The Golden Emerald Jade Flower

“What do you want, Quinn? Spill it,” Ace demanded.

The lady sitting beside Quinn looked up at Ace with a frown. “How dare you speak to my grandfather like that? You should know your place,” she spat in disgust.

Ace glanced at her but didn’t say a word, turning his attention back to Quinn and completely ignoring the girl.

“You’re wasting my time here, Quinn. I have other matters to attend to,” Ace spoke again, causing Quinn’s granddaughter to flush with anger.

Quinn placed a calming hand on the girl’s shoulder as she started to rise. “But Grandpapi?” she protested, unable to understand why her grandfather tolerated such behavior.

“Sit down, Andrea. It is because of this man that we have our wealth now,” Quinn replied in a different language, and the girl fell silent.

Ace understood what Quinn had said, and he grinned at Andrea.

“I want you to accompany my granddaughter to her convocation and inauguration as the new owner of all my industries. I know there will be a lot of my enemies around, and she could be in danger,” Quinn stated with a subtle smile.

Andrea’s eyes twitched with anger. She didn’t need a babysitter, especially not someone as arrogant as Ace.

“I’m not a babysitter, Quinn. Get Bruno to do that for you,” Ace frowned.

“I’ll give you the Golden Emerald Jade flower,” Quinn offered.

“Done!” Ace brightened up instantly. He had been searching for that flower for years. It was one of the reasons he had stayed low. He needed some other things as well, but at least one item was now off his list.

“Thank you, Ace,” Quinn chuckled.

“Save it for when I get the flower, Quinn,” Ace grumbled, then turned to Andrea. “I’ll see you tomorrow,” he stated before turning to leave.

Just as he was about to exit, the door burst open, and in came Bruno.

He was about to speak but stopped when he sensed the tension in the room.

“See you later, Bruno,” Ace smiled and walked past him.

Luther was standing by the door when Ace stepped out.

“What happened, sir?" Luther asked.

“Ditch the formalities, Luther. Quinn wants me to babysit his granddaughter in exchange for something I’ve been searching for,” Ace recapped as they walked to the car.

“Did you accept?” Luther asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I had no choice. Drive me to the best boutique. I need to get some new clothes,” Ace ordered.

He hoped that people would stop judging him based on his appearance.

“The best boutique in the country, and the priciest,” Luther announced when they arrived at their destination.

“Money will never be a problem for me again,” Ace stated as he left the car.

He was ready to start shopping when he heard a familiar voice.

“Look what the cat dragged in—if it isn’t the wretched boy who cried for his mommy,” Richard sneered.

“I see you’re doing well, Richard. The new nose suits you,” Ace smirked, noticing the odd angle of Richard’s nose.

“Shut up, fool. Why are you here? Looking for a job as a cleaner? I’ll make sure you never find work anywhere and die in the gutter. By the way, you should say hello to your babe. Lisa, come over here,” Richard called out, eager to humiliate Ace.

Ace felt a bitter taste in the back of his throat. He wanted to punch that smug face again.

Lisa sauntered over, and when she saw Ace, her expression changed. “Ace?”

Ace didn’t bother to look at her. “I’m sure you’re enjoying yourself, Richard. I’m quite busy.”

Richard almost choked with laughter. “Busy? Are you busy scavenging for scraps?” he scoffed.

Lisa was slightly embarrassed. “Let’s leave him alone, Richard. What will people think if they see us talking to him? It’s not a good look.”

Richard was about to retry when someone stepped in.

A young man with white hair appeared, and a woman immediately attended to him.

“Hello, Sir, How may I assist you?” The woman asked with a smile.

“Tell the CEO that Luther King is here, and I’ve brought my boss with me.” Luther smiled and walked over to where Ace was standing.

“Hey, boss, what are you doing here? Aren’t you getting some new clothes?” Luther asked Ace.

Ace sighed. Luther had drawn all the attention to him.

Richard felt disgusted. “Hey, you must be mistaken. Is this guy the boss you’re looking for? I’m Richard, Richard Conner, heir to Conner Incorporated. Nice to meet you,” Richard said, extending his hand for a handshake.

“Get off me, peasant. You almost stained my suit,” Luther slapped Richard’s hand away and moved Ace to another stand.

Richard’s face turned red, and Lisa quietly returned to her shopping, pretending not to know him.

“I’ll make you pay, Ace, for disgracing me like this,” Richard muttered, full of spite. He assumed Luther had mistaken Ace for someone important.

Luther led Ace to the top floor of the building, where other influential people typically shopped.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Ace said.

“He should have respected you. I think I saw some nice clothes over there; I’ll be right back,” Luther replied, quickly moving away.

Ace watched as Luther walked off.

Just as he was about to touch a piece of clothing, someone pulled him back.

“Don’t you dare touch those clothes with your filthy hands!” a woman yelled. She started dusting the clothes and spraying them with perfume.

Ace frowned at her behavior.

“What do you think you’re doing here? Cleaners and servants aren’t allowed in this room. Did you get lost?” She spat in disgust. “Look at your clothes; you don’t belong here. You even stink.” The woman’s voice grew louder, drawing more attention.

“You should watch your tongue,” Ace said, his annoyance evident.

“Or what? Get lost, you filth, or I’ll call security on you,” the woman threatened, her face reddening as she grew more agitated.

Just then, Luther, drawn by the commotion, appeared, followed by a tall man dressed in a blue suit adorned with gold.

“Theresa! Know your place. Do you know who you’re talking to?” the tall man thundered.

Theresa looked at Ace and scoffed. “He’s just a cleaner, Sir,” she muttered.

At that moment, the tall man slapped her, leaving Theresa stunned.

“But, Sir?” She murmured in shock, her hand on her cheek.

“Shut up. That’s the owner of this place,” the tall man announced.

“But he looks filthy, sir.” Theresa couldn’t hide her disgust for Ace, earning her another slap. Theresa was speechless.

“You’re fired!” the tall man declared. He was about to say more when Ace raised his hand.

“Don’t fire her,” Ace said. He bent down to help the woman up, much to Theresa’s surprise.

“She insulted you, Mr. Winchester,” the tall man said, confused.

“I know. She’ll work here as a cleaner, or I’ll make sure she never finds work anywhere else. I’m sure she doesn’t want that,” Ace stated, his eyes fixed on Theresa.

Theresa felt her face burn with embarrassment. She had been demoted from a managing partner to a cleaner. She couldn’t accept it.

“Sir, you can’t let him do that! I’ve worked hard for this company. I can’t just be a cleaner. What will people say?” Theresa protested.

“I’m afraid the only other job available is cleaning shoes. Would you like to polish the customers’ shoes when they come to buy?” Ace asked with an innocent smile.

“I can’t do that!” Theresa was appalled.

“Welcome to your new job as a cleaner. May we leave now, Luther?” Ace said, looking at Luther. They walked away, leaving Theresa to process what had just happened. She had mistaken a top boss for a cleaner, and now the tables had turned. She was the cleaner instead.

Meanwhile, on the company’s employee group chat, videos and pictures started circulating.

“Hey, I heard there’s a new boss,” someone typed.

“He’s so brutal. I think he’s cool,” another replied.

“How did he get the company in a day? I don’t think people know this.”

“Did you hear that Theresa is now the cleaner? Must be devastating,” someone noted.

“She deserves it. She’s too pompous; now she’s gotten a taste of her own medicine,” another person said, adding an emoji.

Theresa read the messages and couldn’t help but break down in tears.

Meanwhile, Ace was trying on his new clothes.

“I don’t like red, Luther. Get another one,” Ace stated with a frown.

“Yes, sir,” Luther replied, running off at once.