Chapter Thirteen

"How's it going winner!"

I settle the dirty plates I just picked up from one of my tables into the sink full of soapy water and sigh, turning to give my brother a mock glare I ask.

"How long are you going to keep calling me that?"

He pretends to be thoughtful as he leans his hip against the metallic table to his left, answering a second later with a teasing grin. "Until it stops being fun."

Rolling my eyes, I didn't bother to dignify that with a response knowing it will only encourage him more. He's been calling me "winner" since Friday, even though I only won 3rd place in the school's competition.

I was just as surprised as everyone when my name was called because Lord knows there were better performers that day, but by some luck, I'd won and I'm damn proud of myself.

Bora and the twins had taken 2nd place while a girl named Kim Hwa-young from Jayden's class had been the overall winner. The money we got wasn't much at all as the teacher led me to believe, and I feel like I got scammed in a way.

I walk around Jayden and pull myself onto the table he's leaning on, the day is thankfully over so we just have to clean up before heading home with dad. The weekend has been a long one and I can't wait for Monday to arrive, mostly because it's my day off from working at the restaurant but also because I haven't talked to Bora or the twins since Friday.

"So winner, what's next?" I frown and turn to my brother with a puzzling look.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what are you going to do with the money you won?"

"Nothing."

"What do you mean nothing?"

"I mean, I'm not going to do anything with the money. Except transfer it into my account when I get the chance."

"Why?" He asks in bewilderment.

"Because, I need to save up remember, paying Slim-Jim off in other to have possession of the brand name was ridiculously expensive."

"Lana." He sighs, long and loud.

I tense a little because I recognize the tone he's using. It's the tone he uses when he thinks am being ridiculously stupid.

I refuse to look at him because I don't want to see the expression he has on his face, so instead I fiddle with my fingers.

Sensing my need to end the topic, I feel him lay a kiss at the back of my head. "Just… be careful Lana." He warns and leaves silently, and I wait until he's gone before exhaling deeply.

Excluding the few expenses I've made since my return and the small amount I lost due to a rather bad investment, I still have some money left in my account but yet here I am stressing over earning more.

It's not because I'm money hungry or anything, I mean I barely know what to do with the amount I already have.

But every time I remember how my family and I suffered all those years ago, plus the way I practically starved on most days when I couldn't land a good modelling gig in New York, fear strikes hard in my chest at the thought of being helpless again.

In a world of the rich, money is power and that kind of power is something I don't want to be without. It's too frightening how easily a person can get controlled, and even more terrifying if you have no means of getting out of that control.

Sure, my dad's restaurant is doing great, and the money he's earning is more than enough to keep us living a fantastic life filled with luxuries we couldn't afford before, but am still paranoid. Impossibly paranoid.

Shaking off my heavy thoughts, I walk out of the kitchen and concentrate on helping Jayden clean up in the restaurant. By 11:00 pm we all head home and as soon as we stepped into the house each of us left for our rooms in exhaustion.

My phone blinks to life and I bring it to my line of vision, reminded through a text of the meeting I have with Sam after school tomorrow.