The Ace at the Apex by Nine Linked Rings

Chapter 1
Chapter 1 Happy Birthday—Not
―Javier… Let‘s get a divorce!‖
It was to be Javier Kersey‘s 24th birthday tomorrow and this was what Selena Lewis was
telling him tonight.

Even though Selena had been picking fights up and down and digging out flaws in their
relationship, it had never crossed Javier‘s mind that he would be receiving a ―special‖ gift
like this on the night before he turned 24. Seated on the couch in the living room, Javier
tried to salvage the relationship after a momentary lapse.

Selena, my birthday‘s tomorrow and I wanted to give you a surprise, you know, a special
present for—‖

―No need.‖ Selena waved dismissively before Javier could finish his sentence.

―I can‘t bear to see you work so hard—an office worker in the day and part-time food
delivery man at night. A surprise gift bought using your hard work and sweat? I don‘t need
it. That‘s too much on you, too exhausting.‖

Javier looked hopeful, his gaze brimming with delight when he looked up.

―I don‘t think it‘s hard at all. Selena, for you, it‘s all worth it. I don‘t mind working even
harder—‖

―But I mind it. I do. I mind it, do you understand?!‖ Selena finally broke down shouting. With
a stomp of her foot, she cut Javier off once again.

― I don‘t want to be able to smell the stench of sweat on every single gift I receive from you!

―I don‘t want my coworkers rubbing it in my face, saying that the delivered meal they had
last night was sent by my husband!

―I don‘t want to get into the cramped bus after work every day and have to avoid those
perverts who try to grope me!
―I don‘t want to have to come home and cook every day! I hate the smell of grease and
smoke!

―I want an enchanting nightlife and romantic candlelight dinners. I want a luxury car that
people are envious of. I want branded purses that my coworkers will be jealous of. Do you
understand?!‖

Javier had not known. He had thought that all those could be compensated with hard work
and diligence, at least until the crucial age of 24. He had not expected Selena to be
disdainful about the sweat of his hard work and efforts—it reeked, according to her.

Considering his feelings for the girl, however, Javier told her honestly, ―I can give you all
these tomorrow…‖

But Selena just sighed with a shake of the head. ―I‘m tired of this. I don‘t want to hear your
fantasies anymore. That‘s all. We‘ll get a divorce tomorrow.‖

Without allowing Javier a chance to speak, Selena went toward the bedroom, shut the door,
and then locked it with a click.

Looking at the sweet wedding photo that hung on the wall, then at the bedroom door that
was shut tight. Javier huffed and a wry smile spread across his face. His love, indulgence,
hard work, and diligence was not able to contend with materialism after all.

About half an hour of wallowing later, Javier got up to turn in for the night. As he was
heading toward the guest bedroom, the bedroom door opened to reveal Selena‘s ever-
charming but disdainful face. Javier was hit with a dose of hope, thinking that the latter still
cared about their relationship.

However, at the moment, she tossed a small black box tied with a pink ribbon at his feet. It
was a present Javier had left in the bedroom for Selena but it was currently being thrown
out. Crouching to pick it up, Javier smiled bitterly for the last time. He made a final attempt
to ask Selena, ―Don‘t you want to see what I‘m gifting you?‖

―There‘s no need. I don‘t want to smell the stench of sweat ever again.‖ After these words
were spoken, came the click of the bedroom door being locked once more.

He dragged himself toward the guest room and sat on the bed, holding onto the small box.
He pulled out a cheap pack of cigarettes from his pocket, fished out a stick that looked the
least crooked before pinching it straight, and lighting it. It burned. He thought the cigarette
had tasted fine previously but now, it seemed to burn his throat—and his heart.

After a few deep drags, he perched the cigarette between his lips before opening the small
box that Selena had thrown out like trash. A silvery-white bank card made of metal and a
cellphone that had never even graced the consumer market laid in the box lined with
golden velvet. The cellphone looked cheap, like an imitation produced from old parts in a
small workshop. It did not even have a logo. Despite that, it was an exclusive dual-system
cellphone. Instead of the android interface that would usually show up when a finger was
pressed against the screen, this phone showed another operating system—Kersey Global
Intelligent OS (KGI)—once the retinal scans had passed.

This was an exclusive Kersey-family operating system. Other than communicating, notifying,
and scheduling internal meetings among the Kerseys, it could connect to the world‘s top
underground market networks. The Messer-Reid Currency Marketplace, for example, was
the most basic application available.

Lifting the customized cell phone to his face, Javier pointed the front camera at his left eye.
With a beep, KGI was activated. The moment it started, realistic, colorful fireworks lit up the
screen before the text ‗Congratulations, Javier Kersey. Happy Birthday!‘ blinked in greeting.

The man checked the time. It was 12:03 am. Javier snorted, a puff of cigarette smoke
escaping his lips alongside a low growl, ―Happy birthday. Not.‖

He stubbed out his cigarette, threw it away, and tapped the inbox icon. Various
congratulatory messages spammed his inbox but he did not know 90% of the senders. They
were all his family members related by blood but not all of them shared the same last name
and many of them were very distant relatives.

As for the messages, Javier did not have to read them to know that they must all be
obsequious congratulations. The only message that he bothered to open was from Messer-
Reid Currency Marketplace.

‗Congratulations, Mr. Javier Kersey. You‘ve come of age. Your Messer account has been
automatically activated. Current balance: $10,000,000.‘

Ten million dollars. This was a small gift from the Kerseys to all of its descendants when they
came of age. The Kerseys considered their younglings to only be an adult at the age of 24.
Before this, they would not receive any financial aid or benefit from the family. Those who
left the family, especially those who went to gain experience in the outside world, would not
get a single cent in support.

Once they turned 24, however, aside from the one-time ten million dollar gift, they would
receive a monthly bonus from businesses all over the world that the Kerseys were involved
in. The monthly bonus was the real treat as direct descendants received an even bigger
amount than those who were not. But none of that really mattered to Javier for now. The
ten million dollars was enough to flip his current life around.

