I never finished high school, but somehow, I got into Stanford University and joined a top-secret project team. Six years later, when the project wrapped up, I finally had a chance to breathe for the first time in what felt like forever.

Of course, with their old-school mindset, my parents figured it was the perfect time for me to find a wife. So, they set me up on a blind date with my first love from high school. We met a few times, and the conversations weren’t terrible.

But then, one day, as we were meeting again, I got cut off by a Lamborghini Aventador worth over $20 million. The driver slammed on the brakes, causing me to rear-end them.

I stepped out of my car, and, of course, who else would step out of the Lamborghini but Shane, my high school classmate, and my blind date?

Lyla Quinn with Shane Matthews?

Lyla immediately recognized me, looked at my car, and sneered. "Luke, your parents really have no shame. You’re driving a junky domestic car, and they still dare to set me up with you?"

Shane, always the one to stir the pot, walked over and laughed. "A top-notcher at Oxford, huh? What happened? You used to be so impressive, but now you’re driving a domestic car? Do you even know how much my Lamborghini costs? Can you afford to fix it?"

——

[Hey, Luke, we agreed. See you at noon! -xx]

I slid into the back of my Prestige Elite, checked my WhatsApp, and smiled.

The message was from Lyla Quinn, my high school classmate. She went to a local university in Silverstone City and now teaches at an elementary school.

My parents thought she was a great match, so they got her contact info and suggested I reach out.

I remembered Lyla as that sweet girl, always wearing white dresses and bouncing around with a ponytail. Her first love face was impossible to forget.

After adding her on WhatsApp, I checked out her photos.

Even after six years, she still had that innocent, first-love vibe.

She seemed to think well of me, too and was even surprised I reached out. She took the initiative and asked me to grab dinner.

We met a few times after that, and it was easy to get along.

One time, while we were shopping, she even hooked her little finger around mine, and my heart skipped a beat. I couldn’t help it. I was too busy with work to think about dating, so when someone like Lyla came around, it was easy to get charmed.

I even started thinking that if I married her, maybe I could get her to join me at work.

Today, we had another date planned.

If things went well, we might even start calling this a relationship. With just a month left before my break was over, I wasn’t sure if we’d be talking about marriage anytime soon.

My driver, who also doubled as my bodyguard, noticed me grinning like an idiot and said, "Luke, I gotta remind you, with your job, you don’t meet a lot of beautiful women. Don’t rush it, alright? Take your time. It’s a good thing."

I just grinned back, not saying much. Honestly, I wasn’t great with words anyway.

Andrew Walker, my bodyguard, continued, "And the woman you marry has to go through a political review. Not sure if she’ll pass that."

"Lyla’s a teacher. How could she not pass the review?" I interjected.

I felt a bit irritated by what he said. It seemed like Andrew wasn’t a fan of her.

After a few dates with Lyla, he told me to think it over carefully.

Because of that, I couldn’t help but add, "Lyla’s great. Every time we go out, she saves money for me. She refuses my gifts when we shop, but when she sees something for her students, she buys it without hesitation."

"Alright, alright, I didn’t say anything." Andrew shook his head, chuckling.

Just then, the intercom buzzed. "Andrew, a black sports car is speeding towards you. Be careful!"

And then, I heard the roar of an engine.

A black sports car swerved right in front of us, cutting us off at a sharp angle, and then slammed on the brakes.

Andrew was on high alert, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t stop in time, and we ended up rear-ending the car.

The black sports car's door swung open, and the driver and passenger stepped out.

I couldn’t really make out the guy’s face, but the woman in the passenger seat?

I recognized her instantly.

It was Lyla Quinn, my high school classmate, who I’d been thinking about. As I left the car, I saw her approach the guy and link her arm with his.

My stomach sank.

It was a strange, uncomfortable feeling like I was suddenly out of place.

But, despite it all, I got out.

Andrew didn’t want me to, and honestly, this wasn’t exactly the kind of situation where stepping out was the best move.

In his words, the smartest thing would’ve been to hit the gas, crash into them, and let the cops handle it.

But I needed to know...

'What was Lyla up to?'

I might not always be the best with words, but I wasn’t stupid. I could tell the black sports car had intentionally cut me off, probably trying to cause trouble.

And with Lyla in the car, all cozy with this guy, it didn’t take much to see this was all about me. So, I stepped out of the vehicle. As soon as I did, Andrew followed close behind me, his hand subtly sliding toward his gun.

“It’s probably just some rich kid messing with a poor guy. Don’t stress about it,” he said, trying to downplay the situation.

I chuckled and walked toward Lyla, now only a few steps away.

She pressed closer to the guy when she saw me, practically hanging off him.

He stepped forward, too, like we were in some kind of sick show.

Lyla, still snuggled up with him, sneered and said, “Luke, your parents are really shameless! Their son’s driving a cheap domestic car, and they still set me up with you?”

I clenched my fists but forced myself to stay calm.

