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."

I narrowed my eyes and asked, "So, what do you want, then?"

Shane smirked, clearly loving every moment of it. "Kneel! Beg me to forgive you, and maybe I’ll let you off the hook."

He shoved Lyla forward, a sick grin spreading across his face. "And I’ll even throw her in for you. Don’t worry, I’ve already paid for her. She’ll satisfy you. Oh, and by the way, I checked the goods. She’s very... supple."

The rich kids around us burst into laughter.

I honestly wanted to ask them, "Is your life so boring that this is funny?"

Is humiliating someone, especially a woman, really something to laugh about?

"I said kneel!" Shane pointed at me like I was some servant. "If you don’t kneel, you’re not leaving here standing!"

A group of people started closing in around us.

It looked like things were about to escalate. This was the last thing I wanted to happen. Because whenever someone tries to make a move on me, the people secretly watching over me would definitely step in.

"Call the police, please. Just don’t cause more trouble," I said, frustration creeping into my voice.

"I’ll call your mom!" Shane yelled, and then, without warning, he threw a punch at me.

I sighed and didn’t even flinch. With a sharp thud, Shane was knocked back into the crowd of rich kids, sending two of them tumbling. He hit the ground hard, bent over, and spat blood.

Andrew’s kick wasn’t just a warning.

It had been a full force. But knowing Andrew, if Shane wasn’t dead, I knew he had held back.

"Go after him!" Shane roared, scrambling to his feet. "Beat him up! As long as you don’t kill him, I’ll take the heat for anything that happens!"

His voice was rageful, but I could tell he wasn’t in control anymore.

Then, out of nowhere, a new group rushed forward. This one wasn’t part of Shane's crew. They’d been hiding in the background, but they stepped in without hesitation when they saw things wouldn’t settle down peacefully.

Before anyone could react, every single one of Shane’s so-called rich kids was on the ground, rolling around and screaming in pain.

Their howls just got louder and louder.

"Let’s go," I said, already heading back to the car.

"Dammit, don’t you dare run!" Shane yelled, pulling out his phone. "You hit me? You’re dead! I’m calling for backup."

The rich kids who had been taken down also pulled out their phones.

Too bad for them, none of them had any signal.

Andrew leaned in, whispering, "Honestly, I wasn’t telling you to stay low-key earlier because of the situation. I was just trying to say that if someone doesn’t know their place, they need a proper lesson. We can’t lose face for the organization."

I felt a surge of excitement.

"Oh?" I said, turning toward Andrew. "Let them make their calls."

Andrew pulled out a jamming-proof phone and tossed it to me. "Use mine. It’s got a signal."

Shane froze briefly, then grabbed the phone and dialed, "I’ve been hit. I’m at Main Street. Send backup, now!"

After finishing the call, he dialed a few more numbers.

Meanwhile, a group of plainclothes officers quietly moved in, dispersing the crowd.

The shops around us shut down. They confiscated the phones of everyone involved. This was all to make sure I wouldn’t get exposed. It wasn’t long before everyone had finished making their calls.

Lyla walked up to me, a smug look plastered across her face. "Luke, you’re done for. Not just you, but your parents and even your relatives—everyone’s finished."

I sneered at her. "Get lost, you slut. Stay the hell away from me. You disgust me."

Lyla raised her hand, clearly ready to slap me.

But before she could, Andrew’s foot connected with her. With a sharp thud, she went flying, crashing to the ground. She spat blood as she hit the pavement.

Maybe she thought my people wouldn’t hit women, but that assumption was quickly corrected.