Although Jack had kept a brave expression plastered on his face, his heart had already climbed up into his throat. He felt the weight of every gaze, especially those of the four other businessmen seated at the table. He glanced at them, hoping for a sign of support or solidarity, but what he saw was a clear reflection of anxiety. Their eyes darted between him and Kenneth nervously. They were scared. Not just tense or uncomfortable, but truly afraid. It wasn’t hard to tell that Kenneth held a reputation that reached beyond just wealth and status. This man commanded fear. That should have been expected. Anyone with that much money and power didn’t get it from being soft.Kenneth took another slow sip of his wine, the glass clinking gently against his teeth as his eyes stayed locked on Jack. Christa, the secretary still standing to the side, she kept her sharp gaze on him too. She wasn’t as loud or direct as her boss, but the look she gave Jack was just as intense. Her eyes studied him c

Jack cleared his throat and straightened his suit, his gaze sweeping across the room with an air of mock innocence. "So, just to be clear and avoid any misunderstandings here, how much money do I need to show to convince you all that I am indeed a businessman of significance?"The room fell into a low murmur, eyes turning from Jack to Gerald as if waiting to see how the host would respond. Gerald’s lips twitched. The smile he wore was thin, tight, and forced. That question was deliberate. It was sharp and direct, but more importantly, it pushed him into a corner he had no intention of being shoved into. Gerald had kept the betting terms vague on purpose. Ambiguity was a powerful weapon when wielded correctly. It allowed them to shift the rules at will to trap someone like Jack in a loophole, leaving enough wiggle room to claim he had failed no matter what he presented. But this guy, this unknown guy with a smug grin and sharp tongue, had seen through the trap. He was much sharper than

After getting control of himself again, Jack turned toward Ava and gave her a hug that lifted her feet off the ground. She made a surprised sound, then started laughing while clinging to him tightly. Her reaction was pure joy, but the feeling in the room didn’t match it. Something was off. The air felt thick, like something was being held back. One person still hadn’t said a single thing since Jack walked through the door. Christa sat completely still, and her face gave away nothing. She kept staring at Jack, not with hate, but with some kind of disbelief that ran deeper. Her arms were crossed, and her jaw looked tight. She didn’t smile. She didn’t blink much either. Ava noticed the shift in the room and slowly pulled away from Jack, then stared at him closely.She raised her voice and said, “Alright, what the hell is going on?” Her usual calm tone was gone. Her face showed confusion, and her voice came out sharper than before. She had just watched Jack go from crying to laughing to h

Jack leaned back in his chair, staring at the card like it had just started burning in his hand. NovaDrive Technologies. Of all the names in the stack, this one hit close. Too close. He knew exactly what that meant. NovaDrive didn’t just power games—they powered the very engine REC had built their latest releases on. Without them, the whole system behind Reality Escape Cooperation would start to crack.He reached for the card, instinct taking over, but Christa was already ahead of him. She pulled it away just before his fingers closed around it. Her expression didn’t change, but her eyes narrowed slightly.Jack frowned. “What is it this time?”Christa gave him a look like a tired teacher dealing with a stubborn student. “Do you really think you could just pick up the phone and call someone like that?”Jack shrugged. “Why not? I’ve got their contact information. I’ve got money. They were friendly at the party.”She exhaled sharply and pressed her palm to her forehead. “Dammit, Jack. Yo

This man… he looks well-built and groomed. If I hadn’t fired Jack so recently, I would’ve thought it was someone else entirely. But there’s no mistake. This is Jack." Gerald Gardner stared with his mouth slightly open, frozen in a daze. It was like his mind refused to accept the image in front of him, frantically trying to filter the image out. His brows twitched in confusion, trying to process it, trying to make sense of it. The man standing there looked nothing like the Jack he remembered. This Jack looked composed. Clean-cut. Polished and confident, too confident.Jack snapped his fingers sharply in front of his face. "Hey. Earth to Gerald." His voice was amused but held a sting underneath. Gardner blinked out of his stupor, snapping upright in his chair.Jack tilted his head and sighed with an exaggerated flair. "It's strange how people treat you once they think you have money. Back when I worked here, the guards checked my pockets like I was a thief. Asked for my ID even though t