"The Stern family?" Abby repeated, narrowing her eyes. "And I'm from the IDGF family."
Donto raised an eyebrow, clearly confused by the name, until one of his friends stifled a laugh. Cindy, on the other hand, had pieced it together immediately.
"Oh, the Stern family? That Stern family? Wow!" Cindy gasped, clasping her hands together as her eyes practically sparkled.
Just moments ago, she'd felt like Abby had crushed her dreams, saying guys like that didn't exist. But now? Now one was standing right in front of her, breathing, speaking, offering designer bags like they were no big deal.
Thanks to her deep dives into fashion blogs and the Borbes rich lists, she knew exactly who the Sterns were.
"Wait, so you really do have that kind of money?" Cindy asked, already pulling the bag from the shelf. "And you're saying you'll buy this for me? Just like that?"
"Of course I don't mind," Donto said smoothly, leaning casually against the wall, his tight shirt stretching just enough to flex his muscles.
Abby watched him with a deadpan stare. Seriously, could this guy have picked a tighter shirt?
"I wasn't expecting anything in return," Donto added with a wink. "But if you wanted to leave me your number... I wouldn't be mad about it."
His friends, still lounging on the nearby couches, let out a few chuckles.
"Unbelievable. Every time," one of them said. "As soon as they hear who he is, they're practically throwing their numbers at him."
"His superpower isn't strength or speed," the other added with a smirk. "It's his bank account and that last name."
"Cindy, seriously, let's go," Abby said, tugging her friend gently by the arm. "You're the one who told me that guys like this never end up with regular people. They date celebrities, influencers, other millionaires. Do you really think someone hanging out in the girls' section of a luxury shop, hitting on random people, is doing this for love? Come on, snap out of it."
Cindy blinked, glancing around. Now that Abby mentioned it… yeah. The section they were in was filled with handbags, heels, and chic dresses. It made no sense for a guy like him to be browsing here, unless he was shopping for someone else.
And now that she really thought about it, he'd been standing there for a while. Watching. Waiting. He hadn't just randomly bumped into her.
"Do you people have to get involved?" Donto finally said, a little irritation slipping into his voice. And this time, his eyes were locked directly on Abby.
"Oh, I get it now," Donto said, his voice laced with smugness. "You're upset because I hit on your friend instead of you. No need to drag her away just to show how jealous you are."
And just like that, the scowl shifted from Abby's face to Cindy's.
"Excuse me?" Cindy snapped. "My friend isn't jealous! Who do you think you are, acting like everyone automatically likes you?"
For a second, it actually looked like she was going to slap him right across the face. Abby knew this would happen, drama always followed guys like this.
But it was one of the things she loved about Cindy. No matter what, she always had Abby's back. She was the kind of friend who'd throw hands before letting anyone disrespect her.
"Wow, turns out you're both walking red flags," Donto muttered, shaking his head. "Glad I didn't waste my money on you. Might as well have set it on fire."
The two girls turned to leave, brushing past the sneering group. But just before crossing the threshold, Abby paused, her frustration boiling over.
She spun on her heel and looked Donto dead in the eye.
"Right, right. Big proud man, huh? Flashing Daddy's money around to impress a bunch of students. Buying things with cash you didn't even earn. Try learning how to handle rejection… jerk."
And with that, she turned back around, walking off with Cindy by her side.
"Haha!" Cindy burst out laughing as the two of them continued walking down the street. "That was so good! But the thing about the Stern family, it's not even their dads, they're all just leeching off their grandpa's money." Cindy made sure to say the last part loud enough for the guys to hear, her voice carrying as they strolled away, still laughing.
Behind them, the boys weren't taking it nearly as well.
"Oh man," one of Donto's friends chuckled. "That's gotta be the biggest rejection I've ever seen."
"Yeah, and he was so sure he had it in the bag!" the other added, snorting.
But while they laughed, Donto's jaw clenched. His face was turning red, not from embarrassment, but rage.
"Those damn ugly bitches," Donto hissed. "And I was actually trying to be nice. I offer to buy them something and I'm the one who gets humiliated?"
Still fuming, he yanked out his phone and tapped the screen. It rang twice before someone picked up on the other end.
"I need you to rough a couple people up for me."
———
Meanwhile, the two girls continued down the sidewalk, the shopping bags swinging at their sides. After the strange encounter, they decided it was probably best to call it a day and head home.
They were just about to head for the bus stop when a group of men and women suddenly appeared in front of them.
Their appearance was rough, hoodies pulled low over their faces, baggy clothes hanging loose, each one giving off an unsettling vibe.
Abby instinctively turned around, but her heart sank the moment she saw three more people standing behind them.
All of them were large. Intimidating.
"You two, move," one of the men said, pulling a sharp object from a hidden pouch slung around the side of his neck.
"If you scream, shout, or try to run, then you'll be dealing with this. And trust me, it's a lot worse than whatever we've got planned for you."
Abby could feel her heartbeat pounding in her ears, heat rushing to her face. Her entire body was tense, but more than anything, she could feel Cindy trembling beside her.
"Don't worry… we'll be okay… we'll be okay…" Abby whispered, unsure if the words were meant to calm Cindy down, or herself.
With no other option, the two of them started walking forward into the alleyway. Three figures led the way, and three stayed behind, boxing them in completely.
There was no chance of escape.
As they continued forward, a sudden grunt echoed from behind them.
"Aghh!" one of the men yelled.
"What do you think you're doing?!" another voice shouted, followed by a loud thud.
Cindy, Abby, and the three attackers in front all turned around, just in time to see a lone figure standing over the bodies of the three who had been tailing them. One man remained upright, but it was clear he'd taken them all out.
"What the heck, who are you, kid?!" one of the men in front shouted.
Without another word, the three lunged at him, completely forgetting about Abby and Cindy.
The first attacker pulled out a knife, but in one clean motion, it was slapped straight out of his hand. A powerful punch followed, square to the face, dropping him instantly.
The second man tried to tackle the stranger, but the stranger grabbed him mid-charge, lifted him off the ground, and slammed him to the pavement with a sickening crack.
With five attackers down, the last one froze for a second, then bolted down the alley, sprinting away as fast as his legs could carry him.
"You two, get out of here. Now!" the stranger said, his voice firm but calm.
Abby and Cindy didn't need to be told twice. They rushed past him, sprinting down the alley and back toward the high street. Their hearts were pounding as they ran all the way to the bus stop, where the sight of a crowd finally made them stop and breathe.
"That… was way too close," Cindy panted, hands on her knees. "What just happened? Why did they even attack us?"
"I don't know," Abby said, her voice still shaking. "But after that? I'm definitely not going out again for a while." She glanced down the street behind them, still on edge. "Who was that guy… the one who helped us?"
Cindy had just managed to catch her breath when a memory clicked.
"Wait… I think I saw his face when we ran past him. I'm pretty sure he's someone from our school. Jay Woods, that's his name, right? One of the delinquents who always hangs around with Dipter."
Abby's brows furrowed. "We were saved… by one of the school delinquents?"
The whole situation was unreal. The more she thought about it, the more this town just didn't make sense.
"Well, if we see him tomorrow," Cindy said, still trying to process everything, "we should at least say thank you. I guess we kinda owe him one now."