Chapter 5

"Who asked you to come here?" Robert glanced at Lucy and the other three girls. His piercing gaze terrified them, and they immediately moved to a nearby table. Samuel, feeling bad, said to Robert, "Let them come here. We were supposed to have fun together."

"Since you're the one who asked, no problem, Samuel," Robert readily agreed with a chuckle.

With Robert's consent, Lucy and the other three girls ran over happily. Their first action? Taking selfies; they couldn't miss the chance to show off this enviable situation on Instagram. As they posed in various poses in front of Robert, he closed his eyes and murmured, "Marilyn, you really gave me a hard lesson!"

Suddenly, Robert opened his eyes and stared at the 88 bottles of Armand de Brignac before him. Normally, one would store such wine safely and bring it out later, to again become the center of attention. But Robert wasn't like other people. He didn't even know that the wine could be stored.

"Someone! Come here and open all of them!" Robert ordered, waving his hand.

"All of them?" The waiter was confused. "Sir, you can't possibly finish them all."

"If I can't finish them, pour them on the floor!"

The waiter stared, stunned. Pour nearly $150,000 worth of wine on the floor? It was then he realized how wealthy people acted.

Jeremy, who had been arrogant earlier, underwent a complete change of attitude. He approached Robert humbly, saying, "Mr. Zabinski, I was too ignorant before. Please forgive me if I offended you."

It was a crazy night of drinking and partying.

Robert lay on the couch, eyes half-closed. He recalled Marilyn's scornful glance at dinner; her nonchalance and lack of attention had ached his heart.

When Robert woke, his head throbbed painfully. He'd been so excited the previous day that he'd drunk too much and forgotten everything that followed. He vaguely remembered Carlos taking him back to his family's hotel.

Massaging his temples, Robert looked around. He was in a luxurious room with a soft king-sized bed and a large floor-to-ceiling window overlooking half of Yrinas. The room boasted fine furnishings, including a bathtub he'd always wanted to experience.

Robert briefly examined the bathtub before filling it with water and lying in it. Warmth washed over him, making him feel immensely at ease. He reflected on the previous night. He'd spent $150,000—crazy and reckless, but wonderful. The thrill of splurging and the satisfaction of others' compliments were addictive.

But Robert knew he couldn't indulge these feelings. Otherwise, regardless of his assets, he'd lose them quickly. After years of struggle, he knew that having inherited the family properties meant working harder than ever; otherwise, he'd disgrace his family.

When Robert checked his phone, he saw the class group chat had exploded:

[Have you heard? Barry Rabine has started his own company! They're recruiting at our school on graduation day!] [That's awesome—starting his own company right after graduation!] [Considering Barry's father, I'm not surprised. By the way, have you heard of the Zabel Group? Their manager, Kendrick Zabel, will also be recruiting. This is an excellent opportunity!] [I think Robert has the best chance. He has a solid academic record. The counselor will definitely recommend him.] [Robert has Marilyn, so I don't think we need to worry about him. Marilyn probably arranged everything already.]

Upon reading that, Robert threw his phone aside. Marilyn's name depressed him. Moreover, he hadn't heard of Kendrick until Jeremy mentioned him the previous night.

Then Robert remembered the auction that afternoon. It was almost noon. He changed into the hotel pajamas and went to the restaurant.

As soon as Robert entered, he saw Marilyn and Kendrick walking toward him. Marilyn looked stunning in a long dress with light makeup and a smile. People stared at her pristine aura. Deep inside, Marilyn resisted interacting with Kendrick; only Robert truly held her heart. But she couldn't refuse her family's orders.

Marilyn was astonished to see Robert. Though initially keeping her distance from Kendrick, she quickly walked to his side and took his arm.

Seeing this, Robert narrowed his eyes.

Kendrick smiled, looked at Robert, and smirked, "Interesting. This hotel is expensive. Yet everyone seems to afford it?"

"I have no idea," Marilyn glanced at Robert. "Maybe some people think staying here makes them upper class, allowing them to climb the social ladder."

Her light chuckle sounded harsh to Robert. They walked into the restaurant.

"You moved on quickly from your ex-boyfriend," Robert remarked, glancing at Marilyn.

Marilyn froze but didn't respond. She let the misunderstanding continue, as it benefited them both.

Kendrick courteously let Marilyn enter first, but Robert quickened his pace, nearly entering simultaneously and catching a whiff of her perfume. "Rich people are different. Even their perfume smells like money," he scoffed.

Marilyn stared, feeling he'd changed. "Robert, you don't have to do this," she said.

"Do this? What did I do? How funny." Robert rolled his eyes and walked ahead, hands in his pockets.

"Marilyn, ignore him," Kendrick said, choosing a table and pulling out a chair for Marilyn.

Immediately, Robert sat at the next table. "How loving," he commented.

Marilyn felt uneasy, often unconsciously gazing at him; seeing him pained her. She didn't want to hurt him, but she had no choice. She knew ending things peacefully would be difficult. Staying with him would only cause him suffering; she had to end things swiftly.

Marilyn tried not to look at him, but she felt his gaze.

"Excuse me!" Kendrick called the waiter and smoothly ordered.

"Waiter!" Robert shouted, contrasting Kendrick's politeness. He pointed at Kendrick's table. "I want two servings of everything they ordered!"

Mockery flickered in Kendrick's eyes. Soon, the dishes arrived.

"You used to call me 'Honey' before every meal," Robert said pointedly. "And yet you fell in love with him."

Marilyn blushed. Why is he talking nonsense? When did I ever call him that?

Robert saw the shift in Kendrick's expression. He'd said it to disgust Kendrick, retaliating against his pretense.

Grabbing a lobster, Robert said, "You used to feed me the first bite with your mouth. Gosh, how times have changed. You said you preferred eating in my arms. You said you couldn't eat unless I hugged you. I'm not sure if you were speaking the truth. Damn, that slim waist felt so great to touch."

Marilyn and Kendrick heard every word. Robert smiled, immersed in his memories.

"Remember that night—"

"Robert, that's enough!" Marilyn slammed the table, standing and glaring at him.

Chapter 6