Chapter 4

Lucia's Dorm – Midnight

Lucia barely had the energy to turn her key before stumbling into her dorm room. The moment she stepped inside, she let out a long, exhausted sigh and dropped face-first onto her bed.

Sarah, her other roommate, was sitting at her desk, typing away on her laptop. She glanced over her shoulder at Lucia's dramatic entrance.

"Long night?" Sarah asked, amused.

Lucia groaned into her pillow. "You have no idea."

Sarah chuckled. "Bad customers?"

Lucia lifted her head slightly. "Try one customer. A particularly insufferable, irritating, absurdly wealthy one."

Sarah turned fully in her chair, suddenly interested. "Wait... wealthy? Who?"

Lucia sighed. "Adrian Sinclair."

Sarah's eyes widened. "The Adrian Sinclair?"

At that moment, the bathroom door swung open, and Mia stepped out, drying her hands on a towel. She barely reacted, only smirking as she leaned against the doorframe.

"Oh, what did Prince Sinclair do this time?" Mia asked, clearly amused.

Lucia sat up, shooting her a look. "You say that like you expected him to do something."

Mia shrugged. "I mean, rich guys like him don't exactly scream 'low-maintenance.' So, what happened?"

Lucia sighed. "I was working my shift when he showed up. He acted like he could solve every problem in the world with his wallet, so I called him out on it. One thing led to another, and now we have a bet."

Mia crossed her arms, intrigued. "A bet? Now you have my attention."

Sarah frowned. "What kind of bet?"

Lucia flopped back onto the mattress. "He bet me that he could survive without his money for a while. I told him he wouldn't last a day. Now, he's determined to prove me wrong."

Mia grinned. "Oh, I love this. The billionaire playing 'commoner.' This is going to be so good."

Sarah shook her head. "Are you sure you want to get involved with him? Guys like that don't exactly handle losing well."

Lucia scoffed. "Oh, trust me, I know. But if he wants to embarrass himself trying to live like the rest of us, I'm not stopping him."

Mia smirked. "Oh, you're going to hate me when I start taking bets on how long he lasts."

Lucia groaned, pulling a pillow over her face.

The Sinclair Estate – Midnight

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Adrian pulled into the massive driveway of the Sinclair estate, parking his car in front of the grand entrance. He barely had time to step out before a familiar voice greeted him.

"Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up."

Adrian turned to see Ethan Westwood his best friend ,guy who looked like he belonged more in a yacht commercial.Tousled brown hair, designer jacket thrown carelessly over his shoulder,leaning against one of the marble pillars outside the house, arms crossed, smirking.

"Ethan," Adrian said, sighing. "What are you doing here?"

Ethan pushed off the pillar and strolled toward him. "I could ask you the same thing. You've been acting weird lately. Disappearing. Ignoring parties. And, rumor has it, hanging around a certain Ember Lounge a little too often."

Adrian scoffed. "You've been spying on me?"

Ethan grinned. "No need. People love talking when a Sinclair does something out of the ordinary."

Adrian rolled his eyes and walked toward the entrance, but Ethan followed, matching his pace.

"So?" Ethan pressed. "Are you going to tell me what's going on, or do I have to bribe one of your staff for details?"

Adrian sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I made a bet."

Ethan's eyebrows shot up. "A bet? You?"

Adrian shot him a look. "Yes, me. Lucia—this girl from Ember Lounge—thinks I can't survive without money."

Ethan let out a sharp laugh. "I really like her already."

Adrian ignored him. "So, I'm proving her wrong."

Ethan shook his head in disbelief. "Let me get this straight. You—Adrian Sinclair, heir to one of the biggest media empires in the country—are trying to live like a broke college student just to prove a point?"

Adrian shrugged. "Pretty much."

Ethan smirked. "This is fantastic. Please tell me you have no idea what you're doing."

"None whatsoever," Adrian admitted.

Ethan clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Good. This is going to be hilarious."

Adrian sighed. He had a feeling Ethan was going to enjoy this far more than he should.