As Anna seethed with anger, she slammed her hand on her desk and muttered to herself, "You want to joke with Gemstar, forgetting we made you? You’ll be destroyed under my watch." She picked up her phone again and dialed a number, her expression steely.Meanwhile, at the manor, Ambrose was sitting at the dining table, eating a simple meal that Evelyn had prepared for him: steamed rice with stir-fried vegetables and a small portion of tofu. It was modest but hearty, a far cry from the extravagant dishes Ava was likely enjoying with Jin. As he took a bite, his phone rang. He paused, glancing at the screen. Seeing Anna’s name displayed, he quickly looked around to ensure no one else was in the room before answering the call.“Hello, Master Li,” Anna’s voice came through, crisp and businesslike. “Good day. I was able to sit down with Mr. Wei to discuss the percentage increase.”“Good,” Ambrose replied calmly. “What was the feedback?”Anna explained the heated exchange with Malcolm Wei, det
Dera reached the front entrance of the manor, her steps brisk and purposeful. She pushed open the large, heavy gate, letting it swing wide. She quickly made her way to Ava's car and unlocked the door and slid into the driver's seat. The leather interior was cool and comforting, but Dera was in no mood to relax. She started the engine, and the car roared to life with a low, powerful hum.Glancing in the rearview mirror, Dera adjusted her sunglasses, a determined look on her face. She shifted the car into gear, and with a confident press of the accelerator, the vehicle glided out of the driveway and onto the road. The main gate creaked as it slowly closed behind her. Meanwhile, Ava and Jin arrived at her office building. Jin parked the luxurious car in front of a modern, sleek structure. The exterior was modest but stylish, with clean lines and large windows that hinted at the creative work taking place inside.As they stepped out of the car, Jin couldn't help but take in the sight of
“No, don’t go. Come in, Dera. Nothing is happening. I was actually waiting for you,” Ava said quickly, her voice flustered and her face burning with embarrassment.Jin stood up slowly, his eyes drifting over Dera from head to toe. He couldn’t help but notice that she, too, was quite beautiful. Turning back to Ava, he said, “I’ll take my leave.” As he walked past Dera, he paused, leaning in slightly. “Your friend here,” he said quietly, “if you want what’s best for her, just advise her. I’ll treat her well.” With that, he walked out, leaving a tense silence in his wake.Dera’s eyes widened as she closed the door behind him. She turned to Ava, her expression playful. “Tell me,” she teased, “did you two…?”“Don’t say nonsense,” Ava snapped back quickly. “Nothing happened, nothing will happen, and nothing must happen.” She sat down abruptly, clearly flustered.Dera grinned, clearly amused by Ava's reaction. “Come on, Master Jin is young and handsome. Looks charming too. I can’t wait to se
Aurora leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms as if to shield herself from the emotional sting she felt. "I'll just act like I never knew him," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "Better to forget... just like he seems to have forgotten me." She tried to focus on the stack of papers on her desk, but her thoughts kept drifting back to Ambrose, her mind replaying their last moments together.She drew in a deep breath, straightening her posture. "Alright," she told herself firmly. "Time to move on. There’s work to be done." And with that, she picked up the nearest file and forced herself to focus. At the same time, Malcolm Wei got down from his car, his expression still clouded with anger as he walked toward the entrance of the Wei mansion. His mind was still reeling from the tense meeting with Anna at Gemstar. The audacity of their demands, asking for a 30 percent cut instead of the agreed 10 percent, had infuriated him. He pushed open the heavy front door and strode inside.
Malcolm touched his reddened cheek, his voice trembling. “I didn’t do anything, Dad. I just didn’t agree with Anna’s terms and left.”Elder Wei's anger was far from abated. He slapped Malcolm again, harder this time. “You fool!” he thundered. “Instead of negotiating or at least telling her you needed time to consider, you stormed out in anger? Are you out of your mind? They demanded 30 percent, and now look—we’ve lost 40 percent in mere minutes! You’ve destroyed years of my hard work, Malcolm!”Malcolm stood there, shaken and speechless. Elder Wei's face twisted with rage as he looked at Malcolm. "You idiot! You’ve ruined everything! Do you have any idea what this means for our family? You’ve made a complete mess of things. If you ever dare to defy me or act so recklessly again, I’ll make sure you pay for this—both professionally and personally. You’ve betrayed our family’s legacy, Malcolm!”Malcolm, still reeling from the slaps and the curses, tried to regain his composure, but the
Chen, catching his breath from the earlier chaos, began to recount the events. “We received news that Gemstar demanded a 30 percent stake from us instead of the 10 percent we were paying. Master Malcolm refused to agree to their terms and left the negotiation angrily. As a result, Gemstar retaliated by causing a massive downturn in our market value. Investors pulled out, our stock prices plummeted, and we’re facing severe legal and financial consequences.”Jin’s eyes widened as he absorbed the gravity of the situation. “So, the entire collapse is because of this negotiation?”Chen nodded solemnly. “Yes. The sudden market crash has put us in a dire financial position, and we’re now heavily indebted. It’s a complete disaster.”Jin’s face grew pale as he processed the information, realizing the full extent of the crisis his family was facing.Later that night, Ava and Dera arrived back at the manor. Ava parked the car and they walked inside, where they found her parents, Elizabeth and he
“It’s the latest Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra,” Ambrose responded, glancing at the phone in his hand.Elizabeth’s curiosity deepened. “How much did that cost?”“I got this for $1400,” Ambrose replied casually.“What?” Jacob’s voice rang out sharply, his shock apparent. “$1400? Where did you get that kind of money? Over 9000 yuan just for a phone?”Ambrose began to respond, “It’s—”“Shut up,” Jacob cut him off, his voice dripping with accusation. “You’re manipulating my daughter, aren’t you? Using her money to buy this phone. This is Ava’s money, isn’t it?”Ambrose frowned, meeting his father-in-law’s angry gaze. “I don’t understand why you’d assume that. Does Ava buy my phones for me? Do I need permission to spend money on myself?”Jacob, taken aback by Ambrose’s defiant tone, turned to Elizabeth, pointing an accusatory finger. “Do you see how he’s speaking to me? Disrespecting me in my own home!”Just then, the sound of light footsteps descending the stairs caught everyone’s attention. A
As the hot dog vendor began preparing their order, Ambrose suddenly said, “We’ll be back in a bit. Let’s check out some other things first.”The vendor, a cheerful man, nodded and smiled. “Alright, sir. I’ll have them ready when you return.”Ambrose turned to Ava with a grin. “I want to make this night a nice one for us. We’ll try a lot of different things, okay?”Ava, feeling a bit more relaxed now, nodded. “Alright.”They continued down the lively street until they came across a kebab stand. The rich smell of marinated meat grilling over an open flame wafted through the air. Ambrose immediately approached the vendor, his eyes on the sizzling kebabs.“Could you grill a couple for us quickly? With pepper powder and onions on it?” Ambrose asked, flashing a friendly smile.The vendor nodded and got to work, sprinkling a generous amount of pepper and seasoning over the kebabs before placing them on the grill. Soon, the meat was charred perfectly, releasing an irresistible aroma. Ambrose