Rose and Claire appeared ecstatic, with their arms linked with Victor. It was like they were a romantic threesome walking down the red carpet. They clung to him tightly as if he would run away otherwise. Victor sighed. The beauties were taking the charade too far. Onlookers inside the Sparkling Soy restaurant began to whisper among themselves. They were Springfield's wealthy and influential, who would spread every bit of gossip like wildfire."Who is the mystery man?" "Is he dating both the billionaire goddess and the queen of roses?""Could there be a luckier guy in the world?""Did a man finally meet Claire's high standards?"The place was abuzz with fresh gossip."Don't you like the attention?" Claire whispered to Victor, her eyes sparkling. "You can be much more popular if you become my lover." She waved to a few friends and ignored most of the others."I'd rather keep to myself and not be noticed." the man replied. Rose overheard their conversation. "Don't claim Victor for you
"I also heard about how you rescued Claire,"Rose went on. "You are a force of nature, and I fear your true identity is more shocking than I can imagine." Claire was aware of some of Victor's achievements, yet she eyed him in a new light. The man had exhibited mind-boggling power, influence, intelligence, and physical strength. Was there even more to him she was missing?"Let's order some food," Victor said, unwilling to engage in the topic.Rose pursed her lips. "Okay… I respect that you want to keep it a secret. But I'll find out everything about you one day."Victor offered her a brief nod. It would be pointless to dissuade the young woman at that point. "Your boyfriend had also washed his hands off you after the scandal leaked. Did he return?" The question took Rose by surprise. Her cheeks turned red, and her voice faltered. "Yes…" "Who is your boyfriend, if you don't mind telling me…" Claire asked with narrowed eyes. She couldn't believe that Rose had kept such an important secr
Claire’s eyes widened. "What? Are you kidding me?""I'm most certainly not!" Rose replied.She looked from Victor to Claire in panic. "No! I am not a spy, I swear! I don't know what you are talking about!"Claire inched away from her. "Are you sure about this, Victor? Is she really a source of trouble? Which villain planted her?"The man nodded, his grave eyes trained on Rose. She was trembling in dismay. "My intel is solid and indisputable. I've been looking for an international mastermind terrorist. He's called the puppetmaster, who threatened to upset the world order twenty years back. He has returned to Springfield now, activating his minions and sleeper cells. My informants have reason to believe that Rose is a minion of the puppetmaster."The billionaire goddess looked shocked. Was Rose a terrorist hiding in plain sight? She must be an incredible actress to maintain the cover of an innocent damsel in distress.Rose shook her head vigorously, and her eyes filled with tears. "Plea
After Victor and Claire left, Rose freshened her makeup again and headed towards the parking lot. Victor's interrogation and dramatic revelations had drained her. It was unbelievable that she was intimate with a terrorist in the past. Raylan had never shown any criminal tendencies. But she was too young then to know any better. Rose wondered if Victor still trusted her after discovering she was fluent in Riotish. The beauty wished she could tell Victor the truth—she loved him too much to betray him.The door slid open as Rose approached the elevator, and a young, glamorously dressed couple entered. The male was boyish and slender, sporting an expensive Armani suit. He spoke arrogantly as if he owned the restaurant. Considering that Sparkling Soy only allowed the filthy rich to book tables, it was natural the restaurant would be frequented by vain, entitled men. As soon as the young man laid eyes on Rose, he stopped in his tracks. "Hi! I am Tony," he said, blocking her path. Although
Tony fished into his coat and retrieved an attractive catalog. He opened it up to show her the workflow. "A customer can order premium gifts online after filtering through thousands of options and customizations. You can gift something as simple as a ring to something as expensive as a luxury car. We handle everything, including purchases, transfers, paperwork, gift packaging, special messages, and requests. The final premium-exclusive product is sent to the customer's loved one in an attractive mode.""This is outstanding!" Rose said, perking up. "How much does a gift usually cost?""The gifts begin from one thousand dollars and go as high as a million, depending on what you want to buy. Customer reviews indicate that their relationships with their loved ones changed drastically after using our website. So… what do you think?"Rose pondered the information for a few moments. "I'd love to invest. But first, I want to try out the service."Tony smiled and nodded. "Of course. Do you hav
"Really?" Daphne said with enthusiasm. "Thanks. But you haven't even seen my credentials yet…"The brat sniffed at her aroma and licked his lips. "Don't worry about the paperwork. I have a good feeling about you… Tell me… Can you follow whatever you're ordered without questions?"Daphne understood the implications behind his question and smirked naughtily. She nodded and replied, "I will do everything my master asks of me." Josh giggled like a pervert and continued to stare at the woman's shapely thighs.Martha, who had been knitting, looked up. "Are the interviews still going on, Josh? Just get them over with quickly. Why don't you hire Gertrude? She is quite experienced."Before Josh could respond, Daphne spoke up. "I forgot to mention… I am a schoolmate of your son-in-law, Victor Damone."Josh's pleased face suddenly turned foul, like he had eaten something rotten. Martha and Arthur's moods also changed drastically, and they slowly rose to their feet. "What?" Martha barked. "Are y
Victor stepped out of his new Bugatti Chiron and glanced pensively at the imposing structure of Regal Rock. The extensive villa covered thrice the area of regular properties in Prince County. It was of Victorian design and was considered popularly a symbol of power and influence in Springfield. Three hundred years back, an impenetrable fort called Regal Rock existed in the area, ruled by a mighty warrior prince, after whom the county was named. After numerous renovations over the years, it was still an awe-inspiring structure, not only in the county but the entire city."Couldn't you get me a less conspicuous house?" Victor asked, taking his eyes off the formidable estate's expanse.Clive Baron shook his head as if it would be ridiculous otherwise. "Sir… A man of your standing cannot live in humble places," he said curtly. "Even Regal Rock is a mudhouse if we take your actual wealth and influence into account. The estate was priced at only two hundred and twenty million dollars, which
Victor nodded. "Take me to Michael."Clive led him into the basement gymnasium. It was a massive hall with every exercise tool, implement, and machine in existence. One could practice muscle building, athletics, aerobics, and even parkour. A man was benching three thousand pounds on a heavy device. As they entered, he finished the set and rose to full height.Michael Bolton walked towards them, wiping sweat off his brow. He was in his forties but was built like a muscular machine. The man exuded strength and confidence. "Oh, it's you, Clive," he said dismissively. "Where is Caesar? Or will you finally admit that he doesn't really exist?"Clive Baron looked uncomfortable. "Look sharp, Michael. Caesar is right before you," he said, gesturing towards Victor.Michael burst out laughing. "You must be joking! This young man looks like a movie star or a supermodel. Are you telling me he is a one-man global superpower who ended the Pacific World War single-handedly? Give me a break! You know