Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"I promise to be there for you, no matter what happens," Warren pleaded with Jennifer. Tears were rolling down his cheeks as he swallowed the disappointment of catching his girlfriend red-handed, holding hands with the most popular student on campus. "Warren, love doesn't always pay the bills," Jennifer snorted in return. It was like something straight out of a novel. Seeing the person you love with all your heart, looking so happy and carefree with someone else, was something that Warren Cole never expected to see. Just last week they promised each other that they would be married the moment when they graduate. How things would change... Jennifer seemed as if she didn't have a care in the world as she looked with eyes of admiration at Charles Chamberlain. Charles' father was the richest man in Flemond. He could afford anything he lay his eyes on. Money was something that the Chamberlains could blow through without blinking twice. "Who is he?" Chamberlain asked Jennifer. "Someone who once meant the world to me," Jennifer responded. There was a hint of loss in her voice, but it was overshadowed by the wealth of the man standing next to her. "Charles, I think it's best if we take our leave now," Jennifer said as she pulled Charles by the hand while leaving. Warren could only watch in disappointment as he saw his girlfriend approaching the BMW X7 which was a sight that everyone on campus was all to familiar with. Although the sun was shining brightly on the day, it felt as if there was a dark cloud showering Warren with a sense of loss and emptiness. Dejected he turned around walking to his dorm. He was lost in thought and didn't even realize that he entered the wrong room. The door was unlocked, but Warren didn't find it strange since it was common for his roommate, Samuel, to leave it unlocked. The unfamiliar environment wasn't too worrying for Warren, because he only noticed he was in the wrong room when he saw a girl coming out of the bathroom with only a towel covering her. There was a loud scream that attracted everyone from the dorm. It was at this moment when Warren realized his own mistake. "I'm so sorry. I have entered the wrong room," Warren pleaded as he tried to close his eyes with his hands. The response he got, however, was a slap that left his cheeks burning and red. "You are a pervert!" the girl responded hysterically. "Wait until Lloyd returns. Then you will see," she said as she returned to the bathroom. The door of the room was blocked by at least 10 students who heard Claudia's scream. Warren could only bow his head in embarrassment as judgmental eyes burn right through him. "Someone is in for a world of pain," one of the students said. "Lloyd will never let him leave alive after this.""Maybe it was really a mistake," one of the students joked, but there wasn't any weight in the words he said. Warren pushed through the crowd as he rushed to his room next door. There was a roller-coaster of emotions running wild within him. He just got dumped and now he's in an even bigger mess since he offended the biggest bully in his dorm. As if that wasn't enough, Warren was always picked on for his social awkwardness and his bland way of dressing. Being poor and an outcast at one of the top universities in Flemond, was already bad enough. But now the only girl who was ever interested in him, has also abandoned him. Dejected he fell asleep on his bed. "Where is that b*stard!" a voice shouted. Warren awoke with sweat dripping down his back. He could only breathe loudly without daring to make a sound. "I just arrived, so I don't think he's here," Warren's roommate said without looking Lloyd in the eyes. "If I find out you're lying to me, I will kill you with him," Lloyd said as he glared at Samuel. It had to be said that Samuel was not only Warren's roommate, but also one of his closest friends. It makes sense that he will never sell out his friend. "Tell him he should watch his back. Accidents can happen at any time," Lloyd threatened as he turned around. After closing the door, Samuel walked towards Warren's room and knocked on it a few times. "He's gone now. You can come out." Samuel said. Warren could only look at Samuel in embarrassment as he walked towards the couch. "It was really a misunderstanding. I never intended to look at Claudia. I just entered the wrong room by mistake," Warren said dejectedly. "I believe you. However, what are you going to do about this issue now? Lloyd will never let you go after what happened this afternoon." Samuel said with a sound of sympathy in his words. Warren could only stare at the ceiling. 'How can one person be so unlucky?' Warren thought to himself.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Early the next morning Warren walked towards the room next door and knocked softly. There were giggling noises coming from within and Warren could feel his heart skip a few beats. 'It's best if I face the music now and get it over and done with,' Warren thought to himself. He was greeted by the familiar face of Claudia who opened the door. She wore her pajamas as it was still early in the morning. She rubbed her eyes a few times to make sure that it wasn't playing any tricks on her. "I'm so sorry. Is Lloyd home, there is something I..." Before he could finish he was greeted with a loud slap across his face. Claudia couldn't wait to make him pay after the embarrassment she had to face the previous day. "You have some nerve showing your face here again. Lloyd he's here!" she shouted. Within a few seconds a rather burly man appeared in the doorway. It was Lloyd Williams. The tank top that he was wearing exposed his rather bulky muscles and his presence alone could suffocate anyone. Before Warren couldsay something, his vision became blurred and altogether blank. Lloyd punched him right in the face and followed it up with a few kicks to the stomach. Warren could only lie on the ground. Luckily it was still early in the morning, so no one could witness the beating he received. Or so he thought. A few students hurried out of their rooms when they heard the commotion. They were greeted by the sight of seeing Warren thoroughly beaten up by Lloyd. "Let this be a lesson for anyone who ever try approaching my girl. I will let you off with only this beating. If something like this ever repeats itself, I will not let you off as easily again." Lloyd warned as he spit at the Warren lying on the floor in pain. A few students already had their cellphones out, recording every single moment of the beat down that Warren received. He pulled himself to his room as he closed the door loudly behind himself. He took a shower and nursed his injuries. To think he didn't even get a chance to clear the misunderstanding. And on top of that, he wil become the laughing stock of the whole campus after the incident of this morning. 'I guess when it rains, it pours," Warren said to himself. A teardrop fell to the ground. If it was only because of the beating he received, Warren wouldn't have felt so bad, but his heart was also aching immensely right now. 'If only Jennifer was here...' Warren thought to himself. Right at that moment in the girls' dorm room ofthe Literature department, Jennifer was scrolling through her phone. She was going through a few of her friends' posts on social media when she came across a video. A student was being beaten miserably. She could only frown when she saw the scene. However, she was shocked when she realized the identity of the student who was beaten. It was none other than her ex boyfriend, Warren. Lisa walked over and saw the video that Jennifer was looking at. "He was peeping on Claudia when Lloyd wasn't home," Lisa said as she looked at Jennifer. "It's a good thing you dumped him. He's such an embarrassment," Lisa snorted as she waited for Jennifer's response. "Some people are really hopeless," Jennifer said. To think she wanted to get married to such a shameless person. He couldn't even wait for a day after he was dumped to start eyeballing other girls. He also did it shamelessly without the other party knowing. If only she realized he was this kind of person, she wouldn't have wasted 6 months on him. Luckily she got rid of him before their relationship developed any further. Imagine the embarrassment that she would have had to face if he did this kind of thing while they were still dating. 'Charles is such a gentleman and he would never get involved in such a scandal,' Jennifer thought to herself. She found the perfect gentleman who, not only treats her like royalty, but can also buy her anything she set her heart on. Warren couldn't even afford to bring her to one of the decent restaurants in the city. She had to be content with lunch dates at the cafeteria. She shuddered as she thought of how her relationship was prior to meeting Charles. She had to settle for so little. If only she realized her worth earlier, she wouldn't have wasted time on a person like Warren. Poor people will always be poor and there is nothing they can do about it. Jennifer looked at Lisa and said "I should have dumped him earlier. He's only starting to show his true colors now. To think I was once associated with a person like him..."

