2024-11-22 15:50:54Before Ethan could get another word in, Aria walked off and approached a sleek, black Porsche.
The car's door opened, and a beautiful girl stepped out. Her designer outfit clung tightly to her slim figure, and every inch of her oozed wealth and privilege.
“This is my best friend, Natalie.” Aria said.
Ethan extended a polite hand, "Nice to meet you."
Natalie didn’t even look at his outstretched hand. Her eyes flicked up and down, taking in his simple clothes with a disgusted sneer.
“So, this is the guy?” she asked, her voice dripping with contempt.
Ethan withdrew his outstretched hands, but he didn’t comment on it. After all, he had no interest in playing their petty games.
“We’re heading to Gregory Holden' party. You should come,” Aria said.
"Why not?" Ethan shrunk his shoulders.
“Come on, it’ll be fun. Besides, Greg is dying to meet you.” Natalie said in a nice tone. But actually she had told Greg earlier.
Greg was going to let Ethan know the result of stealing his girl.
Everyone at Tussauds University knew the name Gregory Holden. Greg was the golden boy, wealthy, powerful, and deeply entrenched in the school's elite. More than that, everyone believed Aria and Greg were destined to end up together.
“Let’s go. We don’t want to be late.” Aria urged as they got into Natalie’s car.
The party Aria mentioned was being held at one of the most exclusive clubs in town. It was a club that was reserved for the wealthy and privileged only, and it was extremely hard for an average person to get in. Ethan didn’t have to look far to see the difference between him and everyone else there. Flashy cars, designer clothes, and an air of superiority were on full display.
As they approached the entrance, the towering metal doors slid open automatically for the guests. Ethan tried to follow, but the doors slammed shut just before he could step through, blocking his way. He frowned, standing there as the guests inside barely gave him a second glance.
Two large security guards who stood at the entrance noticed his situation and walked over intimidatingly, eyeing him with barely disguised amusement.
“You lost, buddy?” one of them asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
Ethan said nothing, glancing up at the doors that had locked him out. He had expected this kind of treatment.
“Only members get through those doors,” the other guard chimed in, smirking. “And you don’t look like you belong here.”
The guards chuckled, clearly enjoying the moment. Ethan could hear their taunts clearly, but he didn’t seem the least bit fazed by their words, his expression calm.
“Listen, kid, why don’t you save yourself the embarrassment and head home? This place isn’t for you,” one of the two guards said, stepping closer to Ethan. He sounded like he cared for Ethan’s wellbeing, but Ethan could clearly see through the bullshit.
Ethan remained calm and was about to respond, but before he could let a word out, the sound of a roaring engine echoed down the street. A fancy red sports car pulled up, and Gregory Holden stepped out, flanked by a few of his friends. His eyes immediately landed on Ethan, and a cunning grin spread across his face.
“Well, well. What do we have here?” Greg said as he clapped his hands in delight, walking over with his group of friends. One look at Ethan's simple outfit, and he could easily understand the situation that was occurring.
The guards straightened, clearly recognising Greg. Greg looked Ethan up and down, his grin widening as if he had been waiting for this exact moment.
“You trying to get in, man?” Greg asked, his voice dripping with false concern. Aria had already informed him of what Ethan looked like and how she wanted to humiliate him, so he couldn’t help but try and make fun of Ethan.
“This place has rules, you know. Only the elite and privileged like us can get in.” Greg said, and his words elicited a series of snickers and sneers from his friend group.
Ethan remained silent, his eyes fixed on Greg, who was clearly revelling in the attention.
“Tell you what,” Greg continued, throwing an arm over Ethan’s shoulder as if they were old friends.
“There’s a competition happening downstairs tonight. Underground fight club. It has a lot of rewards that could be helpful to someone like you. However, that would only happen if you could find your way in.” Greg sneered, and his words prompted another round of mocking sneers and laughter from his friend group.
Something in Ethan’s head clicked at that moment, and Aria’s plan became clear.
She hadn’t invited him to the party for fun. She had invited him to humiliate him in front of everyone.
Ethan glanced at the security guards, who were watching the exchange with smug looks on their faces.
He knew this was a setup, but he wasn’t one to back down.