Pocketing the phone, Javier retrieved the silvery-white Messer card made of pure palladium.
There was a nice weight to it. The man had weighed it back when he was younger—60
grams, just about double a regular bank card‘s weight. According to the market of the
metal, the card itself would have cost over three thousand dollars, and that was excluding
the speckles of diamonds embedded into the card holder‘s name.

Many oil tycoons in the middle east did not even know of the existence of such cards. It was
not that they did not acknowledge Messer cards, they were simply unqualified to obtain
them. They were not even worthy of finding out about the card‘s existence!

Twirling the Messer card between his fingers, Javier stared at the wall, in the direction of the
bedroom next door that Selena was in. He murmured to himself, ―I‘ve paved the way of
extravagance for you yet you choose to go on your own path. Great…‖

His phone rang while he muttered to himself. His younger sister, Ciara Kersey, had called.

―Javy, happy birthday! I‘ll celebrate with you tomorrow and meet my sis-in-law too. I‘ve
bought her a present!‖

―Save it, Ciara. She and I are divorcing tomorrow… Why? Hah! Because she says I‘m too
poor,‖ Javier sighed.

―What? She said that you‘re poor? I‘ll bury her alive with money tomorrow!‖

Javier‘s self-deprecating chuckle was met with Ciara‘s rage.

Chapter 2 You‘re a Nightmare

Javier and Selena went down from their apartment together around nine the next morning.
While they were waiting for a cab by the road, Javier offered her a last chance.
―Do you want to reconsider your decision?‖
Selena did not even spare him a glance. ―No.‖

Right after her prompt decline, her phone rang inside her brand new purse. When she
pulled it out, Javier saw that it was a new phone. Judging by the logo on the back, the
cellphone was a collaboration model with Porsche.

Selena glanced at the name on the screen and walked off to the side. As she picked up the
call, her voice dripped with honey and sounded incredibly sweet. That honeyed voice had
once belonged only to Javier, but it was now enjoyment for the man on the other end of the
line. Since they were over, Javier did not comment as he flagged down a passing cab.
Opening the car door, he gestured for Selena who had just ended her call to get in.

From when they had known each other, he had always been a gentleman. And now, even
though things were over between them, he still kept his gentlemanly ways. It had nothing to
do with romance and love. It was just the way Javier had been brought up.

However…

Selena, arriving next to the open cab door, looked at him with a gaze laced with sympathy,
disdain, and even a hint of mockery. She said to Javier, ―See, when we got married last year,
we went to register our marriage in a cab. This year, we‘re getting a divorce and we‘re still
taking a cab. This is the reason for our divorce.‖

After Selena got in, Javier closed the door and took his seat in the passenger seat upfront.
Other than telling the cab driver their destination, he said nothing else. The cab drove
toward the state court in silence.

When they walked up to the registration counter for the divorce, the staff gestured for Javier
and Selena to take a seat and took them through the procedure. They asked
straightforwardly, ―How will your shared assets be split? Have you discussed it between
yourselves?‖

Selena was quick to answer, ―We have none. Our house is a rental and we don‘t have a car. I
can return the clothes, the makeup, and whatever else he had bought for me. What‘s left in
our bank account, no more than 100 dollars I think, I‘ll leave it to him.‖

She sounded generous. If only she did not look like she was handing out charity. From the
superior air she exuded and the impatience in her tone, it was clear that she wanted to get
the divorce over and done with.
The personnel asked some other questions for formality and confirmed the intention of
splitting up from both parties, making certain that there was no other disagreement, before
pressing the stamp on the divorce papers and passing them to Javier and Selena separately.
Getting married had been quite a hassle, taking more or less half an hour. But getting a
divorce was pretty quick. In fact, it took no more than five minutes.

As they exited the lobby and came to stand side-to-side at the entrance of the state court,
Javier took a deep breath and extended his right hand to Selena with a smile on his face.

―Even though we‘ve broken up, we‘re still friends, right?‖

Selena tucked the divorce papers into her purse and tucked a flyaway strand of hair behind
her ears but did not extend a hand beyond that.

―Sorry, I think it‘s better we don‘t remain friends, because that‘ll just remind me of the past I
don‘t want to look back on. Your presence in my life was a mistake. I only see it as a
nightmare. Now that I‘ve woken up from the nightmare today, I feel relieved.‖

Nightmare huh… That comment crushed any lingering hope Javier had of Selena in his
mind. When he retracted his right hand, he noted the revving of an approaching engine and
allowed his gaze to trail after the sound. A white, 2-door, sports Audi TT, came to a halt by
the side of the road. As the door opened, a smiling man with a pockmarked face limped out
of the car.

Javier recognized the man. He was the 35-year-old finance director of his company named
Terry Hamer. Terry had been involved in a car accident a few years back and it had caused
his legs to be different lengths. His wife had passed away in the accident as well.

As Terry stepped out of his car, he headed straight to Javier and engulfed the latter in a hug.
He was acting unusually friendly and warm. Then, he grabbed Javier‘s hand with a pleased
smile on his face.

―Javier, thank you for taking care of my wife this past year. Thank you so much! You didn‘t
really do a good job but don‘t worry, from now on, I‘ll take good care of Selena. I won‘t
allow her to squeeze herself onto the bus or make her cook anymore. I‘ll do everything I can
to give her the very best. I‘ll provide a brand new, blissful life for her. Don‘t you worry!‖

It did not sound anything like a thank-you. It was more of a gloating taunt.
Javier ignored him and cast an inquisitive gaze toward Selena. He thought that she would at
least go for someone who was younger, better looking, and richer than him. So it came as a
surprise that Selena had found a man who she presumed was richer than him but could not
even walk properly.

―You did this because of him?‖ he asked her as he raised an eyebrow.

Javier‘s question left Selena flustered but she raised her voice in retaliation.

