CHAPTER 33: CHAPTER 33: RAJU EMBARRASSMENT

Before everyone, Virat marched right up to Alex, bowed a little, and greeted with a warm smile:

"Hello, Mr. Alex!"

The whole room came to a standstill.

Raju was amazed.

Priya was amazed.

All the classmates were amazed!

Mr. Alex?

Virat, Emerald Villa’s general manager, was calling Alex "Mr. Alex"?

"Hello, Mr. Alex!"

The Emerald Villa managers and the well-dressed women too bowed respectfully to Alex.

The classmates were perplexed.

This was one of the best hotels in Mumbai—yet its employees treated Alex like a VIP!

Alex, however, didn’t lose his cool.

He understood why Virat had come.

Only hours before, the ownership of Emerald Villa had been handed over to his possession.

Virat had definitely received the news promptly, So promptly that even Alex was taken aback.

"Haha, Mr. Alex, so talented, so young! My colleague just informed me the villa is yours now. He couldn’t stop talking about your skills..."

Virat laughed with gusto, his voice dripping with flattery.

A moment ago, he had been astonished.

But now, he was anxious.

A man in his 20s was the new Owner of Emerald Villa!

As general manager, Virat was afraid of losing his job so he hurried here with expensive wine, determined to win Alex’s favour.

"Mr. Alex, I’m giving you two bottles of 1992 Lafite from my collection. They’re a small token of my thanks, and I’m giving them to you to enjoy!"

Virat burst out laughing.

Two women in beautiful dresses promptly went forward and put the wine on the table.

The minute one classmate spotted the labels, his eyes almost popped out of his head.

"This is serious!"

"This is 1992 Lafite!"

"This costs a fortune, more than $10,000 per bottle!"

His voice shook with eagerness.

His classmates paled with horror.

A bottle of it would cost $10,000!

Two bottles—$20,000!

And that was not even the most chilling part.

This wine was worth more than gold!

Its price kept rising every year!

Raju clenched his jaws.

He had once shared a bottle of 1992 Lafite with his company chairman—

and even then, only for the most important partners!

Never in his life expected him that someone would offer two bottles... just to please Alex.

Priya was shaken even more.

She did not know much about wine, but she knew this one thing—

This was luxury beyond the means of common people.

A bottle of $10,000?!

All of their classmates could not afford even one sip.

If these two bottles were opened up, half the individuals present here could not even afford to divide the bill!

Her heart shook.

Her eyes settled on Alex, her eyes full of disbelief.

Virat, however, was unbothered. His smile was smooth, professional.

He said, "Don’t worry, enjoy these two bottles. I’m giving them to you for Mr. Alex’s sake."

"These two bottles are yours, courtesy of me."

"Mr. Alex is the owner of Emerald Villa after all. All these are his. Everything.

He said this lightly, but there was weight in his tone.

He then folded his hands politely.

"Everyone, enjoy yourselves. I won’t trouble you anymore."

"Mr. Alex, I have other things to do, so I’ll leave now. Have a good time. If you need anything, just call me."

With that, Virat turned and walked out of the room.

The private room was quiet.

Dead quiet.

Dozens of pairs of eyes gazed at Alex.

Not with disdain.

But with wonder.

Oh my god!

Alex... was the real owner of Emerald Villa?!!

This property was worth hundreds of millions!

If that were true—

then Alex must have been a billionaire!

"Oh my god! It seems Alex is indeed the boss!"

"The college idol played it cool. A $10,000 for a bottle of red wine? My eyes are really opened!"

"I can have a $10,000 bottle of wine today and head home to boast to my colleagues and friends. Hahaha!"

Arjun, being as direct as ever, got up and offered a toast to Alex with a glass of wine.

"Because of your wealth, we can all taste such costly wine today. It does taste better. Haha, if not for you, we’ll never get to taste this in our lifetime."

His words were harsh but sincere.

The average worker only earns around $800 to $1,000 per month, with some earning more than $1,200.

How could anyone indulge in a $10,000 bottle of red wine?

Without Alex, these classmates would never have experienced it in their whole lives.

A group of classmates looked at him with admiration.

The mood in the room made a complete 360-degree shift, with everyone’s conversation being about Alex.

Suddenly, he was the reunion’s spotlight.

Raju and Priya could only fake smiles and join in, standing to raise a toast with forced grins.

Especially Raju, whose face reddened with embarrassment.

Just moments ago, he’d mocked Alex for being a security guard and struggling.

Who could’ve guessed!

Not only was Alex the owner of Emerald Villa, but Virat had gifted him two bottles of wine worth over $20,000 just to win his favor.

This wealth, this status—

Raju couldn’t compete in any way!

Two hours later.

The food was savored, the wine enjoyed.

After everyone had their fill, they began to disperse and head home.

Alex and Riya trailed behind the rest of the classmates out into the evening air.

As they walked out, Alex felt a warm sense of pleasure to see so many of his classmates at this reunion.

Besides, they had met during their university days, carefree and full of vigor and honesty, enjoying good times together.

That was not the case of adult life, where all issues were concerned with self-interest.

Concerning Raju’s reasons for being at the class reunion, Alex just smiled and said nothing.

He did not fight back, keeping his cool.

It was during the whole party that Alex did not say a word to belittle Raju.

He even toasted each of his classmates individually, being warm and respectful.

Alex’s low-key and friendly attitude made Raju feel embarrassed and even more humiliated.

Look at that!

That’s true class!

Someone so successful at such a young age, yet still polite and humble.

But Raju had been so arrogant and ignorant.

The contrast was harsh.

His face flushed, and then turned pale.

He was so embarrassed that he wanted to crawl into a hole and be lost.