Chapter 32 A True Elite

Chapter 32 A True Elite

ARDEN

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The others turned to me in an instant. The Opulence bCafeteria /bgrew silent for a heartbeat, only to erupt shortly afterward with whispers.

“Who is that?”

” she crazy? Does she realize who she’s talking tot”

b“/bTenever seen her before, but how dare she speak to Kieran like that–especially with True Alpha Jaxon sitting right behind him?

People were quick to question my audacity and credibilityb, /bing out in defense of my brother and his friends, who had clearly sinister intentions, all due to their status in our social hierarchy.

Despite my racing heart, I mustered the courage to walk over to them, swallowing bhard /bas I ced distance between Owen and my brother. A flicker of surprise crossed Kieran’s eyes, but it was quickly reced by a look of disgust. He clearly had Inever seen me like this–standing my ground.

Sienna quickly seized the moment to break the tense silence. Are the likes of you actually allowed in here?” she eximed. “I’m sure you’re aware that bthis /bcafeteria is reserved for the top students and those wealthy enough to afford its fees.”

I ignored her, focusing instead on Kieran. “You’re still the same,” I muttered, ensuring only he could bhear /bme.

A bsmall/b, twisted smirk crept across his lips. Meanwhile, I could sense Sienna fuming from myck of acknowledgement. I btook /ba brief nce at her band /bnoticed how red her cheeks had turned. She quickly turned to bJaxon /bfor reassurance, but his gaze remained fixed on me, brow furrowed and jaw clenched.

“What a disgusting bunch you are,” I spat, and gasps erupted from the onlookers.

“What is bthis/b?” Kieran bsuddenly /bchuckled, amusement heard in his voice. “We were merely joking with a friend, but you took

seriously. The fun in bthis /bbschool /bis slowly evaporating. What a shame.”

He shed ba /bsmile and turned to his friends, offering them bhigh/b–fives. “bAm /bI right?” he called out.

They all jomed inughter, chortling among themselves as they bcontinued /beating,pletely bunfazed/b.

Owen cast his bhead /bdown in defeat, but I held my chin high.

“If this is your definition of fun, then you must truly be a pathetic creature, dered. His expression shifted, momentarily caught off guard

“bYou /bbthink /byou’re superior to beveryone /bbelse /bbsimply /bbecause you can bafford /bto be here. You insulted him, bextorted /bhim for bmoney/b, and made him act like a dog stripped of bdignity/b,” I bcontinued/b.

“You unt your confidence like a diamond, but in reality, you are nothing but rotten on the binside/b. bYou /bbpossess /bonly byour /bpride, projecting your insecurities onto someone innocent. It’s utterly pathetic,” I cursed.

“And of bcourse/b, you and byour /bfriends hype each bother /bbup /bbecause byou /bbshare /bbthe /bsame three brain bcells/b.b” /b

The cafeteria fell silent once more, in disbelief as they processed my audacity in addressing bsomeone /bbas /binfluential as bKieran/b. Even bSienna /bbwas /bleft speechless–a rare urrence for someone with such a fluency of insults at the ready.

I expected bKieran /bbto /berupt in banger/b, as he boften /bdid. He was the middle child, but bhe /bbacted /blike the youngest–whining when be didn’t get his bway/b, punching walls when frustrated, and bbreaking /bbmore /btes bthan /bI could bcount /bin moments of rage.

However, to bmy /bastonishment, he replied with calmness

“ilho carr

Those two simple words dripped with a nonchnce that sent my frustration bbubbling /bover.

10:44 bAM /bc

Chapter 32 A True Elite

b+5 /bFree Coins

“I have the money. I’m capable, and I rank in the top hundred students with the most points. That’s why I’m here,” he continued, his eyes glinting with self–satisfaction.

“How about you?” he challengedb, /band the silence was filled with the mocking chuckles from his entourage.

b“/bbAnd /bbyou /buse me of something as bgrave /bas–bullying? Extortion? Do you have any proof?”

I froze. ncing at Owen, whose unease had intensified.

“I wouldn’t engage bin /bsuch things. I’m a model student,” he smirked, a condescending smile stretching across his face. “If you im to have proof, then by all means, report it to Headmaster Winters. bI /bwon’t retaliate in the slightest.”

“You see, there have been a lot of usations about me, but none have ever been proven to be true. However, you are the first person to make a scene and publicly use me of such things. I have plenty of witnesses who can attest that you are actively trying to ruin my reputation.”

“And what? I’m acting high and mighty? I have every right to do so, he continued, not giving me an opportunity to retort.

“I stand by my word–the Elite is only for the..”

He turned to his friends, who answered in unison, “Elite.”

“Why else would the school be called such? There are increasingly more students who fail to meet the required grades, standards, band /bwealth. Despite our efforts to amodate individuals like you, it’s clear that you are ungrateful.”

“I’m giving Owen a chance to be hereb; /botherwise, he would have never had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of these facilities. He’s a poor-

Before he could finish that thought, I snatched a banana smoothie from their table and threw it directly in his face, finally rendering him speechless. bSome /bof the smoothie sttered bon /bthe students sitting nearby, causing bthem /bto stand and gasp in shock, staring at me in disbelief.

Kieran bstood /bthere, banana smoothie dripping from his perfectly coiffed hair, the shock on his face gradually shifting to fury. His friends bdidn’t /bbdare /bugh now; in bfact/bb, /ba heavy silence fell over bthe /btable.

I wiped my hand on the napkin beside his untouched dessert and locked eyes with bhim/bb, /bnot bbacking /bdown.

“Entitled,” I said tly, my voice bechoing /bbthroughout /bthe broom/bb. /bThat’s all you bare/b.b” /b

He opened in mouth to respond, but I didn’t ballow /bbhim /bto speak.

“If bthis /bis byour /bnotion of what makes someone Elite–throwing your weight around, humiliating others, and hiding behind your status and privilege–then I’m grateful to not be part of it.”

I turned to face the entire broom/b, meeting the stares of the students bwho /bsat frozen in their seats, wide–beyed/b.

“If this school believes this is the standard,” I continued, braising /bmy bvoice/b, “then perhaps it’s the system bthat /btruly needs changing

A bchair /bscraped against the floor as Jaxon stood, his True bAlpha /bauramanding attention

But I didn’t even nce at bhim/b.

Instead. I focused on Owen, who was trembling. I took his wrist band /bbegan to walk baway/b.

By the door, Iraning casually like they’d been there the entire time, were the three other True Alphasb. /bThey had been

atching from the beginning, choosing not to intervene.

But even then, I didn’t stop

I held Owen’s hand tighter and pulled him out, never once looking back.