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

Later the day when Warren arrived on campus to attend his classes, he could feel a lot of eyes piercing his whole being. It wasn't a surprise considering he just became famous for being the punching bag of Lloyd Williams. He ignored the stares that people gave him and went to attend his classes as usual. Inside the classroom the stares became even more evident, with a few students snickering among themselves while passing comments. "Some people are really shameless. To think after being dumped, they would then spy on innocent girls who are taking showers." It was Lauren Cooper who made the remark. It is no surprise that Lauren knew that Jennifer dumped Warren, since she and her sister, Lisa, were Jennifer's close friends. Warren pretended as if he didn't hear a thing. He could only endure the immense shame he was feeling at that moment. Being innocent or not wasn't the issue anymore. His name was already quite famous as he was the famous "pauper" on campus and now he had another alias. He was now called the 'gawking geek' and that made him even more embarrassed. Especially so, since he was innocent. After class ended he walked towards the cafeteria to enjoy his lunch. He saved enough money since he was supposed to take Jennifer on a date again, but that couldn't happen anymore. He was as lonesome as it gets. He could only sit in the corner as he indulged himself in his meal. Not too long after that Lisa and her sister, Lauren walked over with their own food. Pretending to trip, Lisa threw all her food on Warren. "I'm so sorry. You just lost your food. Now we have to get some more," Lauren said as she looked at her sister. "Luckily it fell right where the trash is," Lisa responded as she pointed towards Warren. Laughter ensued in the cafeteria. Everyone could see that the sisters had their knives out for Warren and no one dared defending him. Right at that moment Jennifer and Charles entered holding hands. She only glanced towards Warren's direction once and pulled Charles by the hand. "I've suddenly lost my appetite. Who can eat with trash so openly visible to them," Jennifer said as she nodded towards Warren. Understanding the hint, Charles responded "Of course, how would you like lunch at the Heavenly Sky Diner?" There were gasps as some students seemed shocked. "Not anyone can eat at the Heavenly Sky Diner. The prices start from a thousand dollars per head.""It's nothing for someone like Charles. He can afford it, no swear.""Of course he can. He is after all the richest student on campus and he's driving a BMW X7." The discussion continued among the students and Warren could only looked longingly at Jennifer leaving the cafeteria with Charles. His heart ached at the scene and he immediately lost his appetite. Being showered with food by Lisa didn't bother him at all, but he couldn't handle the scene seeing his love leave with another man. The other students laughed at his pitiful expression. "Did he really think that someone like Jennifer was ever interested in him?""I'm surprised their relationship lasted so long. She finally freed herself from such a pitiful person and you can already see the elegance she is exuding.""A handsome and rich man like Charles, deserves a goddess as beautiful as Jennifer." The remarks were like blades edging deeper into the already broken heart of Warren. He didn't turn around and kept walking until he reached a coffee stall at the entrance of the campus. He pulled out the last ten dollars he had on him and said depressingly "A cup of coffee. Dark and bitter, just like my life." The owner of the stall looked at him with eyes of sympathy and offered a hot chocolate which usually costs around fifteen dollars, but Warren rejected the offer. She could only sigh as she saw the dejected Warren hand her the 10 dollars for the coffee and turn around. At that instance  there was a girl standing right behind Warren. Being so absent-minded, he poured almost all of his coffee on the girl. She shrieked since the coffee was still warm. Warren apologized frantically and offered to pay for any damages that the girl may have received, but she simply refused. She didn't want to dwell on the matter any longer. "Just forget about it. Next time watch where you're walking she said," her words devoid of any emotion. Warren could only sigh as he headed towards the park. He looked around one final time as his eyes met with the girl. Apologetically he nodded, but she just turned around and face the owner of the stall. 'What is it with me and being so unlucky. I just made another enemy, although she probably doesn't even know who I am,' Warren thought to himself. He arrived at the park and stared at a few couples holding hands. He sat on a bench and saw the letters W&J. This was the place they met. They carved their initials on this specific bench as a reminder of their love. He scratched of the 'J' a few times and it disappeared. It was so easy. Just like that Jennifer was gone.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Time flew as Warren was lost in thought. It wasn't long till he heard a few voices near him. Looking at the source, he was surprised to see Samuel walking with Lauren. 'When did they meet and why do they look so intimate?' Warren wondered. Not wanting to bother or waste any time with Lauren, he got up and prepared to leave. "Warren, it really is you," Samuel said. He smiled as he approached his friend. The smile on Lauren's face, however, turned into a frown. "Samuel, I think it's best that I leave. There are certain individuals I don't want to be associated with. If it's alright with you, I'd like to take a rain check," she said. Samuel could only smile awkwardly as he knew about Lauren's relationship with Jennifer. He also didn't want to put Warren in an awkward position, that's why he didn't refuse Lauren from leaving. As Lauren disappeared from sight, Warren couldn't help but look at Samuel with a hint of disappointment in his eyes. "So you guys are together now?" he asked. "Not yet. We're only getting to know each other, but things are progressing considerably well," Samuel said without looking Warren in the eyes. "I'm glad things are working out for you. Just be careful around her" Warren warned Samuel. "What is that supposed to mean? Do you think that our relationship will end the same way as yours?" Samuel asked rather irritated. Warren only shook his head and smiled at Samuel. "I know you well enough. You have a good heart and tend to trust too easily. Just be vigilant and guard you heart," Warren said. Samuel could only force a smile on his face and nod. 'Who do you think you are, lecturing me about relationships? I will never be embarrassed the same way you were,' Samuel thought to himself. They conversed for a few more minutes before they headed for the dorm. Upon arrival, they saw Lloyd and Claudia leaving. The duo didn't dare look at the couple and entered the dorm. When they arrived in their room, Warren and Samuel connected the consoles and played a few games. Since they were students from the department of Information Technology, they often designed their own games, which they would leisurely indulge in. They played into the late hours of the night before they finally grew tired and fell asleep. The sound of birds chipping outside the window woke them up. Samuel was the first to react and after looking at his phone, he was surprised to see a message from Lauren inviting him to lunch. The message stated that she invited everyone from the programming class for lunch since she had an important announcement to make. Warren, still being half asleep, looked at his phone for his invitation, which never arrived. He could only smile half-heartedly at Samuel. "Come with me. She probably just forgot to send your invitation," Samuel said, still trying to persuade Warren to join them. Warren, having refused repeatedly earlier, finally gave in and joined Samuel. Thirty minutes later they arrived at the Majestic Oriental Kitchen, a restaurant specifically chosen by Lauren for this auspicious occasion. The restaurant was grand enough to know not any Tom, Dick and Harry could afford to eat there. The prices ranged from 750 dollars per head to a massive 3000 dollars. It was a statement on its own for Lauren to invite everyone here. Upon entering, Samuel and Warren were greeted by very awkward stares. Samuel who usually oozed confidence and elegance was suddenly brought down by Warren's blandness. A waiter walked over and asked irritatedly "How may we help you?""We're here for a table. We're friends of Miss Cooper," Samuel said nonchalantly. The waiter looked at them disdainfully and said, "Wait for a few minutes. I'll be right back." She disappeared upstairs and returned a few minutes later with Lauren next to her. Seeing Warren there, Lauren immediately looked dispirited. "And then... Why are you here? I didn't send you an invitation," Lauren said immediately. "I invited him," Samuel said, looking at the blushed cheeks of Warren who felt immediately embarrassed. "I keep telling you to stay away from people like him. He will bring you down to his level," Lauren said as she moved closer to Samuel. She pulled him to her side and gestured that they should head toward the stairs. Samuel, however, stood fast and didn't move an inch. He could see that his friend was feeling extremely awkward, so he wouldn't want him being embarrassed even more. "I'm sorry Lauren, but if Warren can't go up, then neither can I." Lauren was surprised to hear Samuel's words. She just wanted to say something when Warren said "I'm sorry Sam, I just received a message. I have something urgent to do." Without waiting for Samuel to respond, he turned around and left immediately. At the exit, he bumped into a girl and almost ran her over. "I'm so sorry," Warren apologized. However the girl looked at him in surprise and said "You..."

Chapter 5 Chapter 5

It was the girl from the food stall that Warren 'met' that one time he almost scorched her with his coffee. She didn't look as aggravated as she seemed then, but nor does she look very friendly. This man did almost ran her almost into the ground. "I'm really sorry Miss. I didn't see you there," Warren said as he avoided her gaze. "Forget about it. Next time look where you are walking," she said. Warren could only nod shyly as he quickly left without having to explain himself any further. As he left his phone suddenly rang. It was a familiar number and the name that appeared. He answered and said with a polite voice "Hello Aunt Joanne. How are you?""Not too well. Your uncle isn't feeling too well. I am just wondering when you can come around to visit us. He has something he wants to share with you." Warren could hear in his aunt's voice that something might really be wrong. "I'm not sure when I can go home Aunt. I'm a little low on money and a plane ticket costs at least 2000 dollars. I'm afraid I don't have enough to return right now," Warren confessed embarrassedly. His aunt could hear that he wasn't lying and said "We will make a plan. Just be ready for the call." Warren and Joanne talked for a few more minutes, before they finally hung up. Warren's heart grew more heavier after he received the call. His Aunt Joanne and Uncle Geoffrey raised him as their own. He lost his mother when he was only 4 years old and never met his father. His aunt and uncle were the only parents that he remembered. After almost 18 years, he still feel as if he shared more of a bond with his aunt and uncle than his mother. He can only remember bits and pieces of her. Her curly brown hair and gentleness faded further and further as he grew older. Warren decided that he would save more money in order to afford the plane ticket back home, since it was nearly 1000 kilometers away from where he was studying. As he arrived at the dorm, he played a few games and then went for his afternoon nap. Later that day he had a programming class that he wanted to attend, although he might be the only one there since the rest of the students might still be at Lauren's lunch. 3 o'clock in the afternoon,  Warren arrived on campus and headed straight for class. Luckily there were fewer students who gossiped about the gawking geek and he rather enjoyed the limited attention that he received. After class he was heading toward the computer laboratory when he received a message. '3000 dollars  has been paid into your savings account.' He stared rather puzzled at the message when he received a phone call. It was from his Uncle Geoffrey "Warren, I just sent you the money for the plane ticket. Book it as soon as possible .I am waiting for you back home. There is something important which I must give to you." Warren was surprised, since he never heard his uncle sound so nervous. It was a nervousness that stemmed from guilt, but little did Warren know this. Just as he was about to respond, his uncle dropped the phone. Intrigued by the phone call, Warren immediately booked his ticket to venture the route back home. The ticket was for the following day, departing at 12 o'clock noon. He arrived at the dorm and only packed the essentials. He packed rather lightly, since he didn't plan on staying for a while. Since Samuel didn't return since the morning, he left a message for Samuel on the fridge, saying that he would be back next week and that he didn't need to worry too much about him. Early the following morning Warren hailed a cab towards the airport. As he boarded the plane, he felt an unusual nervousness in his heart. He couldn't shake the feeling that something might have happened to Uncle Geoffrey. Why did he sound so nervous, and why didn't he even give me a chance to say something? There was no use dwelling om this matter too long. After all he had a little under 4 hours for the flight to arrive in Wellington. At 4 o'clock in the afternoon he arrived at Wellington and was greeted by his aunt waving a placard with his name on it. Warren hurriedly approached her and hugged her, since he didn't see her for more than 6 months. During this period he had to donate all his attention to his relationship with Jennifer, he didn't even have time for his family. He could see his aunt has lost weight, and he felt partly to blame for it. Since he might be the reason that she worried top much. "It's so good to see you again. Do you know how much we missed you, Warren?" she asked with a smile on her face. Warren could only respond "I'm sorry Aunt. I was rather busy. How is Uncle Geoffrey? Is everything alright?" The questions came one after another, but Aunt Joanne could only force a smile on her face as she said "Your uncle will tell you everything in due time. First come home, clean up and eat something. You have lost a lot of weight." Warren could only smile as he thought 'I'm not the one who has lost weight." Aunt Joanne brought him to their little house on the outskirts of Wellington. The neighborhood was poor and they were no different. The house that they live in was small, but it was brimming with love. That's how Warren remembered it, but upon entering he could immediately feel that something has changed. The cosy atmosphere was gone and it was replaced by an unfamiliar tension hanging in the air.

