What?Not only Ethan, but Catherine and everyone else present were immediately stunned by those words.Victoria wasn’t a jewelry store you could simply walk into just because you had money.There was immense prestige attached to this place.Only the top elites of Havenport ever set foot inside.This luxurious boutique was a symbol of their status.To them, Victoria was a tool—a way to display just how high their social standing truly was.And now, someone was claiming that a piece of jewelry—especially one from their premium line—was fake. Wasn’t that the same as insulting every single person here?“Hey, idiot!”A middle-aged woman in a light blue dress, a ruby pendant resting proudly on her chest, pointed her finger right at Martin’s face.“Watch your mouth! Even children know the quality of the items sold here! What would someone as low as you possibly understand?”She looked him up and down—a plain white T-shirt, worn-out jeans, and old sneakers. Martin’s appearance was beneath even

Bang!The sharp clang of metal striking marble echoed harshly through the boutique after Martin slammed his hand down onto the floor.The sound filled the entire room.Everyone who witnessed his action widened their eyes in shock and disbelief.Good heavens! W-What… what did he just do?No one could utter a single word.Had he lost his mind, smashing such an expensive piece of jewelry onto the ground?Among all the guests, Quinn’s expression was the bleakest.“Martin…”Her lower lip trembled violently as she bit down on it.“W-What… what are you doing?”Her voice sounded desperate.In three years of marriage, she had never seen her husband do anything so reckless—so utterly fatal.The obedient, compliant man she once knew seemed to have vanished.The person standing before her now felt like a complete stranger.While shock dominated every face in the room, Ethan’s lips curled into a wide smile.He looked calm—even pleased. As he stared at the Éclat necklace lying on the floor, he could

“Sir, please forgive my delay,” Malcolm said, bowing deeply before the old man.“Had I known you would arrive today, I would have personally picked you up at the airport. Once again, please accept my apologies.”When the old man appeared to ignore him and remained focused on what he was examining, Malcolm bowed once more.The six men standing behind him followed suit.But not long after, Delilah’s voice rang out again from the side.“Sir, this old man is the one who caused the disturbance here!”With a sharp and confident tone, she pointed her finger forward.It seemed she hadn’t even noticed Malcolm’s show of deep respect toward the old man.“He’s the one who was rude to Mr. Downey!”“And that man—”She shifted her finger toward Martin.“He’s the one who damaged our collection!”Delilah had been the one who helped Ethan display the fake Éclat in the showcase—a piece meant to be a gift for Mrs. Hayes.Their plan had almost gone perfectly—until Martin showed up.And since she had found

Cassian simply looked at Catherine without saying a word.And that, in itself, was more than enough of an answer.“I see. Once again, please accept my apology—and thank you.”The woman stepped back slowly. Her body suddenly felt weak, as if she might collapse at any moment.Now everything was clear.The Éclat Ethan had intended to give her… was nothing but a fake.“How outrageous!”Catherine could no longer hold back her anger as her sharp, furious gaze fell upon Ethan, who was still restrained by the bodyguard.“How dare you deceive me?”“Ma’am, please… please forgive me.”Ethan understood exactly what that look meant. And he knew what he had to do.Struggling free from the bodyguard with all his strength, he immediately dropped to his knees.“I truly had no idea about the necklace. I only knew it was an Éclat and agreed to buy it without thinking!”Crouched on the floor, Ethan looked like a man who had just been swindled himself.“I never expected this to happen. It must have been th

“Welcome, sir. Would you like me to guide you through the store, or shall I show you our newest collection right away?”As expected from a high-end boutique, one of the staff—dressed in a knee-length maroon-brown dress—approached a customer with a soft voice. Her friendly smile never left her lips.“I’d like to see the latest collection.”“Of course. Please follow me.”With light yet enthusiastic steps, the staff led the customer to a particular section.But when Martin stepped through the door, not a single one of them even turned toward him.Some kept scrolling on their phones. Others merely shot him a brief, mocking glance.“What’s with that attitude? Do they think I can’t afford anything? Pathetic.”Martin didn’t take their behavior to heart and headed straight to the men’s section.“Hm… this is actually pretty nice.”A suit with a smooth silhouette, perfectly cut for his build—simple lines, but with a precision that screamed luxury.Martin wasn’t exactly penniless. Back in Belvar