Anna looked at Ambrose and said, "By the way, Mr. Li, can you come with us? You'll get the explanation you want." "Go with you? To where? I'm not going anywhere," Ambrose replied. "Do not be afraid, Mr. Li. You won't be harmed." Ambrose shook his head again, more firmly this time. "No, you all leave. I'm not going with anyone, especially strangers.” Anna smiled gently. "Mr. Ambrose, don't you want to put an end to your sufferings? Don't you want the world to hear your name? Don't you want to enjoy luxury, spend as much as you want, and control millions?" Ambrose swallowed hard. Who didn't dream of such opportunities? Of course, he did. "What if I do? What about that?" he asked, looking intently at Anna. Anna nodded respectfully. "Trust me, Mr. Li, following us can be the solution to your problems. Look around; there's no one here. If we really wanted to harm you, we would have done that without anyone noticing.” Ambrose was stunned by her logic. She was right; harming him here would be easy and unnoticed. "You people are sure nothing will happen to me?" Anna shook her head. "I swear, Master Li, nothing will happen to you." "From 'Mr.' to 'Master'?" Ambrose frowned slightly but nodded. "Alright, where are we going?" "You'll know soon enough. Please follow us," Anna said, turning around. Ambrose, still apprehensive, followed her, with the two men trailing behind. As they got closer, Ambrose was taken aback by the sight of a sleek, black Range Rover parked nearby. Because they were far away, he didn't even notice the type of car. The luxury vehicle gleaned under the dim light, its polished surface reflecting the surroundings. Ambrose’s heart raced as he realized the significance of the car’s presence. Range Rovers were notoriously expensive, far beyond anything he could afford or even dream of owning. "Who are these people?" Ambrose whispered to himself, his curiosity and apprehension growing. One of the men opened the door and gestured with a slight bow. “Master Li, you first.” Ambrose hesitated for a moment, then stepped inside the Range Rover. The interior immediately overwhelmed him with its luxury. Plush leather seats, a spacious cabin, and the subtle scent of luxury greeted him. Anna followed him in, taking a seat beside him, while the two men took their places in the front—the driver’s seat and the front passenger seat. Ambrose’s eyes roamed around the cabin, taking in the high-tech dashboard, the ambient lighting, and the impeccable craftsmanship. It was his first time in such a luxurious vehicle, and every detail left him in awe. The seats were not just comfortable; they seemed to envelop him in a soft embrace. The dashboard displayed advanced navigation and entertainment systems, unlike anything he had seen before. Ambrose couldn’t help but run his fingers over the fine stitching on the leather seats, marveling at the attention to detail. He glanced at Anna, who watched him with a knowing smile, and then at the men in the front, who remained silent and focused. The car then started and drove away. Meanwhile, in her office, Ava slumped into her chair, her face a mask of frustration and anger. She stared blankly at the papers strewn across her desk, each document now a painful reminder of the deal she had just lost with the Wei family. The millions of dollars that could have been theirs—the boost to their family's reputation in Sandalwood City—all slipped through her fingers because of Ambrose's unexpected and disastrous intervention. She clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white. "Months of hard work," she muttered to herself. "All those meetings, the late nights, the endless negotiations—gone." She threw a file across the room, watching it scatter papers everywhere. Ava took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. But the thought of how close they had been to securing the deal only to have it ruined at the last minute made her blood boil. She stood up and paced the room, her heels clicking sharply on the polished floor. Suddenly, a name appeared in her head: Jonathan Hale. Jonathan had always been one of the men vying for Ava’s attention. Although his family wasn’t as wealthy as the Wei family, they were still quite rich and influential in Sandalwood City. Jonathan's father, in particular, had long standing connections with the Wei family. Perhaps if she reached out to Jonathan, he might be able to help salvage the deal. Ava tapped her fingers on her desk, deep in thought. Jonathan had always shown interest in her, persistently trying to get closer, but she had consistently given him the cold shoulder. She valued her independence and had never wanted to be seen as using anyone to advance her career. But now, desperate times called for desperate measures. She hesitated, her pride warring with her need for a solution. Could she really reach out to Jonathan after all the times she had brushed him off? Would he even be willing to help her after the way she had treated him? Ava sighed and rubbed her temples. She had always prided herself on her ability to solve her problems without relying on others. But today, she felt cornered, her options dwindling rapidly. Picking up her phone, she stared at Jonathan's contact for a long moment, her thumb hovering over the call button. "Do I really have a choice?" she muttered to herself. She needed to save the deal, and Jonathan might be her only hope. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button and listened as the phone rang. After a few rings, the call was connected. "Jonathan Hale speaking," came the familiar voice on the other end. "Jonathan, it's Ava," she said, trying to keep her voice steady. "I need your help.” "What? Jonathan was stunned. "Ava Ainsley, you called me yourself today? It seems I slept on the good side of the bed. Jonathan is always ready to be at your service. Tell me, what do you want?”