Chapter 6 Chapter 6

Warren saw his uncle sitting on his usual chair with a gloomy expression on his face. However the moment he saw Warren, his expression immediately changed. He hurried over and embraced him. It was a little bit awkward for Warren since his uncle was never one to openly show emotion like this. Something must be bothering him, otherwise he would never be so affectionate now. "Warren, it's good to see you my boy. It has been way too long!" Warren responded by smiling and saying "Yes Uncle. It has been too long, I hope my absence wasn't too much of a hindrance to you and Aunt Joanne. ""Not at all," Uncle Geoffrey laughed. He made small talk with Warren until Aunt Joanne called them for dinner. Time really flies when you're having fun, and since Warren and his uncle had so much to talk about, they didn't even notice that almost 3 hours have passed. Aunt Joanne made her specialty: fried rice with braised pork balls in gravy. Warren enjoyed the meal since he missed home-cooked meals so much when he was on campus. Aunt Joanne pulled out all the stops and made this meal specifically for him. If you ever heard of the last meal that prisoners on death row would receive, this would be equivalent to that. She made it to her heart's content, since she wanted Warren to enjoy it for one final time. After the meal Aunt Joanne was busy tidying up and cleaning everything when Uncle Geoffrey called Warren to accompany him to his room. Geoffrey nodded once at his wife and gestured to Warren to enter his bedroom. After that he pulled out a key from within the drawer in his room. The key looked familiar to Warren and he couldn't register where he had seen it. His uncle then declared "Warren what I am about to share with you is something that has been eating away at me for the past 17 years. I cannot keep this from you any longer." Warren had a puzzled look on his face, when his uncle continued "You have seen this key before and have constantly prohibited you from ever touching it. This key is to a chest that carries the secrets of who you are." 'Who I am?' Warren thought to himself. 'I am Warren Cole, the one and only son of Elizabeth Cole. Is there something that I'm missing?' Reading his mind, Uncle Geoffrey then said "My sister made me promise to keep this a secret from you, but I cannot do it anymore. Even if I do so, I'm afraid it would be meaningless, since you will find out about this sooner rather than later." Hearing this, Warren immediately starting feeling uncomfortable. 'What is going on? And why is Uncle Geoffrey so serious now all of a sudden?' After that Uncle Geoffrey strode towards his bed. He used all his energy as he pushed it to the side. Where the bed stood, was a trap door. Uncle Geoffrey used another key to open the trap door and pulled out a chest. The chest was very dusty and after blowing on it, he used the key that he showed to Warren earlier, to open it. Holding his breath, Warren expected to see countless golden coins, only to be greeted by some documents lying around. Uncle Geoffrey reached out his hand and pulled out his birth certificate. On it was his name, his mother's name and a rather strange name. "Johnathan Parker. Who's this?" Warren asked puzzled. 'The name sounds very familiar. Where have I heard it before?' he thought. Without responding, Uncle Geoffrey reached into the chest again and pulled out a photograph. Warren could determine with a single glance that the photo must be at least 20 years old. In the photograph he could instantly make out the familiar face and figure of his mother, since he had seen plenty of photographs of her. The person next to her, however, looked foreign, yet also very familiar. "That is Johnathan Parker. He is your father," Uncle Geoffrey said. Startled, Warren could only ask "M-my f-father?""Yes. He is also Johnathan Parker, one of the richest people in The Cape Continent. You might have seen his face somewhere before." This news was like a bomb which exploded right in Warren's face. He couldn't register what his uncle just told him. It's impossible right? This has to be a joke, but why would his uncle lie about this. And why did this man who was with his mother in the photograph look so familiar? Upon closer inspection Warren realized where he had seen him before. There is a billboard right in front of the campus with his face on it. His name was also Johnathan Parker. 'How on earth can he be my father' Warren couldn't accept it. "Are you trying to make fun of me, Uncle Geoffrey, because this isn't funny. You know our financial situation all too well, so why would you declare that one of the richest people in all of the Cape Continent is my father?""That is because he is your father. He was your mother's greatest love and also her greatest loss," Uncle Geoffrey responded solemnly. There was a hint of sadness in his tone.

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

"What do you mean when you say he was my mother's greatest loss?" Warren asked puzzled. Thinking about what he just said, Uncle Geoffrey immediately frowned and said "Never mind.""Although we kept this a secret from you for such a long time, I want you to know that your mother had a very good reason for it.""She had know an indescribable joy when she met your father. But you should know that when someone learns to love so deeply, they are even more vulnerable to disappointment and heartache." Still trying to come to terms with the fact that his father is one of the richest men in all of the Cape Continent, Warren couldn't help but feel that his uncle's reasoning made sense. What happened between his mother and father? Even though something terrible might have occurred, it didn't make sense that he and his family had to suffer in poverty for such a long time, when he had a father who could afford anything he wanted. "Warren, I know that you're confused and have a lot of questions right now, but I want you to remember, everything we did was for your own good." The only reason we're telling you this now is because your father found out about your existence. He wants you to go to the Parker mansion and become one of the young masters there." "We cannot decide for you, but I advise you strongly against doing that. Your mother would have liked you to be free from any chains that might bind you." Warren pondered on his uncle's words for a long time and nodded in silence. They kept talking into the late hours of the night, when they finally grew tired and headed straight to bed. Early the next morning Warren was woken up by the sound of Aunt Joanne hustling and bustling in the kitchen. It has been so long that he has forgotten how his aunt hates being idle. He took a quick shower and joined her in the kitchen. "Anything you need me to do, Aunt Joanne?" he asked with a smile. "Morning son. Nothing right here, except we ran out of bacon a little while ago. Do you mind going to the supermarket and buy some. Here's the money," she said as she handed Warren a 200 dollar bill. Warren could only smile wryly as he nodded and took the money. Thirty minutes later he arrived at their local supermarket. It's best to go so early in order to avoid the queues, since the supermarket can get very congested during the day. As he scanned through the shelves, he suddenly heard a voice behind him. "If it isn't our little Warren. Long time no see," the voice said. Warren turned around and was surprised as well as embarrassed to see who the voice belonged to. "Cassidy, it-its you..." Warren said without looking her in the eyes. Cassidy and Warren attended the same high school. At first,  she never paid any attention to him, since he was so poor and she was the richest girl in the class. However, once she noticed how shabby he was dressed and couldn't even enjoy any luxuries that most of her classmates could, she couldn't help but feel a little sorry for him. Cassidy wasn't only rich, she was also beautiful and compassionate. It makes sense that Warren fell for her. "What have you been up to? I haven't seen you in such a long time, and I have to say that you have matured quite nicely," she remarked. Warren blushed instantly and bowed his head, afraid that she might see his red cheeks. "And you look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you," Warren flirted, while his sweaty hands scratched the back of his head. Cassidy smiled. Warren could feel his legs go wobbly. 'Who can resist such a beauty like her? If only...""You must have waited a long time, Cass," a voice interrupted Warren's thoughts. Spinning around, he saw the voice belonged to another one of his old acquaintances, Gary Robertson. Gary and Warren know each other quite well. He was also one of the rich kids, but he lacked the compassion that Cassidy had. Because of this, he often bullied Warren and made fun of his clothes and awkwardness. He was the reason that Warren lost even the little bit of confidence he had left during their time in Wellington High. That incident still haunts Warren till this day. 'Why did it have to be him. She could be with anyone, so why him?' Warren thought to himself as he could feel himself shivering. Gary scanned Warren up and down with a frown on his face. 'Why does his face look so familiar?' Gary thought. Seeing the puzzled look on Gary's face, Cassidy felt awkward. Naturally she knew what happened between Gary and Warren and she didn't want to put Warren in an uncomfortable position. There wasn't any particular relationship between herself and Gary, but their parents encouraged them to start one. Reluctantly, Cassidy compromised, although she still was still hesitant about it. Gary is rich and all, but he lacks sophistication, that's why Cassidy didn't see the need for a relationship with someone like him. She only agreed to meet him today as per her father's order. "Gary, this is Warren from Wellington High. We were just catching up," Cassidy said. 'Warren? Where have I heard that name before?' Gary thought. Suddenly a picture flashed through his mind. It was a picture of a bald-headed youth. A smile appeared around the corners of Gary's lips and there were traces of mischief in his eyes. "If it isn't the Wax Man! How have you been?" Gary said while laughing out loud.

