My Fake Boyfriend Is the School Bad Boy novel Chapter 136

Chapter 136 He Refuses To Take It

76

‘You are not a charity case, Ryder growled. The rough gravel in his voice dropped a full octave. “I stood in the cafeteria and told them the

truth. I meant every word. I do not care about your bank account.”

“Then why did you send it?” I fired back. “Why did you hide behind a blank card and a driver?”

“Because you froze in the thrift store.”

I gasped. The breath stalled in my lungs. My anger evaporated, replaced by a cold, sharp shock.

I went to the East Side thrift store yesterday afternoon. I stood in the tiny, cramped fitting room. I cried over an ugly maroon dress with a jammed zipper. I thought I was alone. I thought my humiliation remained hidden behind a faded floral curtain.

“You followed me,” I whispered. My hands dropped to my sides.

“I keep my promises, Raisa, he replied. He did not flinch. He owned the confession. “I promised your mother I would guard your gates. Trent Lawson humiliated you in the cafeteria. He weaponized the cost of the tickets. He tried to make you feel small. I knew the formal would cause you stress. I watched you walk into that rundown store. I watched you walk out in the freezing rain with empty hands. Your

shoulders shook. I hated it.”

I stared at his sharp profile. The heir to the Steinmann fortune spent his afternoon sitting in a dark truck on the edge of the East Side, watching a scholarship student cry over a discount rack.

So you threw money at the problem,” I said. My voice lost its fiery edge. A deep, aching fatigue settled into my bones.

‘I fixed the problem, Ryder corrected. He pointed a long finger at the black box resting on the tailgate. The Crestview Formal is a battlefield. The affluent elite use clothes as armor. They use designer labels to intimidate the weak. You possess the sharpest mind in this entire school. You possess the strongest heart. But they target your financial status because it is the only weakness they can find. I bought the silk to take away their ammunition.”

He reached out. His knuckles brushed the sleeve of my navy blazer.

“I bought it so you could walk into that gymnasium and destroy them, he murmured.

I looked at the matte black cardboard. The dark silver ribbon sat untouched. The intention behind the gift shifted. It was not a bribe. It was not a billionaire trying to turn a working-class girl into a polished trophy. It was a boy handing his partner a sword before a war.

He wanted to protect me from the cruel stares. He wanted to shield me from Trent Lawson’s mocking laugh. He utilized the only weapon he possessed. He used his wealth to build a fortress around my pride.

“I cannot accept it, I said. My voice broke on the final syllable. “The tag is gone, but I know the cost of heavy silk. The price is a massive debt. I do not owe you anything, Ryder. We tore the contract up. The arrangement is done. We deleted the rules. If we go together, we go as equals I will not stand beside you feeling like a purchased accessory.”

1/2

Chapter 136 He Refuses To Take It

Ryder turned toward the tailgate. He grabbed the edge of the black box. He picked it up with effortless ease.

:))

I thought he accepted the refusal. I thought he planned to throw the box into the bed of the truck and drive away. I prepared for the disappointment. I prepared to skip the dance.

He did not throw the box.

76

He turned back to me. He shoved the heavy cardboard into my arms. The weight hit my chest, forcing me to grip the sides to prevent the

box from hitting the wet pavement.

“You owe me zero debt, he stated.

His large hands wrapped around my wrists. He steadied my grip on the cardboard. The intense heat from his calloused skin burned straight through the cheap fabric of my school uniform. He held me tethered to the spot. He refused to let me pull away.

“This is not a transaction, Ryder continued. His eyes locked onto mine. He searched my face for any lingering trace of doubt. “This is not a bribe to keep the rumors dead. I do not want you to wear the dress to impress Trent Lawson. I do not want you to wear it for the administration. I do not even want you to wear it for me.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify