“Take me to the jewellery store instead.” Ethan stated firmly.“What? The jewellery store?” Edward asked in a confused tone.“Yes. There is something I would like to pick up there.” Ethan confirmed coolly.Edward stared at Ethan for a very brief moment, but then accepted his request.“Of course, Master Ethan. Driving you there is no hassle for me at all.” Edward replied in a humble tone, and without any further delay, the two of them left the room.*Meanwhile, back at the club, Aria, Greg, and Natalie took their exits. Aria was no longer in the mood for Greg’s invitation to dinner at the fancy Crystal Hotel. Without her, Greg and Natalie lost interest in the dinner as well. In the end, Greg paid the bill for everyone but skipped the meal.“Aria, don’t pay too much attention to that boastful fraud called Ethan! Don’t let him ruin your mood.” Greg said dismissively.“Yeah, Ari. Don’t let that worthless guy ruin your mood. You’re worth more than he’s ever going to be anywhere! He’s just
Meanwhile, Ethan and Edward pulled up to Monella jewelry store, one of the largest and most prestigious jewelry stores in the city. Although Ethan had told Edward he wanted to visit a jewelry store, he hadn’t specified which one, so Edward brought him to Monella. Naturally, the store was owned by the Crestwoods.“This is the best place for what you’re looking for, Master Ethan.” Edward said as he shot Ethan a respectful glance.“Alright. Wait here for me, I’ll be right back.” Ethan stated coolly, and without waiting for Edward’s reply, he stepped out of the car and headed toward the store. His goal was simple—to pick up a gift for Aria. Despite their hostile relationship, he didn’t want things to escalate further between them. He knew a carefully chosen piece of jewelry might brighten her view of him, so he went for it.He didn’t invite Edward to join him though, because he knew that Edward would insist on giving him the jewelry for free. Such an action would cause unwanted attention
As Carl and Cassandra glared at Ethan, the young saleswoman, Jennifer, found herself stuck between a rock and a hard place. She didn’t want to offend the VIP customer, but at the same time, she didn’t want to offend Ethan either. However, if she didn’t act quickly, the situation would spiral out of control. Unable to handle the confrontation alone, she hurriedly excused herself and went to call the manager, Mr. Larry Peterson.It wasn’t long before Larry appeared. He was a middle-aged man with an elegant demeanour, sharply dressed to match the luxurious atmosphere of Monella. Larry had been managing the store for years and had dealt with plenty of disputes between customers; therefore, as soon as he recognised Carl, his face lit up with a smile. Carl was a VIP at Monella, one of their top customers who never hesitated to spend extravagantly, and Larry knew better than to upset someone so important.“Mr. Carl! What seems to be the problem here?” Larry greeted them enthusiastically as h
The atmosphere in the store instantly changed the moment Edward Crestwood walked in. Larry turned towards the door, prepared to confront the newcomer. However, the moment he saw that the newcomer was Edward Crestwood, the expression on his face instantly changed.“Mr. Crestwood?” Larry muttered in shock. The once-confident Larry was now visibly nervous, sweating profusely as Edward approached.Edward barely acknowledged him and didn’t respond to his question. Instead, he simply walked past Larry as though he didn’t exist, his focus entirely on Ethan.“Is there something I can assist you with, Mr. Crestwood? We—err, we were just handling a small issue here.” Larry stammered as he trailed Edward. His eyes darted between Ethan and Edward, trying to make sense of the situation.“Master Ethan, please stay back and let me handle this.” Edward pleaded with Ethan and then turned to face Larry.Larry was still sweating profusely as he watched Edward, and when he heard him address Ethan respect
The moment Carl and his mistress Cassandra exited the store, Edward immediately turned to face Ethan.“Master Ethan, I’m genuinely sorry for the behaviour of my staff. Please pardon them.” Edward apologised and bowed sincerely to Ethan.The sight of someone as powerful as Edward Crestwood bowing to someone unknown and seemingly ordinary like Ethan was completely stunning to Jennifer, the saleswoman. After all, Edward had just sent her powerful manager packing by firing him on the spot! It didn’t take a genius to know that Ethan’s identity and background must be insanely powerful!“Once again, I am truly sorry, Master Ethan.” Edward apologised to Ethan and then turned to Jennifer.“Package the jewellery that he picked out, and make sure to use the best packaging available.” Edward ordered.“Yes, sir.” Jennifer nodded meekly and quickly obeyed his instructions. A few minutes later, she came back with the jewellery neatly packaged in a luxurious box, just like Edward requested. The packa
“What do you think is in the package, Aria?” Natalie asked, her voice full of curiosity and excitement. Her eyes were sparkling as she admired the luxurious packaging.“I don’t know, but I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Aria replied, her voice filled with excitement.She took the package from Greg and began untying the intricate bow. The silk ribbons fell apart easily, and she gently lifted the lid, revealing a dark velvet box inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the velvet box, only to be greeted by the sight of a stunning set of jewellery.It was an exquisite diamond necklace paired with matching earrings. The gemstones gleamed brilliantly in the light, each one expertly cut and displaying their extravagance.Aria’s eyes widened, and she held her breath as she gently lifted the necklace from the box. The delicate diamond jewellery sparkled with every movement she made, glittering beautifully under the gleaming chandeliers.Natalie, who was right beside her, could