Chapter 8 Chapter 8

'He just had to say it, didn't he?' Warren thought to himself. It is true that 'Wax Man' is just a name that Gary came up with in order to taunt Warren, but the name in itself also carries a lot of weight. Back in high school, Gary was a real bully. He had his ocassional pranks with which he would unnerve a lot of students. One time he poured super glue in Warren's hat, and when Warren put it on, the hat became stuck. Warren had to forceully remove his hat, but in doing so, he lost the majority of his hair. In order to avoid any more embarrassment, he cut his hair bald. This action, however, caused a lot more harm than good. A lot of his other classmates also started bullying him more fiercely when they saw his bald and shiny head. Warren had to stay at home for two to three weeks so that his hair may grow back. The bruised ego he suffered back then, caused him to become even more introverted as well as enhance the fear he felt for Gary. He could never forgive nor forget that incident. Gary made sure to remind Warren about his mishap the moment he saw him again. The discomfort he saw in Warren's eyes fed his msichief even more. There is no way he is going to let Warren go now, since he got a reminiscing taste of his good old days. "I heard you got into one of the top Universities in the country, Flemond University. I have to say, something must be seriously wrong with the world if you could enjoy such luxuries, " Gary teased Warren. 'Luxuries? If you only knew how much I suffered, you wouldn't have said that. You might even rejoice when you get to know about all my misfortunes," Warren thought, not daring to say a word about it. "Warren was one of the students who worked the hardest. Of course he could reach such heights," Cassidy said with a smile on her face. She wasn't just trying to defend Warren from Gary's relentless onslaught, her words carried a lot of truth. It was because Warren worked so hard, that he got a scholarship to study at Flemond and pursue his dream of becoming a programming developer. "I wonder how someone like him can afford to pay for his tuition, accommodation and food. He must have do a lot of chores and odd jobs in order to afford everything," Gary said while laughing. "Speaking of which, I have a function at the office tomorrow at noon. I can organize a job for you where you can stand guard. Not only will you earn 100 dollars, but you will also be able to attend such a grand function. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. You might even get to enjoy the sight of grand and luxurious cars as well as beautiful women," Gary said as he stole a few glances of Cassidy. Warren obviously knew what Gary's plan was. He just wanted to show off to his guests and embarrass Warren. The Robertsons had one of the top companies in Wellington and they specialized in real estate. Gary didn't have to worry about studying, since his father groomed him from a young age to inherit the family business. With a net worth of at least 50 million dollars, it has to be said that the Robertsons are almost peerless in the city. Cassidy couldn't help but feel embarrassed at the way Gary was deliberately degrading Warren. Although Gary's family is rich, they cannot compare to Cassidy's family who's net worth was almost 10 times more than the Robertsons. "Warren, you said you had something to do, so we will leave you to it," Cassidy said, trying to change the topic. "Regarding the function that Gary will have tomorrow, I could organize a ticket for you. I will not be able to go if you are there as a security guard. Since it would look weird for Mr. Robertson's distinguished guest to be socializing with a guard for the whole night," Cassidy hinted at Gary. There is no way she would allow Gary to embarrass Warren like that. Especially when she could do something about it. Cassidy knew about Gary's feelings for her. Although she doesn't feel the same, she could still take advantage of Gary since he will do anything and everything for her. Gary immediately realized what Cassidy was trying to imply. It would be detrimental to himself if he treated Warren as he still did during high school. He could only endure for the moment. Warren was lucky that he had someone who cared for him like that. "Alright then, you do not have to come. The invitations are already sent out. We will have to catch up another time then," Gary said. There is no way he is going to let Warren attend his function. His mere presence would desecrate the royalty and glamour which he worked so hard for. He had to spent 50 000 dollars on the event, which was pretty heavy on his pocket, but he had to. It's not every day when someone who is as young as him could sell a villa for more than 2 million dollars. Even his father was proud of his achievements. Not wanting to drag the issue on any longer, Cassidy said her farewells and left the supermarket, with Gary following closely behind. Warren could only shake his head as he stared at the couple. 'Some people never change,' he thought.

Chapter 9 Chapter 9

After he paid for the groceries, Warren walked back home. On his way there, he encountered a little girl sitting on the sidewalk. She couldn't be more than five years old, and her neat and clean dress, oozed wealth. What caught Warren's eye was the trace of a teardrop down her cheek. 'Why is she crying? Where is her parents? Is she lost, or something?' Warren had a lot of questions running through his mind. He couldn't handle his curiosity any longer, so he approached the little girl and asked her "Hello, may I ask where your parents are?" The girl stared at him and just shook her head. 'She doesn't trust me enough to tell me anything. Guess it can't be helped. Especially since I'm a stranger and I often come across as shady because of my sense of dressing.' Warren didn't want to bother her any further, since he felt that this was a scenario he didn't want to get too involved with. So he decided to leave. However, the moment he turned around to leave, the girl stood up and followed him. Not thinking anything of it, he continued walking further. Still the girl stayed steadfast on his trail. As he increased his pace, the girl did the same. Warren walked around a corner and hid himself. When the girl came around the corner, he jumped out and gave her a fright. "Following me, I see." Warren said. Again, the girl didn't say a word, however, this time she only nodded. Seeing that she isn't so hesitant anymore, Warren probed her again and asked "Are you lost? Did your mother forget you at the supermarket or something?""Kayla is lost. Mommy left Kayla at her friend's house. She is not a good person and she said bad words to me, so Kayla waited for mommy to return.  She never returned, so Kayla decided to go home on her own. However, Kayla doesn't know the way home," the little girl cried. Who would have thought this little girl would be so talkative all of a sudden. 'So her name must be Kayla,' Warren thought. Warren thought that it wouldn't be safe for her to linger around so aimlessly. Something bad might happen to her since she's so young and vulnerable. However, he also felt that it might not be in Kayla's best interest if he brought her back to her mother's friend's house, since she clearly didn't want to go back there. "So why are you not in school today?" Warren asked. "We don't have school today, since my teacher told me that they have a cluster meeting. That's why they gave us the day off." Thinking about this,  Warren felt that the safest option right now would be to take the little girl to her school since her teacher might still be there and Kayla might contact her mother through her teacher. "Could you please tell me the name of your school?" Warren asked politely. "I attend kindergarten at High Hopes, but I don't know the way back to school," the little girl said as she sobbed. Warren thought for a while and made up his mind. He will first return Kayla to her school and then deliver his aunt's groceries. He already wasted too much time, so he cannot dwell on anything else for too long. However, for now Kayla takes priority, since something bad might happen to her, if he doesn't help her. "I'll take you to your school and then we can call your mommy from there. Is it alright with you?" Kayla hesitated at first, but after a short while she nodded. Seeing that she eased a little bit around him, Warren took Kayla's hand and brought her to High Hopes Kindergarten. The school yard was deserted since almost no one attended school on this particular day, safe for a few educators. Seeing the familiar environment, a sense of relief flushed over Kayla as she increased her pace towards the gate of her school. When she arrived at the gate she saw a familiar face and shouted immediately "Miss Sun, please wait for me!" She momentarily forgot about the presence of Warren next to her and instantly bolted towards her teacher who was standing near the entrance of the school building. Seeing the little girl, Miss Sun was rather surprised, since she didn't expect to see a learner attending school on this day. Her thoughts were, however, quickly interrupted when she saw a suspicious-looking young man standing at the gate. She immediately embraced Kayla and smiled.  She took her hand and tried to bring her away to her office. At that moment Kayla remembered Warren and stopped her teacher. "Miss Sun, he is the uncle who saved me and brought me here. Could you please call my mother to pick me up? Also, could you invite him to join us, since he is has such a good heart." Miss Sun smiled and gave in to the little girl's demands. She waved at Warren to come over and he obliged. "Miss Sun, this is the nice uncle. Nice uncle, this is my teacher, Miss Sun," Kayla introduced the two to each other. Warren could only smile wryly and said "Nice to meet you, Miss Sun.""Care to come in and join us for a cup of tea?" Miss Sun invited Warren. It was her way of thanking him, since he was a stranger, but didn't mind helping the little girl. Other people would have had ulterior motives, but she could instantly see that he has a good heart. However, she could only invite him for a cup of tea. She didn't want to do more than that, because it was evident that Warren didn't have the aura om someone who is wealthy or accomplished. It might affect her image if she was seen hanging around with the likes of him. That's why she already extended the offer to invite him for tea to show her gratitude. "I'm sorry, but I have to decline. Please take care of her," Warren said as he immediately turned around. At the gate he turned around and waved at Kayla one last time. Miss Sun looked at him and frowned. 'He's  strange, isn't he?' she thought to herself.

