Chapter 451
Chapter 451:
It was clear she was trying to smooth things over, grasping at straws to avoid completely burning the bridge between them.
One of Brinley’s crew, Trey Freeman, tried to step in, his tone casual but strained. “Yeah, it’s not a big deal. How much could the food possibly cost? We’ll chip in and pay you back p>
Before anyone could respond, another voice—biting and sarcastic—cut through the tension. “Hey, if you’re so generous, be my guest. But don’t drag us into it. We’re not made of money, you know p>
Someone in the room had already pulled up Coastal Port’s website. Whispers spread as they discovered something shocking—the restaurant didn’t even do takeout. For Yelena to have this meal delivered meant she had serious connections.
Things got worse when another person did a quick tally of the dishes they had just devoured. Their rough estimate? Over four hundred dollars.
When the total was announced, the room fell into a stunned, almost reverent silence. Even Corbett and Erica, who had been caught up in the argument, gawked in disbelief.
Corbett managed to close his jaw, blinking as if he’d misheard. “It’s… it’s really that expensive p>
Yelena, completely unfazed, gave a small, casual nod. “Yeah. My parents and my brother all sent me some extra cash today, so I thought I’d treat my friends to something nice p>
Corbett’s face softened, his earlier shock giving way to earnest gratitude. “Yelena, seriously, you’re amazing. Spending your own money to treat us to something like this…” He then added with resolve, “But no way are we letting you cover it all. We’re splitting the cost with you, no arguments p>
A meal like this? Corbett couldn’t let it slide, even if it stung his wallet.
Yelena waved him off effortlessly. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not a big deal. My family sent me more than enough p>
R𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝑒𝓷𝓮𝓬𝓽𝓮
She was being sincere, but to Corbett and the others, it sounded like she was downplaying it to make them feel less guilty.
Amidst the awkward gratitude and murmurs of disbelief, Brinley couldn’t resist getting in a final jab. Her voice was low, but loud enough to be heard. “What is this, a last supper or something?” The implication was sharp and clear—a dig at Yelena’s group, suggesting that their performance tomorrow at the seminar would be so disastrous, this meal was basically a funeral feast.
Yelena didn’t flinch. Instead, she raised an eyebrow, calm as ever, and replied, “Funny. I was just thinking this must be ‘your’ last supper p>
Yelena let the silence stretch before adding, “By the way, anything over three hundred dollars can be filed as a criminal case.” She tilted her head, her gaze razor-sharp as she finished, “And this meal? Well, let’s just say it’s way over three hundred p>
Brinley, who only moments ago had been brimming with bravado, visibly paled. Her eyes darted nervously, her confidence slipping like sand through her fingers.
One of her group members blurted out, voice edged with panic, “Brinley said it was fine to eat! We didn’t even know it wasn’t ours p>
Brinley’s head whipped around, her glare sharp enough to cut steel, but Trey—her supposed ally—was already backing away, hands raised in surrender, distancing himself from the mess.
They were just grad students, after all, barely keeping their heads above water on stipends. An extravagant meal wasn’t just indulgent—it was absurd, unthinkable. If their parents caught wind of it, they’d never hear the end of it.
And the numbers didn’t lie. Sixty a head—nearly a week of groceries, or enough instant ramen to survive a month. Such money wasted on stolen food they hadn’t even realized wasn’t theirs was such a bitter pill to swallow.
Brinley’s voice dropped into a trembling hiss, the words soaked in bitterness. “You guys p>
Her hands curled into fists, her nails biting into her palms like needles. These people—her so-called friends, freeloaders, yes, but hers—had always orbited her like planets around a sun. She let them mooch, let them follow, let them bask in the glow of her confidence. And now? The second the temperature rose, they bailed. They couldn’t push her into the fire fast enough.