―Yes! Because of Terry. Terry loves me and can provide me with a better life. I‘m no fool. I
can‘t possibly leave a candlelight dinner to share a cold bowl of ramen—a stale one at
that—with you!‖

Perhaps the woman could only cover up the materialism and shame she felt by raising her
voice.

Javier had nothing more to say but Terry was relentless.

―Bro, you love Selena, don‘t you? You did the right thing. A capable man, such as myself,
needs to hang on tight; I hang on tight to the woman I want. Incapable men, such as
yourself, need to let go; let go of the woman you‘re incapable of taking care of.‖

Terry shuffled forward and patted Javier‘s shoulder proudly. ―You‘ve made the right
decision. Good job!‖

Swatting the man‘s hand away, Javier looked at Selena again. ―Your choice of man to
replace me is very disappointing.‖

This sentence shot its way straight into Selena‘s sore spot. Growing angry with frustration,
she shouted furiously, ―You have no right to call my boyfriend that! Who do you think you
are?! He drives an Audi, what about you?! You only have your legs! He earns close to ten
thousand dollars a month, what about you?!

―You work in an office during the day and deliver food at night and you still can‘t make
more than a couple of hundred dollars. And who knows which countryside your parents are
living in? You didn‘t even want them to show up at our wedding. You were worried they‘d
expose their country-bumpkin ways and humiliate you, right?!
―Who says my boyfriend is your replacement? Check yourself in the mirror and see what‘s so
good about you! You won‘t even get the chance to place your behind into a genuine leather
seat of an Audi in this lifetime. You‘re condemned to be poor and to struggle your whole
life!‖

After throwing that barrage of insults at Javier, Selena linked arms with Terry and sweetly
called him darling just to annoy Javier.

Terry grinned. ―Selena, how could you say that he‘s condemned to being poor all his life
even though it‘s the truth?‖

The way they mocked Javier back and forth truly sealed their *sshole status.

As the trashy couple made their way to the white Audi TT, the rumble of an engine could be
heard from afar before a large SUV—a USSV Rhino GX—came skidding toward them. The
vehicle did not even step on its brakes as it ran over the Audi TT that Selena was so proud
of, crushing the luxury car into a cake of steel. The trunk and driver‘s compartment were
squashed, the windows smashed, and the tires blew out from the sudden overbearing
weight. The suave sports car now looked more like a toad. A flattened toad.

Terry and Selena who stood nearby felt like they had been struck by thunder. The USSV
Rhino GX was an absolute tank of a vehicle: a large SUV around six meters in length and 3.5
tons in weight. With a 6.7-liter twin-turbo, this big boy was a steel beast priced at around
650 thousand dollars.

After running over the car a few times, the Rhino GX finally got off the poor Audi TT that no
longer looked like a car. The luxury SUV parked at the side of the road and switched off its
engine, revealing a pair of slender legs in black tights as its driver-side door opened.

A young woman with long hair hopped out of the monster of a vehicle, wearing sunglasses
that covered a good half of her face. She wore a pale blue, off-shoulder dress that was
detailed with a thin layer of black lace on the upper half of the garment. There were no
shoulder straps in sight but the young woman‘s curves made sure that the dress stayed on
her person.

Terry, who was furious at the b*stard who had crushed his car, could not help but gulp as
his eyes went wide the moment he saw the hot girl who stepped out of the SUV.
Unfortunately for him, the girl with the sunglasses did not even glance at him. She instead
sashayed up to Javier.
As she reached him, she pulled off her sunglasses and revealed her pretty face. Despite not
wearing any makeup, her skin was supple like a baby‘s and her features were breathtaking.
Her fair arms went around Javier‘s neck in a hug as she puckered her plush lips for a kiss.

Feeling the warm softness against him, Javier was speechless. ―Ciara, you‘re a big girl now.
Can‘t you watch how you behave?‖

Ciara, his younger half-sister with whom he shared the same father but was born to different
mothers, did not care and pressed a kiss onto Javier‘s cheek before she relented. She then
walked up to Terry and Selena with an icy look on her face.

―Selena Lewis, I recognize you. My brother sent me your wedding photos. But what the f*ck
is up with the crater face next to you?

―He‘s the man who‘s supposed to pick up after Javier? Your pillar of wealth? So you think my
brother is poor and can‘t bring you happiness? Do you think this man who drives a car
worth a couple of tens of thousands of dollars is rich?

―Hah! You silly, silly woman. I‘ll let you know just what it means to be rich. I‘ll make sure you
understand what you‘ve actually lost!‖

Chapter 3 You‘re Really Something

Terry was intoxicated by Ciara‘s beauty but once he heard what she had said, he was
infuriated, especially after seeing his beloved car being squashed into a pancake.
But before he could say anything, Ciara walked up to him with her long legs which were
cladded in a pair of black tights. Stunned, Terry fell under the bewitching gaze of the lady‘s
eyes. It was as if they were sucking his soul away. When the girl reached him, she said
threateningly with a grin on her face, ―Keep staring and I‘ll dig your eyes out, yeah?‖

She was smiling but Terry felt chills running down his spine and he unconsciously averted
his gaze.

No longer bothered with Terry, Ciara went to Selena and pinched the girl‘s chin while raising
her face like she was teasing the latter. After some scrutiny, Ciara giggled. Her gaze was
mocking.

―My brother said that you‘re beautiful, inside and out, and married you despite our family‘s
protest. We offended the Soroys because of this and grandpa got so angry that he banned
everyone from attending your wedding. My brother‘s done so much for you and this is how
you repay him?‖
Selena did not understand what Ciara was saying but she did not like the girl holding her
chin. She reached out a hand to swat her away. Just as she raised her arm, Ciara had let go
of her and landed a harsh slap on Selena‘s face.

