Chapter 55

“Why would someone try to extort five hundred thousand dollars from a college student who hasn't even graduated yet? It doesn't make sense,” I said, frustrated by the absurdity.

Alex, however, looked like he had it all figured out. “Because they’re confident you can come up with the money.”

“Confident? How could they possibly believe that? I don’t have that kind of money!” I exclaimed.

“They believe you can get it from me.”

“And how am I supposed to do that? Steal it? Rob a bank? Honestly, at that point, I’d rather just deal with the online hate,” I scoffed, finding the entire notion laughable.

“Or maybe… I’m the way they think you’ll get it from,” Alex said, his gaze steady and full of certainty.

I started to argue, but then froze, realizing what he meant. “Back then, you were practically invisible. No one cared enough to pay attention. That’s why they held onto the video, waiting for the right moment to strike. But now that I’ve helped clear your name, they’re taking a shot—not at you, but at me. They’re betting I’ll pay to protect you.”

It made sense. To a regular person, five hundred thousand dollars was a fortune. But to Alex, it wouldn’t even make a dent in his bank account.

“You’re not as clueless as you look,” Alex said with a smirk as he parked in front of a hotel—clearly one of his properties.

As plates of beautifully presented food were brought to the table, I couldn’t help but dig in. It had been days since I had eaten a proper meal; I had been too consumed by everything happening around me.

“So, to sum it up, this isn’t about you; it’s about me. What you need to do now is stay calm and let things unfold,” Alex said, and began to eat.

Taking his advice, I spent the next few days holed up in my dorm, ignoring everything happening online.

One afternoon, Lila burst into the room, looking frantic.

“What’s wrong, Lila?” I asked, setting down my pen.

“Serena, you need to check the news,” she said, her face pale. “Julian cleared your name.”

“What?” I frowned, grabbing my phone.

Sure enough, Julian had posted the original surveillance footage on his account, completely unedited.

“Why would he do that?” I muttered, utterly confused. Had he suddenly decided to grow a conscience?

“I heard it’s because of Mr. Hastings,” Lila whispered, leaning in. “Apparently, Mr. Hastings has been coming down hard on the Blake family’s business. And now, the Blake family has been exposed for using substandard materials and tax evasion.”

“What?” My eyes widened in shock.

“With the Blake family under so much fire, even if Mr. Hastings backs off, the public isn’t going to let them off the hook,” Lila said, shaking her head.

I was overwhelmed with mixed emotions. Alex had told me not to worry, and it seemed he had taken matters into his own hands.

“Serena, what’s on your mind?” Lila asked, watching me with concern. “You’re not feeling bad for Julian, are you?”

“Feel bad for him? He deserves this,” I said. Julian had dragged me into this mess without a second thought, turning me into the target of public outrage. I wasn’t some saint who’d forgive him for that. “I’m just worried,” I admitted with a sigh. “I don’t want to cause Alex any trouble.”

“Go to sleep,” Lila said, clearly relieved I wasn’t softening toward Julian. “Don’t you have the first round of screening tests for Hastings Group tomorrow?”

I nodded.