2025-04-11 18:15:20A heavy silence settled over the store.
The total—$102,000.
James, Andrew, and Jackson stared at the figure on the screen, their disbelief mirroring each other’s expressions. The items they picked—a pair of jeans and a T-shirt each—shouldn’t have cost more than $12,000. So where did the rest come from?
Something was definitely wrong somewhere. Julian remained nonchalant, she could care less about their concerns anyway.
“Can we see the items again?” James demanded in an attempt to find out what was wrong.
Julian, however, refused. She was hellbent on getting the security to arrest Jackson. After much pressing, she brought them out to James and Andrew.
It didn’t take long for them to spot the problem.
Three wristwatches.
Each one valued at $30,000.
James frowned. “We didn’t pick any watches.”
Andrew shook his head, his voice rising. “This is a mistake. Somebody added these to our order.”
Julian folded her arms, her expression blank. “Not my problem. Either you pay or we call security.”
James and Andrew protested, their voices overlapping in frantic attempts to explain. Jackson, however, remained calm. His sharp eyes flickered to Tyler, who leaned against a glass display case, grinning like a man who knew exactly what was happening.
Julian wasn’t budging. She had every reason to push for the full payment. According to the store’s policy, she would earn a 10% commission on whatever she sold. That meant $10,200 if she forced them to pay for the watches. Tyler, ever the instigator, leaned in and whispered just loud enough for Julian to hear, “Make sure you get that money. He’s got nowhere to run.”
James took a deep breath. “Look, Jackson doesn’t have this kind of money. We were just trying to do something nice for him—”
Julian cut him off with a smirk. “Then maybe you should have thought about that before walking into Luxury Avenue.”
Jackson’s friends were now outright begging on his behalf.
Tyler, still livestreaming, laughed. “Damn, Jackson. First, you lose your girl, now you’re about to get arrested over some wristwatches. You’re having a rough week, man.”
Emily turned her head away. She wanted to leave, but Tyler wasn’t ready.
Mercy, standing nearby, had heard enough. She stepped forward, her voice firm. “Julian, let them go. They didn’t pick those watches.”
Julian rolled her eyes. “Stay out of this, Mercy. You’re lucky to even have this job.”
Mercy clenched her fists but said nothing.
Then, to everyone’s surprise, Jackson spoke.
“I’ll pay for it.”
The store fell into stunned silence.
Even Tyler stopped laughing.
James and Andrew spun toward him in shock. “Bro, what?”
Jackson nodded. “I said I’ll pay. But I’ll do it at Mercy’s desk.”
A ripple of murmurs spread through the store.
Julian’s expression darkened. She immediately suspected a trick. “No way. You’re just using that naive girl to get out of this.”
Tyler smirked again. “No, no, let him do it. This is getting interesting.”
Julian hesitated, then reluctantly agreed.
All eyes were now on Jackson.
He walked over to Mercy’s counter, his steps steady and unbothered. Mercy gulped, her fingers trembling as she entered the transaction under her name. This was the biggest sale she had ever processed.
Julian barked orders at the security guards to block all exits. “Just in case he tries something funny.”
The tension in the air was thick enough to cut with a knife.
Jackson reached into his pocket and pulled out his old, nearly expired debit card—the same one that looked too worn-out to hold any real money. He handed it to Mercy.
She swallowed hard and inserted it into the machine.
The screen prompted for a PIN.
Jackson entered the numbers.
Then, they waited.
For some reason, the transaction took longer than expected.
And then—click, click, click—heels against marble.
The store manager had arrived.
She was stunning, dressed in a sleek designer suit, with a presence that commanded immediate respect. She walked toward them, her sharp gaze sweeping over the situation.
“What’s going on here?” she asked coolly.
Julian rushed to speak first. “This boy is a thief. I caught him trying to scam his way out of paying.”
Mercy cut in sharply. “That’s not true.”
The manager raised a hand, silencing them both. “Let’s see what the transaction says.”
A beep.
Then another.