―Who do you think you are? How many women could only dream of marrying into the
Kerseys? But you didn‘t appreciate it and complained that my brother is poor. On top of
that, you hooked up with some other man when my brother only had eyes for you? Wow,
you really are something!‖

Following that, Ciara pulled out the same cell phone that Javier had and made a call after
she passed the retinal scan.

―Mackenzie, come here right now. Come get rid of two pieces of trash for me. They‘re at—‖

A large hand snatched Ciara‘s phone away before she could finish her sentence.

―Mackenzie, it‘s me. It‘s nothing, ignore Cici.‖

Hanging up, Javier glared wordlessly at Ciara and confiscated the custom cellphone. Ciara
rolled her eyes and threw another slap onto Selena‘s face without any forewarning.

―My brother doesn‘t have it in him to get petty with you but I‘m not that nice. You don‘t like
my brother being poor, right? Okay, I‘ll show you how poor he is!‖

Ciara marched toward the USSV Rhino GX, pulled out a box, and threw it toward Selena. In
the box were at least a dozen luxury packages with their brand names and logos printed on
their fronts—Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Chanel, Hermes, Prada, and whatnot. Recognizing the
brands was not a challenge to Selena who frequently browsed luxury brand websites.

―Before last night, these were presents that I had prepared for you. They‘re all custom-made
orders, you won‘t find these anywhere else in the world. But now, I ask you, Selena Lewis, do
you think you will deserve them?‖

Crouching to shove the luxury goods to one side, Ciara rummaged through the box and
pulled out bottle after bottle of luxury branded perfume. She tore open the packages,
twisted the caps open, and poured all of the bottles of perfume, each worth one of Terry‘s
Audi TT, all over the box. She then pulled out a cigarette from her purse, lit it up, and threw
the lighter right to the box.
When the perfume met the flames of the lighter, sparks flew and a raging fire came to life
within the box immediately. Selena was so shocked that she took several steps back.

Ciara who caught Selena‘s reaction scoffed, ―Looks like you still have a sense of self-
awareness and know that you‘re unworthy.‖

With the cigarette between her fingers, Ciara climbed into the tank that she had driven here.
Patting the car, she introduced it to Selena, ―The latest Rhino GX. Its official starting price is
657 thousand dollars. Personalized and modified in USSV Cali, this baby was specifically
flown in an exclusive jet in celebration of my brother coming of age. After all the
modifications it has gone through, it‘s worth at least 1.1 million dollars and it‘s not for sale.‖

Hopping down from the car, Ciara walked up to Selena again. Ciara smirked as she asked,
―Why, I also heard that you‘ve tossed the gift my brother gave you. Do you even know
what‘s inside? That‘s the reputable Messer card from Messer-Reid Currency Marketplace!

―You don‘t even know what a Messer card is, huh? I guess I don‘t mind being patient and
explaining it to you. It‘s—‖

―Alright, alright. Ciara, let‘s go!‖

Javier interrupted Ciara and tugged her hand to leave but the latter yanked her hand back
and continued telling Selena with a grin on her face, ―My brother‘s stopping me from
speaking but I still want to let you know what you‘ve actually missed out on. Ten million
dollars was banked into the Messer card at midnight yesterday and several more ten million
dollars will roll in every month from now on. This is what my brother has and what you call
poor?!

―Selena, Selena, have you gone blind? That must be why you abandoned a fat cat like my
brother, thinking he‘s some stray and hooked yourself onto a little mouse?‖

Chapter 4 A Herd Of Rabbits

Ciara went back to Javier‘s side after sneering at Selena.
When she saw the man‘s blank face, she stuck her tongue out at him and hugged him as a
peace offering. She burrowed her head in Javier‘s embrace and asked softly, ―Javy, I was
wrong, okay? Save me some pride, don‘t scold me in front of outsiders…‖

Javier was honestly powerless against his younger sister. Ruffling her hair, he slung an arm
around her shoulders, and together, they walked toward the Rhino GX.
Selena had always thought that Javier did not know how to drive but it was today that she
realized the man could drive and he could drive rather smoothly. With a step on the
accelerator, Selena watched as the large tank sped off into the distance. For some time, she
stood there stunned, her cheeks throbbing from the slaps she had received.

Suddenly, she threw herself at Terry, who stood equally stunned beside her, and shook his
shoulders fervently. ―Terry, he was acting, right? He must‘ve emptied his pockets to hire that
pretty girl to act with him to try and trick me back to his side, right?‖

Terry who was bewildered before was struck with a sudden realization when he heard what
Selena said.

―That must be the case. I‘ve never heard of whatever USS or whatever Rhino. Who knows? It
could be some dodgy company trying to imitate luxury cars. And those paper bags too.
They just have brand logos printed on them. Who knows if it‘s all trash inside?‖

Selena clapped her hands together. ―You‘re right! Why else would she burn them so easily?
They must all be fake. I‘m always browsing the luxury brand sites and at first glance, I knew
those bags were fake. She must‘ve burned them because she‘s worried I‘d see through her
con!‖

Both of them had been startled by Ciara‘s words and actions earlier and now, as they
muttered to themselves, they concluded that Ciara must be a paid actress. Otherwise, why
was she his younger sister and not his girlfriend? Pretty girls like her would never have eyes
for peasants like Javier!

Thinking that she was sharp enough to see through Javier‘s little trick, Selena was secretly
relieved. Fortunately, She had managed to hold herself back just now and was not tricked by
their performance. God knew how much she wanted to throw herself at Javier, with full-on
tears of remorse streaming down her face.

Hugging Terry‘s arm, she was currently very pleased with herself. It was like Selena could
already see her wonderful life driving an Audi and carrying a Gucci. But Terry‘s feathers were
still all in a ruffle. His beloved car had been crushed into an immobile pancake.

