I had been away for seven years. When I finally returned, it was for a field assignment.

By coincidence, a high school reunion was happening at the same time. Despite my current status, I decided to attend; it had been years since I last saw my old classmates.

Everyone seemed to be thriving. Mercedes, BMWs, Audis and luxury cars lined the parking lot like trophies of success.

Unfortunately, the municipal car fleet had suffered a bout of food poisoning that day, leaving me with no choice but to take a taxi to the restaurant. Even my secretary wasn’t with me; I had to keep a low profile, after all.

As luck would have it, my classmates spotted me stepping out of the taxi. Immediately, they started mocking me for studying so much, only to end up without even a car to my name.

Thorne Bennett sauntered over, arriving in a Bugatti Veyron. He clapped me on the shoulder, smirking. "Come work at my company. You have no high position, but I can let you be a janitor. At least that way, you’ll get a car, finally one of us, huh?"

Rowan Dawson, my old rival from high school, leaned in with a sneer. "Or maybe you could go crawling back to your ex. Lilith West is a Lawson opera master now. She’s loaded, who knows? You might finally get a shot at driving a luxury car."

I merely smiled, unfazed.

"With my job, I’ll never get the chance to drive a luxury car in this lifetime."

***

High school was true youth.

There had been innocent romances, the relentless grind of preparing for college entrance exams and friendships forged through shared hardships.

So, despite my special status now, despite no longer fitting into casual gatherings with old classmates, I still chose to attend the reunion.

That day, the municipal car fleet suffered a case of food poisoning, leaving me without a driver. But it didn’t matter. I had planned to keep a low profile anyway. I took a taxi and didn’t even bring my secretary.

Of course, I was well aware that my movements carried weight now. Security had already been arranged, silent figures stationed along my route and discreetly positioned at the hotel.

Before long, the taxi pulled up in front of the grand entrance.

As I stepped out, my gaze landed on a lively group. They were none other than my old classmates, deep in conversation, laughter spilling between them.

Luxury cars lined the lot, polished and gleaming under the evening lights. Their attire spoke of success and life had treated them well from how they carried themselves.

Seeing them thriving, I felt a quiet sense of happiness for them.

Just as I was about to greet them, someone spotted me first.

But there was no warm welcome, no familiar smiles. Instead, their gazes shifted, filled with something else: mockery.

Before the silence could settle, an engine's deep, guttural roar sliced through the air and a silver Bugatti Veyron glided into the parking lot, its presence commanding attention.

A man stepped out of the car, his custom-tailored suit perfectly sculpted. With a casual flick of his wrist, a million-dollar watch caught the light, glinting like a silent proclamation of power. His mere presence commanded attention.

"President Bennett is here!"

"Ah, Thorne Bennett! You finally made it! We’ve been talking about you all evening."

"Look over there, Thorne! Our former class genius showed up too and came in a taxi."

No one spared me a second glance. The crowd surged toward Thorne instead, their enthusiasm palpable.

Back in high school, Thorne had been the wealthiest among us, the golden boy with everything handed to him. He was also once my rival in love.

His gaze swept over me, filled with thinly veiled disdain. Then, with a smirk of feigned ignorance, he tilted his head.

"Who’s this? Oh, it’s Cassius Parker. What are you even wearing? Even the waiters here dress better. And that hair, what is that supposed to be?"

Was I dressed that poorly?

I glanced at myself. I was wearing a government-issued executive jacket, crisp and dignified and my hair was parted neatly in a standard 3/7 style. I was professional and respectful.

And yet, to them, I was nothing more than an afterthought.

With my line of work, wearing a luxury suit worth tens of thousands or sporting some flashy, high-end hairstyle wasn’t an option.

"Cassius, you used to be the top student. How did you end up like this?"

"Look at us; we all have cars now. At the very least, an Audi A6. And you? Not even a single ride to your name?"

"No car is one thing, but couldn’t you have at least booked a premium ride instead of hailing a regular taxi?"

