The barbecue wrapped up in a chorus of laughter, teasing, and birthday songs.

By the time everyone had finished eating, the long tables that had been packed with food were almost empty.

Used plates, soda cans, and wooden skewers were scattered across the courtyard.

Sofia clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention.

"Okay, everyone. Before we move on to the next part of the party, let’s clean up a little."

Several students groaned dramatically, earning a round of laughter.

After all, Lucas had gone through a lot of trouble to arrange this incredible venue for her birthday. The last thing Sofia wanted was to leave the villa looking like a disaster.

Everyone split into groups.

Some collected trash.

Others wiped down tables or carried dishes back inside.

Of course, not everyone worked with the same level of enthusiasm.

A few of the guys barely lifted a finger, spending more time talking than cleaning.

Lucas, on the other hand, worked surprisingly hard.

After all, this wasn’t just some rented venue.

This was his home.

The villa had only recently become his, and he had no intention of letting it turn into a mess.

As he carried bags of trash toward the bins, rolled up his sleeves, and helped move furniture back into place, Maya watched him quietly from a distance.

As Student Union president, she had met all kinds of people.

Many students loved showing off when others were watching.

Very few were willing to do the unglamorous work once the excitement faded.

Lucas didn’t seem concerned about appearances.

He simply did what needed to be done.

Responsible.

Without realizing it, Maya’s impression of him improved once again.

She glanced toward Sofia, who was organizing a group nearby.

"Sofia."

"Hm?"

Maya tilted her head slightly toward Lucas.

"He’s your classmate, right?"

Sofia nodded.

"Yeah."

Maya smiled.

"So how did you two meet?"

The curiosity in her voice caught Sofia off guard.

She had never expected someone as composed and seemingly untouchable as Maya to enjoy gossip.

For a moment, Sofia didn’t know how to answer.

After all, she couldn’t exactly tell Maya the truth.

At first, she had only noticed Lucas because of how effortlessly he spent money on her.

But somewhere along the way, things had changed.

It wasn’t the money itself that stayed in her mind.

It was the way he never acted superior because of it.

Before she realized it, she had started looking forward to his messages and searching for him in a crowd..

Seeing Sofia hesitate, Maya’s smile widened.

"Oh?"

"Is he your boyfriend?"

Sofia’s face immediately turned red.

"No!"

She waved her hands frantically.

"It’s not like that."

Maya raised an eyebrow.

"Not like that?"

Sofia lowered her voice.

"Not yet..."

The moment the words left her mouth, she realized her mistake.

Maya’s eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Not yet?"

"So who’s chasing who?"

"You or him?"

She leaned closer, lowering her voice conspiratorially.

Sofia avoided her gaze.

Even now, she wasn’t sure how Lucas felt about her.

Yes, he had spent money on her.

Yes, he had organized this incredible birthday party.

But he had never explicitly expressed any romantic interest.

To Sofia, he remained frustratingly difficult to read.

And if she were being honest with herself, she wasn’t particularly confident.

She knew she had a good personality and decent looks, but standing next to someone like Maya made her feel ordinary.

Maya was beautiful, intelligent, elegant, and confident.

The kind of woman who naturally drew attention wherever she went.

Sofia found herself regretting inviting her.

Ever since Maya arrived, everyone’s eyes had been on her.

All the effort Sofia had put into her appearance suddenly felt insignificant.

Embarrassed, she shook her head.

"Maya, please stop teasing me."

"We’re just friends."

Maya crossed her arms and pretended to think seriously.

"Really?"

"That’s good news."

She glanced toward Lucas.

"I think he’s interesting."

"If you don’t like him, maybe I’ll go after him instead."

Sofia’s eyes widened instantly.

"What?"

The reaction came so quickly that even she couldn’t hide it.

"I never said I didn’t like him!"

The words escaped before she could stop them.

For a second, silence hung between them.

Then Maya burst out laughing.

Only then did Sofia realize she had fallen straight into the trap.

"You tricked me!"

Maya smiled mischievously.

"So you do like him."

Sofia bit her lip, too embarrassed to answer.

Part of her wanted to ask if Maya was serious.

But another part of her felt she had no right.

After all, she and Lucas weren’t together.

What claim did she have?

Seeing the uncertainty in Sofia’s eyes, Maya softened.

"Relax."

"I’m just teasing you."

She glanced toward Lucas again before smiling faintly.

"I already have a boyfriend."

"My family is actually discussing our engagement."

Sofia immediately let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding.

Relief washed over her.

Of course.

Someone as exceptional as Maya would naturally have an equally impressive boyfriend.

But for some reason, Sofia noticed something strange.

When Maya mentioned getting engaged, there wasn’t any excitement in her voice.

No happiness.

No anticipation.

Her smile seemed almost forced.

The observation lingered in Sofia’s mind for a moment.

Still, she decided not to pry.

As long as Maya wasn’t interested in Lucas, that was enough.

Not far away, Zack sat quietly on the edge of the patio, pretending to scroll through his phone.

In reality, his attention had been fixed on Sofia and Maya the entire time.

The moment he noticed the two girls lowering their voices and leaning closer together, his curiosity got the better of him.

He subtly moved nearer, straining to catch pieces of their conversation.

Unfortunately, the distance was too great.

He only managed to hear fragments.

Something about Lucas.

Something about liking him.

That was enough.

Zack’s expression darkened instantly.

His jaw clenched so tightly that the muscles in his face twitched.

Why?

What was so special about Lucas?

Ever since the breakup, it felt as though the entire world had gone insane.

First Sofia.

Now Maya.

Two of the most attractive girls at Ashford University seemed to revolve around the same person.

A person who, just a few months ago, had been working part-time jobs to pay his living expenses.

A person Zack had never once considered a threat.

It made no sense.

Then a thought crossed his mind.

Money.

It had to be because of the money.

Ever since Lucas had somehow won millions gambling, everything around him had changed.

Girls who had barely noticed him before were suddenly paying attention.

People who used to ignore him now treated him differently.

That had to be the answer.

Otherwise, what else could it be?

But the more Zack thought about it, the more confused he became.

Sofia made sense.

She came from an ordinary background. Eight million dollars was more money than most people would see in their entire lives.

Any girl would be impressed by that.

But Maya?

That was a different story entirely.

Everyone knew her family was wealthy.

Rumor had it they owned several companies across Silvermont.

Every Friday evening, a black Maybach with a full-time chauffeur arrived to pick her up from campus.

Eight million?

For someone like Maya, that amount probably wasn’t even worth mentioning.

So why was she interested in Lucas?

What exactly did she see in him?

Zack couldn’t understand it.

And the fact that he couldn’t understand it only made him angrier.

His fingers tightened around his phone.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t figure out what Lucas had that he didn’t.

As the jealousy in his chest grew stronger, so did the resentment.

His gaze drifted toward Lucas.

For the first time since arriving at the party, Zack stopped thinking about winning Maya’s attention.

Instead, he started thinking about something else.

How to make Lucas embarrass himself.

How to remind everyone who Lucas really was.

A lucky nobody.

A poor kid pretending to belong in a world far above his station.

Meanwhile, completely unaware of Zack’s thoughts, Lucas finished carrying the last trash bag outside.

After tossing it into the bin, he stretched his shoulders and walked back into the villa.

The afternoon sun streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, filling the living room with warm light.

Without a second thought, he dropped onto the sofa and let out a long breath.