On the other hand in the Rhino GX, Javier had his hands on the steering wheel while Ciara
sat in the passenger seat. She kicked off her heels and propped up her long legs which were
wrapped in black tights on the dashboard in a sexy display.
Glancing at Ciara who was becoming increasingly prettier as the years went by, Javier was
slightly, indescribably troubled. He could only put on a poker face and nag, ―Ciara, put your
legs down. Behave yourself!‖

With a reluctant ―okay‖, Ciara withdrew her long legs and put her heels back on. She did not
think much about it and continued to ask, ―Javier, we‘ll be celebrating your birthday, yeah?
The Kerseys will hold a large-scale coming of age ceremony for you since you‘re the direct
descendent but that‘s only going to be three months from now. I‘ll celebrate it with you
today, and to commemorate your new life too.‖

Javier was not in the mood but since his sister had specially made her way here and looked
ever so hopeful, he could only agree to it.

Ciara waved her hands excitedly at Javier‘s assent. ―Yes! I‘m going to f*cking throw you a big
*ss party tonight!‖

Javier turned to glare at Ciara and the girl covered her mouth immediately. ―Nothing, you
heard nothing. I said I‘ll be throwing you a big merry party tonight!‖

Arriving at Javier‘s company building, Ciara drove off with the SUV while Javier went in to
resign from his job. He worked in the same company as Selena and Terry, but with what had
just happened, he did not want to stay in the same office any longer. Moreover, the ten
million dollars in his Messer card was enough for him to decide that he did not bury his
nose into his computer anymore.

Just as Javier stepped into the office, his coworker Sean Johnson walked up to him.

―Hey Javier, didn‘t you take the day off today? Why are you in the office? You wouldn‘t
be…‖

With a sudden glint in his eyes, Sean made sure to raise his voice as he asked, ―You wouldn‘t
be coming to the office just before lunch break so you could grab yourself some takeout
and save a few dollars on lunch, right? That‘d be silly of you. You‘re in food delivery. You
could‘ve just stolen a few bites from the meals you deliver!‖

Sean‘s words stirred a bout of laughter from their coworkers. Not many people in the office
had a good impression of Javier because they were ashamed to be acquainted with a
delivery man.
Some of their clients were often found asking curiously, ―Are you guys a food delivery
company? Why else would you recruit a delivery man?‖

All of them thought that being a delivery man was a step down from their status. They were
office workers. How offensive was it that they had to work with a lower-class being. Hence,
all of them were happy to throw in a barbed remark or two when it came to Javier, wishing
they could alienate and drive him away. Well, their wish was coming true today. Javier went
to clear out his desk.

Even then, Sean was relentless. ―Oh, Javier, are you quitting? Are you making big money
delivering food?‖ He then turned to their coworkers and said, ―Guys, look. What did I say
before? It‘s definitely far more tiring and smellier to work as a food delivery man but he
must be making good money. See! Javier‘s quitting! He‘s running for a place in the Forbes
ranking!‖

It was a joke to say that a delivery person was striving to get ranked in the Forbes list, so
everyone guffawed. A handful of them even waved as they laughed and mocked, ―Mr.
Kersey, Mr. Kersey, don‘t forget me in the future. Give me an electronic bike or something
so I can follow your steps into the Forbes list of the region!‖

And with another joke cracked, laughter rang out through the entire office, making the
place sound so merry like the company was distributing year-end bonuses in advance.

Javier scanned the faces surrounding him, none of them close to him despite the two years
they had all spent working together, and said nothing. He was more like a lion lazing on the
ground as he watched the naive rabbits prance and hop around in delight.

Was he angry? Not at all. He was not bothered to stoop so low as to bare his canines at a
herd of rabbits. Calmly and silently, he packed up his things and was ready to leave.

―Javier, you lowlife, f*cking say something when so many of us are speaking to you. What
kind of act are you trying to put on? Did your parents die when you were a child? Did no
one teach you any manners?‖

Sean thought that Javier was a pushover. The latter was about to leave anyway so Sean did
not care about offending him and jabbed harder.

―Haha, this guy must have been dumped on the side of the street. His parents must have
had years deducted from their lives from raising this guy,‖ someone quipped to rub in the
humiliation.
When the group of vulgar people mocked Javier for being rude, the man‘s expression
hardened instantly. He did not want to get petty with these guys but if they started
dragging his parents into this, he would not take that lying down.

He was not planning to put up with the ragging anymore. He wanted these idiots to know
that a price had to be paid for insulting his parents.

Chapter 5 The Lion Rises

They then suddenly heard a folder being slammed against a glass door. The sound was not
loud but it immediately quieted the commotion.
The noise was followed by the appearance of a woman in a white, short-sleeved, business
suit and skirt holding onto a folder. As she walked in, she chided, ―Are all of you so free?
Good chat huh? All right then, I‘ll be withholding your pay for this morning except for
Javier‘s. We can use that money to organize a tea party next time, so you all can chat as you
snack!‖

It was Jade Odell, a 27-year-old with a pretty face and a rocking body. The tight-fitting
business suit somehow looked sexy on her. Nonetheless, no one dared to try anything funny
with her because she was the general manager of their company, Beacon Tires.

Upon being criticized, the employees promptly ducked their heads and swallowed back the
indignation they felt no matter how resentful they were. The most they could do was
grumble in their mind, ‗This is all that lowlife Javier‘s fault!‘

Jade‘s gaze raked through everyone and finally landed on Javier who was still packing up.
She rapped the glass door with the folder in her hand once again and said, ―Javier, come to
my office.‖

As the situation stood, Javier wanted to go to the woman to put in his resignation as well, so
he dropped what he was doing and followed her to her office.

As he walked into the jasmine-scented room, Jade gestured for Javier to sit and picked up a
glass to fetch him some water. The water dispenser was a little low so the woman had to
bend over a little to fill up the glass, causing the back of her skirt to stretch over her perky
bottom.

