Max stood outside the Sky Golden Hotel, every word Lily had spoken replaying painfully in his mind. Her cold, indifferent voice cut deeper than he’d ever imagined possible. The woman he had poured his heart into had ended their relationship publicly, dismissing him as easily as a stranger.
"Lily… why would you do this to me?" he asked, his voice breaking.
Lily sighed, her gaze flat and uncaring. “Max, I’ve made it clear. I need a life that you could never give me. David can. I’m with him now, and it’s for the best.” Her words dripped with finality, her disinterest a knife twisting in Max’s chest. She met his gaze one last time, her voice as cold as her stare. “Goodbye, Max.”
Max felt the weight of her rejection, his chest tight and breaths shallow as he struggled to process the betrayal. But before he could even respond, David stepped forward, positioning himself protectively in front of Lily, a smirk on his face.
“Looks like you’ve been dumped, Max,” David sneered, folding his arms. “Why don’t you just accept it? Go back to your dorm, maybe scrape up a few coins for dinner.”
Max’s fists tightened, anger flaring through his veins, but he tried to hold back. “This isn’t about you, David,” he said, his voice shaking with pain. “This is between me and Lily.”
David’s smirk only grew. “Well, too bad, because Lily’s mine now. And frankly, she deserves someone who can take care of her.” He glanced at Max’s clothes, his eyes filled with contempt. “You’re nothing, Max. Just a poor, pathetic kid playing pretend in a world you’ll never belong to.”
Max took a step forward, his voice laced with hurt and desperation. “Lily… please, tell me this isn’t real.”
Lily looked away, her face impassive. She didn’t utter a word, just held David’s hand tighter.
David scoffed. “Take a hint, Max. You’re done here.” With a sudden, forceful shove, he pushed Max backward, causing him to stumble.
That was the last straw. Max’s self-control snapped, and he lunged forward, grabbing David by the collar. In seconds, the air was filled with the sounds of fists landing, each blow carrying the weight of Max’s betrayal, heartbreak, and pent-up rage. David’s training in martial arts quickly showed, but years of physical labor had made Max strong and resilient. He landed punch after punch, ignoring the pain in his own knuckles as David staggered back, struggling to defend himself.
People around them gasped, phones emerging to capture the chaos, and within moments, the fight was live-streaming on Groove, watched by students across the campus. Comments flooded the screen:
User123: “Is that Max Reid? Poor guy’s going through it…”
LilyFan89: “Can’t believe he thought Lily would stay with him. So delusional.”
RichKid22: “David’s wiping the floor with him! Serves him right.”
But Max couldn’t hear or see any of it. The humiliation, the anger, the heartbreak—it all exploded as he threw another punch, finally landing David on the ground, his face bruised and bleeding. Max’s breaths came in shallow gasps, his vision blurring with emotion as he glared down at David.
“Stop it!” Lily’s panicked voice cut through his haze, and Max looked up to see her fumbling for her phone. “Security! We need security now!” She yelled, her voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.
In seconds, two hotel security guards arrived, forcing themselves between the two men. One of the guards seized Max by the shoulders, jerking him back before landing a sharp slap across his face.
Max’s head snapped to the side, and he blinked, dazed. His cheek stung from the slap, but it was nothing compared to the sight in front of him. Lily was watching him, her face twisted with disgust and disdain, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.
Another slap landed, and Max staggered backward, his chest heaving as he struggled to breathe. He felt numb, the weight of betrayal settling like a stone in his heart.
“Lily…” he murmured, barely able to form the words. He searched her face, desperate for even a glimmer of the affection they’d once shared. But there was none. She was done with him.
“Get him out of here,” Lily said coldly to the guards, her gaze filled with contempt. “I don’t ever want to see him again.”
The guards tightened their grip on Max’s arms, but he barely felt it. All he could do was stare at Lily, trying to understand how the girl he loved could look at him with such disdain. The reality of it was almost too much to bear.
As he was dragged back, Max caught sight of David, who was slowly getting to his feet with a vicious glare. Blood trickled from his nose and lip, but his eyes held a dark promise. “You’re going to regret this, Reid,” David spat, his voice low and filled with venom. “I’ll make sure you pay for this humiliation.”
Lily rushed to David’s side, her hands fluttering over his injuries, her concern evident. “David, I’m so sorry,” she said softly. “Are you alright?”
David’s face softened slightly as he looked at her. “I’m fine. Just a little scratch. But that… peasant will pay.”
The weight of betrayal settled heavily on his shoulders as he turned away from the hotel. Each step felt like he was moving through a nightmare, the sting of Lily’s final words still fresh in his mind.
I was never enough, he realized, a hollow emptiness expanding within him. No matter how hard I tried, I was never enough for her.
