"Yeah—Grayson is actually 'silentG'."
Thinking back to being looked down on by Indie's roommates in the Nineteen Bar last night, and rembering how Sienna broke up with him, Grayson suddenly wondered if his values had been all wrong. Being down-to-earth, sincere, and low-key was admirable, but the world had beco one ruled by money. If that was true, then maybe money was the only language that mattered.
So, when he saw Tanner showing off in Lexi's livestream—especially when Tanner mocked and put down Miles and Tyler repeatedly—Grayson smirked. He transferred two hundred thousand dollars into his account on the platform in one click. To Grayson, that amount wasn't even spare change.
Watching Lexi bat her eyelashes and call out "big bro silentG" with the kind of flirty look only a young woman could give, Grayson felt an unexpected thrill. Damn—maybe I'm really just an arrogant, spoiled rich kid at heart after all.
The next day, just before noon, Jace finally returned.
"Jace, you're back at last! Legs all wobbly? Back sore too? Ha!" Tyler teased, winking.
"Having a girlfriend has its perks, huh?" Miles chid in with envy.
Last night, Jace hadn't co back to the dorm. After hanging out at the bar, he and Indie went out together—and didn't return until morning. What exactly they got up to was obvious enough.
"Guys... sothing bad's happened." Jace's voice was tense.
"What? You and Indie break up?" Miles blurted without a thought.
"No way; Indie's a great girl. You're kidding, right?" Tyler laughed, nudging Miles. Tyler knew that if Jace and Indie split, the two dorms' joint outings would be canceled, and he'd lose any chance of hanging out with Indie's roommates. Even if Tyler knew the odds of dating Indie's friends were slim, a few group hangouts were worth having.
"It's not that," Jace said, pinching the bridge of his nose, clearly embarrassed. "Last night, at the bar... do you rember the first girl who left early? Indie's roommate, Lila Bennet? She had an accident."
"She did?" Miles froze a mont, then clapped his hands and grinned. "Yes! Finally, karma cos quickly! Rember how she acted toward Grayson yesterday?" Tyler joined in, clapping.
"Cut it out, you two," Grayson interjected flatly. He had no cruel satisfaction like Miles and Tyler did. Lila had snubbed him the night before, even storming out angrily—yet Lila was Indie's close friend, and Indie was Jace's girlfriend. Considering Lila's friendship with Indie and her relationship with Jace, Grayson didn't want to revel in her misfortune. Besides, last ti he'd taken Lila's food without asking, so he wasn't entirely innocent either.
"Guys, you're all wrong," Jace continued. "That boy Lila ran into when she left—rember soone tried to offer her a drink? You all assud he was her friend."
"Yeah, I thought he was a friend. I didn't hear what he said exactly," Miles said.
"But didn't Lila slap him? What a fiery temper—look at that guy, I figured he must've been so loser who ssed with the wrong girl." Tyler nodded in agreent.
"You're mistaken," Jace said. "That boy wasn't a friend—he was hitting on her. And he wasn't so loser—he's a bigshot second-generation rich kid. He's the future heir to Sterling Gate Group—Jaxon Langston. His father is none other than Victor Langston, the head of Sterling Gate."
"What?!" Miles and Tyler's jaws dropped. Although neither was a local, they'd been here long enough to know how powerful Sterling Gate Group was—a massive corporation with an ironclad reputation.
"Sure, Lila's dad runs a company and they have money—but compared to Sterling Gate Group? They're on a completely different level," Jace went on. "I heard that after Jaxon went back, he told his father about what happened. Victor Langston has pampered that kid since he was born. Jaxon got slapped in public—there's no way they'll let it go."
"Holy shit—this is serious," Tyler said, eyes wide. "Lila's ssed with the wrong people."
"Victor imdiately sent people to investigate. Once they found out Lila was the one who slapped Jaxon, they looked into her background. This morning, Victor sent scores of jobless thugs to Lila's father's company—SilverStream—to wreck the place. They smashed everything inside. Then he started spreading the word in the business world: all the suppliers and distributors who worked with SilverStream were told to drop them. Dozens of them backed out in fear. Now SilverStream is at a standstill."
"Holy crap, that's ruthless," Miles breathed.
