Oliver let out a calm smile, his eyes narrowing slightly as a cold expression settled on his face. "You're right, why won't I?" he responded, his tone icy and composed.Lila's scorn was unmistakable. She threw her head back and let out a sarcastic laugh, her eyes gleaming with mockery. "Really? Oliver afford a bag this much?" she sneered, her gaze landing on the $89,000 price tag of the bag Anita had been eyeing earlier. "You? A pauper like you? Trying to level up so bad—it’s laughable!"She continued, "You’re in way over your head, Oliver. You’re just digging your own grave, pretending to be something you're not. This is going to put you in serious trouble one day, mark my words."Her words dripped with disdain, but beneath her confident exterior, a seed of unease began to sprout. She couldn’t shake the memories of her past encounters with Oliver. She recalled their run-in at the Luxor Hotel—how she had expected him to be exposed as a fraud or a thief, yet, to her bewilderment, he h
Lila and her companion stood frozen, their eyes locked on Oliver. The confidence with which he moved, the calm in his demeanor, and the absolute lack of fear in his voice were all completely at odds with the image of him they had clung to for so long. Every word he spoke, every action he took seemed to defy the expectations they had so carefully built around him.Lila's breath hitched as she watched Anita wheel the overflowing cart towards the register. Her gaze darted to the items, her mind racing as she tried to calculate the worth of everything piled inside. Her heart sank as the numbers began to add up—thousands upon thousands of dollars. The realization was like a punch to the gut. Could this really be happening? Could Oliver, the man she had always considered beneath her, actually afford this?For years, Lila had carried a deep-seated belief that Oliver was a nobody, someone to be mocked and dismissed. But that belief was now crumbling under the weight of what she was witnessi
The air in the room seemed to grow heavier as the final figure was announced. Lila’s heart pounded in her chest, her mind reeling at the sheer audacity of it all. How could this be happening? Oliver was supposed to be the pauper here, the one barely scraping by, not the one making extravagant purchases without a second thought.Meanwhile, Anita’s smile grew even wider, a mix of disbelief and glee painted across her face. To her, it felt as though she had won the jackpot, her wildest dreams unfolding right before her eyes.Oliver, however, merely smiled sheepishly, his calm demeanor unshaken by the staggering total. He turned to Anita and said, "I hope you’re satisfied with your picks. Let’s get these wrapped up."At the same time, When the assistant called out the total—$350,000—the shock on Lila and her companion’s faces was almost palpable. Lila’s eyes widened in disbelief, her carefully calculated confidence beginning to unravel as she processed the staggering figure. The man bes
Lila's face turned a deep shade of red, her anger bubbling to the surface. She opened her mouth to retort, but no words came out. The sting of Anita's words cut deep, leaving her seething with rage and embarrassment. She could only watch, helpless and fuming, as Oliver and Anita walked away, leaving her and her companion in the wreckage of their shattered pride.As they exited the store, Oliver couldn't help but relish in the moment. The bewilderment, the disbelief, the raw anger—it all gave him goosebumps. He smiled to himself, satisfied that he had once again proven his doubters wrong. With Anita by his side and the memory of Lila's stunned expression etched in his mind, Oliver felt a sense of triumph that would stay with him for a long time.As Oliver drove through the city streets, the sun was beginning to set, he had just dropped Anita off at her house, and as he headed back home, he found his thoughts drifting. The day had been a whirlwind of unexpected events, and he felt th
Mrs. Martha looked at the money in her hands, her eyes widening with surprise. "Oliver, this is… so generous of you. Thank you! The children will benefit so much from this. You have no idea how much this means to us."Oliver felt a deep sense of fulfillment seeing her reaction. "I’m just glad to be able to help, even in a small way," he said warmly. "It was really good to catch up with you, and I’m happy to see that the orphanage is doing well."With that, he bid her farewell and made his way to his car. As he drove home, his mind wandered back to the events of the day, a sense of peace settled over him, knowing that he had reconnected with a piece of his past.The next morning, despite the lingering exhaustion from the previous day's stress , Oliver woke up with a renewed sense of determination. He was set on having a productive day at the office. After getting ready, he made his way to the company headquarters, his mind focused and ready to tackle whatever the day would bring.When
Oliver looked straight at the manager and he delivered the bombshell of bad news."Mr. Oliver, we have some urgent developments to report," said Mr. Harris, the head of Sales, his voice grave. "Five of our top sales leaders have resigned... and they’ve all joined a rival company."Oliver’s heart sank further. "What? How did this happen? Who’s the rival company?" His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation. Losing five key players in their sales team was a devastating blow, especially after the morning’s revelations.Mr. Harris exchanged glances with the others before continuing. "It’s… it's Luminary Industries, sir. They’ve been aggressively headhunting our top talent over the past few weeks. They offered them significantly higher pay and better incentives, and it seems they couldn’t resist the offer."Oliver clenched his fists, the weight of the situation becoming almost unbearable. "Luminary Industries… Of course," he muttered, recognizing the name. They were a major co
Victor, now brimming with confidence and a sense of victory, straightened in his chair and began to speak."So, gentlemen," Victor began, his voice dripping with satisfaction, "it seems our little plan is working flawlessly. Howard Group is reeling, just as we anticipated. And to think, all it took was a few strategic moves and a well-placed insider." He glanced at Mr. Smith, who returned his gaze with a nod of acknowledgment."Indeed, Mr. Langston," Mr. Smith replied, his tone equally triumphant. "Their sales team is in shambles, and their clients are already questioning their stability. The panic is spreading like wildfire."Victor chuckled, leaning forward as he poured himself a glass of wine from the bottle he had just opened. The sound of the liquid filling the glass was a prelude to the toast he was about to make. "To the beginning of the end for Howard Group," he said, raising his glass. "This is only the first strike. By the time we're done, there won't be anything left of t
A few days later, In the middle of a stressful morning at work, Oliver decided he needed a break. His mind had been racing with problems and new developments from the news from luminary Industries, and unwinding with some food seemed like a good way to clear his headHe drove to a nearby restaurant, the streets quiet compared to the chaos inside his mind. Just as he was nearing the restaurant, his phone chimed.He glanced at the screen, a message. It was from the orphanage, a gentle reminder about the upcoming fundraiser. A flicker of warmth spread through him as he recalled his recent visit.After enjoying a meal at the restaurant, the urge to make sure everything was in place for the orphanage event nagged at him. He decided to stop by the bank to withdraw some cash, not just for the fundraiser but for his own expenses as well. His focus shifted to the task at hand, and he drove straight to "Imperial Trust Bank", a high-end international financial institution renowned for its exclu