Sue City.
A teenager dressed in a light blue delivery jacket and worn-out jeans walked through the campus of Sue City University. His eyes were frequently looking on the ground, as if searching for the next address in his delivery app.
The boy had decent looks, but his clothes seemed like they hadn't been washed in ages. The black stains on his cuffs were particularly noticeable. Passing students looked at him with disdain, avoiding him as if he were a plague.
Elias Cross seemed accustomed to these looks. With a calm expression, he adjusted the delivery bag on his back and checked the next order on his cracked phone.
"Ring, ring!"
Elias quickly took out his phone and answered the call.
"Hello?"
"Is this Elias Cross, Young Master Cross?" A deep, steady voice of a middle-aged man came from the other end of the phone, speaking without hurry.
"I'm Elias Cross, but I'm not any 'Young Master,'" Elias replied, puzzled.
"Young Master Cross, there's an inheritance that you need to claim. Do you have time today?" The middle-aged man's tone was respectful.
"Heh, I have an inheritance to claim?" Elias chuckled, his tone filled with helplessness. "Buddy, I think you've got the wrong guy. My family's all gone. I'm an orphan. Where would I get an inheritance?"
"Young Master Cross, I—"
Elias didn't wait for the explanation and hung up the phone, shaking his head lightly. "These scammers are getting really creative. I don't even have fifty bucks on me, and they think they can trick me? Claiming I have an inheritance? My parents have been dead for years..."
Just then, Elias's phone rang again!
Without thinking, Elias hit the reject button and walked toward his motorbike, where a small thermal bag sat. He was worried that if he delayed, the customer might cancel the order — and he'd lose his only delivery fee for the hour.
"Snap!"
As Elias bent down to pick up the dropped receipt beside his motorbike, a red high heel stepped on it.
Instinctively, Elias paused and looked up along the slender, beautiful leg. What he saw was a tall, sexy girl with a stunning figure.
The girl had light makeup on her delicate face, wore a black tight-fitting T-shirt that perfectly outlined her chest, and a black denim mini-skirt that hugged her shapely hips. Her long, fair legs ended in a pair of red high heels, making her look incredibly alluring.
"Lena, you... what are you doing here?"
Elias's eyes flashed with surprise when he saw the girl.
The girl standing before him was none other than his girlfriend, Lena Frost.
"Elias, why are you doing delivery runs again? Do you really want to spend your life as a worthless courier?" Lena's pretty face turned cold as she scolded Elias without mercy, her brows furrowing deeply.
"I..." Elias opened his mouth to explain.
"What's there to explain? Forget it. If you want to keep running deliveries, I can't stop you. But from today on, we're breaking up. I don't want someone like you to stain my life," Lena shouted at Elias with a look of utter disgust.
"Break up?" Elias froze the moment he heard Lena's words, his eyes wide with shock. "Lena, you can't be serious, right?"
"Serious? Do you think I'd joke with someone like you?" Lena sneered.
"Why would you want to break up out of the blue?" Elias finally realized that Lena wasn't joking; she was dead serious.
"Why? Because you're broke, just a poor guy who delivers food for a living!" Lena looked down at Elias with disdain, giving him a once-over before continuing, "Elias, did you really think I wanted to be with you forever? Take a good look at yourself. Do you think you deserve me? You can't give me what I want!"
Elias stared at Lena, his eyes empty. Deep down, he had already guessed the reason, but he couldn't accept that his girlfriend of nearly three years was leaving him over money.
"Elias, I'm officially telling you now that we have no relationship from this moment on. I hope you don't bother me anymore!"
With that, Lena turned and started to walk away.
Elias quickly stepped forward, trying to stop her, but just then, a young man emerged from behind Lena. He lifted his leg and kicked Elias hard in the stomach.
"Colton?"
Elias took two steps back, his eyes filled with shock as he looked at the young man beside Lena.
Lena skillfully hooked her arm around Colton's, her voice dripping with sweetness. "Elias, this is my new boyfriend, Colton. He's better looking than you, richer than you, and knows how to have fun. Only someone like him deserves me!"
