Fredrick’s jaw twitched. He dropped the woman’s arm, then stepped up to Elias.“You know who I am?” His voice was forced. “I could buy this dump and turn it into a parking lot.”Elias didn’t move. His eyes were cold. “You could,” he said. “But you’d still be the same insecure brat playing dress-up in your daddy’s money.”He looked at the woman, then back at Fredrick. “Walk away. While you still have some dignity left.”Fredrick’s face darkened. “Watch it. You don’t know who you’re messing with.”Elias raised an eyebrow, calm as ever. “Is that a threat?”“It’s a promise,” Fredrick snapped. He was taller, broader—but all bark, no bite. A child playing dress-up in a suit. “You have no idea what I am capable of ”Elias didn’t flinch, didn’t react. He’d seen men like Fredrick before. Pretenders who thought size and noise were enough to intimidate.They were always predictable. Just push a few buttons, let them rant, then watch them crumbleElias didn’t move. He looked at Fredrick like he w

Fredrick stepped in again“—just a salesman. Isn’t that right, Rivers?”Elias felt his blood boil as Fredrick interrupted him. The nerve of the man. He was just about to speak, to put everything in place, and this fool had to run his mouth. Frederick chuckled. “Tell them the truth. You were ditched by a woman you barely knew. Publicly humiliated. And now you're here pretending to be something you're not.”Chloe raised a brow, folding her arms. “Is that true?”Her tone was cold.Elias met her eyes. “I work in sales, yes.”Ryan finally spoke “Sales? Is that really what you do?” He took a step closer“So you’re just another desperate soul, begging people to buy useless crap. How dare you think you could ever be worthy of my daughter?”Fredrick laughed behind him.Elias kept his expression calm,even as the insults rained down. He had expected nothing less from Ryan and Chloe. These were the kinds of people who felt entitled to treat others like dirt, just because they had money. It made hi

“Unfortunately,” Chloe said, her voice laced with a sweet poison, “he’s just a salesman. That’s not the kind of man we expected for Luna.”She didn’t look at Elias when she said it. As if acknowledging him would be giving him too much.Ryan folded his arms. “He hasn’t earned my approval,” he added, blunt. “And I don’t see how he ever will. A man like him can’t offer Luna anything real.”He glanced across the table, toward Fredrick.“But Fredrick,” Ryan said “now there’s a man with a future. He’s the heir to the Whitmore Group. They handle international real estate. A company worth hundreds of millions.”Chloe nodded quickly. “And it’s not just that,” she chimed in. “They’re backed by Umbratech Corporation. Do you understand what that means? One of the most powerful tech firms in the country is behind their business. It’s no wonder Fredrick is already being considered for executive roles. At his age.”Fredrick didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. The smug smile on his face said it all.“Th

Chloe’s jaw dropped. Ryan blinked rapidly, as if trying to process what he just heard. Even the butler froze mid-step, eyes fixed on the medal. The room went dead silent. No one had expected thisBut then Fredrick laughed. “It's just a souvenir. You can buy them online these days. Please. A salesman with a presidential honor? Do we look stupid?”He turned to Luna. “You believe this?”Luna didn’t answer. Her fingers clenched under the table. She stared at the badge. It looked real, but... she had only given him $10,000. How could he afford something like that? Elias was just a salesman. It didn’t make sense. Fredrick gave a dismissive wave. “Recently, the president issued a medal, yes. To the real ‘king of war,’ the CEO of Umbratech. But someone like you?” Fredrick laughed cruelly. “You’re just a salesman. How could you ever be the real king of war?” His words sent a ripple of disdain through the room. Fredrick looked at Elias as if the very idea of him possessing such a medal was la

Miranda Crane walked into the reception of the restaurant with the sort of entitled walk only someone delusional about their worth could muster. She looked around, nose wrinkling in distaste. The place was cramped, dimly lit, and smelled like someone had dumped lemon cleaner over decades of neglect.It wasn’t terrible. In fact, she had dined here before. But only under emergencies. And only when the city’s better establishments had longer waitlists.Not that she belonged here.She told herself that every time she had to endure something so… beneath her. Miranda deserved marble floors, crystal chandeliers, imported champagne. Not this.She walked forward,—until her shoulder collided with something solid. There was a crash. Glass shattered.Miranda’s expression froze before twisting into rage.She looked down. A waiter, a young woman, She was trembling, and scrambling to pick up the broken dishes.Miranda didn’t give her the chance.She grabbed the girl by the arm. “Watch where you’re