped with disdain, but beneath her confident exterior, a seed of unease began to sprout. She couldn’t shake the memories of her past encounters with Robert. She recalled their run-in at the Luxor Hotel—how she had expected him to be exposed as a fraud or a thief, yet, to her bewilderment, he ha
The words hit Lila like a slap to the face. Her eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in fury, her face flushing with a mix of anger and embarrassment. For a moment, she was rendered speechless, her mouth opening and closing as she struggled to find a retort. But soon, the anger boiled over, and she exploded into a furious rant."You—how dare you!" she sputtered, her voice rising in pitch. "You think you can talk to me like that? Do you know who I am? I’ve got more class in my little finger than you’ll ever have! Those bags—those bags are worth more than anything you’ll ever touch! You’re nothing but a lowlife, a pathetic little con man who can’t afford even a scrap of what I have!"Lila’s face contorted with rage, her voice dripping with venom as she continued to rant, her words becoming more disjointed and desperate as she tried to regain some semblance of control over the situation. "You’re the joke here, Robert! A joke! And as for you," she spat, turning her glare towards Anita, "
The tension in the air was electric, thick and oppressive like a storm cloud ready to burst. The other guests, who had been observing the escalating situation with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, began to murmur amongst themselves, their voices tinged with both anticipation and judgment."Serves him right," one diner whispered, barely hiding a smirk. "He must be out of his mind to go up against someone like Mr. Smith.""Foolish, really," another chimed in, shaking their head. "He’s asking for it. The manager’s going to toss him out on his ear, just wait and see."The whispers grew louder, with some even casting pitying glances at Robert, while others openly mocked him. "He has no idea who he’s dealing with," one person commented with a sneer. "Smith’s a regular here, practically untouchable. That guy is done for."Anita, sitting beside Robert, could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She was visibly fidgeting, her fingers nervously tapping on the edge of the table. The thought o
Robert remained unnervingly calm as Mr. Smith's voice escalated, his threats echoing through the luxurious hall of the VIP section. His demeanor was as steady as a still lake before a storm, showing no hint of the tension burning beneath the surface. The more Mr. Smith ranted, the less Robert seemed to react, his composed expression only further fueling Mr. Smith’s fury.Mr. Smith sneered, his voice thick with venom. "You act like you’re above it all, like you own this place, you think everyone else is just as deceitful as you?"The other customers, were now turning their heads, their curiosity piqued by the growing commotion. Some whispered among themselves, while others watched intently, their food momentarily forgotten.Robert, sensing the perfect opportunity to twist the knife, leaned back in his chair, his expression calm. "Well, Smith," he said with a casual shrug, "if you must know, I own this place."Mr. Smith froze mid-rant, his eyes narrowing as he processed what Robert had
As Robert and Anita left the lively birthday party, the evening air was cool, and the city lights glittered around them. Anita’s stomach growled audibly, and she burst into laughter.“Okay, that’s embarrassing,” she said, rubbing her belly. “But seriously, I’m starving. We’ve been surviving on potato chips, cupcakes, and candy all night. I need some real food—something warm and hearty.”Robert chuckled, nodding in agreement. “I hear you. I can’t believe they called that a party spread. You know what? Let’s go somewhere special. I know a place.”Anita’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Special, huh? Fancy or casual?”“Oh, very fancy,” Robert said, a mischievous smile playing at his lips. “Trust me, you’ll love it.”Curiosity piqued, Anita grinned. “Alright, lead the way. Just don’t make me wait too long; I’m already dreaming about a perfect, gourmet meal.”They drove through the city, the anticipation growing as Robert pulled up to an elegant, upscale restaurant. The establishment exuded s