Manager Idris leaned forward, his cordial mask completely gone. “Let me be very clear with you, Mr. Lu. Three years ago, you helped expedite a permit for one of our satellite locations. A minor bureaucratic favor that took you perhaps an afternoon of phone calls. I thanked you then with a complimentary dinner. We are now even. That debt, such as it was, has been paid.”Vincent’s hands gripped the armrests harder.“What you’re asking for now,” Idris continued, “is not the same as the favour. You’re asking me to risk my position, my reputation, and my relationship with Madame Duchamp herself…a woman I’ve worked for twenty-three years…so that your fiancée can attend a party. Do you understand how insulting that is?”“I’m not trying to insult you…”“Then what are you trying to do?” Idris asked coldly. “Because from where I’m sitting, you are attempting to cash in a favor that doesn’t exist for something that’s completely beyond my power to provide.”Vincent’s face burned. “I wouldn’t be h

Fifty floors above, Adrian stood with Sophia in the center of the penthouse suite.Sunlight flooded the space, reflecting off polished marble floors. Floor-to-ceiling windows wrapped around the entire apartment, offering an unobstructed view of the city skyline.Sophia turned slowly, taking it all in. “Adrian,” she said softly, “this is… I can’t accept this. This apartment must be worth…”“It’s an investment,” Adrian said simply. “I’ve followed Stellar Dynamics for years. Your innovation was remarkable. I tried to invest multiple times, but I could never get a share.” Although it was a lie as he only heard about it after meeting her, he said it to put her mind at ease.Sophia’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Consider this penthouse part of my investment in your future. When Stellar Dynamics rises again…and it will…I want to be part of that success.”“You really believe that?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.“I’m counting on it.”A tear slipped down her cheek. After the bank

Alexander sat hunched over the bar, drinking his third cheap beer of the evening.The place smelled like stale cigarettes and desperation. It has sticky floors, dim lighting, it was the kind of bar where nobody asked questions and everyone minded their own business.It was the only place Alexander could afford anymore.He stared at the remaining bills in his wallet. Eighty-seven yuan. That’s all he had left to his name. Eighty-seven yuan and a pile of debts he’d never be able to pay.Three months ago, he’d been a vice president. He’d had an office with a view, an assistant, a salary that let him live comfortably and pretend to be more successful than he really was.Now he had nothing.The bartender..:a middle-aged woman with tired eyes..:refilled his beer without asking. Alexander nodded his thanks and took a long drink.His phone sat on the bar beside him, screen dark. He’d stopped checking it weeks ago. There were no calls anymore. No messages. Just automated notifications from deb

Vincent stood in front of the mirror, adjusting his tie for the third time.The tuxedo he’d rented was perfect. It was expensive-looking enough to blend in with the crowd at Madame Duchamp’s gala.Behind him on the bed lay the dress he’d managed to get for Victoria. Maison Delacroix, just like he’d promised. It had cost him everything he had left plus another loan he’d taken out at interest rates that made his stomach turn.But it was worth it. Victoria would never doubt him again after this and they could proceed with the wedding.Vincent’s phone buzzed. A text from the loan shark.Don’t forget our agreement, Lu. One kidney and a pound of flesh if you can’t pay. Signed and notarized.Vincent’s jaw clenched. He’d agreed to it two days ago, desperate and out of options. If he couldn’t come up with the money in time, they’d take a kidney. Literally. The contract was legal enough in the gray areas where these people operated.He deleted the message and pocketed his phone.Tonight wasn’t

Sophia’s hand tightened around Adrian’s so hard her knuckles went white.“Did you hear that?” she whispered urgently, her eyes wide with excitement and barely contained panic. “A protégé. She’s looking for a protégé. Adrian, that’s… that’s the opportunity of a lifetime.”Around them, the ballroom buzzed with similar reactions. Excited whispers, phones being pulled out, people already strategizing how to approach Madame Duchamp.Sophia turned to Adrian, her expression determined. “I need to go talk to her. Right now. Before everyone else crowds around her and I lose my chance.”She started to move forward, but Adrian’s hand on her arm stopped her gently.“Sophia,” he said quietly. “You’re going to get it.”She looked up at him, hope and doubt warring in her eyes. “How can you possibly know that?”“Because I know you.” Adrian’s voice was calm, certain. “You’re brilliant. You’re innovative. You have exactly the kind of vision Madame Duchamp is looking for.”“But so do half the people in