Chapter 10 Chapter 10

Still looking in awe at Warren's back as he was leaving, Miss Sun's thoughts were interrupted when Kayla pulled on her hand. "Miss Sun, could you please call my mommy. I want to go home. It is not right of me to bother you on your day off." Kayla didn't want her teacher to feel bad, since she already felt as if she was a burden to her. "Don't worry, Kayla. I will call her immediately so that you may be reunited with her." After that Miss Sun called a number and conversed with a certain individual for a minute or two. 30 minutes later a Porsche Taycan arrived at the school gate. Out stepped a very beautiful and elegant woman. She looked as if she was in her mid twenties and her exquisite and classy demeanor could turn any men's knees into jelly. She greeted Miss Sun and after a few pleasantries, she left with Kayla. Warren, on the other hand, just arrived at home. His aunt was waiting for him with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She didn't look happy at all. It is understandable, since she sent Warren on an errand which usually would take around 40 minutes. However, it took him more than 2 hours to finally return. The bacon and groceries which he bought have long since lost its intended purpose, since breakfast was already over and it is almost time for lunch. Warren could see that she wasn't in a good mood, but he also felt embarrassed since didn't know where to start explaining. He felt that it would be best to accept the reprimands that his aunt would dish out. To his surprise, his aunt's face immediately turned into a smile.  Aunt Joanne saw the embarrassed look on Warren's face and felt that it wouldn't make sense to make him feel any worse than he already does. She felt that she could let it slide this time, since she already sees so little of Warren. "Come inside. Don't stand around for too long," she said with a polite voice. "I know something must have happened, that's why it took you so long to return, right?" Warren could only smile wryly and shrug his shoulders. He really felt bad, but it wouldn't help his current situation if he tried explaining about his encounter with Kayla. He followed his aunt into the house, and immediately went to his room after he put down the groceries. After that he took out his phone to look for any new messages. To his surprise there were a few. One message in particular stood out. It was from Cassidy and read "Warren, I'm sorry about Gary's behaviour earlier today. I hope you do not feel too bad about it. Also, I meant what I said this morning. I have an extra ticket for the function that Gary will hold tomorrow. I would really appreciate it if you could come. I'm looking forward to hearing from you." Warren smiled from ear to ear when he read the message. 'It seems like Cassidy really cares about me. I might just take her up on this offer,' he thought to himself. He pondered on the decision for a few more seconds and finally responded "It would be a honour to attend this auspicious occasion." Thereafter,  he scrolled through the rest of his messages,  with none of them seeming to be too important. There was also a message from Samuel. He decided it would be best to call, since he wanted an update on everything that is currently happening at the university. There were no particular newsworthy events, although Samuel reminded Warren of the annual fundraising event which would happen in three days. Warren already forgot about it. This served as a reminder to him that he should return as soon as possible.  He thought that he day after tomorrow would be the ideal time to return since he had to be there because attendance is compulsory. He also know that he cannot hide forever from everything that is happening at the university. From the betrayal he suffered at the hands of Jennifer, to his embarrassment with Claudia and Lloyd. Sooner or later, he has to face the music. The change of scenery did him some good, but after the function tomorrow, he will have to make preparations to return. "I will see you the day after tomorrow. There is still some stuff I have to take care of here at home. Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Warren joked. They laughed and after saying their goodbye, Warren put his phone away. The rest of the day was pretty much uneventful, except for a few chores that Warren had to do at home. Evening arrived and he received another message from Cassidy to remind him of the function. That night he slept like a log. Tomorrow he will see his high school crush again. Although his chances of ever getting together with her, is less than zero, it couldn't hurt to fantasize about it a little. Early the next morning, Warren woke up refreshed and ready for the day. Nothing could bring him down. Not the bully, Gary and certainly not his uncle's constant reminder of his father. He is already in his early twenties. He doesn't need a father who hasn't been there for all his life, so why would he care about building a relationship with him now? Its only his uncle who feels that Warren doesn't take this matter seriously enough. Johnathan Parker is his father and that is something which will never change. If he wants Warren to build a relationship with him, it will happen. The word 'no' doesn't exist in the vocabulary of a person like Johnathan. Warren, however, only has one thought on his mind. It is about a certain brunette who exudes elegance with every step she takes. Her royalty knew no measures. So why would he care about all of these trivial matters. Everything pales in the face of overwhelming beauty, and saying that Cassidy is beautiful, is understatement. Excitedly, Warren glanced at his watch. 'Only 2 more hours,' he thought to himself.

Chapter 11 Chapter 11

One hour later Cassidy was driving towards the location that Warren sent to her on W******p. She was surprised when she saw the area in which Warren was staying. It seems so underdeveloped. However, it makes sense given Warren's family's financial situation. She drove for a few more blocks until she arrived in front of a rather small house. Before she could send a message, she saw a familiar figure open the door and wave at her. She recognized Warren instantly and got out of the car to meet him. Cassidy didn't have any romantic feelings for Warren, she just felt pity for him. It breaks her heart seeing her classmate living in such conditions. She felt that it would be best if Warren attended Gary's function so that he may at least interact with people of a higher social class. This could help him in building his own relationships and connections, which will be beneficial to him in the long run. "I'm sorry I arrived a little bit earlier. I didn't have any breakfast this morning, so I thought we could grab a coffee or something on the way," Cassidy said with a polite voice. Warren was rendered speechless at first when he saw the grandeur that Cassidy was covered in. His eyes scanned her from top to bottom and every inch of her being emitted a certain sense of nobility. 'She is really something special. How could such a person even bother with the likes of me." Feeling his ogling eyes all over her body, Cassidy felt embarrassed and said "Earth to Warren. So what do you say?" Recalling his inappropriate gesture, Warren answered apologetically "I would be honored." Why would he pass off the chance to have some quality time alone with such a gorgeous girl like Cassidy. He will cherish these little moments forever, since he will leave tomorrow. He had to make use of every second he could spend with Cassidy. This will be an interesting story he could share with Samuel. At that moment Aunt Joanne and Uncle Geoffrey came out of the house. They were surprised to see the Chevrolet Corvette parked in front of their house. Warren told them that he would meet up with an old classmate today, but they didn't know his classmate was so wealthy. On top of that she was so beautiful that the two of them were left instantly speechless. Cassidy approached them and greeted politely. "Mr and Mrs Cole, I'm sorry for bothering you today." The duo were even more surprised at the girl's down-to-earth demeanor. Although she looks rich, she doesn't have that arrogance about her like most rich people have. "Not at all. We are honored to have you here," Uncle Geoffrey said. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce you earlier. Aunt and Uncle,  this is my classmate I mentioned earlier. Her name is Cassidy Smith," Warren said. Smith? But isn't she the Second Young Miss of the Smith family? How does Warren know such a person? And why did she deem it worthy to personally pick him up? When Cassidy saw the flustered and somewhat shocked look of the pair, she immediately knew what they thinking. "Don't worry Mr and Mrs Cole. I don't mean any harm. I just want to catch up with Warren since we haven't seen each other for such a long time." Aunt Joanne and Uncle Geoffrey relaxed a bit more, but now they were even more respectful towards Cassidy. Who wouldn't be when she could squash them with just her pinky. Not wanting to be in the awkward situation any longer, Cassidy said her goodbye and left with Warren. Uncle Geoffrey were still left dumbfounded when he saw the two of them driving away. He was also worried on the one hand. Since he saw what happened when his sister got involved with a rich man, he didn't want his nephew to go through the same ordeal. Ten minutes later the Chevrolet stopped in front of a restaurant. It was one of the most expensive restaurants in the city, and although Warren was wearing his best suit on the day, he still felt underdressed. As they arrived at the entrance, they were immediately greeted by a beautiful waitress. From the way she was dressed, you could tell that the restaurant placed a high value on the appearance of their staff and also their guests. The waitress was very polite to Cassidy when she realized who she was, but she didn't pay any note to Warren. If h came to The Light Dome dressed in such shabby clothing, his only goal was to desecrate the place. 'He is here only because Miss Smith brought him. He will never be able to afford such places on his own,' the waitress thought. After signing in, she brought Cassidy and Warren to the third floor where their room was reserved. It was a private room and everything in there were off the highest quality. It was the first time that Warren ever saw such a splendor dining room. 'How could one afford this? Even if I was the richest man in the world, I would never spend so much only to have breakfast. Especially when a cup of coffee costs at least 70 dollars. This is preposterous!' Warren thought, not uttering a single word. "We're we not supposed to only have a cup of coffee?" Warren asked flustered. He couldn't wrap his head around it. Why would Cassidy go out of her way only for me? It doesn't make any sense at all. "I really didn't have any breakfast this morning, so I wanted to have some on the way," Cassidy laughed. "Also, I have invited my elder sister. She just bought a mansion through the Robertson's real estate company. The function that Gary is holding is because of her purchase," Cassidy said.

