Billionaire’s Son Attacked a Quiet Veteran’s Military Dog—Then Learned Who He Really Was

Chapter 2

The boy in the cream-colored ski jacket had been born with the wrong map of the world — one where he stood at the center and everyone else was scenery. Sterling Wainwright was twenty, tall and athletic, with carefully styled blond hair, sharp cheekbones, and the polished look of someone who had never worn anything twice unless it cost too much. His father had given him unlimited money and very little affection, and Sterling had learned early that attention was the only currency that mattered. He was charming when he needed something, cruel when he was bored, and furious whenever anyone denied him attention. Being the only son of Hollis Wainwright had taught him that consequences were inconveniences other people suffered.

His two companions orbited him like satellites. Dante Cruz, nineteen, thin and restless, with dark curls and a permanent half-smile that made every conversation feel like a private joke no one else could hear, carried two portable battery packs — because losing power in the middle of a live stream frightened him more than getting arrested. Online popularity had become his whole universe; he studied engagement statistics the way other kids studied for exams, and he had learned a simple truth: humiliation, conflict, and fear kept people watching. He encouraged Sterling’s worst instincts, because every reckless act multiplied their follower count. Pierce Lawson, twenty, slightly shorter, sandy-haired, broad-shouldered, stood a step back with a nervous habit of rubbing his thumb against the edge of his watch. His father, a corporate attorney, reminded him constantly that loyalty to powerful friends created opportunities. Pierce had been close to Sterling since middle school, when being accepted by the Wainwright heir had protected him from the classmates who mocked his stutter. The stutter had faded. The fear of being left out had never gone away. He told himself that standing nearby was different from participating — even when he laughed along.