Chapter 102: Don’t Lock Your Door Tonight
Chapter 102: Don’t Lock Your Door Tonight
After the excitement surrounding the Bugatti finally died down, Lucas realized something important.
This was Sofia’s birthday party.
Not his.
Yet somehow, ever since the hypercar arrived, everyone’s attention had shifted entirely onto him. Even Sofia, the birthday girl, had been pushed into the background.
Lucas clapped his hands lightly to get everyone’s attention.
"Alright, everyone."
He smiled and gestured toward Sofia.
"Let’s not forget why we’re here today."
"We’re here to celebrate Sofia’s birthday."
The crowd laughed awkwardly.
He wasn’t wrong.
They had gotten so caught up in the shock of the villa and the Bugatti that they’d nearly forgotten the actual reason for the gathering.
Lucas continued casually.
"How about this? There’s a wine cellar downstairs with a pretty impressive collection."
He glanced at Sofia.
"Let’s open a few bottles and keep the party going."
"And if anyone drinks too much, don’t worry."
He shrugged.
"There are plenty of guest rooms here. You can stay the night."
The moment those words left his mouth, everyone exchanged looks.
There was no longer any doubt.
This villa belonged to Lucas.
Nobody needed confirmation anymore.
The way he spoke about the house made it obvious.
Not a trace of pretending.
This wasn’t a rental.
This was home.
The realization sent another wave of shock through the group.
Soon, everyone followed Lucas downstairs.
The basement level felt less like part of a house and more like a luxury entertainment club.
There was a private movie theater, a professional karaoke room, a fully equipped gym, an esports room lined with high-end gaming setups, a board game lounge, and, of course, the temperature-controlled wine cellar.
Everywhere they looked, there was something new to admire.
"Seriously?"
"Who puts a movie theater in their house?"
"This place is bigger than my apartment building."
"I think I’ve officially become jealous."
The students wandered around with expressions of pure disbelief.
They looked like tourists stepping into another world.
Lucas smiled to himself.
Honestly, his reaction the first time he saw the villa had been almost identical.
Eventually, everyone settled into the entertainment area with food and wine.
The atmosphere quickly became lively again.
Music played softly in the background.
Laughter echoed through the basement.
People sang karaoke, played games, and moved from room to room exploring the villa.
As the night went on, the alcohol loosened everyone up.
One by one, people started getting drunk.
Some passed out on couches.
Others claimed guest rooms upstairs.
The birthday party gradually transformed into an impromptu sleepover.
Meanwhile, a familiar notification appeared in Lucas’s mind.
[Ding!]
[Sofia’s favorability has increased by 10 points.]
[Current Favorability: 80]
[Congratulations! The host has received 10 attribute points.]
Lucas raised an eyebrow.
Another increase?
Before he could think further, Sofia suddenly appeared beside him carrying a bottle of wine.
Her cheeks were flushed pink.
Whether from excitement or alcohol, Lucas couldn’t tell.
She leaned close enough for him to smell the faint scent of perfume mixed with wine.
"Lucas."
Her eyes sparkled under the soft lighting.
"Don’t lock your door tonight."
Then, without waiting for a response, she smiled mischievously and walked away.
Lucas stood frozen for a moment.
Did she really just say that?
Was it the alcohol talking?
Or had she meant every word?
He couldn’t tell.
But considering her favorability had already reached eighty points...
Maybe it wasn’t the wine after all.
Shaking his head, Lucas decided not to overthink it.
Instead, he grabbed a glass and joined the others.
As the evening continued, curiosity finally got the better of one of the students.
"Lucas..."
He hesitated for a moment before asking,
"How much did this villa cost?"
The room fell silent.
Everyone wanted to know the answer.
Even Maya looked over with genuine curiosity.
Lucas didn’t see any reason to hide it.
"Two hundred and twenty million."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Everyone stared at him.
Two hundred and twenty million.
He said it as casually as someone discussing the price of a meal.
