?Chapter 1263:


    “Milford, be careful.” Lisa’s smile faded. “If you can’t get the money, don’t push it. My brother makes enough to take care of us these days.”


    “Head back inside.” Milford didn’t say much else. After shutting the door and reminding Lisa to lock it, he checked the bus routes while walking.


    He paid no mind to the people still following him. Milford’s movements were reported to Presley down to the smallest detail.


    “He’s out collecting debts for Barry again. The ces he’s hitting today… the people there are not easy to deal with.” Presley paused for a moment before adding, “Reach out to the owners of these two ces. It’s time we wrap this up…”


    By the time night rolled in, a bunch of punks with brightly dyed hair had gathered outside the nightclub. Aaron had dragged Adalina here, and she felt uneasy just looking around the ce.


    “Why did you bring me here?”


    “My birthday party is here. Most of our ssmates are already waiting inside. Come on!” Aaron pulled Adalina to walk inside before she could protest.


    The punks standing at the door gave Adalina curious looks, their eyes scanning her. With her innocent face, high ponytail, and school uniform, Adalina looked beautiful. She was nothing like the women around here—who were inked up and enjoyed smoking, drinking, and wearing thick makeup. She definitely stood out.


    As Aaron and Adalina neared the door, Adalina couldn’t stand the punks’ lingering stares anymore. She pulled her hand free from Aaron’s grip. “My mom doesn’t let me go to ces like this. We’re still in college! If anyone finds out about this, we’ll be in serious trouble.”


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    “They won’t know if you don’t tell them.” Aaron shot a nce at the punks, suddenly realizing something. “Rx; I’ll bring you inside. They won’t do anything to you. I’ll keep you safe.” He gave his chest a confident pat.


    Adalina gripped the straps of her backpack, clearly unwilling to go inside. The Vance family and the rkson family had close business connections, and Denzel always reminded her to maintain a good rtionship with Aaron. She wasn’t fond of Aaron’s entitled attitude, but she couldn’t bring herself to say anything about it.


    Adalina said, “I don’t want to do this. I haven’t finished my paper, and my mom’s expecting me at home—” Before she could finish her sentence, she spotted someone familiar at the entrance of the nightclub.


    That person, who looked a lot like Milford, was holding a pack of cigarettes, handing them out to the punks by the door before disappearing inside.


    Adalina hesitated, and Aaron grabbed her wrist again. “Come on, we’ll just go inside and eat the cake together. Our ssmates set it all up. I can’t ditch them now, can I?”


    As he continued talking, he pulled Adalina into the club. The sudden shift to dim lighting made Adalina squint. The familiar figure she had noticed earlier had already vanished.


    By the time she realized what was happening, Aaron had already brought her into a private room. The punks at the entrance shared a sly grin. One of them headed inside to see what was going on, while the rest lingered outside.


    The stench of smoke and alcohol inside the room hit Adalina hard, and she found it unbearable. She wanted to leave now.


    “Aaron, I just remembered something important at home. I really need to leave now.” Adalina grabbed her bag, leaned in close to whisper into Aaron’s ear, and then started making her way to the door.


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