Fifteen minutes later, the Sterling Hill community cab halted before a luxurious estate. Ted Farkus stepped out of the car excitedly."I am convinced you two are tourists!" he declared, confronting Tyler and Yara. "Clearly, you don't have the intention or the money to buy a property in Sterling Hill!""But we paid for the tour, didn't we?" Yara snapped back."Fine! Whip out your cameras! Feast your eyes on the best property in the Midlands! Behold Regent Hall!"As Yara walked into the compound, she looked around in wonder like a little girl in Disneyland. The lawns had fountains, monuments, and flower gardens. The main building consisted of marble halls decorated with painted art and chandeliers. Yara realized there were more rooms than she could cover within a single day."This is amazing!" she said aloud. "I've always dreamed of owning a house like this!"Ted Farkus scoffed. "Every woman in Sapphire City would want to marry the owner of Regent Hall. Alas, nobody can afford to purchas

Dolt and Farkus exchanged surprised glances. Had the young man finally lost his mind? What was he playing at?"This is ridiculous!" Farkus barked. "Do you think us fools! Stop this farce immediately! You're taking it too far!""You're a lunatic, kid," Dolt said with a patronizing shake of his head. "You need to be taught a serious lesson! Let's start with your girlfriend."The Chairman eyed Yara's body with desire and licked his lips, realizing he couldn't wait anymore. He motioned to the guards sharply. "Take the girl into a room and strip her! I'll join you in a minute!"Yara's eyes widened in panic. Did they really intend to detain and strip her illegally? She looked towards Tyler, who appeared relatively calm and composed, given the situation.The young woman figured she shouldn't always depend on him for help. She pulled out the sharp pin from her hairdo. Lustrous, beautiful hair cascaded down to her waist. The sight was so mesmerizing that many of the onlookers forgot to breathe

While Erica and Melissa continued venting at Tyler, Tim Owen took the opportunity to approach and flirt with Yara. He was completely mesmerized by her appearance and wanted to ask her out.“Miss Mathews,” he said, his shifty eyes wandering up and down her body. “I have my own Lamborghini and a nice bungalow in the foothills of Sterling Hill. You can ditch Tyler; he’s a poor ex-convict who can’t even afford a hotdog date. Come with me; I’ll take you out for a fancy dinner and go shopping for designer clothes and shoes. What do you say we get out of here?”Melissa was utterly shocked by her boyfriend’s shameless proposal. Did he just ask Yara out while she was around? It was beyond humiliation and worse than rejection.On the other end, Erica kept trying to establish as a fact that Tyler was a loser who would die alone.Yara pursed her lips and finally spoke up. “Did you assume Mr. Grant is my driver?” she said, walking over to Tyler.“Actually, he is my lover. I’ve never met a more han

The bone-weary girl was none other than Tyler's sister!"Tracy!" he exclaimed, rushing towards her in alarm. The girl raised her eyes in recognition of his voice but stumbled on a rock and fell.Tyler reached just in time to catch her weightless body. She looked up at his face and smiled bitterly. "Ty… Are you really here..? Or am I dreaming…?“Tyler could smell alcohol on her breath. She was wasted and could barely speak."I'm here, Tracy… Everything is going to be alright."The young man carried his sister inside the house and laid her on the couch. After covering her with a blanket, he turned to Rollo, who looked guilty as hell."Uncle! I'll give you a minute to explain yourself! No more lies!"Rollo gulped anxiously and hid behind a chair. "You see… Tracy indeed works as a maid… But my male tenants… the losers living in my apartments… They are alone and looking for company… So they pay me a hundred bucks for spending an hour with her… But nothing sexual, of course… Just a date…""

The Annual Minerals Exhibition was held downtown in the suburbs of Sapphire City. It was an important event because of the sheer variety of valuable minerals showcased. Ranging from industrial minerals like gypsum to precious metals like gold and silver and stones like diamond—they were available in their purest and rarest forms. Therefore, the exhibition attracted many wealthy and upper-class people across the country.Tyler wasn’t really interested in precious stones. He was on the lookout for a rare object called the Martyr’s Bloodstone. It could remove the most stubborn curses and heal the most terminal illnesses.After exploring over a hundred lanes of the exhibition ground, he finally found a vendor claiming to sell ores from Olympus Hill, a mineral-rich region.“Come here, young man!” the vendor called out, realizing his goods had caught Tyler’s attention. “I am Jabba, one of the most esteemed sellers of rare minerals. What are you looking for? May I interest you in red diamond