Chapter 110: This Money Is for You

On the way from the tailoring shop to the Multi Diner, Mark and Miranda could hardly contain their excitement.

Both were now extremely eager to find out who was behind the scenes, someone with such great influence.

In that person's hands, money seemed to be just a number; their subordinates carried millions of dollars in cash to dress them up, and the custom-making cost of their two outfits totaled five million dollars!

They couldn't imagine a suit being that valuable; even one made entirely of diamonds shouldn't command such a price.

It was now evident that this individual wasn't lacking in power either.

That reckless murderer, with no regard for others - Antonio.

And then, there's the tailor shop that the top elite of Freton City could only hope to book by reserving one month in advance. Stefano cutting in line, ordering and receiving on the same day; this could explain a lot.

But then, arriving at the entrance of the Multi Diner, Mark was grounded once again.

Back in the days of the Miller family, to show off, he had dined here a few times, but only in the lobby, attended to by arrogant-looking waiters.

Before Mark even had a chance to get out of the car, the manager of Multi Diner had already jogged over, stooping respectfully as he opened the car door for Mr. Miller.

"Please, Mr. Miller."

A red carpet extended from the parking spot all the way to the restaurant's entrance.

On both sides stood young and beautiful women, all of them bowing in unison.

Mark couldn't help but sweep his gaze over these fair and lovely ladies, but suddenly, his arm throbbed in pain, causing him to inhale sharply.

Turning his head, he saw Miranda fiercely pinching his arm, glaring at him.

Mark offered a sheepish smile, not daring to say much more.

"You only have eyes for the pretty girls, look over there!" Miranda pointed.

Following her direction, Mark's attention was drawn to a huge banner hoisted above the hotel, which read: "Welcome, Mr. Miller."

Had they really booked the entire luxury hotel just to welcome him?

Under the barrage of shocks, Mark felt almost delirious.

If he wasn't clutching the hefty weight of a bag containing a million dollars in cash, he would have doubted this was all a dream.

Approaching the lobby, he noticed all the tables had been cleared and all the waitstaff were lined up on either side, clearing a path to the elevator.

"A private dining room on the upper floor?" To say Mark was a bit exhilarated would be an understatement. He had never been there before.

Just as he was about to proceed, he suddenly caught sight of a faintly smiling face in the crowd and was rooted to the spot as if struck by lightning.

"Henry?!"

Hearing her husband's murmurs, Miranda also looked over and saw the young man who, many days ago, had appeared in their store and helped them deal with James.

She also knew that this young man was the direct reason her husband had lived with guilt for years, and why he had ultimately left the Miller family.

Why was Henry here?

Mark's mind was in turmoil, and for a moment, he didn't know how to face Henry.

The last time they met, Henry hadn't treated him poorly, and had even helped him, intensifying the pain in Mark's heart.

He fondled the cash in his hand and took a deep breath before turning to Miranda and saying:

"I'm sorry, Miranda."

Before Miranda could react, she saw her husband walk away resolutely.

"Henry…." Mark wanted to say something, but still didn't know how to start. In the end, he remained silent and just pressed the bag containing a million dollars in cash into the other man's arms.

Henry asked coolly, "What is this supposed to mean?"

"This is one million dollars, consider it my compensation to you. I know it might not be enough compared to the pain you've endured, but for now... this is all I have." Mark's eyes brimmed with regret. "I didn't know whom I was helping before. To repay you, you just wait. When I have money, I will compensate you further."

Actually, Mark himself wasn't sure what the banquet would bring, and he felt even less certain there would be any benefit for him.

So, this one-million dollars already embodied all his hopes for the future. He fantasized that with this money, he could open a modest store with his wife who had toiled alongside him for years - a place where they could employ waitstaff and dishwashers, so they wouldn't have to work so hard. That would be an uncommon happiness.

But now, he had given all the money to Henry, with not a trace of reluctance on his face.

Later, when Miranda saw what he did, she opened her mouth to speak, but her expression darkened, and she fell silent.

She knew her husband's anguish and respected his decision.

Henry was silent for a moment, then grasped the money firmly, accepting it.

All the arrangements today were, of course, his doing.

It was also Isabella's obsession to properly repay Mark.

But for Henry, some faint bitterness lingered toward this once close friend who had become entangled in the scheme.

As Mark pressed the one million dollars into his hand, Henry suddenly realized that he might not hate him anymore.

After investigating Mark, he knew how important the money was to him.

"I didn't expect my nature to still have some kindness," Henry chuckled self-deprecatingly.

"What did you say?" Mark was nervous, unclear about Henry's intentions.

"It's nothing." Henry gave him a deep look. "Let's not go up just yet; not everyone has arrived."

"More people?" Mark was confused, then said, "Henry, are you working as a waiter at Multi Diner now? Otherwise, what are you doing here?"

He knew Henry seemed to have just left the military and was probably between jobs. Doing such work was understandable.

"The treatment must be very good at Multi Diner. I suppose your salary is even higher than what I'd make at my small shop. I'm a bit envious," Mark added quickly, worried that Henry might think he was being belittled.

Henry hadn't expected Mark to think that way and didn't deny it, only smiled again.

"Henry, do you know who's hosting us after all?" Seeing Henry's amiable demeanor, Mark grew bold and asked him stealthily.

"You'll find out soon. You know her, you used to be quite close."Henry glanced at Miranda. "Miranda knows her too."

Hearing this, Mark had no mind to wonder who it could be. A shiver ran through him, and he asked with a quivering voice, "Miranda knows her too?"

Henry paused and nodded, his face seemingly impassive, but a hint of amusement twinkled in his eyes.

"People are here," Henry suddenly announced.

Mark hurriedly looked over, seeing a convoy of vehicles pulling up to Multi Diner's entrance.

Owner or guest?

While he was guessing, the door of the central car opened, and an elder in his seventies or eighties, still fairly sturdy but down to one arm, stepped out.

"Rob?"