02. GOLDEN BOY STRIKES

ACT ONE SCENE THREE

GOLDEN BOY STRIKES

third person

PERSPECTIVE

ASHER DEVON is in love with himself. He's a narcissist who doesn't give a damn about girls, the only people he ever does listen to is his billionaire bad boys club members. After all, his dirty secrets were being kept by those four other devilishly handsome boys.

"You made a girl leave school just because she wasn't listening to you?" Asher questions Jumin with a comical expression, it was amusing to Asher how Jumin would get offended at the littlest things, the little thing being a pathetic girl.

Jumin however, on the other hand, took the situation seriously, he despised disrespect and it's worse when it's from a female. Males are dominant, they're alpha for a reason, not for pathetic girls to mock them and disrespect their ego.

"I made her father's business lose its worth, leaving her to start off from where she first began, the bottom of social hierarchy and that's where she'll belong forever." Jumin states with an impassive expression.

Asher looks at Jumin with a concerned gaze, sure there was one thing to make a girl leave a high-class school but it's another thing to make that very girl broke. Maybe Jumin took things a little too far but it's not Asher's business, so he could care less.

"Who was she anyway?" Asher queried, looking at his spotless reflection on his new Rolex Daytona watch, he could care less about who the girl was anyways: he hates the opposite gender and he'll continue to do so until his last breath: after all, his own reflection is what keeps him alive.

To Asher, his beauty proves that life is worth living. People like him are meant to be admired by poignant people: who seem to take his life as something valuable, his existence is vital to them. He enjoyed the feeling of being loved by something that withers so easy, that was his fatal flaw that could possibly lead him to his hamartia.

"Just another reckless person who wants to expose our private lives, just the other day she was attempting to record a conversation between Luca and Helius." Jumin says, running a hand through his raven hair: indeed he was frustrated, he hated that others wanted to expose his life just for wealth.

Asher sighs deeply, it was endless. People loved them, they adored them to the point that they'd do anything to gain their attention. There's a thin line between love and money, people utilised the billionaire bad boys club as a way for social mobility: they believe they're able to move up the social strata by finding out secrets about the billionaire bad boys club.

Little did the public know, the billionaire bad boys club was not formed for monumental fame, it was formed to hide away their dirtiest secrets & deepest desires.

❦

sahar glacé

PERSPECTIVE

"What's your deepest desire, Solar?"

Solar looks at me with an impassive gaze before throwing me a scintillating smile. "Eating six boxes of chicken nuggets, the twenty nuggets version with an ice cream in my hand as I listen to Nicki Minaj Roman holiday on repeat." her response leaves me awestruck, it was beautiful.

"After eating all those boxes you'll be thick, and I mean that in a really good way." I smugly state as Solar grins widely, the both of us look at each other before bursting out into a bunch of giggles. But those giggles stop as we hear the sound of someone crying.

And it wasn't just anyone. It was our best friend Normani.

"He really did it." Normani sobs loudly, her mascara running down her face. Her tears numbed my heart, it wasn't like someone as winsome as Normani to shed tears over an insignificant boy.

Solar frowns, the radiant smile she once had vanished in the matter of seconds. "Who did what?" she says softly, pulling Normani into a bone crushing hug: making my heart numb further more. But that numbness doesn't remain, instead anger fills my body.

She sobs further. "He drained my father's company of its money." she blurts out, her tears were enough to fill an entire ocean. As soon as the word money was involved, I immediately knew what happened, a billionaire bad boy was definitely involved.

I clench my jaw in anger, those boys were excruciatingly difficult & made Devon high seem miserable by picking on new kids & having the ability to skip out on class whenever they felt like. Furthermore they force their own rules in the school as if they owned it, technically they didn't, well Asher's father does but Asher Devon himself doesn't own this school.

"Which one was it?" I say sternly, looking at the five devilish boys walk across the academy's campus as if they owned everything & everyone there.

Normani simply gulps as she points at the devil himself, Jumin Xu: who had a complacent expression on his bewitching face as he spoke to the other members of the billionaire bad boys club, his arrogant demeanour instantly made me feel influenced to harm him in a terrible way.

