Meanwhile, Logan began to lead Mia through the aisles of beautiful clothes and he was deeply happy when he saw the cheerful smile on her face as she began picking some clothes. “Dada, I like this one!” She said, jumping happily. “Dada, I want that dress! Can I have it?” With a warm look on his face, Logan lifted his daughter so he could look her in the eyes. “Of course, my princess, you can have anything you want.” Mia gave Logan a toothy smile before turning her gaze until she spotted a beautiful blue dress. “Dada, I want that Cinderella dress,” “Right away.” Logan carried his little girl to the aisle in the store and gently put her down. Mia had just picked up the dress when another little girl suddenly snatched it from her hand. "This is mine." The girl glared at Mia before pushing her to the ground. The middle-aged couple behind her simply stood there, watching their daughter bully another girl. Logan's eyes widened as he quickly rushed forward to help her up, che

The boutique went quiet. It was not peaceful, quiet, but the held-breath kind. Customers stood with their arms crossed, all the staff stopped moving between shelves, and the security guards remained frozen at the entrance. Every single person was waiting for Logan to be exposed. The staff worked efficiently, stacking dresses, shoes, toys, and accessories in neat rows by the counter. Each item was counted, recorded, and tagged. The final total appeared on the screen behind the cashier. It was a very large number. Now came the moment of payment. The middle-aged woman stood with her arms folded, a contented smile curving her lips. Whatever embarrassment she had suffered moments ago had been replaced by something sharper. She had a smug anticipation. "Let's see how he explains this one!" She announced, loud enough for the room to hear. Her husband chuckled beside her, "This is where men like him always fall apart. Trying to act rich where they don't belong. Everyone stay alert, let'

Stacy moved quickly. The moment Logan and Mia were out of sight, she turned back toward the boutique, the platinum card still warm in her palm. The staff noticed her immediately. One employee hesitated, remembering her from earlier, but Stacy didn't slow down. She held up the card and her voice came out smooth and assured. "I'd like to see the new arrivals. The higher-end collections." The manager gave a quiet nod to his staff. Within minutes, Stacy was no longer browsing. She was selecting, moving through dresses, shoes, handbags, and accessories without pausing to check prices. "That one, and that one." She flicked her wrist toward the display. "Actually, bring me all three colors." No one questioned her. The VIP card changed everything. She pulled out her phone and called her friends. "You won't believe where I am right now!" She squealed, laughing. "Come now. Bring nothing, just come." They arrived quickly, and by then Stacy was already in a fitting room, trying on a gown

Logan arrived at Synergy Corp the following morning before most of the staff.He used the private entrance and took the back elevator to the executive floor. The building was still finding its feet at that hour, the lobby filling slowly, the corridors carrying that particular quiet that only existed in the first thirty minutes of a working day.He went straight to his office, poured himself a coffee, and called Jared.Jared appeared at the door in under five minutes, a folder already tucked under his arm. He had clearly been in early. Logan gestured for him to sit."The client Francis assigned to Ava," Logan said, without preamble. "I need his full file."Jared placed the folder on the desk and opened it. "His name is Daniel Soh. He runs an import firm, mid-sized. Been a recurring account with Synergy Corp for close to two years." He pointed to a line near the top of the page. "Francis assigned him to Ava six weeks ago, shortly after she was promoted to Sales Director in Training."Lo

The evening air outside the restaurant was cool. Ava stood on the pavement, her folder pressed against her chest, her breathing steady but her hands were not. She had done it. She had actually done it.She walked to the nearest bus stop and sat down. The street around her moved at its usual pace, people passing without noticing her, cars going by without slowing. She stared at the road in front of her and let the reality of what just happened settle over her.Francis was going to hear about this before the night was over. Soh would call him, or send a message, and by tomorrow morning her name would be dragged through every corner of that office. She had worked too hard and endured too much to have it end like this, but she had reached a point where enduring any further was simply not something her body would allow.She thought about the way Soh had looked at her. She thought about the other meetings before this one, the comments she had let slide, the moments she had swallowed down an