"You want me to what? Buy someone's toiletries? And deliver them?"
Ryan froze at the bottom of the stairs, staring at Lila like she'd just asked him to mop the floor with his tongue.
Since when had he ever done something like that?
He didn't even buy his own cigarettes—he always made one of his dormmates do it. And now his sister wanted him to run errands for some random guy?
"Just do it," Lila snapped, frowning. "What, you want me to go buy it and carry it upstairs?"
"…" Ryan squinted at her. "Sis, who the hell is this William guy, anyway? I've never heard of him before. Don't tell me… you're into him?"
Because seriously, he'd never seen his sister act like this for anyone.
Usually, it was guys lining up to buy her things, only to have their gifts tossed back in their faces.
Lila had never lifted a finger for any man.
And now she wanted him to go shopping for one?
"I just met him today," Lila said, clearly annoyed. "Grandpa told me to do whatever he says."
She gave Ryan a sharp pinch on the arm. "So are you going or not?"
"I'm going, I'm going!" Ryan huffed. "I want to see for myself if this guy's got three heads and six arms or something."
"Then hurry up. Buy the best of everything. Whatever you guys use in the dorms—get it all. If he doesn't want something, bring it back down. I'll wait here."
Lila had thought back to the way her grandfather spoke earlier, the tone he used, and the fact that he'd handed her his personal black card. That wasn't just casual interest—he clearly valued William a lot.
"Fine, I'm on it." Ryan nodded, then hesitated. "Sis… you really don't like him, right?"
"I told you, I just met him today. But don't do anything stupid. If Grandpa gets pissed, I won't be able to help you."
Lila knew her brother too well. If he acted out and their grandfather found out, Ryan would be the one in deep trouble.
Ryan nodded. "Relax. I won't mess with him."
But in his head?
Yeah, right.
As far as Ryan was concerned, this had to be some arranged fiancé nonsense. Some random guy trying to marry into the Carter family?
Please.
He wasn't just going to "mess" with him—if he buried the guy tonight, Grandpa might scold him a little, but that'd be it.
Ryan was the Carter family's only heir. Eight hundred acres of land and a whole legacy rested on his shoulders. Even if he screwed up, Grandpa wouldn't dare do much to him.
By the time he reached the campus convenience store, he'd already made seven or eight calls.
"Get your asses up! We're moving supplies!"
"Yeah, the whole damn store. Haul it to Room 306!"
"The rest of you, grab whatever you can and wait outside 306. Nobody inside that room leaves until I say so!"
…
With just a few phone calls, Ryan had stirred up a storm across campus.
College was a microcosm of society, and someone like Ryan—born into wealth and power—naturally ran with a crowd just like him. These rich kids were arrogant by default. They might ignore their parents at home, but the moment they ran into someone more powerful or more ruthless at school, they'd fall in line like loyal little minions.
In less than ten minutes, over twenty burly students had gathered outside the campus convenience store.
"I need to buy some daily essentials for a guy named William in Room 306," Ryan barked. "Pick the expensive stuff—go top shelf. Each of you grab something."
He'd mobilized over a hundred students with just a few calls. Twenty-plus were hauling supplies, while others headed toward Room 306 just to watch the show. Some even started livestreaming to ride the wave.
The campus's other rich kids caught wind of it too and came running.
Word had already spread that Lila was standing outside the boys' dorm. Her suitors couldn't resist sneaking glances from a distance, though none dared approach.
Even Edward, still licking his wounds from his failed confession, was watching from afar with his crew.
He smirked and said, "See? We don't even have to lift a finger. Ryan's already on it."
"Of course," someone beside him chimed in. "You think Ryan's gonna let some broke-ass student chase after his sister?"
"Poor bastard," another muttered. "I thought he wouldn't last three days. Now it looks like he won't even make it through the afternoon. He's gonna get wrecked."
Edward snorted. "This kind of thing? We just sit back and enjoy the show. That guy's lucky, honestly. If he'd gotten close to Lila and then been found out, he'd be dead meat."
Meanwhile, inside Room 306, William had already made himself at home. He greeted his three roommates with a friendly smile.
But the other two, after hearing he'd caught Ryan's attention, wanted nothing to do with him. They didn't even bother introducing themselves.
"Dude, seriously," one of them said, "you should just leave. Don't drag us down with you."
William looked puzzled. "You're all that scared of Ryan?"
"It's not about fear," the guy replied. "It's just… nothing good ever comes from being on his radar. We're telling you this for your own good."
William stayed calm, still smiling. "Don't worry. It'll be fine."
One of them narrowed his eyes. "So you're really not planning to leave today?"
"Not yet," William said. "I'm waiting for someone to bring my stuff. Once I've set up my bed, I'll head out. Since we're roommates now, how about grabbing dinner later? Maybe a few drinks?"
"…Drinks? Are you drunk already?" one of them snapped. "Fine. You're not leaving? Paul, Wyatt—let's move our computers to the room next door and crash somewhere else for the day. We'll come back when this blows over."
They quickly agreed. They'd thought about kicking William out, but even with the three of them combined, they couldn't budge him. He didn't look heavy, but the guy was like a rock. So they gave up.
Everyone knew Ryan didn't let grudges sit overnight. He'd be back soon, and when he came, things would get ugly. Their only option was to protect themselves—move anything valuable out of the blast zone before the fight broke out.
While they were packing up, the hallway outside had already filled with students. The three of them tried to carry their computers out, but as soon as they reached the door, a student blocked their path.
"Where do you think you're going?" the guy said, arms crossed.
It was Thomas, the captain of the school's Taekwondo Club. Six feet tall, broad-shouldered, thick-browed, and built like a tank—just standing there, he looked like a wall.
"Thomas, we… Ryan's probably just after that guy inside. We've never done anything to him," one of the roommates said nervously, a chubby guy trying to keep his voice steady. "We're just moving our stuff next door so it doesn't get trashed."
Thomas grinned. "At least you've got some sense."
But then his smile vanished. He glared and barked, "Get back inside! If anything gets broken, Ryan'll pay for it. But he said no one from Room 306 leaves. Not one damn person!"