Chapter 5: I’ll Make A Higher Offer

"Say one more word," I said, my voice dropping an octave, "and I’ll put a second bruise on that jaw to match the first one."

Julian instinctively took a half-step back, his smug expression flickering with a sudden, violent twitch of anxiety. His hand briefly hovered over his jaw—the memory of yesterday’s punch still clearly fresh in his mind.

"Julian isn’t scared of a low-life like you," Sarah snapped instantly, stepping in front of him with a sneer, desperate to kiss up to him. "He’s twice the man you’ll ever be, and you’re just a violent, broke loser who can’t accept that his life is over!"

"Yeah," Julian muttered from behind her, trying to recover his tough posture while keeping his distance. "You’re lucky there are security cameras here, trash."

Before the tension could escalate any further, a sharp clack of heels echoed across the marble floor. A middle-aged man in a sharp suit walked briskly out of the main office, taking one look at my faded t-shirt and plain shorts before frowning in deep irritation.

"What is going on here?" the complex manager demanded, striding over with his arms crossed. He turned directly to me, glaring with absolute disdain. "Sir, you can’t loiter in the lobby like this. I’m going to have to ask you to leave immediately before I call security."

"I’m not loitering," I replied calmly, pulling my phone from my pocket and tapping the screen. "I’m here for a scheduled inspection."

The manager blinked, looking down at the confirmation code on my screen and then back up at my faded shorts. His sharp expression wavered, caught in a mix of utter disbelief and sudden confusion.

"You... you booked the top-floor suite tour?" he stammered, his eyes scanning my plain shirt as if searching for a hidden cameras.

Julian burst into a loud, sharp laugh, the sound echoing off the high ceilings. "Are you serious right now? Him? A tour?" He shook his head, looking at the manager like the whole thing was a joke. "He doesn’t have thirty bucks in his bank account, let alone thirty grand! He got kicked off campus yesterday for being broke!"

Sarah let out a soft scoff, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes in second-hand embarrassment.

I ignored both of them completely. I casually turned around and took a brief stroll through the main lobby, checking out the polished marble, the private gym tucked behind glass walls, and the high-end security desk. Everything about the environment was top-tier—exactly what Chloe needed to study in peace.

I walked back over, gave a small shrug, and looked the manager straight in the eye.

"It’s fine. I’ll take it," I said plainly. "How much?"

The manager cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably on his feet as he looked between me and Julian.

"Well... the semester rate for the penthouse suite is thirty thousand dollars," the manager said slowly, his voice hesitant. "However, Mr. Julian here has actually already put down a deposit and made an offer on that exact unit just ten minutes ago."

Julian smirked, stepping forward with his hands in his pockets, looking down his nose at me. "That’s right. The place is taken, beggar. Go find a bench in the park."

"I’ll make a higher offer," I said plainly, cutting right through his smug grin. "Forty thousand. Right now."

The entire lobby went dead silent.

The manager’s mouth actually hung open for a second, his eyes darting between my faded shirt and my completely unbothered expression.

Julian stared at me before breaking into a harsh, forced laugh. "Forty grand? Are you insane? You’re bluffing! You don’t have forty grand, you homeless piece of trash! Who are you trying to impress?"

"If I’m bluffing, outbid me," I said, leaning back slightly and raising an eyebrow at him. "You’re a rich kid, right? Money’s no object? Drop fifty thousand for the semester right now and take it off my hands. Go on."

Julian’s face flushed a deep, angry red. He opened his mouth to shout, but no words came out. His jaw worked silently as he glared at me. A semester budget of thirty grand from his father’s allowance was already pushing his limit—dropping fifty on a whim wasn’t something he could pull off without his dad tearing him a new one.

"I... I’m not playing this stupid game with you!" Julian spat, backing down while trying to save face. "You’re acting! You’re just pulling numbers out of your ass! I want to see you actually try to pay for it!"

"Which account?" I asked, turning my back on Julian completely and looking at the manager.

The manager snapped out of his trance, hurriedly pulling up a terminal tablet on the front desk. "Uh—yes, sir! Right here. You can scan or tap..."

I brought up my phone, routed the system’s offshore proxy account through the reader, and authorized the transfer.

[Target: Chloe Vance - Environment Investment]

[Amount Expended: $40,000.00]

[Payment Status: SUCCESSFUL]

A bright, green chime rang out from the manager’s terminal.

[APPROVED: $40,000.00 TRANSFERRED]

The manager’s eyes nearly popped out of his head. He looked at the screen, then at me, completely frozen in shock. "It... it went through. Paid in full for the entire semester."

Julian’s smug expression crumbled into absolute, stunned horror. Sarah’s jaw dropped, her eyes wide as she looked from the terminal screen to my plain shirt, completely unable to process what had just happened.