The other man nodded slowly from his seat, his tone more serious now. “We report through layers. Voices over phones. Orders passed down through encrypted channels. Even our promotions? Delivered by sealed letters and second-tier hands.”The first man stepped closer again, dropping his voice lower. “And that’s the kind of world we live in here. A world where ghosts hold the real power. You think getting promoted makes you special? Makes you close to something big? You’re wrong. You’re still in the outer circle. We all are.”He leaned in just a little, his eyes burning with the truth he’d carried for too long. “You could spend your whole life serving this organization… giving your blood, your soul, your loyalty—and still, you’ll never even catch a glimpse of the ones who pull the real strings.”He stepped back, shaking his head slightly as if even speaking those words stirred up a quiet frustration within him.“So you better think twice,” he added, voice flat. “Before dreaming too big.

At that moment, the room fell into a brief silence the second Joe’s question sliced through the air. It was direct, simple, and logical — yet it hit Camilla like a dart in the chest. Her fingers twitched slightly, and for a fraction of a second, she couldn’t move, couldn’t blink. Her breath caught in her throat.She hadn’t thought that far.Camilla had crafted her story with just enough flair and urgency to sound convincing. She had built it up with the right amount of frustration and disappointment, playing the victim of circumstance — as though she too had been blindsided by the sudden cancellation from Pasu Mikazu. But in truth, there was no message, no emergency board meeting, and certainly no interior design overhaul. It was all a lie. A desperate lie she had spun out of panic because the real reason behind the cancellation was something she couldn’t share or something that didn’t even exist.And now innocently curious, had unknowingly touched the one spot she had failed to cove

At that moment, hearing what her friend just said, Camilla forced out a small laugh, one that barely concealed the uneasy flutter in her chest. She scratched the back of her neck slightly and smiled awkwardly, her voice a little shaky but still laced with grace as she responded.“Sure, sure… no problem about that,” she said, trying to keep her tone light and unbothered, even though deep inside, she felt a tinge of humiliation pressing against her pride. Her heart thumped with nerves, but she couldn't let it show. Not now.She gave a faint chuckle and added, “That might even be the best time for all of you to meet him, honestly. Just imagine it… meeting for the first time at Paso Mikazu. It would’ve been such a memory, right? With all the atmosphere, the animals, the excitement—like something from a movie.”She looked down for a moment, pretending to straighten a wrinkle on her dress just to avoid their eyes.“But well,” she continued, clearing her throat gently, “there’s really nothin

At that moment, the sales representative adjusted her sleek blazer and reached for her iPad resting elegantly on the countertop. With a few swift taps, she pulled up a sleek pricing chart, the screen glowing softly in her hand. “Alright,” she began professionally, her tone even and informative. “The price for the Gold Tier is $50,000. However,” she paused and looked up at them with a faint smile, “the price for the Diamond Tier is $150,000.”Camilla blinked, her eyes widening slightly. She turned to her friend Cecilia with a small nervous chuckle and murmured, “So if we’re going for Gold, that’s $50,000 per person… which means $200,000 for the four of us.” Her brow creased just a little, as if the reality of it was still sinking in. “And if we’re even considering Diamond… well, that’s three times that. That’s $600,000. Do you think it actually deserves that price tag?”Cecilia didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she exchanged glances with the two other ladies beside her. The three wo

At that moment, the sales representative’s grin widened as she gestured toward the sleek payment terminal on the marble counter. “Right this way, please,” she said in her most professional tone, her voice silky yet laced with excitement—because she already knew she was about to make an enormous commission.Camilla and Jason’s groups moved toward the counter, the faint echo of heels and polished shoes tapping against the glossy floor. The atmosphere felt thick tension quietly humming between them. Camilla’s chest was tight with anger; her hands balled slightly at her sides as she tried to maintain composure. Every step she took felt heavier, each glance toward Jason only feeding the fire in her chest. She wanted to confront him, to shout, to ask him why.....why he was here, and why with her.But she couldn’t. Not here. Not now. Her friends were around, and one wrong reaction could expose everything she had been hiding. She swallowed hard, forcing a smile that never reached her eyes.Ja