Chapter 2

The door swung open before the echo of my voice even faded.

Hastings, the club’s senior manager, walked into the room.

He stopped right in front of me and offered a deep bow.

I didn’t even bother breaking eye contact with Calliope as I gave my order.

"Bring us the hidden summer menu."

"And fetch two bottles of your oldest Louis XIII."

Hastings didn't say a single word in response.

He simply gave a sharp nod and quietly backed out of the box.

For a second, the frat brothers just blinked at the doorway in stunned silence.

Then, Calliope doubled over in a fit of mocking laughter.

"Juno, you really just can't stop embarrassing yourself tonight, can you?"

"My cousin Lennox and I have been to this club dozens of times."

"There is absolutely no such thing as a hidden menu!"

The rest of the room immediately joined in on her cruel laughter.

Everyone was just waiting for me to pull out a declined debit card and make a complete fool of myself.

I stared at Arlo’s smug grin, practically choking on my own disgust.

I used to drive a dying Honda with busted AC just to prove to my father I could survive without his money.

I wanted to experience a real relationship without my billion-dollar trust fund getting in the way.

I worked double shifts just to pay off his fifty-grand car loan.

I even stayed up for nights writing his term papers so he wouldn't lose his Varsity spot.

But my only reward was catching him pinning Calliope against the hood of the exact convertible I had just paid off.

He was wearing the Varsity jacket I helped him keep while his hands were all over her.

He didn't even look guilty when he smirked and told me I was too broke to fit into his new elite circle.

Now he was standing here using my hard-earned money as a punchline to publicly humiliate me.

There was absolutely no way I was going to swallow this insult.

"Just because you haven't seen it, Calliope, doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

"It just means the Lennox family's tier isn't high enough to unlock it."

"I'd suggest you keep your mouth shut before the food actually arrives and slaps you in the face."

Calliope's face turned red with sudden rage.

"You really think you can talk to me like—"

Before she could finish her threat, the doors swung wide open again.

A parade of servers marched in under the astonished gazes of the entire room.

They set down silver platters of iced Australian lobster tails.

Others brought out dozens of Michelin-grade summer desserts.

Finally, Hastings stepped forward while carefully cradling two limited-edition bottles of Louis XIII.

He cleared his throat and addressed the dead-silent room.

"Our upper management has stated that everyone here tonight is a highly valued VIP."

"The entire cost of tonight's consumption is completely on the house."

I let out a quiet scoff.

The club's big boss had obviously been notified of my presence.

Waiving this bill was just a cheap way for them to kiss up to the sole heiress of Vanguard Holdings.

"Thank the owner for his generosity, and tell him—"

I started to speak, but Calliope violently shoved her way in front of me.

"Does it look like you have the right to speak right now, Juno?"

"The owner is obviously doing this out of respect for Lennox's private yacht docked in the harbor."

"Stop acting like you're the one pulling the strings here!"

She completely pushed me aside and turned her fake smile toward Hastings.

"I will thank the owner on behalf of the Lennox family, and I'll gladly drink to his generosity."

Calliope snatched a glass of champagne from a server and downed it in one gulp.

Hastings stared at her in complete bewilderment.

He opened his mouth to correct her delusional rant and put her in her place.

I immediately shot him a freezing glare that pinned his words right to the back of his throat.

There was no point in staying in this toxic room anymore.

Calliope's desperate vanity was genuinely making me sick.

I grabbed my bag from the back of my chair and prepared to leave.

I looked right at the cheer co-captain who had dragged me into this mess.

"Next time you host a low-tier gathering like this, do me a favor and lose my number."

I didn't even want to bother exposing Arlo and Calliope right now.

I decided to generously let them enjoy this comped meal as their pathetic last supper.

But just as my hand touched the door handle, Calliope grabbed my arm.

"Did you forget something, Juno?" she sneered loudly.

I brushed her hand off my skin like it was a contagious disease.

"What exactly are you talking about?"

"You need to pay for your share of the tab before you walk out that door."

I stared at her, genuinely wondering if her brain was entirely made of plastic.

"Are you deaf, Calliope?"

"The manager just said the entire night is completely free."

Calliope let out a sharp laugh that echoed through the room.

"The bill is comped because Lennox is a VIP, which has absolutely nothing to do with you."

"Since I'm the one who secured this free meal, I make the rules about who gets to eat for free."

She marched over to the VIP service tablet by the door and ripped off the printed receipt.

She slammed the long piece of paper against my chest.

"The total for tonight's party is exactly one million dollars."

"Split between the twenty people here, that comes out to fifty grand a head."

"My cousin is covering the tab for every single person in this room."

She smiled with absolute malice as the rest of the room watched me get backed into a corner.

"Except for you."