Ava took a deep breath, trying to steady her voice. "Jonathan, I need your help. I'm in a bit of a bind with the Wei family. I was supposed to secure a major deal, but things fell apart at the last minute."Jonathan chuckled softly, though his tone was curious. "The Wei family, huh? That's a tough break. But why come to me, Ava? You've always kept me at arm's length.”"I know," Ava admitted, her voice quieter. "And I regret that now. But your father has connections with the Wei family, right? I was hoping you might be able to pull some strings and help me salvage this deal. It would mean a lot to my family and me."Jonathan paused for a moment, considering. "Ava, I'm flattered you thought of me. And you're right, my dad does have some influence. But what's in it for me? Why should I help you after all the times you've brushed me off?”Ava's heart sank a little, but she pressed on. "Jonathan, I'm asking for your help as a last resort. I know I haven't been fair to you, but this deal is
"What?" Ambrose opened his mouth in shock. "Wh... wha... what do you mean by "I'll inherit your wealth?" He turned to look at Anna, his eyes wide with disbelief. Jun looked at Anna and said, "Explain things to him." Anna nodded and stepped forward. "Master Li, what the old master means is that you're going to be his heir. All the properties he has amassed and all his wealth will now be yours. You'll become the Chairman of Gemstar Platinum Group of Companies.” "Puff!" Ambrose stood up with such force that his legs weakened, and he fell back down, his eyes wide with shock. Anna quickly rushed to his side, helping him up and into a chair. "Is anything wrong, Master Li?" she asked, concerned. "Water, please give me water," Ambrose said hurriedly. Anna quickly brought him a bottle of water. He opened it and drank deeply. "Is there anything wrong, my grandson?" Jun asked, worry etched on his face. "You said I'll become a Chairman?" Ambrose repeated, his voice shaking. Jun nodded. "O
"Yes, 10 million dollars," the old master confirmed. "That is for your upkeep and things you want to do.""Ten million dollars for upkeep?" Ambrose's eyes wanted to pop out. That was an insane figure. Even if an angel had descended to tell him he was going to touch an amount like $1 million ever in his life, there was no way he would ever believe it. And to think someone was going to give him $10 million? When Anna told him following her would change his story, this wasn't the kind of big change he was expecting.The old master chuckled. "Ambrose, $10 million is nothing compared to the income of our business chains. Ten million is just a mere number, nothing big, so don't be freaked out."Ambrose opened his mouth, but no words came out. He was dumbfounded at that moment.With $10 million and acting as the Chairman of the Gemstar Platinum Group of Companies, even the popular and wealthy Wei family was going to be nothing in his eyes. At that moment, he didn't know whether to laugh or c
"Wow!" Ambrose was stunned. The Wei family owned several pharmaceutical businesses all over Silverwood, making them extremely rich. He never expected the company he now owned to be the one that financed the Wei family. This was a huge opportunity for him.Anna noticed his reaction and asked, "Master, is there anything you want me to do?”Ambrose nodded. "Actually, my wife’s company was on the verge of securing a business deal with the Wei family, but things got messed up because of me. I’ll be so happy if you can help me with that and get her the contract."Anna nodded confidently. "That is very simple, master. You have nothing to worry about; I'll handle it promptly."Ambrose felt a wave of relief wash over him. "But please, in everything, I want to remain anonymous.""As you wish, master," Anna assured him. "Everything about you will be kept confidential.”Ambrose smiled, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders. "Thank you, Anna. By the way, you're very pretty."Anna smiled lightly,
"What?" Ava's eyes widened as she sat up straight, her body trembling slightly. Chen had left angry about an hour ago, and now he was calling. "Mr. Chen, Ava here, I'm glad to have you on the phone," she said, trying to mask her surprise. "Ms. Ainsley, I wanted to apologize for yelling at you and leaving your office earlier. It was unprofessional of me," Chen said, his tone sincere.Ava was stunned. "It's not a problem, Mr. Chen," she replied, struggling to find the right words."Okay, so I called because the Wei family is willing to give you the contract. I'll come to your office any moment from now and sign what you wanted me to sign," Chen informed her.Ava's heart skipped a beat. She couldn't believe what she was hearing and thought it might be a mistake or some kind of cruel joke."Wh...what did you say, Mr. Chen?" she stammered, needing to reconfirm what she had just heard."I said the Wei family is willing to give you the contract," Chen repeated calmly. "I'll come to your off