Chapter 12 Chapter 12

'A mansion for 2 million dollars? She must have a substantial amount of money if she  could afford that,' Warren thought. "So is she coming to join us then? It would be an honor to meet such a great person," Warren said embarrassedly as he laughed. "Don't be so flustered, she is a rather down to earth person. She's already at the venue of the function, so she will only be able to join us in 1o minutes. In the meantime we could order so long." Warren didn't know what to think. He only wanted to spend some time alone with Cassidy. Although there were no romantic sparks flying in the air, it was the only opportunity he had to talk to someone as beautiful as her. If her sister were to arrive then the half hour they had left before the function began would be wasted. He would most probably be relegated to being the third wheel when Cassidy and her sister started talking. At that moment a Porsche Taycan arrived at the entrance of The Light Dome. The owner was a classy and beautiful woman. Her beauty is on par with Cassidy, and she also seemed more mature than her. She greeted the waitress and were immediately brought towards the private dining room on the third floor. There she saw her sister sitting with an unfamiliar face. That person was dressed in a suit which most probably only cost around 80 dollars. 'How many times do I have to tell Cassidy to stop being friends with people of such an economical background. From one glance, even I can tell how poor he is," Claire thought. She walked towards the pair and greeted Cassidy. She hugged her little sister and smiled while saying "Someone looks beautiful today. Given the occasion, it makes sense why you would dress up like this." Cassidy laughed and said "It's your special day. You are the one we're celebrating today." There was a mischievous smile on Claire's face. It seemed like she knew about something that Cassidy didn't. "Big sis, this is my classmate from high school. His name is Warren Cole." Not wanting to embarrass her younger sister, Claire looked at Warren and greeted indifferently "Nice to meet you." Warren could tell that Claire didn't have a high opinion of him. However, there was nothing he could do about it. Especially when the person in front of him could afford a mansion of two million dollars without batting an eye. "The honor is all mine, Miss Smith," Warren greeted politely. "Actually, it is Mrs Evans. She has been married for a few years now. So she doesn't go by her maiden name anymore," Cassidy said proudly. Her sister married into such a rich family and she even gave Cassidy such a beautiful younger niece. 'She is the epitome of success,' Cassidy thought to herself. "I apologize Mrs Evans. It was rude of me to assume without knowing the facts," Warren pleaded. How could he make such a mistake. It's his first time meeting her, and the first thing out of his mouth might have offended Cassidy's elder sister. "Forget about it," Claire said indifferently. She didn't want to bother or waste her time on the likes of him. "More importantly, where is our breakfast? I'm ravished," Claire said. Right at that moment a few waitresses arrived with their food. All the delicacies that were displayed to them were of the highest quality. On one of the trays there were well-done eggs, crispy bacon, sausages, toasted bread and even some squashed orange juice. The other tray contained blueberry and banana pancakes, Danish waffles, strawberry-filled red velvet crepes and caramel apple cinnamon rolls. There other delicacies which even Warren wasn't familiar with. 'How much does such a breakfast cost? It is preposterous that people will eat something like this for breakfast. Especially at a restaurant like this,' Warren thought. Immediately when the food arrived, they started eating. Even Warren, who was hesitant at first, couldn't resist the gourmet food in front of him. This was a breakfast fit for a king. "So where is my beautiful little niece today?" Cassidy interrupted the silence. "I left her at the venue before I drove over. She was reluctant to let me go, but I had to persuade my aunt to look after her for a few minutes. It is also uncomfortable for me to leave here alone nowadays, especially with what happened yesterday," Claire said solemnly. Both sisters understood how easily they might have lost the little one. Thankfully a generous and kind person saved her. Things could have gone wrong so easily. At that moment Warren's phone started ringing. He looked at it and the number seemed unfamiliar. It also had a different country code which meant that the person calling him, was from abroad. He ignored the call since he didn't want to interrupt their meal. However, the number called a few more times and Warren became agitated. He switched off his phone and continued with his meal. Claire looked at Warren in surprise, since she couldn't understand why he would ignore another person so blatantly. 'It must be his girlfriend and he doesn't want Cassidy to know,' Claire thought as her opinion of Warren grew even worse. 'He wore such poor clothing and he even has the decency to ignore other people. Who does he think he is? I hope my sister never get mixed up with his kind ever again. He's so shameless to ignore his girlfriend when he saw my sister's financial capabilities. If he thinks that he will ever get together with her, he can dream on," Claire thought as her imagination ran even wilder. Cassidy didn't take this to heart since she thought Warren was only being polite towards them. After all, they were in the middle of their meal.

Chapter 13 Chapter 13

The three of them continued their meal in relative peace. When they were done, they went downstairs to pay the bill. When Warren saw how much the food cost that they just ate, he instantly became nauseous. 10 thousand dollars for breakfast is just insane! He became nervous because he could even afford a tenth of the meal. Why would Cassidy bring him here, if not to embarrass him? Warren didn't know what to do. "I will pay this time, I remember distinctively it was you who paid the last time," Cassidy said nonchalantly. "I don't think so. You paid the last time, so now it's my turn. In addition to that, I will also pay for his meal," Claire added as she pointed towards Warren. Warren was confused. Why would they argue about who should pay for the meal? Do they not see how outrageous the amount is? It is impossible for the breakfast to cost that much. After a few more exchanges between the two. They finally reached a consensus and Claire paid for the meal. Warren was finally able to breathe easier when he saw that the bill has been paid. 'How lucky some people are to be rich,' he thought. When he walked towards the car, he saw an even fancier sports car parked next to Cassidy's. The person who drove this kind of car has to be incredibly rich. A Porsche Taycan costs at least 180 thousand dollars. It is an outrageous amount. Especially when he never even saw so much money in all his life. His thoughts were interrupted when the lights of the car suddenly flash and Claire opened the door. This car belonged to Cassidy's elder sister. 'Just how much money does their family have?' Warren thought. He still stared at the car as Claire left and drove towards the venue for the function. Cassidy poke Warren on his sides to remind him that they should leave. He stared at Cassidy's car and thought that having money is such a wonderful thing. Why would his uncle prohibit him from building a relationship with his father? Especially when he could also have such luxuries. The two of them drove towards the venue and when he arrived at Gary's office, he was surprised even more. The place was called Robertsons Equity Estate. There were a lot of luxurious cars parked in front and everyone there seemed to be from a very influential background. Warren felt like a fish out of water and he immediately became embarrassed when he realized just how different he was from the rest of these people. He couldn't even afford the shoe that any one of them were wearing. He became dejected and said to himself 'I should've just stayed home.' Cassidy could see the look on Warren's face and reminded him 'Don't worry. You are here with me. No one will look down on you.' She thought this would make him feel better, however, Warren only felt worse. He had to rely on Cassidy to make sure that no one would pick or look down on him. His masculinity took a huge knock. Cassidy didn't see anything wrong with what she said, but Warren felt that she had embarrassed him, although it was not intentionally. They entered the building together and Warren was left even more dumbfounded when he saw how grand the interior looked. It appeared that Gary had spent a lot of money on the decorations because everything inside seemed to be covered in gold. From the cutlery to the chairs and even the uniform that the waiters were wearing. The lighting inside the venue captured the ambience perfectly and it gave off a shine of royalty. If Gary's intention was to make a statement, then this was it. "Cass, you came," a voice said excitedly. Warren looked and saw that the voice belonged to Gary. His face immediately became solemn when he saw his high school bully. He knew that he had to face him, since this was his party, but he hoped that he might have been able to avoid him for a few more minutes. When Gary saw Warren, he immediately became irritated. He explicitly told Warren that there were no invitations left for the function. So why was he here? Cassidy mist have given him one of her extra tickets. "So Wax Man, I see that you decided to honor us with your presence today," Gary said annoyed. Today was his special day and he didn't want Warren to desecrate the place with his presence. Especially when he is dressed in such a poor manner. What would the guests think of Gary since he allowed such a person access to his grand function? However, he had to bite the bullet for now, since he still had something important to announce at the end of the party. Nothing will bring down his mood right now. Not even this fool in front of him. He could get rid of him with just a touch of a button. But why did he feel so threatened by Warren's presence? He wasn't even rich, nor could he ever take hid girlfriend away from him. He wasn't even of the same economical background or social standing. Gary couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable with how close Warren was standing next to Cassidy. She didn't even seem to mind his presence. This was something that infuriated Gary even more. "Care to join me for a drink, Cass?" Gary asked. To his dismay, Cassidy first looked at Warren and waited for Warren to nod, before she responded "I would love to." Gary became more agitated after he saw this. 'Just you wait Warren Cole. When this party is over, I will destroy any hope that you may have had of ever stealing my girl.' He smiled sheepishly and brought the two of them to the temporary indoor bar which he said up specifically for today's occasion. Gary waited for them to fill up their glasses before he toasted "To long lost friends and new relationships." Not understanding the underlying meaning of his message, both Warren and Cassidy toasted happily and emptied their glasses. Gary smiled at this scene.

