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
Ava looked over the selection of ice cream and then glanced at Ambrose. “We’ll have two vanilla cones,” she said confidently, then added, “And can you sprinkle some crushed almonds on both?” The vendor nodded with a smile, “Coming right up!” As the vendor prepared their cones, Ambrose watched Ava, a small smile playing on his lips. “You’ve got good taste,” he said softly. Ava shrugged, trying to appear indifferent, but her eyes flickered with a hint of satisfaction. "Vanilla's a classic. Can't go wrong.” The vendor handed them their ice creams, and they both started licking quietly, enjoying the sweetness. Ambrose broke the silence, a playful glint in his eye. “Can I lick your ice cream?” he teased, turning to Ava. Ava shot him a weird look, not amused by the suggestion. “No,” she replied flatly. Ambrose grinned. “Alright, do you want to lick mine?” She didn’t respond this time, just kept her focus on her ice cream, avoiding his gaze. Ambrose, still smiling, leaned closer and sa
Elder Wei sat at his desk, his eyes fixated on the stock chart displayed on the screen. The numbers were steadily dropping, and the red lines slashed through his hopes with each passing second. His face was tense, jaw clenched, and his fingers gripped the edge of his chair. Malcolm, standing beside him, nervously shuffled, watching the same ominous decline unfold.“This... this is a disaster,” Elder Wei muttered, shaking his head. His frustration bubbled beneath the surface as the chart dipped further.“I didn't mean for this to happen,” Malcolm said quietly, trying to defend himself. “Anna... she overreacted.”“Overreacted?” Elder Wei’s voice was a dangerous growl. He slowly turned his head, glaring at his son. “You insulted the one person who could help us stabilize this crisis! And now, look at what she’s doing—she’s destroying everything we built!”Malcolm’s eyes dropped to the floor. He knew his father was right, but the damage was done.“She was angry,” Malcolm tried, his voice
Ambrose whispered under his breath, "Oh God, she'll kill me if she finds out about this. How the hell did the pillows go off?" His gaze fell on Ava’s disheveled clothes, and he felt a twinge of guilt mixed with an undeniable sense of attraction. He moved closer, taking in the sight of her soft features. "Fuck, she's so pretty," he mumbled, unable to stop himself from inhaling her scent. It relaxed him in a strange way.His heart raced as he carefully reached out to adjust her nightgown, hoping she wouldn’t notice anything when she woke up. Just as his fingers touched the fabric, Ava’s eyes fluttered open, locking with his. Instantly, a cold shiver ran through both of them.Ava sat up quickly, her eyes drifting to his hand on her gown. She acted startled, her voice laced with mock accusation. “What were you trying to do?”Ambrose's face turned pale. "Ava, it's not—"“You were trying to pull my gown off, Ambrose?” she asked, her tone sharpening.“No, come on, why would I—" Ambrose stamm
Grandma looked over at Ava with concern, her eyes narrowing slightly as she asked, "Ava, I hope these people won't terminate the contract because of all this?"Before Ava could respond, Ambrose's calm voice cut through the room. "They can't." Everyone turned to look at him in surprise, including Ava.He continued, "It's a signed contract, right? So they can't just back out. Ava will have to do the work diligently, but even if they don't want to continue, they'll have no choice. Plus, if they ask her to stop, she can agree, give them the materials she's already bought, and take the whole big payment for herself.”Ava blinked in astonishment, stunned by how much Ambrose knew. She hadn't expected him to be so informed about the contract details. She exchanged a glance with Dera, who was equally surprised.Grandma Margaret, however, wasn’t pleased. She frowned deeply, her eyes locking onto Ambrose. "What do you know? Who asked you to speak?" she snapped.But before Ambrose could reply, Av
Ava, sitting quietly, didn’t know whether he was lying or telling the truth, but at that moment, she couldn’t help but feel a small burst of happiness inside. "$5000, and you wasted it all?" Grandma suddenly screamed. "You ungrateful bitch! We feed you, and you forgot us and used all the $5000 on yourself?" Ambrose remained composed. “I didn’t use all of it, Grandma. I saved some, which I’ll be using for trading again.” Evelyn, instead of anger, had a smile growing on her face. "Ambrose, I’m so happy for you," she said warmly. "You’re working hard, and I’m proud of you." Ambrose glanced at Ava, who was watching him closely. She smiled lightly at him and gave him a small nod of approval. After they finished eating, Ambrose stood up and began collecting the bowls from the table. He carried them into the kitchen, where Evelyn was busy cleaning up. Without saying a word, he helped her by packing the dishes, arranging them neatly on the counter. A few moments later, Ava approach