"Taking a taxi is not bad enough, but couldn’t you have tried to dress up?"

From the moment I stepped out of the car, their taunts came at me like arrows, sharp and unrelenting. If an outsider had witnessed this scene, they’d think I was their sworn enemy rather than an old classmate.

Thorne strode up with a slow, deliberate air, his smirk brimming with mockery. He clapped a hand on my shoulder, the weight of ridicule pressing down with it.

"Come work at my company," he said smoothly. "I don’t have a good position for you, but I could let you be a janitor. At least then, I’d make sure you finally own a car, just so you can say you’re one of us."

"Or maybe you should track down your ex-girlfriend. Lilith is a Lawson opera master now, rolling in wealth. Who knows? She might just let you drive a luxury car for once."

Rowan, Thorne’s ever-loyal shadow, wasted no time piling onto the mockery.

Lilith…

She was the girl I had admired for three years in high school. We were never officially together, but there had been something, an unspoken understanding, a quiet kind of encouragement. Maybe there had been ambiguity, but more than that, we had pushed each other forward.

She was the reason I had turned from a reckless middle schooler into the top scorer in the college entrance exam.

Back then, Thorne had chased after Lilith relentlessly, only to be rejected time and time again. Maybe that was why he had always tried to make my life miserable. But as one of the school’s strongest candidates for the provincial top scorer, the teachers had done their best to shield me from his pettiness.

"Don't talk nonsense!"

Before I could even respond, Thorne’s expression darkened. He shot Rowan a sharp glare. "I've been in frequent contact with Lilith lately. I even asked her about Cassius and she made it crystal clear that she wanted nothing to do with him. No ties, no connections, nothing."

Rowan chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, looking at him now, I can’t say I blame her."

I exhaled slowly, a weight settling in my chest. The urge to turn around and walk away was almost unbearable.

People always said high school reunions were nothing more than a stage for showing off and tearing others down. I never believed it.

After all, my university classmates and even those from my advanced studies had been normal enough.

Seeing that I remained silent, Rowan smirked and pressed on. "Don’t be too down just because you lost Lilith. Sure, you’ll never get the chance to drive Thorne’s Bugatti, but I own a Bentley worth over two million. I wouldn’t mind letting you take it for a spin, at least then you could say you’ve driven a luxury car before."

I let out a faint smile. "With my job, I doubt I’ll ever get the chance to drive a luxury car in this lifetime."

What a joke.

If I drove a luxury car today, by tomorrow, headlines would be plastered all over the internet: City Official Overseeing Belmond District 4 and Old Town Development Spotted Driving a Luxury Car.

"You’re surprisingly self-aware," Rowan sneered.

I met his gaze with a calm smile. "I only dropped by to check in on everyone. Now that I have, I won’t take up any more of your time. I’ll be leaving now."

With that, I turned to go.

But before I could take a step, Rowan, following Thorne’s silent cue, stepped in front of me, blocking my way. He shoved my shoulder roughly, a sneer curling at his lips.

"Where the hell do you think you’re going? If Thorne hasn’t told you to leave, you stay put."

At 1.85 meters tall and with a strict fitness routine, I barely moved, but the sheer audacity grated on my nerves.

Thorne smirked, his tone laced with amusement. "Don’t go just yet, Cassius. Lilith will be here later. Don’t you want to see her?"

"She never mentioned she was coming," I said instinctively.

Rowan let out a mocking laugh. "Like she’d tell you. Lilith is now a big name in Lawson's opera. I can’t even add her on WhatsApp. Only someone like Thorne has the connections to stay in touch. What makes you think you mean anything to her?"

"Actually, Lilith is my wife. We already have kids, twins, a boy and a girl."

"And I work for the city government," I continued. "I oversee the development of Belmond District 4 and the renovation of the old district."

I laid my cards on the table. Not to flaunt, not to fight back, but simply because I was tired of being ridiculed.

The moment the words left my mouth, silence fell.

Then, laughter erupted.

