Chapter 13: ...Close Night

After finishing the tacos, we drove down to a quiet, dimly lit park near the lake.

We left the car behind and took a long, peaceful stroll along the paved paths under the soft glow of the streetlights.

We talked about everything—her passion for research, my sudden change of trajectory, her dreams now that her uncle wasn’t holding her back, and the simple things we both liked.

There was no talk of money, no systems, and no pressure. Just a genuine connection. I had to admit to myself, feeling her laugh beside me and seeing her so completely relaxed was infinitely more satisfying than watching any bank balance go up.

As the night grew late and a cool breeze swept across the park, we stopped under the shadow of a large willow tree near the water. The silence between us stretched out, thick and lingering. Chloe turned to face me, her eyes soft behind her glasses, her cheeks slightly flushed from the night air. I stepped closer, leaning down slightly, and for a long, breath-taking second, the space between us completely vanished. We were so deep in the mood that our lips nearly touched—both of us holding our breath, caught in the tension, even if neither of us was brave enough to admit it out loud right then.

Chloe blinked quickly, her pulse visibly fluttering at her collarbone, and pulled back with a shy, breathless smile. "We... we should probably head back," she whispered softly.

"Yeah," I cleared my throat, smiling back. "Yeah, let’s get you home."

We drove back to the high-rise in comfortable silence. I walked her up the private elevator and right to the front door of the stunning penthouse suite. I handed her the master keycard and tapped the doorframe, turning around to head back toward the elevator.

"Since I got this place set up for you, I’m going to head out and grab a high-end hotel room for the night until I buy my own place tomorrow," I said casually over my shoulder.

Chloe froze in the doorway, staring at me in utter disbelief. "Wait... what?" she gasped, her voice instantly dropping into that flustered, disbelieving tone. "You’re leaving?! You rented a massive, four-bedroom luxury penthouse and you’re going to sleep in a hotel?!"

I stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow with an amused smirk. "It’s your space, Chloe. I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable on your first night."

"Uncomfortable?" She crossed her arms, her cheeks turning a bright, lovely shade of pink as she looked down at the polished floorboards, then peeked up at me through her lashes. "It’s... it’s a huge apartment. And after everything today... I don’t want to stay in this giant place alone."

I leaned against the hallway wall, stepping a little closer to her. "So... are you asking me to stay?"

Chloe swallowed hard, her jaw tightening as she fumbled with her glasses, completely defeated by her own honesty. "Yes, Mr. Smooth Talker," she murmured softly, stepping aside and holding the door open wide for me. "I want you to stay. There are three extra bedrooms. Pick whichever one you want... just don’t leave."

I let out a low chuckle, stepping past her into the warm, glowing living room. "Well, if you insist."

I changed out of my clothes and pulled on one of the plush, heavy robes from the master closet. Walking barefoot across the heated hardwood floors, I realized just how insane this penthouse really was.

The entire suite was fully automated. A sleek central AI interface let me adjust the ambient lighting, control the climate, and set the background music with a single voice command. I spent a good twenty minutes just playing around with it, lowering the shades, cycling through different lighting modes, and testing the built-in speaker system that echoed softly through the high ceilings.

As I explored further down the main hallway, I realized the space felt more like a private resort than an apartment. Tucked behind a set of double doors was a full private cinema room with plush leather recliners and a massive screen. Next to it sat a home library lined with dark wood shelves, packed with hundreds of leather-bound books and modern editions.

Stepping out onto the extended terrace, I found a heated infinity pool and a bubbling Jacuzzi that overlooked the twinkling city lights down below. Right off the main living area, a sleek, marble-topped bar was fully stocked with an incredible variety of fine wines, aged spirits, and crystal glassware.

While I wandered through the massive layout taking it all in, the apartment was completely quiet. Chloe was still back in her master suite on the opposite wing, likely unpacking her box of memories, settling into the luxury surrounding her, or just trying to process everything that had happened over the last twelve hours.

I pulled out my phone, poured myself a glass of aged whiskey from the bar, and leaned against the glass railing of the terrace to check the official university portal.

Sure enough, the system updated right in front of my eyes: Scholarship Status: REVOKED (Authorized by Dean Vance).

The old man really thought he had me trapped. He figured stripping away my financial aid would force me onto my knees, begging for mercy or dropping out in shame. But he overlooked one tiny detail—revoking a scholarship didn’t mean automatic expulsion. It just meant I was expected to pay out-of-pocket for the rest of the term.

I tapped my screen, navigated to the bursar payment tab, and didn’t even hesitate. I entered the full tuition amount for the entire year, selected direct proxy transfer, and submitted it.

[Transaction: University Tuition & Fees]

[Amount Expended: $18,500.00]

[Status: PAID IN FULL]

[Student Status: ACTIVE & GOOD STANDING]

A clean, digital receipt flashed across my screen. The Dean thought he was holding all the cards, waiting for me to fail. He had no idea that tomorrow morning, I wasn’t just showing up as a regular student—I was rolling onto campus in a million-dollar supercar, backed by millions in liquid cash, with his own newly confident niece sitting right in my passenger seat.

I took a slow sip of whiskey, watching the city skyline reflect off the terrace pool. Tomorrow was going to be an absolute spectacle, and I couldn’t wait to see the look on his face.