Frank pov
I tried to keep my cool as I turned back, channeling all my frustration and regret into the knock on the door.
The second it opened, the sensory contrast between the outside and inside hit me like a meteor. My heart took a direct blow—I swear it skipped a beat.
Blasting electronic music pierced my eardrums, the floor thumping beneath me in sync with the beat. The whole room was spinning.
"Shit…"
A brown-haired guy holding a bottle of liquor swayed as he sized me up. His dazed expression made me wonder how much he could even see.
I raised my voice, "Hey, I'm looking for—"
But before I could finish, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure near the wall. I quickly dropped my volume to something William wouldn't hear.
"William."
The guy burst out laughing and gestured behind him. "Aren't we all? Everyone's looking for William. But tough luck—he's gone. No one knows where he went."
I smiled politely. Thank God he was too drunk to ask who I was.
The living room was packed—people doing shots, dancing like maniacs, making out like their lives depended on it... Well, let's put a question mark on the "couples" part.
By the floor-to-ceiling windows near the pool, I finally spotted Ruby.
He looked unharmed, seated among a bunch of burly guys from the football team, clutching a drink and clearly not drinking it. Just holding it like he couldn't let it go.
I recognized Harris and Dylan—main players of the White Wolf team. The others I didn't know by name, but their build and smug expressions screamed "football dudes."
Well, maybe he hadn't caused any trouble yet.
"Ruby!"
He looked up immediately, eyes welling with tears like he'd just seen his savior.
"You're finally here!"
Touching. But the only one moved by this brotherly reunion was clearly Ruby himself.
He tried to get up, but the guy next to him—whose bicep was about the size of Ruby's thigh—blocked him with an arm.
"Where you going, kid? We're only halfway through the drinks."
So much for "he didn't cause trouble." What a joke.
I switched to Spanish immediately. "What the hell happened?"
"I…"
He lowered his head, looking guilty. "It's... complicated. There's a bunch of people here from your school. Help me out, please?"
I muttered to myself, Our school has thousands of students—how many could I possibly know?
And of course, he had to mess with the most difficult crowd.
I only knew the star players. The rest? No idea. I'd have to smooth things over myself.
"I'm his older brother. Whatever happened, let me talk to him first. It'll be easier to fix that way."
One of the guys started mouthing off—either we finish the whole table of liquor, or they beat the crap out of us.
Thankfully, the one good guy on the team, Harris, spoke up. "It's fine."
I dragged this disaster of a human being into a corner. Ruby slumped his shoulders and dumped the whole story on me.
It was pretty simple—your average overdramatic teenage romance.
Turns out Ruby had been flirting online for half a month with some "goddess" named Selina. He'd tried to meet up, but she always dodged with excuses. Ruby, used to getting everything he wanted, was frustrated for the first time—and totally obsessed.
Tonight, he saw her post on Facebook about coming to this party. The second he saw "ST University," he begged me to get him in.
One moment he was doomscrolling, the next he was out the door. His phone was dying, but who cared? Dopamine was flooding his brain. Ten percent battery? More than enough.
God, I just hoped he didn't spend the entire cab ride texting her like a maniac.
Predictably, disaster followed.
He didn't know if I would show up, so he paid $300 to some random guy from the party to sneak him in.
Big effort. Big investment. And finally—he saw her. The girl of his dreams.
She was even hotter in person—tighter sweater, shorter skirt, perfect curves, every guy's American Sweetheart fantasy.
Ruby was over the moon. He shoved through the crowd, ready to swoop in.
Except… Selina was already with someone.
Tall. Gorgeous. Way out of his league.
Of course, Ruby was pissed and decided to pick a fight.
But this wasn't just some guy. This was William.
William wasn't interested in Selina, but no one had ever challenged him like that before.
Twelve shots of hard liquor each. William was halfway through his set. Ruby? Half a shot in.
Ruby might be wild, but he's still just a high school kid. He doesn't drink at parties. At most, he has beer or cocktails during summer break. That's the confidence he came in with.
But this wasn't beer. This was straight fire. One sip and he was down for the count. He tried to drag it out to survive.
William, bored, told his teammates to keep an eye on Ruby. Then left to smoke outside.
Now that the muscle wasn't watching me, Ruby's misplaced confidence returned.
"That American jerk thinks he's so great? I'll pay for the whole damn party if I have to. It's not like I don't have the money!"
I looked at him, and my heart just sank.
"You didn't say that to him, did you?"
"I did! I told him straight up! What, you think I'd back down? I even cursed him out! If Selina wasn't watching, I would've punched him!"
I almost laughed. You? Punch William?
"What the hell's so funny? How am I any worse than that guy?"
He was full of bravado—but I heard the tremor in his voice.
He was scared of me.
Of this quiet, soft-spoken guy who, when angry, wasn't playing around. When I snapped… I really snapped.
Ruby's dad remarried Monica that Christmas. He went back to Australia, right after New Year's.
Our school hadn't even gone on winter break yet.
One day after class, he came downstairs to get water—just in time to see me storming into the courtyard.
We didn't know each other well then. He thought to say hi.
But when he saw me—he vanished.
Because in my hand, I was holding a gardener's shovel, and someone outside was yelling their lungs out.
That whole scene? Straight out of a crime drama.
He followed me out, and saw me chasing a middle-aged man down the street with that shovel.
He'd find out later—that was my real dad.
Gambling, cheating, a mistress... He ruined our family.
Now he showed up at our door demanding money, thinking we'd pay just to keep the peace for the holidays.
But instead of hush money, I sent his dirty laundry to every single group chat we had—friends, family, everyone.
Not just that. I sent it to his company, his boss, his coworkers.
He lost his job before New Year's—and lost face with everyone he knew.
After that, Ruby knew I wasn't bluffing when I said—
"If something happens, I'll actually do something."
I leaned back against the wall, smile fading.
I was about to say something when I spotted William coming out of the hallway.
The second he appeared, girls swarmed around the sofa near the window.
I followed him with my eyes as he dropped casually into the empty single-seater.
The guys behind him? The same football players who'd been standing the whole time.
Ruby couldn't compare.
Not in looks. Not in charisma. Not in presence.
But I couldn't say that out loud.
"Some people... you can't just buy them with money."
"Oh come on, how special can he be? I could buy a villa like this too. Once I graduate, I'll tell my dad to get one."
"Ruby, this isn't Australia. What you think is rich means nothing here. And we don't have connections here either. This time, the person you picked a fight with…"
"What, not a normal person?"
His voice cracked with anger.
Right then, Selina—the "goddess"—finally reappeared.
She was just as gorgeous as before.
And now she was leaning into William again.
Stunning. And absolutely annoying.
Ruby's jealousy flared.
"I don't care if he's some kind of king. I'll call Alex—he'll know what to do."