Elias stared at Colton. Although Colton was average-looking, he was a wealthy heir in their class. It was clear that Lena had left him for Colton because of his money.
"Elias, from today on, Lena is my girlfriend. If I catch you bothering her again, I'll break one of your legs. Got it?"
Colton stepped forward, his tone arrogant as he addressed Elias.
Elias gritted his teeth and remained silent. He knew that Colton not only had money but also connections with some local gangs. If he really offended Colton, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Darling, don't waste your time with this kind of person. Let's go!"
At that moment, Lena nestled into Colton's arms and whispered.
"You little vixen, can't wait to get a room with me, huh?"
Colton couldn't help but chuckle. He then pulled out a few red bills from his pocket and waved them in front of Elias. "Elias, I remember you'd do anything for money, right? Here's fifty bucks. Go to the pharmacy and buy us a box of condoms; we'll need them later..."
Lena's eyes flashed with a hint of embarrassment at Colton's words, but she said nothing. Elias's eyes burned with anger as he looked at the money in Colton's hand.
He had been with Lena for over three years, and he hadn't even held her hand, let alone gotten a room with her! But now, Lena and Colton had only been together for a few days, and they were already getting a room!
And Colton had the audacity to ask him to buy them condoms — treating him as if he were nothing!
By now, the area was crowded with students, all of whom were watching Elias with expressions of disdain, as if he were the punchline of a cruel joke.
After all, nothing seemed more pitiful than what had just happened.
But what they didn't know was that the saddest part wasn't Colton asking Elias to buy him condoms — it was the fact that Elias was actually tempted by the cash in Colton's hand!
If Elias could get that money, he could finally pay his rent.
"So, what's it gonna be? Are you going or not? If you don't, I'll just find someone else!" Colton asked with a mocking smile.
Elias hesitated for a couple of seconds, then turned his icy gaze toward Lena. "Lena, I hope you never regret your decision today!"
"Regret? Regret what? Regret breaking up with a poor loser like you?" Lena scoffed coldly.
Taking a deep breath, Elias didn't even think twice before turning and walking away, disappearing from everyone's sight.
After leaving the university, Elias returned alone to the small apartment he rented off-campus.
Since he had to work at a bar at night and wouldn't get off until around 2 a.m., when the dorms were already locked, he had rented a place for himself. Though the room was barely the size of a bathroom, it was enough for him.
Back in his room, memories of his time with Lena flooded his mind. Their once passionate promises now seemed laughable.
When Elias first met Lena, she was a kind and innocent girl. Everyone else looked down on Elias, but Lena had always stood by his side.
However, in the two years since they arrived at Sue City University, Lena's outlook had changed as she met more people. Elias had long sensed that Lena would break up with him, but he never imagined she would do it so heartlessly.
When Elias was young, his family was quite well-off. The Cross Family was a prominent family in their area. Both of Elias's parents held high positions in the family business. Although they weren't among the super-rich, compared to Colton's family, the Crosses were very wealthy.
However, when Elias turned fifteen, his parents died in an accident. The rest of the Cross Family saw Elias as a thorn in their side, and eventually, he was forced to leave and fend for himself.
To pay for his tuition and living expenses, Elias took on any job he could find, no matter how dirty or exhausting. During the day, he made deliveries, and at night, he worked as a waiter at a bar near his school.
His classmates constantly humiliated him, but Elias didn't care as long as Lena was by his side. However, now even Lena had left him.
Elias lay on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He couldn't find any meaning in his life anymore.
"Ding!"
Just then, the sound of a text message notification broke the silence.
Elias blinked in surprise and picked up his phone, giving it a quick glance. When he saw the message, he froze, his face showing utter shock.
"Your account ending in 6174 has received a deposit of $5,000,000.00. Your new balance is $5,000,025.00."
Elias quickly sat up, staring at his phone in disbelief.
"Five million... This must be some kind of joke!"
He looked at the message, his mind filled with confusion.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Before Elias could make sense of the message, there was a sudden, urgent knock on the door.