Ambrose remained unfazed. "Like I said, I'll take it," he reiterated. The attendant's smile faltered, but he continued to eye Ambrose skeptically."Alright then," he said, trying to mask his disbelief. "Let's see if you can back up that confidence.”Ambrose opened his bank app and, upon seeing the 10 million dollars again, stared at it for a moment, still in disbelief. The attendant chuckled, misinterpreting Ambrose's pause."Oh, you realized your balance is low?" the attendant mocked lightly.Ambrose remained silent, his expression steady. "Give me the account number to pay into," he said firmly.The attendant, still thinking Ambrose was just trying to show off, smirked and provided the account details. "Sure, here it is. Let’s see if it goes through," he said, waiting for the inevitable moment when Ambrose would claim there was a problem.Ambrose swiftly entered the details and confirmed the payment. He raised his head and looked at the attendant. "I've paid in full. Now bring the
Ambrose smiled warmly. "It's a tip. Thank you for the great service." Actually when he entered, he thought it would be same situation as the bike attendant, but here he wasn't looked down on, so he was very happy to give them a tip. The barber was taken aback but grateful. "Thank you very much, sir. We appreciate it and hope to see you here next time.” Ambrose nodded and walked out. As he got out of the salon, Ambrose smiled to himself and said, "Time to change my clothes and shoes."He paused for a moment, contemplating whether he should buy a lot of clothes and shoes right away. After thinking it over, he decided it would be wiser to start small and build up."I'll just buy one top, a pair of pants, and some sneakers for now," he thought. "I can always come back and get more later."With that plan in mind, he headed towards a nearby clothing store to find his new outfit.About an hour later, Ambrose walked out of the clothing store, feeling like a new man. He had swapped his old,
"Oh, it seems your wife has gotten you some nice clothes and, wow, a clean haircut too. So you're walking around to be seen, right?" the sales assistant mocked. Ambrose frowned but didn't say anything. He knew many people recognized him as the only live-in son-in-law, but that wasn't his concern right now. The woman turned to the sales assistant. "Do you know him?" The sales assistant nodded. "Of course. You might not be from this town if you don't know him. He's a big clown. His wife and her family take care of him. He's called Ambrose." "What? A fully grown man being taken care of by his wife?" the woman asked, disgusted. Even those around who heard this started making fun of Ambrose. The sales assistant nodded. "Of course.” The woman frowned. "Disgusting. He has destroyed my wine. He must pay." The sales assistant's expression changed. "Ambrose, she bought a $15,000 Château Margaux from me and you've destroyed it? The last time your wife was here, she didn't even buy becau
Ambrose nodded and smiled, watching Ava with a mix of amusement and affection. Just as he was about to say something, Ava suddenly stood up, her movements unsteady for a moment, but then, to his surprise, she began to sway to the music.Without any hesitation, she stepped out into the open space near their table and started dancing. The soft rhythm of the music filled the room, and Ava’s body seemed to flow effortlessly with it. Her movements, though tipsy, were graceful and captivating. She twirled, her arms floating through the air, and soon enough, she was dancing with such confidence that it mesmerized everyone around her.Ambrose was stunned. He had never seen this side of her. He watched in awe, not quite sure whether to laugh or join her. He glanced around, noticing other people had turned their heads to watch her as well. A few of them even started clapping in rhythm with her steps, encouraging her.Palermo, seated a few tables away, was glaring at her, his eyes narrowing with
Ambrose nodded and smiled, watching Ava with a mix of amusement and affection. Just as he was about to say something, Ava suddenly stood up, her movements unsteady for a moment, but then, to his surprise, she began to sway to the music.Without any hesitation, she stepped out into the open space near their table and started dancing. The soft rhythm of the music filled the room, and Ava’s body seemed to flow effortlessly with it. Her movements, though tipsy, were graceful and captivating. She twirled, her arms floating through the air, and soon enough, she was dancing with such confidence that it mesmerized everyone around her.Ambrose was stunned. He had never seen this side of her. He watched in awe, not quite sure whether to laugh or join her. He glanced around, noticing other people had turned their heads to watch her as well. A few of them even started clapping in rhythm with her steps, encouraging her.Palermo, seated a few tables away, was glaring at her, his eyes narrowing with
Ambrose nodded and smiled, watching Ava with a mix of amusement and affection. Just as he was about to say something, Ava suddenly stood up, her movements unsteady for a moment, but then, to his surprise, she began to sway to the music.Without any hesitation, she stepped out into the open space near their table and started dancing. The soft rhythm of the music filled the room, and Ava’s body seemed to flow effortlessly with it. Her movements, though tipsy, were graceful and captivating. She twirled, her arms floating through the air, and soon enough, she was dancing with such confidence that it mesmerized everyone around her.Ambrose was stunned. He had never seen this side of her. He watched in awe, not quite sure whether to laugh or join her. He glanced around, noticing other people had turned their heads to watch her as well. A few of them even started clapping in rhythm with her steps, encouraging her.Palermo, seated a few tables away, was glaring at her, his eyes narrowing with