Chapter 14 Chapter 14

Warren and Cassidy found Gary's current behavior pleasant, since he wasn't so domineering and irritating as he was at first. Gary on the other hand knew exactly why he had to be in his best behavior now, since he had something special planned at the end of the event. The function proceeded without any mishaps and Warren enjoyed himself. It was at this moment when Gary signaled for everyone to quiet down. He had something important to say. "Ladies and gentlemen. I would like to thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend my humble event. The reason for the particular festivities today, is to pay homage to Mrs Evans for her purchase on her new villa. We as Robertsons Equity Estate would like to thank her for her wonderful contribution towards the company. " There was a round of applause as everyone congratulated Claire. She was used to this kind of attention. It comes with the privileges of being wealthy. So she smiled nonchalantly and held her glass up towards Gary. Gary was smiling from ear to ear. He wasn't done. The best news were yet to come. When everyone quieted down, Gary continued "In addition to that, I have another announcement to make. Me and..." Before he could finish, he was interrupted by a little girl's voice. "Nice uncle!' The voice belonged to Kayla. She shouted it the moment she saw Warren standing next to Cassidy. Everyone was surprised when they heard the little girl shouting like that. It had to be said that everyone knew who she was, since she was the daughter of Gary's esteemed guest. Kayla ran towards Warren and immediately held his hand. This surprised everyone, since the person she just called a nice uncle, was dressed so poorly. Nobody paid attention to him at first, but now they were looking at him wondering why Kayla would address him in that way. This was particular surprising for Cassidy and Claire. Kayla never talked to strangers, because that's how she was taught from a very young age. So why would she be so friendly with Warren. This infuriated Gary even more, because his special announcement was just interrupted. And it was Warren's fault again. Why is he still trying to embarrass Gary? He is a nobody. He should know his place. "Kayla, what are you doing? Do you know Warren or something?" Cassidy asked. Before she could answer, Warren patted her head and said "I'm glad to see that you're okay. Did Miss Sun take good care of you?" "Yes she did. She also called my mommy. She arrived when you left so you didn't get the opportunity to meet her." At that moment, Claire arrived next to her daughter. "Here she is. Mom this is the nice uncle who saved me yesterday," Kayla said as she looked at Claire. Claire was left dumbfounded. The 'nice uncle' who saved her daughter was none other than Warren. The poor boy who couldn't even afford a proper suit. He is also the one who ignored his own girlfriend because he was interested in her younger sister. Claire didn't know how to respond. Her emotions were in turmoil. On the one side she was very grateful to Warren for saving her daughter, but on the other side she hated his guts. He is shameful because he didn't even care about his own girlfriend's feelings when he rejected her calls. She could only smile wryly and say "Thank you very much for saving Kayla. I didn't know it was Cassidy's friend who did such an honorable thing. You have my gratitude." Warren was surprised to discover that the little girl he saved yesterday was Cassidy's niece. 'Bonus points for me,' he thought. "It's only a pleasure. I couldn't stand seeing such a little girl in distress. Anyone in my shoes would have done the same." When he said that Claire smiled. Her opinion on Warren was starting to change a little. Although he was poor and a little bit shameful, he still had a beautiful heart. To add to that, there wasn't a trace of arrogance in his words. At that moment Cassidy looked at Warren in a different light. 'He really has a kind soul. He saved my niece without expecting any reward. Especially now that he knows that both me and my sister are loaded,' she thought. When he saw the way that Cassidy was looking at Warren, Gary couldn't take it anymore. He became agitated and cleared his throat. "Uh uhm... Now back to the important announcement I wanted to make earlier." Gary was irritated since Warren was trying to steal his shine. Everyone's focus was back on him now. Warren smiled at the sisters and turned to look at Gary. "In addition to the purchase that Mrs Evans made earlier today, the Robertsons and Smith family came to another agreement. As of today I am engaged to Cassidy Smith. We are to be married in two months from now." There were cheers all around and everyone was happy. They all knew how much Gary liked Cassidy, and it was great news that two of the most powerful families in all of Wellington were to join in holy matrimony. However, Cassidy's face was ugly. Why didn't she know about this? Did her family decide behind her back that she should be married to Gary. She didn't even like him like that. She was only polite to him to give both of their families face. She stared daggers at Gary, but she didn't sat anything. She didn't want to embarrass him in front of his guests. Warren felt awkward. He didn't know that this was also supposed to be an engagement party. If he knew that he would have rejected Cassidy's invite immediately. He could only smile at her clumsily. Seeing this Cassidy immediately knew what he was thinking. "We are not engaged. Gary decided this on his own accord. His family and mine must have decided this on their own," Cassidy tried explaining. Warren was relieved to hear this, but he also wondered why Cassidy would explain the situation to him. It's not as if it was any of his business. After he listened to Cassidy's explanation, Warren smiled and nodded at her. Seeing this, Gary almost blew a gasket. He has had it! This cannot go on any longer! He will make Warren regret ever attending this function.

Chapter 15 Chapter 15

Gary  signaled to one of his security guards to come over. He whispered something in his ear and when the guard turned around to leave, he was smiling. 'Just you wait, Warren Cole! We will see how long you can keep up with this charade. I will make you pay for embarrassing me like this,' Gary mumbled to himself. He had a devious smile on his face. Not too long after that, Warren left for the men's room. On his way there he bumped into one of the security guards who were on duty today. The guard glared at him, and after Warren apologized he left. He didn't want to start a fight at Gary's function, since it would embarrass Cassidy who went out of her way to invite him to attend the day. After he finished his business in the men's room, he returned to the main hall where the function was held. However, there was a commotion going on. One of the guests lost their necklace. Since it was only wealthy people attending the event, everyone knew just how expensive the necklace was. "It was an heirloom I received from my grandmother. The necklace has been passed down for generations," a guests cried frantically. The value of the necklace was at least 50 thousand dollars, but to her it was priceless, since its a keepsake she received. Everyone was feeling pity for her and Warren shared the same sentiment. Who had the guts to steal on such an occasion. That person was asking to be humiliated if they were ever found. At that moment Gary spoke and said "Don't worry Miss Jones. I will do everything in my power to find the culprit and bring him to justice." He scanned the crowd and his eyes came to rest on Warren who just joined Cassidy's side. "Mr Cole, may I ask where you are coming from right now?" Gary said immediately. There was a stern look on his face, but he was battling keeping his excitement on check. Flustered, Warren answered "I came from the can. However, I do not understand why you would ask me such a question." Gary approached Warren and said "I believe you know that one of our guests just lost something precious. It would pain me if it was someone who I knew, who took it." Warren immediately realized the meaning behind Gary's words. "Do you mean to say I took it Mr Robertson? If so, you need to have a really good reason for speculating something like this," Warren said. He couldn't back down now, since Gary wanted to embarrass him in front of everyone. "Not at all, Mr Cole. I'm only being cautious. I think you wouldn't mind me searching you, just to be sure. I am not discriminating against you based on your economic background. I'm only trying to be safe," Gary said. "Well go ahead then," Warren said. He didn't have anything to hide, so why would he hesitate. He couldn't wait to see the look on Gary's face when he will find nothing on him. He will be so embarrassed. Gary called one of his guards over to search Warren. It would be inappropriate for him as the host to do this himself, so he relegated the duty to one of his subordinates. Cassidy looked at Gary with fire in her eyes. If looks could kill, Gary would've been dead 10 times over. Still remaining calm, Warren allowed the guard to search him. At that moment the guard immediately shouted "What is this?" After saying that he pulled out a diamond necklace from Warren's pocket. There were gasps all around the room. Everyone was shocked to see Miss Jones' necklace being pulled from Warren's pocket. Even Warren was feeling dumbfounded at this scene. 'Where did this come from. I didn't have this earlier. I've never even seen this necklace,' Warren thought. Just as he was about to explain, he felt a tight slap across his face. "You are beyond shameless.! How could you still my precious family heirloom without any remorse. On top of that, you're standing there and pretending as if you didn't even have it," Miss Jones shouted in tears. She was relieved that she could find her necklace, but that relief was overshadowed by her immense rage. She wanted to slap Warren over and over again. Warren didn't know where to put his face. He was innocent, but how could he explain himself. The necklace was found in his pocket. All the evidence pointed towards him as the culprit. He left the room and after that Miss Jones lost her necklace. When he returned the necklace was in his pocket. He didn't know what to say. "Guards, surround him! Make sure to make him regret ever stealing at my function. Take him out of here and teach him a lesson!" Gary shouted. "Please wait, Mr Robertson. I didn't take it. There must be a misunderstanding," Warren pleaded. However, no one listened to his words. Even Claire and Cassidy were embarrassed at this. "It's one thing to be poor. But stealing should never be a excuse for your poverty. I have misjudged you, Warren" Cassidy said disappointingly. She thought that even though Warren was poor, he still had his dignity. After all he did save her niece. Why did he have to disgrace himself by stealing a necklace? Warren was lost when he heard Cassidy's words. He thought that she would be the only one who knew him well enough to know that he would never resort to stealing, no matter how poor he is. Even Kayla looked at him with eyes filled with disappointment. Is this the same uncle who saved her yesterday? She couldn't even recognize him anymore. Warren felt that his world just came crashing down. He was so confident that he will embarrass Gary, however, no he was the one being embarrassed instead. Why would Gary accuse him in the first place? Also, why was he so confident in saying that he was the one who stole the necklace? At that moment Warren saw the security guard who he bumped into earlier. He was standing next to Gary and both of them were smiling.

