Chapter 39: Wait... This Mansion Is Ours?!

A few minutes later, the loud wail of police sirens echoed through the school grounds.

The crowd that had gathered outside the restroom instantly parted, creating a path as several police officers hurried over. Students who had been recording the entire incident quickly stepped aside while whispering excitedly among themselves. Some pointed toward the destroyed restroom while others glanced nervously at the three injured boys lying on the floor.

The officers were visibly shocked by the scene.

Broken stall doors.

Cracked tiles.

A shattered toilet.

And three students who looked as though they had just survived a car accident.

One officer immediately began questioning everyone present while another took statements from witnesses. After hearing that the incident had started inside the girls’ restroom, their expressions became even more serious.

Aria was soon escorted to a quieter area where she was asked to explain everything that had happened.

At first, she looked nervous.

But as she glanced at Lucas standing nearby, she seemed to gather courage.

Taking a deep breath, she finally revealed the truth.

This wasn’t the first time.

Nor was it the second.

For nearly a year, she had been constantly harassed and bullied by the same group.

Whenever there was a class assignment, they forced her to do their share of the work.

Whenever there were school projects, they dumped all the responsibility onto her shoulders.

And if she refused?

They would make her life miserable.

The worst part was their obsession with grades.

If Aria ever scored higher than them in an exam, they became furious.

If she failed to help them maintain their rankings, they would target her again.

Mocking her.

Threatening her.

Humiliating her.

Sometimes they would deliberately hide her books.

Other times they would spread rumors behind her back.

It had become a living nightmare.

Several students nearby lowered their heads in shame after hearing her story.

Some of them knew what had been happening.

They had simply chosen to stay silent.

The officers carefully recorded every detail while taking witness statements from other students.

Before long, enough evidence had been gathered.

The three boys were handcuffed and escorted toward the police vehicles despite their protests.

One of them even shouted that his father would make everyone regret this.

The officers ignored him completely.

As the police cars drove away, the crowd slowly began dispersing.

The excitement was over.

But Lucas’s expression remained dark.

Very dark.

A few minutes later, he stopped a taxi for himself and Aria.

The moment they got inside, the atmosphere became much quieter.

The noise from outside gradually faded as the taxi pulled away from the school.

Lucas sat beside his sister in silence for a while before finally speaking.

"How long has this been going on?"

His voice was calm.

Too calm.

Aria lowered her head.

Her fingers nervously twisted together.

After a few seconds, she answered softly.

"A long time."

Lucas frowned.

"A long time?"

Aria nodded.

"They started targeting me last year."

The more she explained, the uglier Lucas’s expression became.

She told him about the threats.

The constant harassment.

The pressure they placed on her.

The fear she felt every day when coming to school.

Several times she had wanted to quit entirely.

But she endured it because she didn’t want to worry their parents.

When Lucas heard that, his fists slowly clenched.

The veins on the back of his hands became visible.

"What about the school?" he asked coldly.

"Didn’t you report them?"

Aria laughed bitterly.

It wasn’t a happy laugh.

It was the laugh of someone who had completely lost faith.

"I reported them."

"More than once."

"I went to the principal several times."

Lucas turned toward her.

"And?"

Aria’s eyes darkened.

"Nothing happened."

"The principal always said he would investigate."

"He always said he would handle it."

"But nothing ever changed."

The taxi suddenly felt colder.

Lucas already had a bad feeling about where this conversation was heading.

Then Aria spoke again.

"One of them is Owen Foster."

"The mayor’s son."

Silence.

For several seconds, neither of them spoke.

Everything suddenly made sense.

The school’s indifference.

The principal’s excuses.

The lack of punishment.

The confidence those boys displayed even when being arrested.

They had protection.

Powerful protection.

Lucas slowly leaned back into his seat.

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

A mayor.

No wonder they acted like they owned the entire school.

No wonder they thought they could do whatever they wanted.

Aria looked worried when she noticed the expression on her brother’s face.

"Lucas... don’t do anything reckless."

But Lucas barely heard her.

His mind was already working.

His anger was growing with every passing second.

If this had happened before obtaining the Infinite Rebate System, he might have felt helpless.

Powerless.

Forced to swallow his anger.

But things were different now.

Very different.

A mayor?

So what?

Even if it were the governor.

Even if it were the president himself.

Anyone who thought they could bully his family and walk away untouched was dreaming.

Lucas stared out the taxi window as the city rushed past.

His eyes were cold.

Ice cold.

For the first time since returning to Dustford, he had truly become angry.

And when Lucas was angry...

Someone was going to pay for it.