Meanwhile, at the restaurant, Ambrose and Ava were still enjoying their dinner, the atmosphere lively with soft music playing in the background. Ambrose looked at Ava, smiling warmly as he reached for his glass.“You seem to be really enjoying the food,” he said, playfully nudging her.Ava smiled, taking a sip of her drink. “Well, it’s not every day I get to enjoy something this fancy.”Ambrose chuckled. “You deserve this every day, you know.”Ava looked at him with a mix of curiosity and affection. “You’re really full of surprises tonight.”Ambrose took her hand, squeezing it gently. “I’m really proud of you, Ava.”As they continued talking and eating, Ambrose suddenly picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and held it out to Ava. She blinked, momentarily shocked by his gesture."Ambrose, what are you doing?" she asked, her voice laced with surprise and shyness."Feeding you," he said with a teasing grin. "Come on, don’t be shy."Ava’s cheeks flushed, and she glanced around th
After placing their expensive orders, both Ambrose and Ava set their phones down. Ambrose turned to her and asked, "So, how's it going?""How's what going?" Ava asked."Your work. The contract for the Wei family, I mean."Ava nodded. "It's going well. It felt like a huge weight at first, but Dera's been helping little by little, so everything's going smoothly now.”"Dera," Ambrose nodded thoughtfully. "Is she staying at the manor permanently now?"Ava shook her head. "She’s planning to rent her own place soon, once she finds something. But for now, since she's helping me out, it just makes sense for her to stay at the manor.""Alright," Ambrose nodded again. He then gently took Ava’s hand, looking into her eyes without speaking."What?" Ava asked, her voice carrying a hint of shyness.Ambrose smiled softly. "I want to apologize.”"Apologize for what?" Ava asked, slightly confused."For everything," he said. "We got married against your will. Your dreams of marrying someone wealthy or.
Meanwhile, inside, Palermo was growing bolder by the second, leaning closer to Ava as he tried to charm her.Palermo reached out, attempting to lightly brush her arm. “Come on, why don’t we just enjoy the evening together, huh?”Before his hand could make contact, Ava snapped back, her voice strong and unyielding, “Touch me, and you’ll regret it.”Palermo paused, taken aback by her intensity but still trying to play it cool. “Whoa, calm down. I’m just being friendly.”“Friendly or not,” Ava shot back, her eyes narrowing, “I’m not interested, and I’m warning you—don’t try anything again.”At that moment, Ambrose re-entered the restaurant, his eyes immediately locking onto Palermo leaning too close to Ava. His face hardened as he quickened his pace. Without hesitation, Ambrose strode up to them and forcefully pushed Palermo back, making him stumble away from Ava.“Don’t touch my wife!” Ambrose’s voice was cold, his eyes burning with intensity as he squared up to Palermo, his frame tense
Immediately Ambrose reached the table and Ava saw him, she smiled warmly and said, "You're here."Ambrose nodded, his gaze briefly flicking to Palermo with a slight frown before turning back to Ava. He handed her a single rose he had been holding. "This is yours."Ava was pleasantly surprised as she took the flower, admiring how beautiful it was. "Thank you," she said, smiling.Ambrose nodded, his expression still a bit serious as he looked at Palermo and then back to Ava. "Who's he?" he asked.Ava glanced at Palermo and replied, "This man here is Palermo. He offered to pay for my drink, and I refused. But guess what? He doesn't believe I have a husband and thinks he can give me some sort of 'great treatment.'"Ambrose’s frown deepened at her words. He turned fully towards Palermo, his voice calm but firm. "Hello, she told you she has a husband, so why are you still trying to force things?"Palermo looked Ambrose up and down with a smirk. "Where's your ring? Did you just manage to get
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
Ambrose walked out to the cab which was parked outside and then sat inside. Sitting inside, the driver greeted him coolly. Ambrose responded then asked him to drive quickly. Ava had just finished changing back into the outfit she wore earlier that morning, a stylish yet practical look that blended well with her professional demeanor. She glanced at her reflection in the rearview mirror, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Satisfied with her appearance, she took a deep breath and started the car.The engine roared to life, and she quickly punched the location Ambrose had given her—Le Jardin Gourmet—into the GPS. As the directions appeared on the screen, she shifted into gear and pulled out of the lot.The drive wasn’t too long, but Ava found herself thinking about the upcoming dinner, her thoughts drifting to Ambrose. She wasn't used to such gestures from him, and the fact that he had planned the evening left her with mixed emotions. Half an hour later, Ava pulled up near