Then—Transaction Approved.
The machine spat out a receipt.
Jackson had just paid $102,000.
Gasps rippled through the store.
Mercy’s jaw dropped. Her commission had instantly shot up to over $10,000, more than all the money she had earned since working here.
Emily turned back, stunned.
James and Andrew looked like they had just witnessed a miracle.
Tyler’s smile was gone.
Julian stood frozen. “No… that’s not possible.”
She turned on Mercy. “You’re working with him, aren’t you?”
The manager’s sharp voice cut through the accusations. “Enough, Julian!”
The manager’s gaze lingered on Jackson. She had seen rich men in disguise before. The truly wealthy often preferred to stay low-key.
One transaction from Jackson had nearly matched everything Tyler had ever spent in this store.
She stepped forward, her tone softening. “I sincerely apologize for this embarrassment, sir. We will take disciplinary action against Julian.”
Jackson remained silent.
The manager turned to Julian. “Did you tear his shirt?”
Julian’s mouth opened and closed. “I—”
James and Andrew answered for her. “Yes, she did.”
SLAP!
The sound of the manager’s palm meeting Julian’s cheek echoed through the store.
Julian’s head snapped to the side, her face burning with humiliation.
The manager’s voice was like ice. “How dare you mistreat one of our top customers?”
Julian clutched her cheek, too stunned to respond.
The manager’s eyes flickered to Mercy. “You handled this well. From now on, you’re the new head of sales.”
A stunned gasp came from Mercy.
Julian’s head whipped around. “What?! That’s not fair!”
“You’re suspended,” the manager continued. “Maybe you’ll learn some manners under Mercy’s supervision.”
Julian’s face turned red. She had lost everything in an instant.
Meanwhile, Jackson remained expressionless.
He turned to Mercy. “Thanks for helping.”
Mercy could barely find her voice. “I—uh—thank you, sir.”
Jackson turned on his heel and walked out.
James and Andrew followed closely behind, still struggling to process everything that had happened.
As they passed Tyler, James let out a mocking laugh. “Yo, Tyler, what happened? Why’d you stop streaming?”
Tyler’s hands clenched into fists, but he said nothing.
Emily watched Jackson leave, something unreadable in her eyes.
As they stepped outside, a familiar voice called out to them.
“Jackson!”
A girl was running toward them.
Nancy Dupri.
One of their closest friends.
She was breathless, her face filled with urgency.
"Guys, I watched Tyler’s stream. How did you get off?
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Chapter 368: Time To Come Back Home!
“Isn’t she?” Don took a slow sip of water, his eyes never leaving hers. “She took in a woman who compromised your relationship. She listened to a stranger’s story over your lived experience. She asked you to swallow your pride, your pain, for the sake of her own moral posturing. That is not solidarity, Samantha. That is patronage. She keeps you close to feel better about herself, not to protect you.”Each sentence was a brick, building a wall between her and the memory of Hailey’s laughter, her unwavering support during the darkest days after Jack. The wall obscured the truth that Don’s own manipulations had been the catalyst for Jack’s death. In her vulnerable state, the simplified, brutal logic of his words began to overwrite the messy, complicated truth.“Evans is lost in his own world,” Don continued, mercilessly. “A useful man, perhaps, but compromised. Unreliable. And this nurse… Lorraine. She is a symptom of the disease, not the cause. The cause is your continued allegiance to
Chapter 367: A Father’s Manipulation!
The amber liquid arrived, catching the low light like a captured fire. Samantha lifted the glass, the first sip a familiar, welcome burn that traced a path of heat down her throat, momentarily eclipsing the cold knot in her stomach. She took another, longer pull, willing the alcohol to do its work—to blur the lines, to soften the hard edges of Hailey’s disappointed face, of Lorraine’s frightened eyes.How could she?The question had morphed, twisting into a more painful cousin: Had she driven Hailey away? The bourbon offered no answers, only a deepening haze. She was halfway through the glass, the world beginning to lose its painful definition, when a prickling sensation crept up her spine. A shift in the air. The faint scent of expensive cigar smoke and old-money cologne cutting through the bourbon-and-perfume haze.Someone was behind her. Watching.Her body went rigid, the glass freezing halfway to her lips. Every instinct, honed by a life of navigating corporate boardrooms and pers
Chapter 366: Just A Bottle Of Alcohol!
