Jared leaned against one of the display pillars, arms folded, watching Linda shuffle back to Becky with a handful of dresses. She wasn’t smiling, not even pretending to, but the bratty arrogance she’d shown earlier had evaporated completely. Now she handled Becky's requests with robotic precision—straightening hangers, adjusting straps, bringing size variations without being asked twice.Her attitude wasn’t warm.But it was professional.And that was enough.Becky sifted through the options Linda had brought. A champagne-colored gown, a shimmering rose-gold bodycon dress, a black velvet slit gown, and a soft blue off-shoulder evening piece. Becky held each one up to her frame in front of the mirror.“Nope… too shiny,” she muttered at the rose-gold fitted short dress.“Hm… too boring,” she dismissed the black velvet long dress.She turned to the champagne gown, eyes softening. “Maybe…”Jared watched her tilt her head, analyzing the fit without even wearing it.“That one is definitely

Jared stepped out of the changing room, the emerald jacket perfectly fitted across his shoulders. The fabric caught the warm golden lights of the store, glinting subtly, emphasizing the tailored precision of the cut. Becky’s eyes widened almost immediately.“Wow,” she breathed, stepping closer. “Jared… that is perfect.”He spun slowly in front of the mirror, evaluating the reflection. The jacket hugged his torso, the sleeves ending exactly where they should, and the deep emerald color complemented his skin tone. “It’s… fine,” he said modestly, though a corner of his mouth betrayed a small smirk.“Fine?” Becky echoed, incredulous. “Fine? Jared, you look like the CEO of the biggest companies in the country. Like people would just hand you their stock portfolios and call you ‘sir’ automatically.”He glanced at her, raising one brow. “CEO vibes? You’re exaggerating.”“Exaggerating?” she said, laughing lightly. “Please. Look at yourself. You could walk into a boardroom right now, sit at th

When Jared and his friends stepped out of the mall there was a sleek, black car waiting for them at the entrance. Becky and Brad looked at it suspiciously as they had never seen this vehicle before. But Jared gave them a quick nod. “It's alright, guys.” He smiled, “this is our ride.”The driver wound down the window glass and observed the trio. When his eyes fell on Jared, he smiled.“Good afternoon, young sir. I take it that you enjoyed your shopping spree?”“Yes, I did, Robert. Thank you.” Jared looked to his friends then back at the driver. “Could you please assist my friends with their bags.”“Oh, of course.” Robert said as he hurried out of the car. “Apologies, Mr. Jared.”Roberts lifted the shopping bags out of their hands and arranged them neatly in the trunk. Then, everyone got in and Robert pulled out of the mall’s parking lot.“This is cool,” Becky said, nodding her head approvingly. The car had nice air-conditioning and tinted windows. Brad could barely make out anything,

Sammy Jo had never moved so quickly in his life.All day long, the university buzzed with rumors, whispers swirling through the lecture halls and courtyards, leaking from group chats and gossip corners like wildfire. LAU had always been a hub for drama, but this was unprecedented. Sammy Jo—the golden boy, the campus prince, the one whose name alone made half the freshmen swoon—had been ordered by Director Hill himself to pay Jared.Twenty-five million dollars.Not in installments, not pending approval, not to be contested by lawyers or buried under paperwork.Immediately.At first, Sammy Jo refused to even believe it. His voice had risen so quickly that the secretary outside Director Hill’s office flinched at every shout. He paced back and forth like a caged animal.“This is a joke,” he barked. “Tell him it’s a joke! Hill would never do something this stupid.”Director Hill had merely adjusted his tie, sweat collecting along his thinning hairline. “My hands are tied, Sammy. I was giv

By the time Jared reached his morning class, the buzz around campus had not faded, it had intensified.Students were already seated when he entered, and as usual, the room shifted toward him like metal toward a magnet. Heads turned. Whispering flared. A few people even straightened their posture, as if being near him demanded a higher standard.But one person moved faster than all of them.Monica Simons.She practically launched herself out of her seat the second she saw him walking down the aisle, her long hair swishing dramatically as she abandoned her perfectly good spot in the front row. She clutched her notebook to her chest like a prop, smiling too brightly.Before Jared even reached the middle row, she slid into the seat beside his, forcefully, decisively, like she was claiming territory.“Jared! Oh my God, hi!” she said, breathless and triumphant.Jared stopped mid-motion, eyes narrowing slightly.He had absolutely not intended to sit next to Monica Simons.But now she had pla