Inside one of the restaurant’s private booths, a cluster of men and women sat draped in luxury, voices loud, gestures exaggerated—each of them flaunting success like peacocks in full display. Had Jessica been there, she would have recognized every single face. They were her former classmates. Valery and Zion were led in by a waiter, their backs straight, smiles perfectly rehearsed. The moment they stepped inside, attention snapped toward them. “Oh my gosh—Valery and her boyfriend are here!” Becca exclaimed, springing to her feet. The booth erupted instantly. “Valery!” “Welcome!” “You should’ve told us you were coming!” Another woman rose smoothly from her seat. Edith, dressed impeccably, walked over with practiced confidence, a man in his early twenties glued to her side, his arm wrapped possessively around her waist. “Valery, you should have called,” Edith said with a smile that was almost sincere. “I would’ve come out myself to pick you up.” Valery returned a polished smil

Ethan’s expression darkened as he took a step forward.“Hey,” he said sharply, breaking the tense silence. “Don’t you think you’re being too arrogant?”Arthur didn’t react. He remained seated, one arm resting loosely on the table, his posture relaxed to the point of indifference. That only seemed to irritate Ethan further.“So what if you ordered a few dishes?” Ethan scoffed. “Anyone with money can do that. It’s not exactly something worth throwing your weight around for.”Christian’s friends murmured in agreement, their earlier unease replaced by familiar confidence.“That’s right,” one of them added quickly. “Christian is the owner of this place, and he hasn’t said a word, has he?”“Exactly,” another chimed in. “We’re not causing trouble. We just came to see how Jessica is doing. Why are you acting like we committed a crime?”Jessica’s fingers curled slightly at her sides. She felt the familiar pressure building in her chest, the old instinct to shrink back, to apologize even when s

The room fell silent.The sharpness in the waitress’s voice cut through the lingering smugness like a blade. Becca’s smile froze mid-curve, her hand still half-raised as if she could physically redirect the trolley with confidence alone.“Step aside?” Becca repeated, laughing lightly. “I think there’s been a misunderstanding—”“There hasn’t,” the waitress interrupted, her posture straightening. The respectful bend from earlier was gone, replaced by professional authority. “This order is for this private booth.”The announcement cut through, the waitress's gaze settling on Arthur.Instantly everyone noticed, and they looked around in disbelief."What's going on Becca?""Is the waitress mistaken? Tell her who Christian is.""Yeah, how can a bum like this be able to order this much food."They murmured, each word sending Becca's face a deeper ugly shade. She pulled out her smile, the look strained. "Look, I don't know if there is a mistake here, but my husband here is the owner of this

Valery flinched, fear creeping up her spine as Arthur’s gaze pricked her skin.There was something about the way Arthur looked at her—something that made her cower.She couldn’t see it, but the pressure Arthur released suffocated everyone in the room, forcing them into silence.Without hesitation, she moved behind Zion, hiding behind his back.Zion immediately puffed out his chest, glaring at Arthur.“What are you looking at, punk?”Arthur didn’t bother sparing Zion a reaction. He turned to Christian instead, his gaze deep and calm.Feeling that familiar aura, Christian stiffened, his expression faltering for only a moment before he regained his composure.Putting on an air of indifference, Christian adjusted his suit lightly and met Arthur’s eyes.“I assume you’re ready to apologize for the unnecessary drama you’re causing.”Arthur raised a brow, clearly amused. “I think you’re mistaken,” he said, his voice steady enough to quiet the room. “The ones who should be apologizing are all

Everyone froze, including the waitress and the security. No one was expecting Arthur to bring up the bet, but he did, and it looked like he wasn't going to let them off. Valery's grip on Zion's arm tightened. Arthur was staring at her in particular, his gaze unrelenting, that she felt fear crawl in her heart. If she had known Arthur was someone powerful as this, she would have never pursued Jessica or asked Becca and the rest to come here. "What do you mean bet? We were only joking. so why are you taking it seriously?" Zion said, trying to brush up the matter. He was no fool. If they couldn't resolve this here, then things would get really ugly for Valery and him. Arthur's eyes landed on Zion. Calm, cold, making Zion's scalp tingle. No words were said, but that look alone had Zion doubting his next words. Stumped, he kept quiet, but Ethan spoke up. "Look here man, we were all joking earlier." "Yeah, we never meant it to escalate like this." Others nodded along, hopin