Chapter 16 Chapter 16

'Everything  makes sense now,' Warren thought. 'The confidence in Gary's words and his relentless onslaught while saying that I stole the necklace. He was the one who planned it all.' Although he realized the truth now, it was too late for him. The security guards brought him out to the parking lot on Gary's command. They kicked him violently until blood were flowing out through his nose and mouth. The pain he felt was something he will never forget. Not only was he wrongfully accused, even Cassidy believed that he was a thief. Warren didn't feel the need to defend himself anymore. He accepted the beating, although it hurt him excruciatingly. At that moment Gary stood in front of him. He followed the guards when they brought Warren out. He made sure that no one else followed them since he wanted to make Warren suffer in peace. "Not so smug now anymore, are we?" he joked as he also kicked Warren. "Did you really think that you could be with Cassidy? She will never defend someone like you, even though I framed you. Now look at her. She even reprimanded you!" Gary laughed. He kept kicking non-stop. He wanted Warren to suffer. "Did you really think that we were on the same level? At the end of the day the better guy won. You should have never angered me. Look at yourself now.""Stop!" At that moment a voice shouted. The voice belonged to Cassidy. "Can't you see that he's had enough. Do you want to kill him?" Although she was angry at Warren for humiliating her like that, she couldn't watch Gary kill him. They were high school classmates once upon a time. It would haunt her forever if she just stood by and watch someone get killed. Hearing her say that, Gary kicked Warren one last time and spit at him. After that he shouted "Get out of here! I never want to see your face here ever again!" Warren struggled to his feet as blood was still dripping from the corners of his mouth. He looked at Cassidy one last time and turned around to leave. The security guards allowed him to leave and Warren turned around one final time and looked into Cassidy's eyes. "I didn't steal the necklace, but that doesn't matter anymore. I just want to tell you to take care of yourself. You shouldn't lose yourself because you are blinded by rage. You are an excellent judge of character. Don't ever let it be clouded." After that Warren left. Looking at his back, Cassidy felt uneasy. Why would Warren say something like that? What was the implications of his words? Before she could say anything, Warren disappeared from her sight. Gary smiled as he took Cassidy's hand and lead her back to the main hall. The party resumed as if nothing happened. However, Cassidy was now lost in thought. Warren's words kept replaying in her mind. What was he trying to say? Warren, on the other hand, struggled as he was waving for a cab. However, no one stopped for him. He was covered in blood after all, so why would anyone want to bother with him. He walked a block or two until he arrived at a bridge. Near the bridge, there was a beggar lying under a cardboard box, which served as his blanket. Seeing how pitiful he looked, Warren approached him and put his jacket over him. Although it was covered in blood, he still felt that the jacket would provide more protection against the cold, than the cardboard box. The beggar looked at him and couldn't help smiling. He had a good impression of Warren, because although he was beaten up, he cared about the safety of other people more than his own. He took the his own jacket and cut it into pieces. Warren was surprised at that, but before he could say anything, the beggar called him closer. Warren could only oblige. When he was close enough, the beggar signaled him to sit down. After Warren sat down the beggar used the little bit of alcohol he had left to disinfect Warren's wounds. Warren was too weak to resist and the burning sensation he felt, hurt him even more. After he disinfected Warren's wounds, he used the torn pieces of his jacket as bandages to cover Warren's wounds. Warren was touched at the beggar's generosity. He put his hand into his pocket and found the 100 dollars he wanted to use to pay for the cab, and gave it to the beggar. The beggar, however, only shook his head. He didn't want Warren's money. Warren was shocked at the beggar's refusal. It was a 100 dollars and he didn't want it? Warren bowed to the beggar three times and thanked him repeatedly for taking care of him. The impression that the beggar had of Warren improved more at that gesture. He smiled, showing his crooked teeth, and pulled out a piece of paper from his shoe. He offered it to Warren. Seeing the location where the paper was, Warren declined immediately, but the beggar kept on insisting. At the end the beggar didn't take no for an answer and Warren accepted the piece of paper. He thanked the beggar and opened the piece of paper to start reading.  When he read the words on the paper something happened. After each word he read, the word disappeared immediately. Warren was left dumbfounded. It was in a language that he didn't understand, but somehow he felt that he understood the message it was conveying. He looked at the beggar. The beggar signaled to him to continue reading. Warren did just that. When the paper was finally blank and no more words appeared on the paper, the beggar touched Warren's hand. He could feel energy flowing into his body. Warren was left dumbfounded. What was happening to him? And where did he get this energy? His internal wounds were starting to heal and he felt even better than he did before. He looked at the beggar in shock! The beggar pointed towards his head, then his heart and after that he made a fist. He smiled again and signaled to Warren that he may leave now. Warren bowed one final time and turned around to leave.

Chapter 17 Chapter 17

As Warren was walked away from the beggar, he couldn't help thinking about what just happened. 'Why do I feel so energetic all of a sudden? Did the beggar do something to me? Was it a good thing or a bad thing? Oh well, there is no use dwelling on it now. All that matters is that my wounds are healed and I feel amazing,' Warren thought to himself. Although he was still covered in blood, Warren felt as if he could do anything. He felt rejuvenated from head to toe. He sprinted and to his surprise, he didn't feel any pain at all. His speed also increased substantially. 'This is an unexpected and welcome surprise,'Warren said as he rushed to find a cab since his house was a long way away. No cab stopped for him since he was still covered in blood. He didn't give up and stood in the middle of the road so that the next cab couldn't pass him by. He forcefully entered and instructed the driver to go to the designated address. Reluctantly, the driver followed his orders. When he arrived home, he paid the driver with the money he wanted to give to the beggar, and immediately rushed towards the shower. Luckily he avoided his aunt and uncle and quietly and quickly cleaned himself up. After that he got dressed and joined his family in the living room. They were surprised to see him return so early. They thought he would be out for the rest of the afternoon, however Warren told them a story about rushing home so that he could still get his things ready for his departure tomorrow. They believed him, since there was no reason for him to lie to them. "If there it is no bother, I would like to spend the rest of the day in my room without getting disturbed," Warren said to his uncle and aunt. They thought maybe he wanted to call Cassidy and wanted privacy to talk to her, so they didn't mind at all. They simply smiled and nodded at him. For the rest of the afternoon, Warren was meditating, trying to recall the scripture the old beggar gave to him. He could only decipher pieces of it, but these pieces that he deciphered were of great help to him. He could regulate his breathing efficiently and he could feel traces of energy flowing throughout his whole being. Although it wasn't on the level that the beggar displayed when he repaired his internal damage, it was still extraordinary. After meditating for a while, Warren could feel some traces of Qi flowing through his body. While it was faint, it was definitely there. Warren was happy with his current results and decided to call it a day. He stretched himself and reached into the pocket of his bloody pants which he has hidden to get his cellphone. Although, the screen was partially cracked, Warren could still use it. He switched it on, only to realize that there were a few messages. The number that called him earlier left a few voice messages urging Warren to call them back immediately. The voice said that it was of utmost importance for Warren to call them, since it was something that would affect Warren's life in a huge way. Warren decided to ignore the message since he didn't know who it was. He spent the rest of the day cooped up in his room busy playing a few games. Early the next morning, Warren said his goodbyes to his aunt and uncle and took a cab to the airport. He felt that the change of scenery did him some good, although he was humiliated the day before. The silver lining of that incident was that he got to meet the beggar and he shared a very powerful gift with Warren. As he was getting off the cab and on his way to check in forhis flight, his phone rang again. It was the same number that he ignored for the past 24 hours. He finally had enough and answered it. "Young Master Parker! You finally picked up," the voice shouted on the other end. Warren was irritated since it was clear to him that the female on the other side got the wrong person. "I'm sorry, but I think you phoned a wrong number. I don't know anyone named Parker," Warren said annoyed. Why was this person bothering him all this while when he wasn't even the person that they were looking for. "I'm sorry, Young Master. I meant Mr Cole. I have been waiting for you at Flemond University, but it seems like you are out of town. Could you tell me when you would be back?" Warren was confused. Who was this person? And why does she know about me? Warren was getting more and more flustered, since the person called him young master. He was no young master of sorts. "I'm sorry Ma'am, but I think you have the wrong person. I don't think I'm the only named Cole at Flemond University. Also, I don't appreciate you enquiring about my whereabouts. Especially when I have nothing to do with you," Warren said. The voice became shaky and pleaded "Forgive my ignorance, Young Master. However, Master Parker told me to be your guide and servant until you eventually return to the Parker mansion." 'Master Parker?' Warren frowned when he thought about this. Then a face suddenly flashed through his mind. "This Master Parker that you're referring to, are you talking about Johnathan Parker?""Yes, Young Master. The Master also instructed me to send you a little bit of pocket money. The message should arrive any second now." Warren looked at his phone and there was a pop up. "Your savings account has been loaded with 500 000 000 dollars!" Warren was dumbfounded. 500 million dollars! Before he could answer, the voice continued "In addition to that, The Master bought Flemond Galaxy District and changed the ownership to your name. He also bought  Galaxy Tech Lane in order to give you the opportunity to build your skills until you're finally ready to succeed him as the head of the Parker Family. However, he kept this quiet, since it is only him and myself, as his most trusted subordinate, who knows about your existence." Warren was at a loss for words. Johnathan Parker just bought the entire Flemond Galaxy District as a gift for him. In addition to that, he bought Galaxy Tech Lane, a company worth at least 100 billion dollars as a stepping stone for him to develop his skills. This seemed unreal. It had to be a dream.