Chapter 8

Mia said, "If we get turned down, Sophia, you gotta head over to Apex Global Enterprises and cozy up to Ms. Adams. We can't afford to flop."

James frowned, glancing at Mia and Ava, who seemed convinced Sophia had already been rejected.

He chimed in, "Sophia hasn't even told us if she got a yes or no, and you're already blaming her. Isn't that jumping the gun a bit?"

Ava sneered, "Ms. Adams replied so fast, it's probably a no! We're just trying to save our butts here and this is just a backup plan!"

She shot James a cold look and added, "Do you think the rich kids in Phoenix City have nothing better to do?"

James smirked and said, "Maybe the rich kids in Phoenix City are just like me, staying home all day cooking steaks and doing laundry for their wives?"

Ava snapped, "Who do you think you are? You think you can compare yourself to the rich kids in Phoenix City?"

Then she turned to Sophia and said coldly, "We've given you a solution, and you're still standing here doing nothing. Are you trying to lose this contract?"

Sophia frowned at Ava's accusation, "I don't think I must go to Apex Global Enterprises!"

Ava's voice got sharp. "Are you scared of looking bad? How can your pride be more important than the Brown family's interests?"

Her words practically called Sophia selfish.

Mia's face grew more unpleasant, and she spoke up, "Sophia, you grew up with your grandfather. You should know that only when the Brown family is strong will you have good days! There's no hardship you can't endure!"

Mia's tone was heavy, leaning on her elder status. She didn't even ask Sophia about the results and just assumed Sophia had failed. Sophia felt a pang of sadness. At that moment, James walked over, took her hand, and said, "It's not up to you to say whether the rich kids in Phoenix City are like me! But I think Sophia doesn't need to go to Apex Global Enterprises to please Nora!"

He shot Ava a cold look and continued, "Because I know that Apex Global Enterprises has agreed to attend the banquet!"

Sophia looked at James in surprise. How did he know?

Ava looked disdainful after hearing James' words. "Who do you think you are? Will the chairman of Apex Global Enterprises come just because you say so? No way!"

Hearing this, Sophia, who had been unsure of how to respond, felt warmth in her palm and said, "Ms. Adams just called me and said she consulted the chairman, and they agreed to attend the banquet!"

As she finished speaking, Ava, who had been somewhat disdainful, immediately looked unpleasant, "You said they agreed?"

In Ava's view, this was simply impossible! After all, when she and John went to see Ms. Adams, they were directly kicked out. And now, Sophia just made a phone call, and they agreed to come? The difference was too great!

Ava quickly picked up on what Sophia had said earlier and shot back with a hint of sarcasm, "You're just using your looks. Do you really think he cares about the Brown family? He's just interested in your face. Make sure you keep him happy and don't mess it up!"

Her words practically accused Sophia of using her body to get close to the chairman.

Sophia's face darkened, and just as she was about to respond, James cut in, "Sophia is indeed beautiful. If you're jealous, just say it. After all, you'll always be trash!" He added calmly, "At least the chairman of Apex Global Enterprises appreciates Sophia, not you!"

Ava's face turned red with anger. Before she could retort, James pulled Sophia along and said, "The supermarket downstairs has started its discount. You've had a long day. Let's go downstairs together. I'll do the shopping, and you can go home and rest! No need to stick around for this meeting anymore!"

He added with a heavier tone, "After all, someone is ruining the vibe here!"

Everyone knew who he meant.

Ava's face twisted in anger as she sputtered, "James, you..."

But James had already left the meeting room with Sophia.

Watching them leave, Ava stomped her foot in frustration and turned to Mia. "Grandma, look at them!"

She went to Mia to complain, but Mia's gaze was icy. "I've told you many times before, don't get cocky."

Her voice grew harsher, "Yesterday, you made a bet with James without being certain and even swore by the Lord. The Lord is sacred and cannot be defiled! Since you swore in the presence of the Lord, you must fulfill it!"

Ava finally remembered that Mia was the most devout believer of the Lord, and her face turned even more sour.

Mia continued, "And just now, without Sophia saying anything, where did you get the confidence to say she failed?"

Ava wanted to point out that Mia had agreed with her, but she didn't dare and could only lower her head in silence.

Mia snorted coldly, "If you keep being so rude, you don't need to come here anymore!"

Ava's face turned even more unpleasant.

Meanwhile, Sophia and James had reached the company lobby and were about to part ways.

Sophia said, "Thanks for encouraging me to go to Apex Global Enterprises this time!"

She was a grateful person and knew that it was because of James that she went to Apex Global Enterprises to discuss cooperation. So she was full of gratitude towards him.

James looked at Sophia and smiled slightly, "You're welcome. We're family anyway. If you really want to thank me, how about we celebrate our fourth wedding anniversary in a few days?"

