Once Broken, Now Unstoppable

Chapter 9: Diamond Card?! Impossible!

"What do you mean the card has no issues?!"

"Diamond card?! Impossible!"

Both Rex and Jessica Jaymes screamed in unison, their voices filled with disbelief and fury, as if they had just been told that pigs could fly.

"You must be joking, Mr. Security! This walking disaster can’t even afford a bus ticket, let alone a diamond card!" Jessica spat, her face twisting in sheer outrage. There was just no way! No damn way!

Jessica’s nails dug into her palm as she glared at Thomas like he was a cockroach that had somehow crawled onto a golden platter.

"Miss, I'm not mistaken," Noel replied calmly, "this card is definitely original."

"You dare say definitely?!" Jessica shrieked, her voice laced with mockery as she pointed a sharp, manicured finger at Thomas.

"Do you even know who this piece of trash is? This was my husband—if you can even call him that! A man so poor, cockroaches in his apartment probably paid him rent!"

Her lips curled in disgust before she scoffed, stepping closer.

"Let me educate you, Mr. Security, since you seem to be lacking brain cells. This thing used to work as a lowly security guard—yes, security guard—earning a whopping $100 a month! He couldn’t even afford to eat properly, let alone buy decent clothes. And now you want me to believe he has a diamond membership card worth $25 million?! Are you on something?"

The guards exchanged glances, their faces filled with shock.

What the hell...?

The revelation hit them like a wrecking ball. It was as if someone had just exposed the president as a mere puppet, controlled by unseen hands.

Seeing their disbelief, Jessica felt a twisted sense of satisfaction. Perfect. Let them simmer in doubt.

But she wasn’t done. Oh no, she was just getting started.

"And that’s not even the best part!" she continued, voice dripping with venom. "Not only is he broke, but he has no connections, no power, no status! He’s a beggar, a nobody! If he can’t even afford underwear without charity, how the hell can he afford a $25 million card?!"

The humiliation thickened the air.

"From the moment he set foot in my Jaymes family’s home, we were the ones feeding him, clothing him, making sure he didn’t drop dead from starvation! Shoes? We bought them. Food? We provided it. Health care? Our family’s money! So tell me, how does a man who has been spoon-fed like a helpless infant suddenly own something even I can only dream of?"

Jessica scoffed, her eyes burning with hostility.

"You’re a joke if you think I’ll just take one look at that card and believe it’s real! You better scan that thing properly, or I’ll assume you’re in on this pathetic scam!"

Jessica folded her arms, her gaze sharp enough to cut steel.

If they weren’t in public, she would have already called her family's guards to beat Thomas until even his unknown parents—wherever those dirtbags were—would feel the pain in their graves.

Rex, who had been fuming silently ever since Thomas had slapped Jessica in front of him, finally stepped forward with a smug smile.

"If that’s too much for you to process, let me make it easier for your tiny brain," Rex said, sneering. "Do you know what this loser was doing just a few hours ago?"

His eyes gleamed with cruel amusement as he turned to the guards.

"He was begging my woman’s little sister for money!"

Gasps erupted from the security team.

"And guess what? She’s not even some rich businesswoman! She’s nineteen—a sophomore! A girl still in school, saving every penny for years, living frugally just to secure her future!"

Jessica burst into laughter, shaking her head.

"And this disgraceful excuse for a man actually had the nerve to ask her for money! Can you imagine? A grown man, groveling before a teenage girl for a few thousand dollars!"

Rex smirked and spread his arms dramatically.

"Tell me, how does a shameless beggar—who was just asking for $50,000—suddenly afford a membership card worth millions?!"

More gasps. More disbelief.

Jessica clicked her tongue in mock pity.

"Just this morning, he was trying to impress me with a cheap-ass $800 diamond ring. Just this morning, he was groveling for money like a stray dog. And now, out of thin air, he magically owns a $25 million card?"

She threw her head back and laughed coldly.

"Please. Who do you think you’re fooling? Cinderella had a more believable transformation."

Rex folded his arms, his smirk deepening.

"You don’t need to be a genius to see something fishy here. Check the damn card. It has to be a knockoff!"

"Yes!" Jessica added, practically foaming at the mouth. "Stop wasting time and take it to the front desk! Verify it properly!"

Even Noel, the security leader, was starting to sweat bullets.

He glanced at Thomas, expecting at least some kind of defense. But Thomas remained silent. Unbothered.

The air grew heavier.

Noel’s mind raced. Could this really be happening?

He had seen cases like this before—a long time ago. Someone had tried to fake their status, and the Pavilion had made an example out of them. The consequences had been brutal.

Swallowing, he opened his mouth to ask for the card.

But before he could speak, Thomas took a slow step forward.

His calm gaze met Jessica’s fiery one.

For a moment, the room fell silent.

Then, in an eerily quiet voice, he asked:

"Did you just say I can’t afford a Pavilion membership card?"

Jessica’s lips curled into a sneer.

"Yes! You can’t and will NEVER be able to! Stop pretending, trash. You belong in the gutter, not among the elite!"

A smirk played on Thomas’s lips.

Without a word, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the card.

He handed it to Noel.

"Take the card. Go downstairs and verify it," he said casually, "and when you’re done, come back and announce the truth to these clowns before me."

Jessica’s chest heaved, her face twisting in rage.

"Y-You—!"

Since when did this man dare talk back to her like that?!

Noel bowed slightly, his hands trembling as he accepted the card.

"Y-Yes, sir. I will get this done immediately."

Without another word, he rushed toward the elevator.

As the doors shut behind him, silence blanketed the room.

Only Rex, Jessica, Thomas, and three security guards remained. The guards stood ready, just in case Thomas tried to escape.

Jessica sneered, crossing her arms.

"I can’t wait to see how long you keep this pathetic act up. Once the truth comes out, you’ll be begging for mercy."

Thomas didn’t reply. He simply stood there, calm, unfazed.

And then—

Ding.

The elevator doors opened.

Noel stepped out.

Jessica and Rex’s eyes gleamed with excitement.

But Noel’s face was dark. Cold.

Like he was ready to skin someone alive.

And who else could that fury be directed at… if not Thomas? Jessica thought excitedly.