Chapter 146: Ambrose Arrivés

The staff member hesitated slightly, then leaned closer to Ava. "Madam, I understand your wish to pay, but that man is a big deal around here. It would be wise to give him face. A gesture like this—"

Ava cut him off, her tone calm but firm. "I said no thanks. It's $500, right? I'll pay it myself. It's simple." She handed the staff member her card and calmly gave him the password.

The staff member gave her a cold look, clearly understanding that Ava wasn’t going to be swayed. He took the card and walked back to the man in the suit. "She refused your payment and offered to pay herself," he said quietly.

The man smirked, his gaze trailing back toward Ava. "Alright, don't worry about it," he replied, though there was a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. He glanced toward Ava one more time.

Ava, feeling the weight of his gaze, briefly locked eyes with him before she deliberately looked away and focused on her phone. She checked the time—7:00 PM. Ambrose hadn’t arrived yet, which