Sophia's eyes flickered. After hesitating for a moment, she agreed, "Okay!" James grinned, "I'll prepare a huge surprise for you then!"

Sophia didn't think much of the surprise and just nodded. "Alright, I'll head back to the company to get ready for the cooperation with Apex Global Enterprises."

With that, she got in her car and drove off.

James didn't head to the nearby supermarket but instead rode his motorcycle to the largest luxury center in Silverlight City.

Unlike other malls, this place was packed with luxury cars, and there were even bodyguards to open doors.

Seeing James on a shabby motorcycle, some people gave him disdainful looks. But he ignored them and walked calmly into the luxury center.

The sales associates quickly sized him up, noting his outfit probably didn't cost more than twenty bucks. They figured he couldn't afford anything here.

So, none of them approached him. But James walked straight to a mid-level display case. There, on the shelf, was a necklace with a heart-shaped pink diamond, sparkling brilliantly under the lights. With just one look, James knew Sophia would love it. It was pricey, tagged at $13.14 million.

He pointed at the necklace and asked, "Can you take this necklace out for me to see?"

The sales associate, who had been looking down on him, frowned. "Sir, do you know this necklace costs thirteen million, one hundred and forty thousand dollars?"

The associate's condescending tone made James frown. "I can see the price! You don't need to remind me!"

The associate's expression turned even more disdainful. "I'm reminding you because this necklace is something you could never afford in your lifetime. You can only look at it through the display case; you have no right to ask us to take it out for you!"

Her words were clear enough. James's face darkened. These people were judging him based on his clothes.

"You think I can't afford this in my lifetime?" James asked coldly, pulling out the Black Card Eric had given him.

But the associate's disdain grew even more upon seeing the card, as they had never seen such a card before.

"Sir, I'm afraid your fake card won't be able to process such a large amount! Please don't waste our time!" the associate snorted, the disdain in her tone quite palpable.

James's face darkened further. "You won't even try to swipe it and just assume it's fake?"

Hearing this, the associate snorted, "With just one look, I can tell this card is fake."

They had dealt with many wealthy people and had seen the most prestigious card, the Diamond Card. They had never seen the Black Card, so they instinctively thought it was fake. In their eyes, someone like James couldn't possibly afford anything here, let alone have a high-limit card.

James gave a cold smile and said, "Alright! You think this card is fake?"

The associate coldly replied, "Yes, what do you want to do about it?"

Without replying, James took out his phone and called Eric.

Eric, who was worried about James not wanting to return to the Smith family, was surprised to receive a call from him.

So he answered immediately, and before he could speak, James' cold voice came through. "Someone says the Black Card you gave me is fake and that I could never afford a necklace in my lifetime! What do you think about that?"

Hearing this, Eric stood up immediately. "Who dares to question you? Mr. Smith, don't worry, I'll be there right away!"

After confirming James' location, he quickly gathered his subordinates and rushed over.

James hung up the phone and stood at the counter.

The associate's impatience was evident, and she said, "Sir, please leave our store! You're just lowering our store's standards!"

James just gave a cold smile, the next second, twelve bodyguards suddenly entered the store, standing imposingly on either side.

Seeing these bodyguards, the associate's eyes instantly lit up. Someone with such an entourage must be a big deal! Yet she never expected that these people were called by James.

She quickly adjusted her clothes and went over. At this moment, behind the bodyguards emerged a middle-aged man dressed in a bespoke suit.

The associate spoke with a respectful demeanor, "Good day, how may I assist you?"

But Eric just ignored her and went straight to James, then the next moment, he and the bodyguards all bowed respectfully to James while saying, "Mr. Smith!"

This scene shocked the surrounding associates. How could this be?

An associate whispered, "I can't believe someone dressed so poorly is actually from a wealthy family!"

Some still doubted, "Maybe they're just hired actors?"

After all, they had encountered people hiring others to boost their image before.

An older associate coldly said, "Didn't you see the watch on that man's wrist? That's a Patek Philippe. Even if you have money, you might not be able to buy it without an asset evaluation!"

Hearing this, the surrounding whispers ceased. The associate who had been disrespectful to James now looked very awkward. She hadn't expected the Black Card to be real. James was truly wealthy! But which wealthy person dressed so modestly?

While the associate was panicking, Eric spoke with a stern face, "Who said the card I gave Mr. Smith is fake? Step forward!"

Eric, being the old assistant to York Smith, naturally had an imposing aura. His words made the associates around him hold their breath.

The presence of so many bodyguards had already attracted attention, and curious onlookers were trying to film the scene with their phones, though they could only capture James' back.

The associate quickly organized her thoughts in her mind.