The gathering was held at a private lounge downtown. Old classmates were already there when James arrived, laughing, drinking, taking pictures, and pretending everyone had stayed close after graduation when most of them hadn’t spoken in years.

James pulled into the parking area while the black sports car drew attention even before he stepped out. He could see faces turning toward the windows from inside the lounge.

The car got noticed first.

"Who is that?"

"Wait."

"That car is insane."

"Is that James?"

"No way."

"It is him."

James stepped out dressed sharply while walking inside with measured steps. The noise in the room dropped for a second when he entered, as if someone had turned down the volume before it slowly rose again.

Some people recognized him immediately from the stream footage they’d been watching for days. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Others took longer to match the quiet boy they remembered from school with the man from the Floor 9 broadcast.

James didn’t smile too much or wave at anyone.

He only looked around the room and took in the faces while letting them see him clearly.

Some familiar. Some unpleasant. Some pretending they were happy to see him when their eyes told a different story.

Amelia was the first to stand and approach him. She wasn’t overly excited or fake but looked a little surprised that he’d actually come.

"James."

He looked at her.

"You came," she said.

"Yeah."

"I know. I just didn’t think you’d say yes."

"Neither did I."

That made her smile a little before she welcomed him and led him inside. Some classmates began moving closer, but Amelia noticed how they were already circling him and gave him a little space.

"The gathering was supposed to be small," she said, "but once people heard you might come, more people suddenly became interested."

James said nothing because he understood perfectly.

A few classmates approached James after Amelia stepped back.

Ryan came first while smiling too widely. "James, my guy. Long time."

James looked at him. "My guy?"

Ryan laughed. "Come on, don’t be like that. We were classmates, right?"

"Yeah. We were."

Ryan tried to laugh again before asking about Floor 9, the reanimated ogre, and Team Zero. James gave short answers without offering anything private.

Then Liam came in while trying to sound casual. "So you really know Finn Hale now?"

"I do."

"Man, that’s crazy. That kind of circle..."

James said nothing.

Liam forced a laugh. "I mean, if you ever need extra people around you..."

"I don’t."

After that, more people came while some asked about Floor 9 and some asked how dangerous it was, but James answered little and promised nothing.

Some of the girls who barely spoke to James in school now looked at him differently.

Mia looked him over before saying, "You really changed."

"Yeah. People do."

"Not like this though."

James didn’t say anything to that.

Chloe smiled before saying, "You know, you were impossible to talk to in school."

James looked at her. "You never tried."

Her smile froze for half a second before she laughed like he’d made a joke.

Across the room, Ethan and Mark watched James from the side. They didn’t like how the room was treating him.

They spoke quietly between themselves.

"Look at them," Ethan muttered. "Shameless."

Mark followed his gaze. "What?"

"Half of them didn’t even know his surname in school."

Mark smirked. "Now everybody remembers him."

Ethan took a drink. "Because he has fame now."

They kept watching as more classmates tried to stand near James, take pictures with him, and act like they were always on good terms.

Ethan got more irritated because James wasn’t bragging, wasn’t begging, and wasn’t reacting.

That made it worse.

The quiet boy they used to push around was standing in the center of the room without needing to prove anything.

Ethan finally walked over while the people near James quieted down slightly because some of them remembered what Ethan used to do.

Ethan smiled like they were old friends. "James."

James turned.

"You remember me?"

"Yeah."

Ethan’s smile widened. "Good. I thought all this fame might have made you forget."

James looked at him. "No. I remember you."

The smile tightened.

Ethan tried to brush it off. "Come on, man. We were kids."

"You were old enough."

The room became uncomfortable while people nearby shifted and looked away.

Ethan laughed like it was a joke, but the sound was forced. He didn’t push further because too many people were watching and James was no longer someone he could embarrass safely.

James didn’t threaten him.

He didn’t need to.

After the tension with Ethan, Amelia pulled James slightly away from the crowd when the others backed off.

She asked if he hated being here.

"It’s not the worst place I’ve been."

"That’s not really an answer."

James looked around at the classmates laughing, pretending, and watching him. "It’s strange."

Amelia understood. "Because they’re acting like school never happened?"

James looked at her.

"Everyone knew, James," Amelia said. "Most people just pretended they didn’t."

James studied her for a moment. "At least you’re honest now."

Amelia didn’t smile. "I should have been honest back then."

Before James could answer, the atmosphere changed.

James noticed the faint heat first.

Not from the lights. Not from the room.

A sharp warmth brushed across his skin in a way that felt familiar because danger always felt familiar.

Amelia was standing near him when a man stepped behind her. One hand settled near her neck, close enough to make her stiffen while her smile disappeared.

The room quieted.

The man was well dressed, calm, and dangerous while carrying himself like someone used to power. Heat rippled faintly around his fingers, but he kept his expression relaxed.

He didn’t look at Amelia like she mattered.

His gaze stayed on James.

Then he spoke. "James Ganner."

James’s body went still.

The man’s hand remained near Amelia’s neck.

"Where is Derek?"

James slowly lifted his gaze from the man’s hand to his face while taking in the jawline, the eyes, and the arrogance.

The resemblance.

James recognized him.

James looked up, and the man standing behind Amelia was Derek’s brother.