“Like I said earlier, only Greg can do such a thing for Aria! You’re just an insignificant ant. There’s no way someone like you could make such gestures for Aria!” Natalie spat in a mocking tone.Ethan remained calm, his hands resting casually in his pockets as he stared at Natalie. Despite how harsh Natalie's words were, he didn’t seem fazed at all. His calm demeanour only served to irritate Natalie more, especially since she was already convinced of his insignificance.Meanwhile, Aria was confused at Ethan’s words. She didn’t know whether to believe him or not. After all, he had always acted like a con man and a fraud.“Alright, Ethan. If you claim to know so much, why don't you tell us what was inside the package?" Greg said with a raised eyebrow, looking amused at Ethan’s attempt to steal his efforts.Natalie smirked at Greg’s question. Since the packages had been repacked before Ethan came, there was no way he would know what the contents of the packages were. She was looking for
After Ethan left the Whitman Estate, he immediately boarded a taxi and went to the Eastville Manor, which was the villa that Edward Crestwood gave him the keys to as a token of gratitude for him saving his daughter.The drive to his new residence was uneventful, and in less than twenty minutes, he arrived at his destination, the Eastville Manor.The Eastville Manor was located in one of the city’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It was a symbol of wealth and influence, and not just anyone could own or purchase a building here. It was a well-known fact that only the wealthiest and most influential people could manage to live in Eastville.It was the kind of place that not anyone could just buy, even if they had the money to do so. One still needed a certain amount of influence and connections before they could live there, and yet, Edward Crestwood had effortlessly gifted him the keys to such a manor.The manor itself was extremely beautiful, with ancient architecture that had a lot of
“I can’t believe how self-centered you are! You’re so delusional!” Aria cursed at Ethan angrily.“What would it take for you to leave me alone? Can’t you just stay out of my way? Is that so hard for you to do?” Aria asked sharply, her eyes filled with frustration. She had gone tired of his constant boasting and fraudulent behaviour. She was fully convinced that he was delusional, and she wanted nothing to do with him.To her, Ethan was nothing more than a nuisance. He was a boastful liar, a fraud and a parasite who had wormed his way into her life without bringing any real value to her, and her current impression of him were the worst it could be.Ethan could tell what Aria was thinking, as it was as clear as day. However, he remained quiet, not telling her a single thing. He decided that there was no need for him to reveal his real identity to her. It was obvious that Aria would not even believe him anyways.Moreover, the most important thing was to him was finding out the truth behi
Ethan’s calm response hung in the air. His tone was cool and composed, and he didn’t offer any further explanations. Still, his response inflamed Mrs. Whitman.“Your own business?” Mrs. Whitman scoffed, her eyes narrowing in disbelief at his words.“And what exactly would that business be? I bet it’s something fitting for someone as worthless as you, which is scavenging for scraps?” Mrs. Whitman sneered, her voice laced with mockery and disgust as she leaned back and crossed her arms, impatiently waiting for his response. Mr. Whitman sat beside his wife, a condescending expression on his face as he glared at Ethan. He was clearly enjoying the insults that his wife fired at Ethan.Ethan maintained his composure and remained calm at their harsh jabs and insults. He was fully aware that nothing he said would be able to change their opinion of him, so there was no need for him to be bothered by their harsh comments and remarks.“The nature of my business is nothing you need to concern you
“Now, Aria, it’s very good that you managed to secure VIP invitations to Miss Crestwood's charity party, and I think it’s only fitting that Ethan is there to assist you at the event.” Henry said calmly. His tone was casual, as though what he just said was a simple suggestion.“It would be perfect for him to accompany you to the event since he’s your fiancé. After all, you two will eventually get married and have to work closely together in the future.” Henry concluded with a broad smile on his aged face.Aria, who was feeling quite proud for getting the VIP invitation tickets to Miss Vivienne’s party, felt her smile wipe away from her face, and her heart dropped to the pit of her stomach. She couldn’t believe her grandfather’s words.Aria was horrified. Ethan was nothing but a worthless poor church rat, and a lot of the elite from Tussauds University would be in attendance as well. If they ever saw someone of her status walking hand in hand with Ethan, she would never be able to live
