Riches in Disguise

They followed the direction of my hand, then burst into laughter.

"You're too much!" Crystal laughed loudly. "Those two villas you just pointed to? One is the cheapest in the entire Pelagos Estates, and the other is the most expensive."

"Of course, I know that," I replied.

"You knew? Hahaha!"

Crystal's friend laughed so hard she almost doubled over. The exaggerated look on her face made me want to slap her.

"You knew, yet you still said that? Haha! I've never seen anyone buy a villa like this-one the cheapest, and the other the most expensive. Who buys villas like that? You can't even lie properly. You're just insane! Hahaha!"

"Damn you!" I cursed inwardly, feeling my patience snap.

I couldn't take it anymore. If I kept talking to these two idiots, I would lose my temper. So, I quickly turned and walked away.

"Hey, William!"

Crystal called after me and grabbed my hand. "Don't be mad. She's just blunt, so don't take it to heart. Lily, stop laughing! There's nothing funny about it."

Lily tried to stifle her laughter, but her gaze at me was still full of mockery. "Crystal, you're being way too generous. Who wouldn't laugh at that?"

"Well, you can just hold it in!" Crystal snapped, still holding onto my arm.

"Now you're defending him. I really don't get it. Just because he helped you get rid of Maximus doesn't mean you need to throw yourself at him. That's a bit much!"

Crystal frowned and said, "I like him not just because he's brave, but also because of how he handled Maximus' attitude. I thought he was really manly. Even if he pretends to be rich and rents a car to look important, it doesn't change the fact that I respect him."

I had thought Crystal liked and trusted me, but it turned out she just saw me as a vain, boastful guy. She even assumed the Koenigsegg was rented.

By now, I understood. After spending time at Welsington University, I had realized something.

The trust fund kids all thought they were superior. They looked down on anyone outside their circle.

As long as I wasn't part of their clique, I was nothing to them-just a fool, a poor guy. Even if I flaunted my wealth, they would still see me as a low-class upstart.

I couldn't understand where this sense of superiority came from.

I pulled my arm away from Crystal and was about to refuse her when she suddenly hugged it tightly. "You're not going anywhere! You've come all this way. Come with me to the party. I told them I'd bring a guy. If you don't come, how am supposed to explain?"

"That's your problem, not mine. I'm not going," I replied firmly.

"No, you have to go!" she insisted.

She clung to my arm and dragged me forward despite my resistance.

There were quite a few people around the villa. When they saw us clinging to each other like that, they began whispering.

I didn't want any bad rumors

spreading before I even official/et

moved in, so I sighed in resignation. "Fine, fine, I'll go with you. Just let go, and stop dragging me around."

"You really will go with me?" she asked, her face lighting up.

I nodded reluctantly.

She smiled brightly and finally released my arm. "You said it-no backing out!"

Since it was just a party, I would go for now and slip away when Crystal got distracted. After today, I would avoid her entirely and never get tangled up with her again.

As we walked toward the villanoveldrama

hosting the party, Lily curiously asked, "By the way, how did you even get in? The security here is superstrict. Without a keycard there's no way to get inside. You'd need someone to escort you."

II

Crystal was equally puzzled. "I wrote a note telling you to wait at the gate. You must be pretty skilled to get in, and you even managed to sneak in some photos."