Why didn't anyone let us know about Alex becoming the president? Ash wondered, his jaw dropping in disbelief. They must have purposely kept us out of the loop.
"It looks like he really is the president," Caroline managed to splutter. "But how did this happen?"
"Don't you know who his girlfriend is?" a young woman from the Thornton family said.
Caroline shook her head.
"He's dating Jessop Clifton's granddaughter," the woman explained.
"Well, that explains everything," Caroline replied, looked defeated. "Of course he relied on nepotism to get to the top."
As Alex's friend for many years, Joe should have been celebrating with him, but he felt completely numb. He picked up his wine glass and emptied it in one swallow, thinking about how his mother's goading and his own foolishness had ruined a great friendship.
"If there's one thing we can't accuse Alex of, it's nepotism," he said with a glum expression. "Look how Desmond has helped my football career. That's just how the world works."
Though his words came out calmly, Joe was finding it difficult to accept reality. From the start, he had pitied Alex and the other lower-class guys in the dorm. They had all looked up to Joe and hung on his every word, and he had greatly enjoyed his status. He struggled to imagine treating Alex as his superior.
Caroline saw through her son's calm front and spoke gently. "It's true that Alex has made good contacts and climbed the ladder. Most people will accept his leadership, but not everyone will…"
She cast her eyes toward Ash and Ferdinand. "The Thorntons aren't happy with this announcement, and they won't be the only ones. Alex is in a dangerous position. He may be the president, but powerful people in the martial arts world don't usually get to live and die peacefully. He'll always need to watch his back."
Joe's eyes looked downward as he thought about his own father's untimely death.
"Martial arts isn't everything," Caroline continued. "You're far more physically fit than Alex from all your years of football training, and we have Desmond with all his connections. You and I are part of Baltimore's upper class now. In a few years, you'll be one of the biggest football stars in the country. Alex will probably be six feet under, but you'll be surrounded by rich and beautiful people."
Caroline's face lit up once again as she imagined her son's rise to superstardom.
"Your mother's right, Joe," Desmond said. "Don't worry. You'll bypass Alex in no time. I have enough wealth and connections to buy the Raptors and make you their most famous star. You'll forget all about this ridiculous party and that worthless former friend of yours."
From his position, Ash could hear every word Desmond said. He knew how powerful Alex truly was. Even if that Joe kid spent two lifetimes training, there'd still be no way he could match Alex, he thought.
After listening to his mother and Desmond, Joe took a deep breath and felt his confidence return. He moved toward Alex.
"This may be your night, Alex," he said, balling his hand into a tight fist. "But don't for one second forget who I am. There's no way you can—"
Joe was interrupted by the sound of Desmond's cell phone ringing. Desmond picked it up, and his expression suddenly changed.
"Who shut it down?" he asked, his body tensing with anger. "How did they get in? Didn't you tell them my name?"
He paused for a moment as he waited for a reply. "It was Mayor Cartwright? But that makes no sense." His whole body stiffened, and panic flashed in his eyes.
"What's going on, Desmond?" Caroline asked, wringing her hands together. "Is everything all right?"
The audience was still looking toward Alex, waiting for his address, but he stopped in his tracks as he watched the scene play out in front of him. Although they couldn't hear through the crowd, Jessop and Art both looked on with worried expressions.
Suddenly, the room went silent as three policemen entered.
"Desmond Lang, we're arresting you on suspicion of fraud and money laundering," one of the officers said as he reached for his handcuffs.
Alex filled his glass with red wine and took a sip as he sneered at Desmond. "If you don't cooperate, you'll only make things harder for yourself."
"Stay out of this, Alex," Caroline growled. "This is none of your business."
"This is a set-up," Joe said. "Someone wants revenge on us."
"You have the right to remain silent," the officer continued.
A member of the Martial Arts Association appeared beside Alex and handed him a tablet. Alex activated the device and played the recording of Heather's confession.
"That was Heather Lennox," Alex said. "She's a professional scammer who works for Mr. Lang here. We've gathered substantial evidence of his fraud, including fake invoices and damaged jade sourced at very low prices. In fact, we even have a neat little record book of his money laundering.
"What do you have to say now, Mr. Lang?" Alex smiled. "Have we got our wires crossed somehow?"