Javier fought back his wandering thoughts as he accepted the glass of water from Jade with
a curt thanks when she sauntered over to him. Taking a sip, he heard the woman‘s question
from the opposite of the desk. ―You‘re going to quit?‖
Javier put the glass down and nodded at the woman who was sitting in the large swivel
chair. He had been packing his personal items earlier. It was no surprise that Jade guessed
that he intended to quit. But Javier also guessed that Jade must have misunderstood that he
was quitting because he could not take the taunts from his coworkers any longer.

―My resignation has nothing to do with my coworkers, I—‖

―I understand,‖ Jade nodded and cut him off before he could finish with his explanation.
―They‘ve crossed the line with what they‘ve said to you. But I hope you understand
something, Javier. You live for yourself. Don‘t mind what others think of you. If you care
about what others say too much, you‘ll become one of them in order to blend in.‖

Javier was surprised. He did not expect his usually aloof and pretty boss to be talking about
this with him today. He was grateful and he acknowledged what Jade said but he was not
resigning from his job because of the herd of rabbits out there. He was about to speak up to
try to explain himself again but Jade beat him to it.

―I know that you and Selena are married and that you work very hard. Working in the office
during the day and sending food delivery during the night. They don‘t appreciate people
like you, but as your boss, I do.

―I like your determination and effort, as well as your commendable sales in the company. So
before you formally put in your resignation, I have made a decision that I want to tell you
about first. I‘ve decided to promote you to the position of Director of the Planning
Department, with a monthly salary starting from 1,100 dollars.

―The position will keep you up over time and drain your brainpower, so it‘s only for those
with great ambition and tenacity. I don‘t think there‘s anyone in the company who fits the
post better than you, so I hope that you can stay and produce even better results in this
important position.

―It‘ll elevate your individual skill set and allow you to leave the delivery gig to concentrate
on your job and unleash your full potential. Most importantly, you could use this to silence
your coworkers out there, don‘t you agree?‖

The slight quirk on the corner of Jade‘s lips reflected her confidence. She was convinced that
her persuasion would definitely make Javier stay and even move him emotionally! To her
disappointment, the man‘s reply burst her air of confidence with a loud bang.
―Thank you for the offer, Ms. Odell. But I only have one goal in mind coming to the office
today, and that is to quit.‖

Jade was puzzled. She believed in her own judgment. There should not be any reason for
Javier to reject her. She was about to pursue the matter when her phone rang. She picked
up to check who was calling and got up to answer the call by the window. Javier could not
hear what the caller said but he heard Jade loud and clear.

―Mr. Warnock, you can‘t play me like this. I‘ve checked with you on multiple occasions
before this and you promised to invest. I‘ve poured everything I have and now you‘re telling
me this? It‘s not quite appropriate, don‘t you think so?

―Yes, we didn‘t sign a contract but isn‘t this based on the trust we‘ve established from our
previous collaboration? Now that you‘re saying you don‘t want to invest? This is
unacceptable.

―Mr. Warnock, you… Hello? Hello? Mr. Warnock? B*stard!‖

With a loud thud, Jade‘s phone met the floor and the screen cracked. The next instant, Jade
who had recovered from her fury quickly went to pick up the device. She tapped the screen
to light it up and tried scrolling before heaving a long relieved sigh. ―Thank goodness, it‘s
just the screen protector that cracked.‖

She was not concerned about the phone breaking as much as the fact that she would not
be able to contact Albert Warnock if that happened. As she stood up to leave, Jade
instructed Javier who was in the office, ―Don‘t go yet. Wait for me, I‘ll be back.‖

As he watched the woman leave in a hurry, Javier‘s mind began to turn. He had heard about
the matter. Their company was starting a new project and was lacking funds, so Jade had
gotten Albert to invest in it. The man had promised rather swiftly but glossed over the
contract and made Jade put in her money during the early phase based on the trust they
had built from previous collaborations. Now that things had come to a critical juncture,
Javier realized that Albert must have had an ulterior motive to back out so suddenly. Javier
did not have to think hard about the motive. It was either for Jade‘s money or her beauty—
or both.

He contemplated and decided to give Jade a hand. It was not just because the woman had
offered him a word of encouragement today, it was also because she was capable and
strong-willed. A few hundred thousand dollars was nothing to Javier anyway.
Javier ran after Jade, hoping to stop her, but the woman had already stepped into the
elevator and was heading down the building when he got to the door. By the time he got to
the ground floor, Jade would probably have already driven several kilometers away, so he
went back to wait in her office.

When Javier returned to the office, an angry mob came at him.

―Javier, not bad… You got on the boss‘ good side and caused all of us to have our salaries
deducted. We were just joking. Did you have to go after us so relentlessly?‖

―Exactly! We‘ve been coworkers for almost two years now. Where did the rapport go? If I
were to spend two years with a dog, it would at least wag at me when it sees me—you‘re
less than a dog!‖

―Whatever. Javier, you need to reimburse me for this morning‘s pay cut. Try to get yourself
out of it and you can try my fists!‖

―Javier Kersey, you piece of trash. I‘m ashamed on behalf of your parents!‖

Rabbit after rabbit pranced in front of him as they berated him selfishly and dragged his
parents into the insult once again. They finally provoked the lion enough to rise. Javier was
now determined to invest in the company and he would make sure that he was the major
shareholder.

And when that time came, oh, he could not wait to see if another rabbit would dare provoke
him.

Chapter 6 A Blame Game

Javier stayed behind in the office, waiting for Jade to return and to become the company‘s
biggest shareholder.
But before Jade had returned, Selena and Terry walked in first. Once Selena stepped into the
office, Sean went up to her all huff.

―Just in time, Selena. Pay us back on behalf of Javier. That scum snitched on us to the boss
and pointed the finger at us when we were just cracking a harmless joke. Now, we have to
take a half-day pay cut because of him. You should be responsible for this! Give us back the
money!‖
Selena was stunned from being shouted at the moment she stepped in. It took her a while
before she understood the entire situation from her noisy harping coworkers and her blood
boiled. They were already divorced but the impoverished man was still embarrassing her!
She yanked open her purse, pulled out her divorce papers, and raised them up high so
everyone could see them.

