Chapter 14
The clerk was startled by her and quickly stepped back. His professional training kept him polite. "Ms. Johnson, please calm down. If you insist on buying it, you need to pay first."
"Fine, I'll pay!" Freya pulled out her card and slammed it hard on the counter. "Swipe it!"
The clerk took the card with a professional smile and operated the POS machine.
A few seconds later, he handed the card back, his smile becoming somewhat awkward.
"Sorry, Ms. Johnson, you have insufficient funds."
The air instantly froze.
Freya's face turned red. She grabbed the card back in disbelief. "That's impossible! Try again!"
The clerk patiently swiped it again. The result was the same.
Other customers were already casting curious glances their way. Winter's expression changed, too. She tugged at Freya's sleeve, wanting her to stop embarrassing herself.
But Freya was in too deep now. Her face flushed, her voice trembling. "I... I have money in my account! Your machine must be broken!"
Just then, my phone chimed - a successful payment notification.
The clerk had already tied the beautifully wrapped gift box with a ribbon and presented it with both hands, his attitude a hundred times more respectful than before.
"Ms. White, your tie. Please take it."
I took the gift box, didn't even glance at Freya and Winter frozen in place, and turned to the clerk. "Wrap up those obsidian cufflinks, too."
Under Freya and Winter's murderous glares, I carried two elegant shopping bags and walked away gracefully in my heels.
Behind me, I faintly heard Freya's frustrated crying and Winter's low curses.
A boring little drama, but it made for a decent appetizer.
Walking out of Maple Leaf Plaza, the afternoon sun was a bit blinding.
I carried the two heavy shopping bags, but my mood was lighter than when I arrived.
Dealing with people like Winter and Freya, humiliation through money was far more direct and effective than any verbal comeback.
Chase had already parked the car by the roadside, waiting. Seeing me come out, he immediately got out to open the door for me.
As soon as I settled in, my phone vibrated in my purse.
A name I'd almost forgotten, yet always popped up at the wrong times, flashed on the screen - Marlowe.
I pressed answer but didn't speak.
Marlowe's voice came through, gentle as always but with hidden command. "Are you busy?"
"What is it?" My voice was cold, too lazy to play nice with her.
"Here's the thing," Marlowe's tone carried a familiar sense of entitlement. "Amelia is treating her classmates to dinner at a restaurant near Maple Leaf Plaza. She rushed out and forgot her bank card. Since you're nearby, could you go help her settle the bill?"
My face went cold. Amelia and her friends were splurging at a fancy restaurant, while I was supposed to be an ATM on call, summoned by a text or phone call to pay those hefty bills under their contemptuous yet smug gazes.
They enjoyed the wealth my mother left behind, yet treated me like the lowest servant.
"I'm not available." I refused flatly.
Marlowe clearly didn't expect such a complete rejection. Her voice rose slightly, her gentle mask cracking. "Ophelia, what kind of attitude is this? I'm just asking you to help Amelia settle a bill. It's nothing!"
"If it's nothing, why doesn't she ask you?" I laughed coldly. "Or does she need me there to look good in front of her friends?"
"You!" Marlowe was speechless for a moment, then pulled out her tried-and-true trick. "Don't forget, your father is still at home watching. Not giving Amelia face like this - do you want to make things difficult for your father? Is it worth upsetting him over such a small thing?"
Father?
This man exists in my memory as nothing more than a vague silhouette, and, apart from that, the countless unreasonable demands he made of me just to please Marlowe and Amelia, there's nothing else.
I laughed lightly. That laugh traveled through the receiver as I spoke slowly. "Hasn't he been busy lately with my marriage to the Wilson family, going around bragging about what a capable daughter the White family has?"
Marlowe went silent.
I leaned back against the soft seat, watching the dazzling street scene outside, continuing to twist the knife. "Tell me, if I rush over now and Mr. Wilson's people see me paying bills for my dear sister like some wallet, what would Mr. Wilson think? Would he think the White family's daughter is that cheap?"
I paused, my tone becoming meaningful. "If something goes wrong with this marriage and the father blames someone, do you think he'll blame me first, or Amelia, who needs her sister to pay for her meals?"
On the other end, only Marlowe's rapid breathing remained.
A few seconds later, she hung up without a word.
I tossed my phone back in my bag, completely unmoved.
If they wanted to control me, they needed to have the leverage. Now, Benjamin was my greatest leverage.
"To the Wilson Group," I instructed Chase in the front.
The top-floor office of the Wilson Group had an open view, overlooking almost half the city's prosperity.
Benjamin sat in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window, holding a cup of coffee, focused on the computer before him.
Sunlight streamed through the glass, gilding him with a golden edge, softening his sharp aura.
Hearing the door open, he looked up, his gaze falling on me and the shopping bags in my hands.
I walked to his large desk and placed both bags on it, without unnecessary pleasantries. "Bought them on the way. A thank-you gift."
Benjamin raised an eyebrow, put down his coffee, and his slender fingers slowly opened one of the gift boxes.
When he saw the platinum tie studded with black diamonds, a barely noticeable surprise flashed in his eyes.
He took out the tie, examined it against the light, glanced at me, and a playful smile curved his lips. "Good taste."
He opened the other box - the matching obsidian cufflinks, understated yet refined.
"Just fulfilling the cooperation agreement," I responded calmly. Our relationship was built on mutual benefit. Any contribution from either party required a corresponding return. It was fair.
He didn't dwell on the value of the gifts, but put the cufflinks back in the box and changed the subject, his tone casual as if chatting. "Bobby just called me."
My heart stirred slightly as I looked at him.
"He praised you highly," Benjamin leaned back in his chair, his deep eyes studying me with a hint of inquiry. "He said you have clear thinking and exceptional judgment - someone who can do great things."
I didn't speak, waiting for him to continue.
"He also jokingly asked me," Benjamin's fingertips tapped lightly on the desk, his gaze locked on my eyes, "if he could poach you for his company. Salary and benefits - you name it."
I understood.
Bobby was showing goodwill to Benjamin while also testing my worth.
I met his gaze and asked back, "So how did Mr. Wilson answer?"
The air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Benjamin suddenly leaned forward. Across the wide desk, a powerful sense of pressure hit me.
His eyes were sharp, carrying an unquestionable dominance and possessiveness.
"I told him," his voice was low and clear, each word striking my heart, "I never transfer investments I've set my sights on."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across my face, then added with an inscrutable smile, "Especially... the one with the greatest potential."