I locked eyes with her and said, “If you think I’m not good enough, you could’ve just said no. Why drag me out a few times, invite me today, and then pull this stunt?”

“Just bored, wanted to mess with you. What’s the big deal?” she laughed.

Then, she glanced at my car and added, “Sometimes, I have to admire you poor folks. You try to show off but fail miserably. You get a cheap domestic car and even hire a driver. Pathetic.”

It felt like a slap in the face.

It wasn’t even about the car. It was the fact that just a few minutes ago, I’d been telling Andrew how great Lyla was.

Now, she was showing her true colors, looking down at me.

I get it—people like that are everywhere, and I shouldn’t let it get to me.

But to call my Prestige Elite, a symbol of national pride, a “cheap domestic car”?

That was next-level arrogance.

It honestly took me off guard. 'Why did I even like her?'

Like Andrew said, maybe I didn’t meet many women, or perhaps I was holding out for too long and got desperate.

I smiled, forced myself to stay cool, and said, “Well, since you’ve already gotten what you wanted, I guess we’re done, right? So, can I go now?”

“Leave?” Lyla laughed, almost enjoying it. “Do you not get it? You rear-ended me, so now you have to pay for the damages.”

'Still want to keep playing this game?' I smirked inwardly.

I’d been trying to stay low-key, but sometimes, I just needed to vent. But after thinking it through, I realized it wasn’t worth it.

The place I work at is too secretive.

Getting time off was already a risk, and I didn’t want my actions to cause trouble for the people who had been good to me.

“Alright, I’ll pay for it,” I sighed.

"Can you even afford to pay?" Lyla sneered, clearly enjoying herself. "You, a country bumpkin, probably don’t even know what kind of car this is, huh?"

She kept mocking me, and I could feel my patience wearing thin.

That’s when the guy finally spoke up. He pointed at himself with a smug look and said, "Luke, don’t you recognize me?"

I stared at him, genuinely confused. "Who are you?"

The guy was overweight, greasy, and didn’t look familiar at all. "I’m Shane!"

'Shane, Matthews?'

"Oh, yeah, now I remember. Your father’s in real estate," I said, nodding.

His family was one of the wealthiest in my high school, but we never really interacted. I was always buried in my books, while he was practically never at school.

Shane stepped closer, smirking. "University top scorer, huh? How’s that going for you now? You used to be so impressive, but now you’re driving a domestic car? Do you even know how much my Lamborghini costs? Can you even afford to cover it?"

"Over $20 million, right?" I replied casually, almost like I was talking about the price of a used bike.

He laughed. "From the sound of it, can you even afford to pay for it?"

I smiled dryly.

"Call the insurance, call the traffic cops, whatever works. Let them assess the damage. I’ll pay whatever it costs, not a penny less," I added, trying to keep my cool.

But Shane just sneered again. "I don’t settle for broken stuff. You’re gonna replace it with a brand-new one."

'Was he really this ignorant of the law, or was he just playing some kind of sick game?'

I looked at him, confused, and said, "You’ve got a phone, right? You can look it up. Check if what you just said is even legal."

He sneered, "I don’t need you to teach me the law. I know it!"

Shane added, "But this is Silverstone City, man. With just one word from me, you’re gonna pay for a new car."

Shane was losing it now, and I could see it.

That’s when I heard the sound of more sports cars roaring to life.

One by one, they pulled up and outstepped a bunch of arrogant-looking men and women.

Shane smiled and said, "Luke, take a good look. Half of Silverstone’s rich kids are here. This is my backup. You? Some poor kid from a poor family? What do you have to compare with me?"

I didn’t even bother looking at those rich brats. 'Why should I?'

They were on a completely different level than me.

"You seem to have a lot of hostility towards me," I said, keeping my cool. "But why? Did I do something to you?"

"You didn’t offend me," Shane replied. "I just barely remembered you."

Then, he slapped Lyla’s face casually and continued, "Even Lyla, I didn’t care much about her. But when I heard you, the former top student, were on a date with her, I just had to come and crush you. Don’t ask me why. I was bored and felt like messing with you. Is that a problem?"

That was the last straw.

I could feel my temper flaring, but Andrew stepped in before I could say anything, gently patting me on the shoulder.

"I know, I’ll stay low-key," I whispered back.

He reminded me to keep my cool and ensure I didn’t cause any trouble or risk exposing myself.

"Alright," I said, forcing myself to stay calm. "Now that you’ve had your fun, I’ve agreed to pay."

"If you don’t trust me, call the cops. We’ll go through the usual process."

I really didn’t want more trouble.

As someone in research, I knew I had too many eyes on me from overseas. To be honest, I was scared. But the biggest worry was that if something happened to me, it would be a huge loss to the country. I had to think about the bigger picture.

So, I was just trying to avoid any more issues.

But Shane wasn’t done.

He pointed at my nose and said, "Can you afford to pay? If you can’t, don’t worry. I never expected you to actually pay. Anyway, I’m not short on cash."