Most people joked online about making a hundred million as a "small goal."
But those were just memes.
Nobody actually expected to meet someone who could spend that much on a house.
College students already had a decent understanding of money.
Most lived on monthly allowances of around fifteen hundred dollars.
Even students with part-time jobs rarely made more than three thousand a month.
After rent, food, and daily expenses, saving two thousand dollars a month was considered impressive.
At that rate...
They would need several lifetimes to afford this villa.
The gap was simply too large.
Some people were born at the starting line.
Others spent their whole lives trying to reach it.
The realization left everyone speechless.
Even Maya found herself deeply shocked.
Unlike the others, however, she wasn’t focused on the villa itself.
She was focused on Lucas.
Ordinary family.
No wealthy background.
No influential connections.
Which only raised an even bigger question.
How had he made so much money?
Her first thought was the lottery.
But that explanation felt too convenient.
And even if he had won money, people who got rich overnight usually became arrogant.
Showy.
Careless.
Lucas was none of those things.
The mystery surrounding him only grew deeper.
And the more she learned about him, the way Maya looked at Lucas began to change.
At first, it had been simple curiosity.
Then admiration.
Now, it was something far more complicated.
Ever since she was young, Maya had dreamed of becoming a successful entrepreneur.
She wanted to build something of her own.
Not inherit it.
Not rely on her family name.
She wanted to prove that she could stand on her own, just as her father had done decades earlier.
As a child, she thought success was simple.
Work hard.
Make smart decisions.
Never give up.
As she grew older, she realized reality was far more unforgiving.
Building a business required more than ambition.
It required money.
Connections.
Timing.
Luck.
And the ability to survive failure after failure without breaking.
Starting a company was one of the most expensive risks a person could take.
There was an old saying in business circles: no one feared a wealthy heir wasting money, but everyone feared a wealthy heir who was determined to start a business.
Because when things went wrong, entire family fortunes could disappear overnight.
Maya had seen that firsthand.
Her father had built one of Silvermont’s most successful logistics companies from the ground up.
For years, his business had grown steadily, making him a respected figure in the local business community.
Then, a few years ago, he decided to expand into the tourism industry.
Confident in the market’s future, he invested heavily.
He purchased a luxury cruise ship.
It was supposed to be the company’s next great success story.
Instead, it became its biggest burden.
Shortly after the acquisition, the global pandemic hit.
Tourism collapsed almost overnight.
Logistics slowed to a crawl.
Revenue dried up while expenses continued to pile higher every month.
To purchase the cruise ship, her father had already stretched the company’s finances thin and taken on substantial loans.
When the market crashed, the company’s cash flow nearly collapsed with it.
Maya saw genuine fear in her father’s eyes.
Board meetings became arguments.
Phone calls lasted late into the night.
Her father stopped sleeping.
Her mother stopped smiling.
The pressure hanging over their family became impossible to ignore.
In the end, to stabilize the company and secure new investment opportunities, discussions of a business marriage quietly began.
No one forced Maya.
Not directly.
But everyone understood the unspoken expectation.
Sometimes, preserving a family’s legacy required sacrifice.
Ever since then, Maya had gained a deep understanding of something most people her age never experienced.
Making money was difficult.
Keeping it was even harder.
And building wealth from nothing?
That was nearly impossible.
Which was exactly why Lucas fascinated her.
He had no famous surname.
No powerful family backing.
No visible network of connections.
Yet somehow, at their age, he had achieved what countless people spent their entire lives chasing.
A two-hundred-and-twenty-million-dollar villa.
A one-of-one Bugatti.
The confidence to spend enormous sums without hesitation.
More importantly, he carried none of the arrogance she had come to expect from wealthy people.
He cleaned up after the barbecue.
He cooked for everyone himself.
He never tried to show off.
It was as if money had simply become a tool to him instead of a status symbol.
The more she observed him, the more questions filled her mind.
Who exactly was Lucas?