At Inside were rows of cold, precise instruments: clamps, razors, needles, branding rods, acid-tipped hooks, even a thick iron rod still faintly glowing from heat.At that moment Caleb’s eyes widened in horror, he recognized what this was.It wasn’t just intimidation this was real.Waylon stood over him, voice low and cold.“You’re not stupid, Caleb. I don’t need to explain what happens next if you stay silent.”At that moment the sound of gloves snapping onto wrists filled the air, which made Caleb's heart skip.“You protect Raymond,” Waylon continued, “and I promise, I’ll make you scream until your voice breaks. You’ll beg to die long before I let you.”The guards moved in, One held up the heated rod. Another pulled out a leather strap used for jaw dislocation.Caleb screamed and threw himself backward, hitting the wall.“N-No—WAIT!” he cried out, his voice cracking. “PLEASE! Don’t! I’ll talk—I’ll talk!”Hearing Caleb's words, Waylon lifted his hand.The guards paused, still holding

Clarissa leaned back in her velvet seat, swirling her drink lazily in its glass.“Let me guess,” she said with a dramatic smirk, “you’re here to look for leftovers?”Her friends laughed again, their voices sharp and exaggerated, feeding off each other like a flock of attention-hungry birds.But Raymond simply looked at her expression calm, unbothered.“ I’m not in the mood to play those kinds of games with you, since you're so curious wanting to know why I'm here, well I'm here for dinner,” he said plainly.Upon hearing what Raymond just said, Clarissa blinked, still wearing that mocking grin. “Here? You? Eat dinner here?”Raymond gave a slight nod.“In a private room.”The words fell softly, but clearly like a stone dropped into a still pond, for a brief moment, there was silence.Then the table burst into laughter.“Did he just say private room?!”“I think he meant the staff lounge.”“Maybe they let him wash dishes in exchange for a plate.”Clarissa held her hand over her mouth as

The moment Zachary uttered Raymond’s name, the entire atmosphere inside the Diamond Suite shifted.At that moment the soft music seemed to stop.The air grew cold, then Everyone froze.Clarissa’s carefully maintained smile cracked like porcelain.“W-Wait…” one of her friends muttered, blinking rapidly, “Did he say… Raymond? did he just mention his name?”Immediately Clarissa’s heart skipped a beat, but she forced a laugh, trying to regain control.“Oh! That guy?” she said dismissively, trying to wave the moment off. “He was here earlier—yes. He tried to sneak in. Said he had a reservation here, can you believe that?”At that moment She let out an awkward chuckle, eyes nervously flicking to her friends.Upon hearing what Clarissa just said, Zachary’s gaze sharpened.Clarissa didn’t notice.“He’s… my sister’s ex-husband,” she continued quickly, trying to sound disgusted. “A shameless freeloader. When he said this room was his, I kicked him out immediately. I mean, I knew you wouldn’t—”

The hallway outside the Diamond Suite was wide and luxurious, lined with framed art and vases that cost more than most families made in a year.But to Clarissa, everything felt like it was pressing in on her.Her steps were stiff, her heels clicking awkwardly against the floor as she walked out, clutching her purse like it was the only thing anchoring her.Then she saw them—The very friends who had laughed with her earlier.They were seated in one of the lounge areas just outside the main dining floor, sipping from crystal glasses and chatting idly. But the moment they spotted her, their expressions shifted.Smiles curled into smirks, and then came the first blow.“Oh look, the Diamond Suite queen has returned.”Upon hearing what they just said Clarissa flinched.Another leaned forward with feigned concern. “What happened, Clarissa? Did Zachary come to escort you back to your golden throne?”The third one chimed in, voice thick with sarcasm. “We were just talking about how impressive

Meanwhile, just as Dahlia’s sister was fuming and stomping her way out of the restaurant, her cheeks burning with shame and resentment, her phone suddenly buzzed. She glanced down to see her mother’s name flashing on the screen. Gritting her teeth, she answered.“Where are you?” her mother’s voice snapped from the other end. “Come to the Elite Crown Shopping Mall immediately, And don’t forget to bring that VIP card! Do you hear me?”Before Dahlia’s sister could even respond or explain that the card had just been revoked in humiliating fashion, the line went dead.She stood there frozen for a moment, lips twitching, torn between rage and dread. That card was already gone. If her mother found out... but she didn’t even get the chance to say anything.Left with no other choice, she hailed a cab and headed for the mall, trying to figure out how to stall or lie her way out of it anything to delay the explosion that was sure to come.At that exact moment, inside the lavish and spacious Elit