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Jason remained quiet for a brief moment as he contemplated Ethan’s words, but it didn’t seem like he was going to change his mind. Although Ethan had a mysterious background and identity, this was a different ball game entirely, and moreover, he couldn’t make this decision on his own.“I will think about it seriously and speak to my father about the Whitman family. However, he is out of the city currently for business, and he will be coming back in the next three days. When he is back, I will speak to him, and we will release the list of allies we have decided to work with.” Jason said with a pleading tone. It was as though he was trying to pacify Ethan.Ethan looked at him for a few seconds before ultimately nodding his head in agreement.“Thank you. I look forward to seeing the list.” Ethan said, and exchanged goodbyes with them before turning and walking away, his steps as calm and composed as ever.As Ethan walked away, he was already thinking about his next move. He planned to me
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The curtains on the charity event had been pulled already, and in less than twenty minutes, the grand and luxurious hall of the VIP section where the guests were the elite of the city gradually emptied, leaving in the same flashy way they arrived. The journalists and reporters who were still present continued to take several pictures of them, but the fervour was vastly different from the moment of arrival.Aria, Greg, and Natalie all left together as usual, before parting ways on the route to their various homes. They didn’t even bother to look for Ethan or offer him a lift, choosing to completely ignore him and go about their own activities.Ethan as well didn’t bother with them. If they chose to ignore him, then he would respect their decision. Besides, he would rather they ignored him than them reaching out to him only to insult him again.Meanwhile, inside the luxurious grand hall, Jason and Vivienne Crestwood stood near the polished oak doors of the hall, speaking in low voices a
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The party continued in its lavish atmosphere, and soon enough, the charity auction began mere minutes after Vivienne’s speech. The guests settled down, and the lights in the luxurious hall dimmed as an auctioneer took to the stage.“Good evening everyone. I trust you all are having a pleasant evening!” The auctioneer, a handsome man in his early forties greeted politely as he positioned himself properly on the stage. His voice was rich, commanding the attention of everyone present as he presented the first item that was up for auction—a luxurious painting from a world famous artist.The proceeds from the auction, as Vivienne mentioned earlier, would go toward several charitable causes that needed it.In a gathering with such exclusive people in the city, several high-end and luxurious items were presented, including artworks, jewellry and rare collectibles. These were all items that were highly sought for by the guests present, and they placed their bids on their interested items with
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“What a showoff.” Greg sneered as he watched Ethan walk away from them.“He has nothing and yet he’s acting like that! How dare he lie to us?” Natalie added, her voice dripping with disdain.“Vivienne Crestwood got him the outfit? What a fraud.” Natalie scoffed and muttered under her breath, visibly irritated by the thought.Aria’s eyes flickered with surprise at Ethan’s attitude, but she still remained silent. She didn’t know whether to believe his words or not.“He definitely has some nerve, walking around so righteously when he just stood there and lied to our faces.” Greg uttered angrily as Ethan disappeared into the crowd, clenching his fists as he did so.Aria still remained silent, sporting a small frown on his face as she stared at Ethan disappearing figure. She didn’t know what to make of Ethan’s claim. Since his demeanor was so calm and composed, wasn’t there the possibility that his words could be true?“Let’s just ignore him. He’s no one important anyways. He’ll just end u
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For a moment, the three of them stared at Ethan in silence. The words Aria wanted to say got stuck in her mouth, and her jaw dropped. Natalie widened her eyes as she stared at Ethan, while Greg who was sporting a smug expression saw his expression falter. None of them had expected that response, and they could not believe their ears.“Vivienne? What do you mean Miss. Vivienne?” Natalie asked, her voice filled with disbelief.“Do you mean Vivienne Crestwood?” Aria asked, her voice clearly showing her shock.“Yes.” Ethan replied coolly, giving her a small nod of agreement.“You’re such a liar, Ethan. Why would Vivienne Crestwood get someone like you an outfit?” Greg immediately rebutted, not believing his words for a single second at all.Ethan didn’t respond to Greg’s insult, and opted to remain silent. He had already answered their questions, and whether they believed him or not was left to them, as he had no intention of explaining any further to them. He already expected them not to