"Don't do it Sahar, I know you want to approach them but that will only ruin your own life." Normani says with a broken smile, her smile made me want to break my own & let her keep it. She's my best friend, she doesn't deserve this disrespect from some arrogant fool who believes he's above the world.

She was right. If I acted out of anger that would only lead to bigger problems, the only way to deal with this situation in short term is to help Normani with her money issues. Jumin doesn't know she has two powerful friends whose parents own a lot of businesses.

"Let's get you home & we'll peacefully speak about this issue." Solar mutters, glaring at Jumin: she too hated him for his capitalist ways, even if the both of us were rich, it didn't mean we believe in the way he exploited people.

"Sleep over?"

"Yes Sahar, we're having a sleep over." Normani sighs, smiling as she held on to both Solar and I. The three of us hug, no billionaire rat is going to tear this friendship apart. We were destined to be together in this treacherous school, he's not going to stop Normani from attending this school.

❦

WE WEREN'T HAVING a sleepover at Normani's, that was due to her house having a large sale sign in front of it. Normani widens her eyes as she jumps out of the car, running inside of her enormous house: the door was open & movers were walking in & out.

"This can't be..."

Solar walks out of her car alongside me, as the both of us walk towards the entrance of Normani's house we hear the sound of Normani & her father arguing. This can't be the result of what Jumin Xu did, he really didn't just take everything away from Normani.

I push past the door only to find Normani's father sitting down on the wooden floor with his head in his hands, it was almost as if he didn't want to believe this bitter truth either. I look up to find Normani with tears cascading down her alluring face, the anger I previously had was burning, it was burning into a blazing inferno.

"Father what is happening?" Normani questions, wiping the tears from her face but they continued to flow like time. Normani's father Jeff simply shakes his head as he stood up abruptly.

"The sales dropped massively & the Xu company took it as a chance to take over the business instead of merging businesses, the owner made sure we only got two percent of the profit as they obtained ninety-eight percent." her father , Jeff explains miserably as he pushed the documents forward.

"Two percent that's horrendous, isn't that illegal?" Solar exclaims, scanning the document throughly. Solar was known for her calm demeanour but when you aggravate her, you are crossing the line to hell. She flips through the pages, dropping the paper as if the situation was hopeless.

"It's illegal but according to the rules of the rich, they can pay others to keep silent hence nobody will ever truly take action against the Xu company." Jeff murmurs, picking up the papers Solar dropped. "I'll see you girls another time, and Normani could you come outside for a moment please, i need to talk about something."

Normani throws us a melancholic smile before leaving to speak with her father. Solar looks at me with the same gaze I had at the academy, she had the same intentions as me at this very moment. And that intention was to confront the billionaire bad boys club.

"They can't get away with this, actually he can't get away with this." Solar doesn't even mention Jumin's name, the sound of his name made me feel like hurling: that was how much I despised him at this moment.

I nod my head, but we can't confront those boys without special permission. Although we really desire to speak to them, what good would that even do? The both of us are not match for those five devils. It's a rough move with many consequences: we have to deal with this situation in another way.

"First we need to help Normani with her expenses & make sure her & her father are living in an amazing hotel, then we'll deal with those idiots." I murmur, grabbing my purse and towards the exit.

Solar follows behind me. "Wait!" she whispers, grabbing my arm pulling me back. I look at her with confusion evident in my face but then that confusion turns into pure fury as I notice a certain someone outside the house: and speaking to both Normani and her father with an ethereal smile.

"Why is he here?" I grumble.

"It doesn't make sense for Helius Grey to be here." she murmurs, the golden boy of Devon Academy never fails to surprise the both of us. Was he here just to clean up the tracks of Jumin? Or was he here to boost his golden boy reputation & prove his worth to his parents?

I watch as Normani's father smiles widely as he shook Helius Grays's hand. Normani on the other hand looks at Helius suspiciously, it was as if she didn't buy his act either.

"Deal with the devil indeed." I murmur, walking out of the house & towards the trio. Normani looks at me with wide eyes as she notices me: she mouths the words don't provoke him, I simply shake my head: oh I wasn't going to provoke him, I was just going to poke at him with a stick.

Helius Gray's attention falls on to me, he throws one of his false radiant smiles which represented his flaxen aura. I didn't believe in his fake smile for a second, it's amusing how he believes that he can get away with pretending to be a good person.