They laughed so hard they had to wipe the tears from their eyes as if I had just delivered the punchline of the century.

"You’ve got some nerve spouting that kind of nonsense!" Rowan sneered. "Now, I really can’t let you leave!"

Thorne doubled over, struggling to catch his breath. "Stay put! When Lilith gets here, I want to see you say this ridiculous lie to her face!"

Looked like I wasn’t going anywhere.

Fine. If they wanted to make fools of themselves, I’d let them. There was no point in arguing; they wouldn’t believe me anyway.

But I couldn’t help myself. I glanced down at my attire and asked, "Looking at the way I’m dressed, don’t I seem like someone who works for the city government?"

"Are you kidding?”

"What, just because you threw on an administrative jacket and slicked your hair to the side, you think you’re part of the system now?"

"If that’s the case, I’ll buy a dragon robe and declare myself emperor!"

Rowan was the first to crack up, his laughter echoing around us.

See? They wouldn’t believe me.

I smiled helplessly, too tired to argue.

Just then, someone piped up, "Boss Bennett, when are we heading in? Why are we still standing out here?"

"You really have no idea where we are, do you?"

"This is Evergreen Pavilion. Even with Boss Bennett’s status, we still have to make a reservation and wait in line."

"Just bringing us here is already proof of his connections."

Rowan scoffed. "Evergreen Pavilion? What’s so special about it?"

"I’ve been away for a while and just got back. I don’t know much about these places," the person pressed on.

It was the perfect moment for Thorne to show off, so Rowan wisely shut his mouth.

Thorne took a slow drag from his cigarette, his lips curling into a smug smile as he leaned against his Bugatti Veyron.

"Evergreen Pavilion isn’t exactly open to the public," he drawled.

"It was built to entertain important guests of the owner. Sometimes, when the city government is handling major investment deals, they hold their meetings here."

"Forget about me, even my father isn’t qualified to get a membership card for this place."

As he spoke, he cast me a knowing glance, the smirk never leaving his face.

"The only reason I could come today is that Lilith lent me her membership card. Otherwise, even with my father’s status, we wouldn’t have stood a chance of getting in."

"What?!"

"Lilith actually lent you something that important?"

"Boss, if you put in just a little more effort, I swear, you and Lilith might really have a shot!"

Rowan exaggerated his reaction, his voice full of mock enthusiasm.

I knew they were saying this just to get a rise out of me, but I had no interest in arguing anymore.

"I hope so. I’ll keep trying."

Thorne flashed a modest smile before gazing into the distance as if lost in thought.

"You guys probably don’t realize this, but the owner of this place is ridiculously well-connected. They even have ties in Washington, saying they have access to the highest levels of power wouldn’t be an exaggeration. If I could just get in touch with them, my family’s business could reach an entirely new level."

"The owner’s connections aren’t that impressive," I said casually.

"Oh? And you’d know that how?"

His smirk deepened. "Come on, Cassius. If you actually knew the owner of this place, you wouldn’t be dressed like that or pulling up in a cab."

"At least make your lies a little more convincing."

Thorne cast me a sideways glance, his expression unreadable.

"Cassius, if the owner ever heard you running your mouth like this, a single word from them could make sure you never worked a day in this country again. Do you even have the slightest clue how high society operates?"

"Boss, you already said it’s high society," Rowan sneered. "How could someone like him possibly understand?"

I exhaled a quiet sigh and stepped aside, lighting a cigarette.

Their world was small, their perspectives even smaller. They could only believe what was within their reach.

My job wasn’t exactly classified, but it wasn’t something they’d ever hear about in their circles. With their social standing, they had no way of knowing who I really was.

I wasn’t interested in arguing. I just wanted to get through this gathering and leave, preferably never seeing them again.

Just then, a pink Maserati purred to a stop.

The door swung open and a woman stepped out, her long, slender legs wrapped in sheer black stockings.

Even Thorne, usually so composed, had his attention stolen in an instant.

"Ivy Anderson, you’re here too?"

"I thought you wouldn’t have time to come."