As the taxi drove through the city, Aria gradually noticed that they were heading farther and farther away from the familiar parts of Dustford. The scenery outside the window began changing. Ordinary apartment buildings gave way to wider roads, cleaner streets, and beautifully landscaped neighborhoods.

She glanced at Lucas several times but chose not to ask any questions.

Something felt different today.

Ever since he arrived at her school, Lucas had been acting mysterious.

The taxi eventually slowed down as they approached the entrance of a luxurious residential estate.

Aria’s eyes widened slightly.

Even she knew about Imperial Gardens.

This was one of the most expensive residential communities in the entire Dustford. The people living here were either wealthy business owners, government officials, or families with serious money.

"Why are we here?" she asked curiously.

Lucas only smiled.

"You’ll see."

The security guards at the gate stepped forward and stopped the taxi.

Before Aria could say anything, Lucas rolled down the window and identified himself.

The guards immediately became respectful.

After checking his information, the massive gates slowly began to open.

Aria blinked.

Then blinked again.

A strange feeling began forming inside her chest.

The taxi entered the estate.

Beautiful gardens lined both sides of the road. Decorative fountains sprayed crystal-clear water into the air. Elegant villas stood proudly behind manicured lawns and flower beds.

Everything looked like something out of a movie.

Aria pressed her face against the window.

"Lucas... why are they letting us in?"

Lucas casually leaned back in his seat.

"Because I live here."

Aria’s mouth opened slightly.

Live here?

Her first thought was that her brother must have rented a room from someone.

After all, even if Lucas had gotten lucky and made some money, buying a house in a place like this would be almost impossible.

At least, that’s what she believed.

A few minutes later, the taxi finally stopped in front of an enormous luxury duplex.

The moment Aria stepped out, she froze.

The villa stood proudly before her like a palace.

The elegant exterior walls gleamed under the afternoon sunlight. Large floor-to-ceiling windows reflected the surrounding gardens. The private driveway was spacious enough to park several luxury cars, while the beautifully designed yard looked better than some public parks.

For several seconds, Aria simply stood there staring.

Unable to process what she was seeing.

Then Lucas walked over and tossed her a key.

"This is home now."

Aria caught the key instinctively.

"Huh?"

Lucas smiled.

"Our new house."

Silence.

Complete silence.

Aria stared at the key.

Then at the villa.

Then back at Lucas.

Her brain completely stopped working.

A few seconds later...

"What?!"

Her scream nearly startled a flock of birds from a nearby tree.

"This is ours?!"

Lucas laughed.

"Of course."

"No way!"

Aria immediately rushed toward the front door.

The moment she stepped inside, her jaw dropped.

The living room alone was larger than their entire rented apartment.

Luxurious leather sofas surrounded an elegant glass table. A massive television hung on the wall. Crystal chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting warm golden light throughout the room.

The polished marble floors were so clean she could practically see her reflection.

Aria ran from room to room like an excited child.

Everywhere she looked felt unreal.

The dining room.

The study.

The entertainment area.

The giant kitchen filled with brand-new appliances.

Everything was already fully furnished.

Nothing needed to be purchased.

Nothing needed to be renovated. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The house came with everything.

All they needed to bring were their clothes.

Even the bedrooms looked like luxury hotel suites.

The master bedroom alone was larger than her old dormitory room.

The king-sized bed looked so soft that she wanted to jump onto it immediately.

There were walk-in closets, private bathrooms, expensive decorations, and even smart home systems installed throughout the villa.

Aria finally ran back downstairs, breathing heavily from excitement.

Her cheeks were slightly red.

Her eyes sparkled brighter than Lucas had ever seen.

"Lucas!"

She practically tackled him into a hug.

"Are we really living here now?"

Lucas nodded with a smile.

"We are."

Aria looked around once more.

Then around again.

As if she still couldn’t believe it.

A few moments later, she suddenly burst into laughter.

The kind of laughter that came from pure happiness.

"So I can finally live like those rich kids at school?"

Lucas laughed.

"You can live even better than them."

Aria immediately let out another excited scream and rushed upstairs again to continue exploring every corner of the house.

Watching her run around the villa, Lucas quietly sat down on the sofa.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

For the first time in a very long time, he felt completely satisfied.

His father was happy.

His mother was happy.

And now Aria looked happier than she had been in years.

Looking around the luxurious villa, Lucas couldn’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment.

After everything his family had endured over the years, they finally had a place they could truly call home.

And honestly...

Who wouldn’t be happy?

Lucas leaned back on the sofa as his thoughts drifted. He was torn between two choices.

On one hand, returning to Ashford University meant continuing to grind for massive rebates.

Every day he spent there was another opportunity to grow his wealth at an absurd rate.

On the other hand, after everything Aria had revealed, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he should stay in Dustford for a while