Max sat in the back of the police car, staring blankly out the window as the city lights blurred past him. The events of the night replayed in his mind, each memory piercing like a fresh wound. Lily’s cold, dismissive voice. David’s taunts. The betrayal, public humiliation, and the stinging slap from the security guard. It all left him feeling hollow, his heart shattered beyond repair.The silence in the car was heavy, punctuated only by the crackle of the police radio. The reality of what he’d done was beginning to settle, but he didn’t have the energy to regret it. The pain and anger had taken over, leaving him with nothing but a numb sense of loss.When they arrived at the police station, Max barely registered the officers as they led him inside, processing him with a detached efficiency. After a brief wait, an officer sat him down and placed a form in front of him.“Max Reid,” the officer said, looking down at the paper, “you’re being charged with assault, battery, disruption of b
Max wandered the empty streets, his mind adrift, every step heavy with exhaustion. The day’s events weighed on him, each memory sharp and unrelenting. Lily’s betrayal replayed in his mind like a cruel joke, her words lingering, hollow and cold. David’s smug expression, the laughter of onlookers, the sting of the police slap—they all reminded him of his limitations, his lack of status, and the poverty that defined his life.He soon found himself in a quiet park, a sliver of peace amid the chaos. The moon cast a gentle glow over the trees and empty benches, giving the place a sense of calm he hadn’t felt in ages. Max sank onto one of the benches, leaning forward, his elbows on his knees as he buried his face in his hands.What if things were different? he wondered, a fleeting, desperate thought. If he had the wealth that people like David flaunted, would Lily have stayed? Would he be sitting here now, alone and humiliated? In his mind, he pictured a life of luxury, a life where he never
Max sat in the plush leather seat of the Rolls-Royce, the hum of the engine barely audible as they glided along the highway. He stole glances around the car’s interior, marveling at the intricate details, the polished wood panels, and the soft ambient lighting. This was wealth beyond anything he’d ever imagined, beyond even the flashiness of David’s Porsche. Still, his mind was a swirl of questions and disbelief. Who was this “master” Kevin kept mentioning, and why did they want to meet him?Kevin, seated across from Max, maintained a respectful silence, sensing Max’s hesitation. After the initial few questions, Max had stopped asking anything altogether, still half-convinced he was part of some elaborate joke or, worse, a setup. But Kevin’s sincerity and unwavering politeness had left him curious enough to follow through.After what felt like an eternity, the car slowed, pulling through massive, ornate golden gates with the word “Reid” crafted in elegant letters across the top. Max s
Max stared at the documents spread out before him, the intricate logos of renowned companies gleaming up from the pages. His hands shook as he flipped through the lists, each name sending a fresh wave of disbelief washing over him.“Groove Inc.,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. The very platform that had broadcast his humiliation with Lily and David. And now… he owned it?Next came another familiar name: Nix Inc. He remembered researching it for a project at university—a global powerhouse with groundbreaking innovations in tech. He’d spent hours analyzing their business strategies, marveling at the sheer scale of their operations, yet he’d never even imagined his life would intersect with theirs like this.“Groove, Nix, Ember Oil, Apex Luxuries…” Max’s mind reeled as he skimmed through the assets his family controlled, each company more influential and financially commanding than the last. Hotels, tech giants, oil companies, mineral mines, and luxury brands—all connected, all
Sunlight filtered through the elegant curtains, casting a warm glow over the luxurious room where Max had slept for the first time. He sat up, taking in the intricately carved furniture, the plush carpet beneath his feet, and the massive windows overlooking the sprawling estate. It all felt surreal. Just yesterday, he’d been worrying about making rent and finding enough to eat. Now, he was surrounded by opulence he’d only ever seen in magazines.Max stood and made his way to the bathroom, turning on the shower. The warm water washed away his fatigue, but his mind continued to spin as he processed his new reality. Yesterday, he thought, I couldn’t even imagine coming up with $5,000 to get out of jail. And now I own companies worth billions.Once he was dressed, he looked at his reflection in the mirror, his old clothes starkly contrasting with the refined surroundings. A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. Kevin, his grandfather’s butler, entered, bowing slightly. “Good mor
As Max held the sleek black card in his hand, his grandfather extended another envelope toward him. “There’s also a transfer to your regular bank account,” Mark said, his gaze steady.“Consider it some pocket money. It should cover your immediate expenses and allow you to… adjust to acting like the head of the consortium.”Max opened the envelope, revealing a card with his usual bank’s logo and a printed balance receipt. His eyes widened at the amount. Pocket money, his grandfather had called it, but to Max, it was an unfathomable sum—more than enough to settle his debt to his friends, buy clothes, and support himself for years if needed.This was a different world, a world where “pocket money” carried more zeros than his lifetime of savings combined.He took a deep breath, a mixture of excitement and anxiety churning within him. “Thank you, Grandfather. I’ll… I’ll do my best to manage everything responsibly.”Mark’s gaze softened, pride evident in his expression. “I know you will, M
CHAPTER 10Max pushed open the door to his dorm room, a surge of warmth flooding him as he was greeted by his friends. Rudd, Greg, and Marcus instantly sprang to their feet, bombarding him with a mix of hugs, playful punches, and shouts of relief.“Max! Where the hell have you been, man?” Rudd exclaimed, clapping him on the shoulder. “We’ve been freaking out since you left.”“Yeah,” Marcus chimed in, grinning as he grabbed Max in a bear hug. “You had us thinking you were gone for good or something!”Max couldn’t help but laugh, his heart swelling with gratitude. It was comforting to return to familiar faces, the friends who had been his family through thick and thin. For a moment, he forgot all about the grandeur of the mansion, the Bugatti, the millions of dollars—these were the people who’d stood by him long before he’d known the truth of his heritage.“We even got you something,” Greg added, gesturing toward the small table in the corner, where a box of Tasty Fried Chicken sat, fil
The dorm room was filled with laughter and jokes, the four friends sprawled across the couches, unwinding after a grueling week of classes. Max Reid sat on the edge of his bunk, his mind elsewhere, though he offered the occasional nod and smile.“You guys see that Porsche in the parking lot this morning?” Dan asked, his eyes widening. “That’s David Lesley’s new car—the Carrera GT. Man, two million dollars. Can you even imagine?”“Lesley’s living the life we all wish we had, huh?” muttered Jake, shaking his head in disbelief.Just then, their dormmate, Ethan, burst into the room, panting with excitement. “Guys! David Lesley is proposing to Lily Ginn right now—on live stream!” He held up his phone triumphantly, opening the Groove app, where the proposal was indeed trending.“Are you serious?” Dan leaned in, his eyes glued to the screen. “This guy doesn’t waste time.”Max, however, remained seated, his expression neutral. Lily wouldn’t say yes, he told himself. She’s with me. She told me