"Lila's been lectured by her father, too. She's probably full of regret. Her dad, Charles Bennet, has been calling in every favor he can—but it's not working. Lila's been crying nonstop in the dorm. Indie and the others have been trying to comfort her. I heard she hasn't eaten since last night." Jace sighed deeply.
"What exactly do the Langstons want? What's their demand?" Grayson asked.
"They made it clear," Jace said gravely. "Victor Langston used to be a street thug. He cleaned himself up only after founding Sterling Gate. But he still has that thuggish streak. He's demanding Lila spend a night with his son, Jaxon. During that ti, Jaxon can do anything he wants with Lila—and face no legal consequences. Lila has to comply unconditionally. They say her life won't be at risk, but as for the rest..."
"Jesus—that's basically demanding she sleep with him. They even call it 'high-class.'" Miles shook his head.
"Poor Lila," Tyler murmured, sympathy in his voice despite his past disdain.
"Yeah. It's heartbreaking. But there's nothing we can do," Jace said, shaking his head.
"Let's go see her, at least give her so comfort—we're supposed to be one big dorm family," Tyler said.
"Right. Let's go. Grayson, you coming?" Jace asked.
Grayson nodded and followed them.
They arrived at the won's dormitory. After signing in downstairs, they climbed the stairs to Lila's room. Sure enough, it was immaculate and tastefully decorated—cute bedding, matching cushions, everything neat and pretty.
Lila sat in a chair, red-eyed and tear-stained, very different from her usual arrogant self. Indie, Maya, and Avery clustered around her, trying to soothe her.
"Lila, we're here," Jace said softly.
"Lila, don't worry so much," Miles chid in, though awkwardly. "We live in a society governed by laws. Sterling Gate Group can't go too far—right?"
"Yeah, call the police, make them stop this madness." Tyler offered.
But Lila shook her head, sullen. Her hair was a ss, her face pale. She looked utterly drained.
"You don't understand," she said, voice trembling. "You guys have no clue."
She'd t them coming to see her, so she couldn't be cold anymore, even though she had no goodwill toward them. But she still believed they, as ordinary "losers," didn't grasp the rules of the wealthy. Calling the police? Ha. Victor Langston had connections on both sides of the law. His ability to manipulate the system wasn't just talk.
"Let ask around, see if I have any connections who might help," Jace said.
" too," Indie, Maya, and Avery all spoke up. They ca from well-off families, and their parents had so connections too. Deep down, they knew their parents couldn't match Sterling Gate's power—but at least offering solidarity was sothing.
"Don't worry. Your family will be fine. This storm will pass soon," Grayson said quietly.
"You're here too?" Lila's head snapped up, eyes blazing with fury. "Ha! You have the nerve to show up here?"
Everyone froze.
"Lila, Grayson's here to *check* on you," Jace hurried to explain.
"Check on ? I think you're just here to laugh at !" Lila stood, pointed a trembling finger at Grayson. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have left early yesterday. If I hadn't left—if I didn't run into that bastard Jaxon—none of this would be happening!"
They were stunned into silence.
"You ruined everything. How dare you co here? Get out!" Lila spat, pointing at the door.
Grayson forced a small, rueful smile. He knew there was no reasoning with her in that mont. He turned and left the room.
Jace and Indie caught up to him in the hallway.
"Grayson, don't take what she said to heart. She's going through so much—she's upset, so her words are harsh," Indie said sympathetically.
"I know. I'm fine," Grayson replied quietly. "You guys go back and take care of her."
With that, Grayson walked away. Jace and Indie exchanged glances, sighed, and returned to Lila's room.
Back in her own room, Lila was still seething. She pulled out her phone. "You know, after you ntioned it, I just rembered—I have an old high school friend, Ryan Walker. His dad's soone big. I'll call him and see if he can help. And there's Ethan Brooks—his dad's got pull, too..."
anwhile, Jace dialed his parents. Indie and Avery did the sa.
Tyler struck his head with his fist. "I know a buddy on a construction site. He's doing pretty well—he's from my hotown. I'll ask him."
"Yeah, I'll ask my brother, too," Miles said.
After they left, Grayson took out his own phone, hesitated, then dialed a number.
"Grandpa Jenkins? It's Grayson."
"Young Master Grayson! Hearing your voice is such a joy!" ca the firm, spirited reply from the other end—despite the older voice, it sounded full of vigor.
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