“Thank you very much for your consideration, Mr. Whitman.” Ethan said calmly, his tone extremely polite and respectful.“It’s nothing.” Henry dismissed his words with a kind smile.Meanwhile, Aria, who had been standing outside the room and eavesdropping on their conversation, could not believe her ears. Although her grandfather had suggested something many male students at Tussauds University would not hesitate to jump at, Ethan calmly refused his request, and she was extremely delighted at that.Ethan was nothing but a poor and worthless rat. There was no way that she would think of even getting married to him, so she was extremely relieved that he rejected her grandfather.The very thought of living with Ethan had been totally unbearable, but now that possibility seemed far away. At least for now, she could breathe easier and rest easy.Aria returned to the sitting room with the bank card in her hand. She was still very annoyed at Ethan, but it was somewhat bearable now that she ov
Aria sneered disdainfully as Ethan made his way inside the manor. She seemed to believe that he was just being boastful, like the fraud he was. There was no way ten thousand dollars was not a huge amount of money for him. In fact, she was sure that he was just pretending that it wasn’t a significant sum of money to him.Inside the manor, Aria sat across from Ethan, her arms crossed with a cold expression on her face. She looked like she couldn’t stand Ethan at all. She didn’t even want to be in the same room with him. She just wanted to dismiss him quickly and let him leave her life immediately. His audacity and cunning attitude were extremely unbearable, and the sooner she could get rid of him, the better for her.“Just take the ten thousand dollars and leave my life for good. How hard is that for you?” Aria asked angrily with a frown on her face.“Ten thousand dollars? That’s a miserable amount of money to offer someone of my caliber.” Ethan replied in an amused tone.“Someone of y
After Ethan left the Whitman Estate, he immediately boarded a taxi and went to the Eastville Manor, which was the villa that Edward Crestwood gave him the keys to as a token of gratitude for him saving his daughter.The drive to his new residence was uneventful, and in less than twenty minutes, he arrived at his destination, the Eastville Manor.The Eastville Manor was located in one of the city’s most prestigious neighborhoods. It was a symbol of wealth and influence, and not just anyone could own or purchase a building here. It was a well-known fact that only the wealthiest and most influential people could manage to live in Eastville.It was the kind of place that not anyone could just buy, even if they had the money to do so. One still needed a certain amount of influence and connections before they could live there, and yet, Edward Crestwood had effortlessly gifted him the keys to such a manor.The manor itself was extremely beautiful, with ancient architecture that had a lot of
“Like I said earlier, only Greg can do such a thing for Aria! You’re just an insignificant ant. There’s no way someone like you could make such gestures for Aria!” Natalie spat in a mocking tone.Ethan remained calm, his hands resting casually in his pockets as he stared at Natalie. Despite how harsh Natalie's words were, he didn’t seem fazed at all. His calm demeanour only served to irritate Natalie more, especially since she was already convinced of his insignificance.Meanwhile, Aria was confused at Ethan’s words. She didn’t know whether to believe him or not. After all, he had always acted like a con man and a fraud.“Alright, Ethan. If you claim to know so much, why don't you tell us what was inside the package?" Greg said with a raised eyebrow, looking amused at Ethan’s attempt to steal his efforts.Natalie smirked at Greg’s question. Since the packages had been repacked before Ethan came, there was no way he would know what the contents of the packages were. She was looking for
“What do you think is in the package, Aria?” Natalie asked, her voice full of curiosity and excitement. Her eyes were sparkling as she admired the luxurious packaging.“I don’t know, but I guess there’s only one way to find out.” Aria replied, her voice filled with excitement.She took the package from Greg and began untying the intricate bow. The silk ribbons fell apart easily, and she gently lifted the lid, revealing a dark velvet box inside. Her heart skipped a beat as she opened the velvet box, only to be greeted by the sight of a stunning set of jewellery.It was an exquisite diamond necklace paired with matching earrings. The gemstones gleamed brilliantly in the light, each one expertly cut and displaying their extravagance.Aria’s eyes widened, and she held her breath as she gently lifted the necklace from the box. The delicate diamond jewellery sparkled with every movement she made, glittering beautifully under the gleaming chandeliers.Natalie, who was right beside her, could
The moment Carl and his mistress Cassandra exited the store, Edward immediately turned to face Ethan.“Master Ethan, I’m genuinely sorry for the behaviour of my staff. Please pardon them.” Edward apologised and bowed sincerely to Ethan.The sight of someone as powerful as Edward Crestwood bowing to someone unknown and seemingly ordinary like Ethan was completely stunning to Jennifer, the saleswoman. After all, Edward had just sent her powerful manager packing by firing him on the spot! It didn’t take a genius to know that Ethan’s identity and background must be insanely powerful!“Once again, I am truly sorry, Master Ethan.” Edward apologised to Ethan and then turned to Jennifer.“Package the jewellery that he picked out, and make sure to use the best packaging available.” Edward ordered.“Yes, sir.” Jennifer nodded meekly and quickly obeyed his instructions. A few minutes later, she came back with the jewellery neatly packaged in a luxurious box, just like Edward requested. The packa