―Look here, okay?! I‘ve gotten a divorce from Javier and this is the cert. From this today
forward, I have nothing to do with him!‖

The clamorous office area gradually quieted after Selena pulled out her divorce papers. No
one was expecting this turn of events.

Sean took the papers and scanned through them. ―They‘re really divorced. It was this
morning…‖

Stuffing the papers back into her purse, Selena looked aggrieved with tears streaming down
her face.

―You guys come after me for a half-day pay cut. Who should I go to with my grievances?
During the year I was married to Javier, I‘ve never had any enjoyment and I had put up with
your taunts and mockery because of his embarrassing part-time job. Who am I to complain
to?

―Earlier, right after our divorce, he pulled a trick on me. He hired a woman and rented a
stupid imitation car to put up an act, claiming that he has ten million dollars and that the car
costs several hundred thousand dollars. He even burned a bunch of fake bags telling me
that they‘re luxury goods.

―Who am I to tell all my grievances to? Have you thought about my feelings? You‘re only
taking a half-day pay cut but what about me? It‘s my marriage and my happiness!‖

A woman‘s tears were a powerful weapon—the prettier the woman, the more lethal the
weapon.

The coworkers had wanted to ask Selena to compensate them but once they heard her
tearful confession, they were filled with indignation once more. Even though they clearly
saw the woman coming in with her arms linked through Terry‘s, none of that stopped them
from turning a blind eye and targeting their hostility toward Javier.
Sean, especially, rushed up and pointed a furious finger at Javier‘s nose. He spat, ―Javier
Kersey, you scum! You‘re good for nothing, you piece of trash!

―It was such a waste for Selena to be with you before this. Talk about putting a flower on a
toad. Never mind that you can‘t appreciate her, how dare you try to be sly during your
divorce? Hiring an actress and claiming to have ten million dollars? Why don‘t you go ahead
and claim that Bill Gates is your father?‖

It was not just Sean. The other coworkers joined in as well, hurling an insult or two, ragging
on Javier with all their might. It was as if the man had committed a heinous sin that
warranted him to be shot to death.

Javier slowly scanned the rotten group and his gaze landed on Terry‘s pockmarked face that
was currently pulled into a gloating grin.

―You choose to overlook the fact that Selena betrayed me and cheated on me with Terry?
Just because he‘s the finance director, you decide to join Sean‘s groveling *ss and rag on
me?‖

Javier‘s questioning was a jab straight to everyone‘s sore spot and they became even more
livid and their insults intensified. It was as if the louder they shouted and the more
vehement they sounded, the more it proved that they were on the side of justice.

Then, Terry raised a hand and everyone shut their mouth. The man limped to Javier and
pushed himself so close to Javier that he could reach his ear. With a smirk on his face, he
said in a low voice, ―That‘s right. What you said is absolutely correct. Sean‘s my lackey and
I‘m the one who asked him to instigate the derision against you. I wanted to take Selena
away from you. I wanted you to end up with a divorce, delivery trash.

―You should‘ve had a bit more self-awareness and realize that you don‘t deserve a beautiful
woman. You‘re not worthy!

―What? Are you angry now? Frustrated, aren‘t you? Want to beat me up? Come on, hit me!‖

Terry gloated, a proud and insolent look on his face.

After the mockery by Javier‘s ear, he took half a step back and raised his voice to berate
Javier.
―Javier Kersey, I‘m not done with you about my car. That Audi TT of mine is a second highest
spec car costing over tens of thousands dollars! I don‘t care if you‘re selling your kidneys or
your heart, pay me for the loss. Otherwise, I‘ll report it to the police and sue you for
property damage!‖

Sean turned to Selena and asked what this was about. When she told them the story of
Terry‘s car being crushed, it brought on another wave of ragging and berating that nearly
drowned Javier in the sea of flying drools.

A few minutes passed when suddenly, someone shouted, ―Ms. Odell‘s back!‖

This prompted everyone to shut up and hurry back to their desks. They quickly pretended to
be hard at work.

―Just wait to go behind bars if you don‘t repay me! Scum!‖

Terry retreated into his office after leaving Javier with the threat while Selena did not spare
her ex-husband even a glance throughout the entire ordeal. She was feeling a little guilty.
She knew better than anyone her true goal of getting together with Terry and she knew that
Javier was innocent of all the accusations against him today. She was well aware that the
man had spent all the money he had made on her.

It did not stop her from playing the blame game earlier though. She comforted herself in
her mind, ‗Selena, you deserve a better life. Javier Kersey is trash, he‘s a lowlife. He doesn‘t
deserve you. What is happening to him is exactly what he deserves!‗

Looking at Selena, Terry, Sean, and everyone else‘s response, Javier chuckled to him. It was a
huff of anger. He originally had no intention of getting even with these silly rabbits but they
were getting too full of themselves. If they were not taught a lesson, they would forget their
place!

A while later, Jade got back to the office and headed for her room. Javier got up to follow
her. When he passed Sean, the latter laughed at him like he was teasing a fool, ―What now?
Going to tell on us?‖

Javier‘s attack was sudden and abrupt. He held onto Sean‘s head and slammed it down on
the table with a bang, making the latter‘s nose bleed profusely.
―Bootlicker, you should start thinking about how you‘ll beg me for mercy and start
preparing your speech. You‘ll be needing it!‖

Javier walked straight into Jade‘s office, leaving the other coworkers stunned in his wake.
Wait…was this still the doormat Javier whom they could bully and push around without him
ever fighting back?

They suddenly felt that Javier seemed quite different today.

As the person who was the most familiar with the man in the entire office, Selena felt it even
more. Javier had indeed changed.

If Javier had been a piece of rusty steel prior to this, he had currently gotten rid of the layer
of rust and revealed himself to be a sharp, glinting blade—one that was truly lethal!

