A handsome, well-dressed man among them asked with ill intentions, “Leah, who is he?”
Leah’s eyes darted around as she replied, “This is Kayden Scott, my friend.”
As she spoke, Leah instinctively pinched Kayden’s hand.
Leah then pointed to the man and introduced, “This is Matthew Williamson, our school’s basketball club president.”
“And this is Henry Armstrong, the vice president. The rest are members of the basketball club.”
After the introductions, Kayden sat down. The group continued their conversation. The topics had nothing to do with Kayden, their gazes, however, frequently landed on him.
They had planned to get Leah drunk and sleep with her, but Kayden’s presence disrupted their plan. It made them all hostile towards him.
From their boasting, Kayden learned that Matthew’s family was quite wealthy. His father, Ethan Williamson, owned a hotel business and was a well-known figure in Hiphia. Matthew was older than the others because he had served two years in the army and returned to finish high school before attending college.
“Matthew, I heard that the owner of Moon Viewing Restaurant, Mr. Ben Hudson, used to be a mafia figure and almost took over the entire underground world of Hiphia. Do you know him?” one of the club members asked curiously.
Matthew smiled and replied, “Of course I know him. He’s good friends with my dad; they often drink together. Even now, his social status is unparalleled. He told me that if I ever have any trouble, I can always count on him for help.”
“Matthew, you’re amazing! No wonder you can do whatever you want at school. You have to protect us in the future,” the club member praised with a thumb up, and the others looked at Matthew with admiration.
Matthew leaned back in his chair, not saying a word. Henry quickly added, “Matthew can protect us! That’s beyond dispute.”
There was a knock on the door at that moment.
“Come in!” Matthew shouted.
Ben, the owner of Moon Viewing Restaurant, entered holding two bottles of wine, smiling broadly. “These two bottles are for you guys.”
As saying, his eyes were fixed on Kayden, making it clear the message was for him.
“Thank you, Mr. Hudson,” Henry quickly responded.
Ben smiled without saying anything and left the room quietly.
Outside the room, Ben walked swiftly to another private room. Inside, an elderly man in a suit sat with a stern yet smiling expression.
“Did you get it done?” Coleman Vincent asked seriously.
“Yes, Mr. Vincent, as per your instructions,” Ben nodded respectfully.
“Good, that’s all I needed to hear,” Coleman nodded.
Coleman Vincent was a significant figure in the second-largest family in Hiphia. It was unusual for him to send such expensive wine, each bottle worth two million, to a young man. Ben couldn’t hold back his curiosity and asked, “Mr. Vincent, may I know who that young man is?”
When Kayden and Leah arrived, Coleman had noticed them. He wanted to greet them but saw them enter a private room. Not wanting to miss the opportunity, he instructed Ben to deliver the wine.
“He’s the son-in-law of the Adams family and saved my life. Be respectful to him when you see him again,” Coleman instructed.
“Yes, sir!” Ben responded with utmost respect.
In the private room, a girl gasped in surprise upon seeing the wine, “Wow! Romanee-Conti! Each bottle costs thousands bucks!”
A male club member examined the wine bottle and said, “This is a sixty-year-old Romanee-Conti, worth around one to two million. My dad used to work in a vineyard, so he knows wine prices.”
“Wow!” The group exclaimed in amazement.
“Is this for Matthew?” one of Matthew’s female admirers asked, almost in shock.
Henry scoffed, “Isn’t it obvious? With Matthew’s connections and Mr. Hudson’s friendship with his father, I’m not surprised to see Mr. Hudson send such expensive wine to Matthew. You guys need to get out more.”
Matthew smiled proudly and said, “Drink up! This is from Mr. Hudson. Enjoy it.”
Leah whispered to Kayden, “See? That’s the club president. Impressive, right? If you were as impressive as him, my sister would definitely let you sleep on the bed instead of the floor.”
Kayden was speechless, unsure how to respond. He did think Matthew was shameless to claim the wine as his.
“Hey, girl, what are you two whispering about?” Matthew asked, staring at Leah and Kayden.
“Nothing, we just think you’re amazing, Matthew,” Leah replied.
“It’s no big deal. Leah, let’s have a drink,” Matthew said.
Leah quickly waved her hand, “No, Matthew, I can’t drink this.”
“Leah, come on, you’re disrespecting Matthew. This is a friendly gathering, and Matthew offered you a drink. Refusing a two-million-dollar wine is an insult to him,” Henry interjected.
Before Leah could respond, Kayden said, “I’ll drink for her.”
“You?” Matthew looked at him coldly and laughed, “Who do you think you are? This is our gathering, not yours. If you want to drink, buy your own wine. You’re not worthy of this.”
Henry added, “Exactly. You think just anyone can drink such an expensive wine?”
“Fine, I’ll drink! Is that okay?” Leah quickly picked up a glass and drank it all.
Instantly, the room was filled with laughter and cheers again.
The dinner soon ended, and everyone was drunk from the wine.
“Can we go home now?” Kayden asked Leah.
Leah, her face flushed, nodded and turned to Matthew, “Matthew, I’m heading home now.”
Matthew was stunned, feeling as if his heart had been pricked. He then said, “Wait, we haven’t paid the bill yet. We agreed to split the bill. I can cover our club members, but I never said I’d pay for your friend.”
After speaking, he signaled to the others, and they all walked out.
It was clear to anyone smart enough that he was targeting Kayden.
“Mr. Hudson, can I have the bill tonight? I’ll cover everyone’s except this guy’s,” Matthew said generously.
“Please exclude the wine; I didn’t drink any,” Kayden added.
Henry burst out laughing mockingly, “You’re hilarious. That two bottles of wine were the gifts to Matthew from Mr. Hudson. You think you deserve it?”
Ben glanced at Kayden and furrowed his eyebrows, quickly understanding the situation.
After a moment of calculation, Ben looked up and said, “The total is $4, 023, 000. You can just give me $4, 020, 000.”