Lorraine moved toward the door, her movements deliberate. She had no shoes, no money, no real plan. But she had her pride, and a burning need to protect Hailey’s peace. She has no idea yet that Hailey is her little sister Dorin, whom she had spent the last two decades of her life trying to find.But there was this thing about Hailey that she really couldn’t explain, and coupled with the kindness that Hailey had shown her, she knew it would be insensitive of her to be the reason for the fracture between her and Samantha, and with that, she had to leave.Samantha watched her go, her expression conflicted. The righteous anger was still there, but it was now tinged with a sliver of something else—guilt, perhaps, or the uncomfortable awareness that she was casting out a wounded person into the night.As Lorraine’s hand touched the doorknob, Hailey made a decision. “Wait.” Her voice was firm. She turned to Samantha, her own resolve hardening. “Sam, I love you. You’re already like a sister t
Chapter 365: A Difficult Choice!
Hailey shot Lorraine an apologetic, worried glance before crossing to the door. She opened it, and there was Samantha, her face tight with stress, like someone who had spent the entire day working her ass out. That had become typical of Samantha since she lost her brother Jack.."Hey, Sam, come in," Hailey said, trying to keep her voice light, stepping aside.Samantha walked in, already talking. "You won't believe the news vans still camped outside the—" Her words died in her throat. Her gaze had swept past Hailey and landed on the living room, on the figure curled on the sofa in borrowed clothes.All the color drained from Samantha's face. Her friendly, stressed expression twisted into one of pure, icy shock, then hardened into anger."What is she doing here?"The question wasn't curious. It was an accusation, a reminder that not everyone is welcomed, especially not someone like Lorraine."Sam, just try and calm down," Hailey said quickly, moving to block Samantha's line of sight, he
Chapter 364: When Sisters Meet!
"It's secure. We can take you there." She looked at Andrew for confirmation. He gave a tight, reluctant nod, his eyes still glued to the road, scanning for any sign of pursuit.They drove in tense silence to Hailey's apartment building. Andrew pulled into a guest spot near the entrance but left the engine running.Hailey got out and opened the back door for Lorraine, who emerged stiffly, the knife now tucked discreetly but awkwardly into the waistband of her jeans, hidden by her torn shirt. She looked up at the well-lit lobby, a world away from the concrete hell she'd escaped.Andrew rolled down his window. "Hailey. A word."Hailey gave Lorraine an apologetic look. "Just a second. You can wait inside the lobby, it's warm."Lorraine nodded mutely, shuffling toward the glass doors, her bare feet cold on the pavement. She stepped into the sterile, bright lobby and stood just inside, watching them through the glass.Outside, by the car, the conversation was hushed but intense."Hailey, lo
Chapter 363:Unplanned Reunion!
Lorraine then moved like a ghost in the sudden dark, her bare feet silent on the cold concrete. The enforcer was a hulking silhouette, arms outstretched, swearing as he tried to regain his bearings. She slid past him, close enough to smell his stale sweat, and slipped through the open doorway into the dimly lit hall beyond.Freedom was a narrow corridor with peeling paint and the hum of a distant generator. She didn't look back. She ran.The hallway ended in a T-junction. Left or right? She chose right, following the slight draft of cooler air. Her heart was a frantic drum against her ribs, her breath ragged in her throat. The sound of the enforcer's furious yell echoed behind her, followed by the pounding of his boots.The corridor opened into a larger storage area—a cluttered space filled with crates and old machinery. The cool air was coming from a half-open metal door ahead, beyond which she could see a sliver of night sky.She was ten feet from the door when a second man steppe
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