"To what do we owe you the honour Helius to come to Normani's house when it has been placed on sale?" My dangerous question causes Helius to smile deeply, but I could tell he was slightly shocked by my sudden suspicion.

"I was near the neighbourhood & witnessed poor Jeff here talking to Normani with a frown, I couldn't help but check to see if they were okay since I've worked with Jeff before." his words seemed genuine but I know for sure they weren't. This was an act, he's a liar; a bad liar.

"Is that so? It's so casual that your friend just had an argument with Normani too & suddenly her house is being up on sale and oh I forgot to mention, her father is only getting two percent of profit as Jumin's company gets ninety eight percent!" I snap, Helius looks at me with an ambiguous gaze due to my tactile words.

"I don't involve myself in the business of others so I wouldn't know that occurred, and now if you don't mind could I continue talk to Jeff?" Helius says sweetly, his sickly sweet voice causes me to sigh deeply. He's never going to give up that duplicitous act of his.

"You're willing to pay the rent of this house for the rest of the year, Helius you don't have to do this!" Jeff exclaims, so that was his plan. It was to buy the happiness of another just to satisfy his fake persona: indeed he is one very sick person.

"My father's right, we don't need your money." Normani says bitterly as Helius looks at her with another gracious smile, even Normani pauses for a moment just to gaze at Helius' impeccable beauty laced with his golden aura.

"You need it & I'm offering it, please let me help you just this once." Helius pulls out his check book, writing down a six figure number on to the cheque. He signs it and hands it over to Jeff. Normani's father Jeff looks at Helius with tears in his eyes, falling down on to his knees. He looks up at Helius who looked down at him with an impassive gaze.

"You saved us from stress Helius, I thank you from the bottom of my heart: may God bless you." Jeff says, but Helius does nothing but watch him with the same impassive gaze. I look at Helius in disgust, how could he possibly not say anything to the old man on his knees?

"Jeff I think you should get up, the ground is going to ruin your pants." Solar says, helping Jeff stand up. He smiles widely at Helius, it was as if Helius was the star in his solar system.

"I do hope you spend this money wisely, there's extra for living expenses too," Helius murmurs, his gaze falls on me once more: I could feel his gaze burning into me, it was almost as if he hated that I discovered him so quickly. "Good luck on your life Jeff." Helius states before giving me one last glance & towards his sleek black car.

"I have to go." I mumble, walking after Helius. Solar calls after me but I ignore her, there had to be something I could do. I thought helping Normani would relieve me of the guilt I felt for her, but no it didn't: someone else paid for her. Someone so undeserving, someone part of a menacing club paid for her.

"I expected you to follow after me." Helius states, his velvet like voice smoothing the atmosphere. He doesn't bother turning his back when talking to me, that's how truly disrespectful this so called 'golden' boy is.

"Why did you really do it?"

I watch as his body vibrates. "It's simple really, I have so much money to waste & I took pity on the family." he says sardonically, turning around to face me: his golden aura was now a grey aura.

"You're a really sick guy, you know that?"

"Sick for helping others with their problems? There must be something wrong with your mind." Helius states, placing his expensive sunglasses on. His words cause me to ponder, I must sound terrible but what I'm stating is the truth yet Helius is making it seem like I'm a bad person for doubting his morality.

"You really are manipulative, guess the stories were right." I say sharply, turning around: that would most likely catch his attention, after all, a single complaint against his golden boy reputation can shatter everything he has ever built in the matter of seconds.

"Wait, what do you mean by stories being right?"

"You know what I mean." I knew he did not know what I meant, and that's what made everything even more humorous.

"I don't, care to elaborate..." he pauses, before speaking again. "What is your name?" he mutters.

"Sahar, don't wear it out, you'll be using it a lot more in the next couple of months." I say with a teasing tone, I could practically hear Helius scoff.

"I'd like to see you try, Sahar." Helius says, his golden aura was grey again.

"No, I'd like to see you try, Helius."

hello! i hope you enjoyed this chapter. i'm working on my chapters extra hard so that they could be lengthy & interesting at them same time. there's many secrets in this book & remember i told all of you guys to be detectives! so try figuring out the motives behind each billionaire bad boys member.

do you think helius' actions are genuine or fake?