The Skyline Ballroom sparkled like it forgot where it came from.
Glass chandeliers. White marble floors. A live saxophone playing smooth jazz near the open bar. Everyone from Southview High's class of five years ago was there — older, louder, still trying too hard.
The same cliques.
The same bullies.
The same plastic smiles.
But none of them had seen him yet.
Outside — 7:58 PM
The valet's hands trembled as he stared at the midnight-black Lamborghini Urus pulling up to the curb. Custom gold trim. Engine purring like a panther in a tuxedo.
Damon stepped out slowly, dressed in a jet-black suit that shimmered under the streetlights. A gold timepiece wrapped his wrist — the Watch of the Monarch. A faint aura of dominance clung to his skin like cologne.
He didn't smile.
Didn't rush.
He just adjusted his cufflinks, checked the mirror, and nodded to the valet.
"Keep the engine warm."
[Check-In Detected: Social Status Arena — "Class Reunion"]
Reward: +$100,000 (Public Flex Bonus — Applied to Shadow Wallet)
Spender's Dominion Active: All money spent tonight will return 3x minimum due to high emotional impact.
Inside — 8:02 PM
Conversations stopped.
Forks paused mid-air.
Someone whispered, "Is that…?"
He walked through the ballroom like the air bent around him. Every step was slow. Controlled. Powerful.
Girls who never gave him the time of day gasped.
Dudes who used to laugh suddenly went quiet.
Damon Black had entered the room.
Trayvon, sitting near the open bar, blinked like he was seeing a ghost.
"No f*cking way…"
Marcus "Big Chill" stood, adjusting his jacket, faking a grin. "Well damn. Look who found a rental and a tux."
Damon didn't look their way.
He moved toward the champagne table. Grabbed a glass.
Sipped.
Let them burn.
Then came Tasha.
Hair curled. Dress tight. Smile unsure.
She stepped forward like she was floating.
"Damon…"
He turned slowly. Looked at her like a stranger.
Her voice cracked. "You look… incredible."
He nodded once. "So do you."
The silence between them wasn't awkward.
It was loaded.
Regret. Memory. Power imbalance.
[Emotional Reading Activated — Subject: Tasha]
Guilt: 76%
Attraction: 88%
Jealousy: 93%
Intent: Reconnect (Opportunistic)
She reached for his arm.
He let her.
For two seconds.
Then took a step back.
"We don't go backward," he said. "Not anymore."
Trayvon tried to jump in next.
"Yo, bro. Crazy whip out there. That you?"
Damon looked him dead in the eyes.
"I don't borrow."
[Spender's Dominion Triggered]
$12,000 spent on custom suit, car wrap, watch polish, and room check-in.
Return: $48,000 deposited across accounts — public, private, shadow.
Respect Points increased. Social Dominance: Level Up.
He dropped a business card on the champagne table. "If any of you ever get tired of working for someone else… I'm building something."
No pitch. No begging.
Just power.
The room stood still.
And in that silence, one truth echoed loud:
They hadn't just underestimated him.
They buried a seed — and now they were standing in the shade of his tree.