Jessica spotted the both of them from afar, she wondered what they could be arguing about, so she walked closer to them. Travis spotted her first, and something in his chest tightened. He straightened up fast, brushing beer off his sleeve and put on that performative pity face. "Travis, what happened?" she asked, arriving breathless, her eyes flicking between the shattered glass and the two men standing stiff with tension. Travis didn't waste a second. "Marcus bumped into me," he said quickly, pointing at the mess on the floor. "The beer just slipped out of my hand and broke. And instead of saying sorry, he pulled out his wallet like he was trying to insult me, like he could just throw money at it and walk away." Jessica's frown deepened as she turned to Marcus. "Is that true?" she asked, her voice sharpening with every word. "How can you be so cruel? Just because you have a little money now doesn't mean you can look down on people. You knock into someone, all you have to do is

"Yes, do whatever you want!" Mrs. Morgan snapped, standing her ground with her chin held high, arms crossed defiantly. "Travis is the one behind it, and nothing you say is going to change that. Go ahead and make your little calls. Empty threats don't scare us." Natalie’s lips curved into a cold, knowing smile. Without another word, she stepped aside, pulling out her phone. The room fell into a tense silence as she made the calls—her voice low, authoritative, and laced with the unmistakable weight of Langstone influence. It took her barely three minutes. When she returned, slipping the phone back into her bag, that same calm, triumphant smile played on her face. Travis’s heart was beating so fast he could hear it thundering in his ears. Sweat prickled at the back of his neck. Jessica shifted uncomfortably beside him, glancing between Natalie and Travis. She wasn’t sure what to believe anymore. Part of her still clung to the hope that Travis had really come through for her. D

Natalie and Marcus reached home in comfortable silence, the city lights blurring past the tinted windows of their car. Natalie leaned back against the leather seat, a deep sense of fulfillment washing over her. She had finally gotten one over on jessica. The image of Jessica on her knees, humiliated in front of strangers, replayed in Natalie's mind like a sweet victory. A small, satisfied smile tugged at her lips. She deserved every second of it. As they stepped in, the door clicking shut behind them, Natalie kicked off her heels and sighed contentedly. She turned to Marcus, her eyes sparkling with lingering triumph. “I never get why Travis always lies and that stupid Jessica always listened to him. It’s like she’s blind to his obvious bullshit.” Marcus expression calm and detached as he poured himself a drink from the bar cart. “I already paid what I owed her. So whatever she does now is none of my business.” Natalie nodded, settling onto the plush sofa and tucking her legs be

Victoria let out another mocking laugh, her eyes gleaming with satisfaction. "You really are unbelievable, Julia." She tilted her head as she looked her up and down, making no attempt to hide the contempt on her face. "You actually believed that man could give you a better life? That poor excuse of a husband?" Eden smirked and slowly shook his head. Victoria covered her mouth as another laugh escaped her. She gestured around the office with a proud smile. "And do you know what's even more pathetic? Out of every real estate company in the city, you ended up here." She slipped her arm through Eden's. "You came to my fiancé's company to rent the cheapest apartment available." Her smile widened. "Imagine that. The woman who once acted so proud is now standing in front of the man she rejected, asking his employees for a ten-thousand-dollar apartment." Eden looked at Julia with complete indifference. "If I had known you were coming, I would have instructed them to

Julia's eyes gradually became glossy. She covered her mouth with both hands. "Oh... my goodness..." Tears threatened to spill from her eyes. "I... I don't even know what to say. Thank you... I'm truly grateful. This is already more than I could ever ask for." Her shoulders trembled slightly as she let out a nervous laugh. The younger man smiled knowingly. "We're glad to hear that." He reached into the leather briefcase he had been carrying and carefully removed a thick black folder embossed with an elegant golden seal. "However," he said, placing it in Julia's hands, "the Senate President has one more expression of gratitude." Julia looked down at the luxurious folder in confusion. "What's this?" "A list of appreciation gifts," the older man explained. "The Senate President instructed us to tell you that you may choose anything inside. Whatever you select will be presented to you as his personal token of gratitude." Julia blinked. "...Anything?" "Yes." She slowly opened