Chapter 9
Author: Prettypen
last update2026-03-12 15:36:18

Meanwhile, Travis, the true orchestrator of everything that had happened, was sitting comfortably in the living room with a glass of wine in his hand. The lights were dim, the television playing softly in the background.

Marcus had been accused.Morgan had made a fool of herself online. Jessica ’s company stock had dropped. And he had escaped suspicion completely.

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Travis frowned slightly. “Who is it?”

A servant opened the door, and a mailman stepped inside holding an envelope.

“Delivery,” the mailman said. “For you mister. This is what you asked for.”

Travis looked confused.

“What I asked for?” he said. He didn't remember asking for anything.

“Yeah, mister… This is for you.” The mailman stated. 

Travis hesitated for a moment, then reached out and took the envelope.

“…Alright.”

The mailman left, and Travis looked down at the letter in his hand, still puzzled.

“What is this?”

The envelope looked expensive. Thick paper and Gold-edged seal. His curiosity immediately rose as he tore it open.

The moment he pulled out the card inside, his eyes widened. For a second, he thought he was seeing wrong.

It was an invitation. Not just anyone, It was an invitation to the Spencer family’s annual business banquet.

Travis stood up so suddenly that the wine glass in his hand almost fell.

“No way…” he whispered.

He read the card again and again. 

The Spencer family banquet was one of the most exclusive events in the entire city. Only the top businessmen, powerful families, and high-level partners were invited every year. Even wealthy people could not attend unless they had real connections.

And now…He had an invitation.

Travis’s face slowly broke into a huge smile. “Haha… this… this is big,” he said excitedly. “I really hit the jackpot this time!”

He immediately started thinking. One of my friends must have sent this. Or maybe someone wants to get close to me.

He didn’t know how the invitation had arrived, but he didn’t care. What mattered was that he had it.

“If I tell Jessica I got this through connections… she will definitely think more highly of me,” he muttered. “The Spencer banquet… hahaha… even her company can’t easily get an invitation.”

He imagined how Jessica and Morgan would look at him in his head. He clenched the invitation tightly.

“If I play this right… Jessica will be mine sooner or later.” He laughed softly, completely satisfied.

What Travis did not know was that this invitation had not been meant for him at all. It had originally been prepared by Marcus as a gift. A wedding surprise he had planned for Jessica . He intentionally didn’t put a name. The mailman therefore made a mistake. 

If Jessica had gone to the city hall that day like they agreed… Marcus would have revealed everything. But she never came. And now the invitation had ended up in Travis’s hands.

At that moment, Jessica was still in her office, surrounded by documents and reports. The atmosphere in the company was tense, and everyone was busy trying to control the damage caused by the scandal.

Her head hurt from looking at numbers all afternoon. Just as she finished another call with the finance department, her phone rang again.

She looked at the screen. Travis.

Jessica took a breath and forced herself to calm down before answering. When she spoke, her voice was gentle again, completely different from the cold tone she had used earlier for Marcus.

“Travis,” she said softly. “How are you? Sorry I don't have time for you today. Things are a mess here.”

On the other end, Travis sounded excited. “Jessica , I called because I have a huge surprise for you.”

Jessica frowned slightly. “A surprise?”

“Yes,” Travis said proudly. “You won’t believe this. I got an invitation to the Spencer family’s banquet next Saturday night.”

For a moment, Jessica thought she heard wrong. “…What did you say?”

“The Spencer banquet,” Travis repeated. “I have the invitation.”

Jessica stood up from her chair.

“That’s impossible,” she said. “Do you know how hard it is to get invited there?”

Travis chuckled confidently.

“I told you, I have some connections. Wait, I will send you a picture.”

A second later, her phone received the image. Jessica opened it quickly. The moment she saw the invitation card, her eyes widened. It was real.

Her heartbeat sped up. “This… this could solve everything…” she whispered.

If she could attend the Spencer banquet, she could meet investors, partners, and people powerful enough to stabilize the company. The stock problem, the media pressure, the board complaints… all of it could be fixed.

Jessica ’s voice became noticeably warmer.

“Travis… This is amazing. You have no idea how important this is right now. Please let go together”

Travis smiled on the other end, hearing the excitement in her voice. Since she was in such a good mood, he decided to push his luck.

“Sure, we will…. But you have dinner with me tomorrow?” he asked. “At the Red Dragon restaurant. Let’s celebrate a little.”

Jessica paused. For a moment, she didn’t answer. She had originally planned to meet Marcus tomorrow and talk to him again, to clear up the misunderstanding and make him calm down.

But now… Travis had just brought her an invitation that could save the company.

Compared to that, Marcus's matter suddenly felt much less urgent. She thought quietly for a few seconds.

Besides… if Marcus really had no money, he would come back sooner or later anyway.

That was what she believed.

xxxx

The next evening, Marcus changed into a clean, well-fitted shirt and arrived at the Red Dragon restaurant right on time. The place was as luxurious as ever, with crystal lights hanging from the ceiling and soft music filling the air. Wealthy guests sat at the tables, talking quietly while waiters moved back and forth.

Damien spotted him immediately and waved.

“You came! Good, good,” Damien said, walking over with a tray in his hand. “Give me a few minutes. My shift ends soon, then we will eat properly.”

Marcus nodded. “Take your time.”

Damien was about to say something else when his face suddenly changed. Grrrrrr. His stomach makes a grumpy sound. 

“Ah… wait… my stomach…” he muttered, bending slightly.

Marcus frowned. “What now?”

“I need the restroom. Urgently,” Damien said quickly.

Before Marcus could react, Damien pulled off his uniform jacket and threw it onto him.

“Help me cover for a minute, just stand here. If the manager sees my station empty, I’m dead.”

“Hey—” Marcus started, but Damien had already run off.

Marcus shook his head helplessly, a bitter smile on his face, but he put the jacket on anyway.

At that moment, the restaurant door opened. Jessica walked in, arm in arm with Travis.

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