Chapter 7 This Isn‘t Appropriate

Jade stood in front of the window of her office, shaking in anger as she tried to hold back
the tears threatening to spill over her red-rimmed eyes. She was livid. Albert Warnock dared
to blackmail her into that kind… that kind of relationship?!
Jade would never agree to something like that. She was running an enterprise, she was not
selling herself!

At the same time, she blamed herself for not being experienced enough and for falling into
such a despicable trap. Despite that, after wallowing in self-regret, she still had to face the
current predicament she was in…

For the later stages of production, she was short of 950 thousand dollars. How was she
going to fill the gap? Would she have to watch this tire company go bankrupt?

As Jade furrowed her brows in misery, someone knocked on her door and entered the
office. She wiped the tears off her face with the back of her hand and took a deep breath to
calm herself, trying to conceal as much of her inner turmoil as possible.

When she turned around and saw that it was Javier, she put up an air of nonchalance and
asked with a smile, ―What do you think? Have you decided, Mr. Kersey?‖

Javier did not reply to her question. Noticing the tears that still clung to her lashes, he
instead grabbed a piece of tissue off the table and handed them to her.
Jade was taken off guard for a moment before she gingerly accepted the tissue and patted
her eyes dry.

Watching Jade act tough despite being caught in a difficult situation, Javier felt some
unknown emotion stir within him. He offered her some comforting words.

―It‘s not easy being a female entrepreneur, more so a pretty one. It‘s not just your rival‘s
traps over business profits you have to look out for, you need to be careful of sexual
exploitation as well. Ms. Odell, you should give yourself a pat on the back for surviving till
this day.‖

Tossing the tissue into the trash can, Jade muttered under her breath, ―Like you would know
everything.‖

Javier shook his head. ―I don‘t. But I could more or less guess what had happened and your
red eyes just confirmed it for me.‖

A self-deprecating smile appeared on Jade‘s pretty face. ―Even you saw it, but I didn‘t. What
kind of boss am I?‖

―You can‘t put yourself down like that. You were just blinded by the promise of profits,‖
Javier answered.

Jade nodded. What Javier said made sense. It affirmed the judgment she had made of Javier
in her mind. Even then, she looked up and questioned the man, ―Why didn‘t you tell me
earlier?‖

Javier asked back without any hesitation, ―Why should I?‖

The curt retort made Jade pause. Well, he was not wrong. Why should he poke his nose into
her business affairs and advise her when she did not pay him to do so?

After a brief pause, she continued to question, ―Then, why are you comforting me now?‖

Javier took a seat in front of Jade and toyed with his phone. As the phone twirled in his
hand, he told the woman, ―I‘m not just comforting you. I want my business partner to learn
from the lesson and grow wiser. In the future, keep an eye open and don‘t fall into the same
trap.‖
―Business…partner?‖

Jade only wanted to promote Javier to the position of Director of the Planning Department;
that meant an increase in salary without any intention of allocating him any company
shares.

Javier did not even look up as he continued telling Jade, ―I‘ve made the estimation for you.
950 thousand dollars will allow you to complete the project, barely. With 1.1 million dollars,
you could finish it easily. But in order to perfect it, you‘ll need at least another 300 thousand
dollars on top of that for marketing and publicity.‖

Jade was stunned. She had only ever considered these digits in her mind and had never
brought it up to anyone before. How did Javier know?

As she was taken back in surprise, Javier finally peeled his eyes off the screen of his phone
and asked seriously, ―I‘ll invest 1.5 million dollars and take over 51% of the company share.
Would you agree to this, Ms. Odell?‖

Jade sprang up to her feet in shock. ―Is this a joke? Javier, have you lost your mind? Do you
think 1.5 million dollars is just some number you scribble on paper? That‘s 15 thousand 100-
dollar bills! 15 thousand, Javier!‖

Javier‘s brows knitted together. ―Yes, it‘s only 15 thousand 100-dollar bills. The stacks of bills
won‘t even be enough to fill up your office. Why?‖

His nonchalance infuriated Jade. She thought that this was too much of a brag.

―Only 15 thousand 100-dollar bills? Okay, I‘d like to ask how many of those 100-dollar bills
have you earned from working in this office and delivering food during the night?‖

Javier finally understood. He must have unintentionally sounded dismissive of the 1.5 million
dollars and triggered Jade who was worried sick about money right now. It was not like he
did it on purpose though. Back when he was a child, he had once piled up the house with
stacks of 100-dollar bills when he had been bored and had used over 120 stacks of them to
fill up a small porch. But he gave up soon after, it was far too tiring. That 120 wads of bills? It
was not much at all…
Straightening up, Javier told Jade sincerely, ―Ms. Odell, believe me. I‘m not pulling your leg.
Honestly, I can transfer the 1.5 million dollars to you but I‘m serious about my request as
well. 1.5 million dollars in exchange for 51% of the company. Deal?‖

Jade let out an exasperated sigh and plopped back down onto her swivel chair. She really
had not expected this. She had thought that Javier to be rather decent and capable so his
bragging and blatant lying took her by complete surprise.

What was she thinking, trying to make Javier the Planning Department Director. Thank
goodness the promotion had not gone through. Otherwise, the whole company might have
gone to Loony Town with him as well!

As she fumed in silence, Javier asked again, ―Ms. Odell, do you agree to the deal?‖

With a loud slam of the desk, Jade lashed out, ―You‘re quite persistent with your lie, aren‘t
you?!‖

Exasperated, Javier could only repeat himself with what he hoped was absolute sincerity,
―Ms. Odell, I‘m not joking with you. This is serious business!‖

―Okay, alright. Serious business, you say?‖

The woman turned on her computer and pulled up the investment contract she had
prepared for Albert Warnock. She revised a couple of the terms and hit print. The printer on
the side squeaked continuously until it had coughed up the complete contract.

Grabbing a pen, Jade was swift and unhesitant as she signed her name on the contract
before tossing it to Javier. ―Here, a 1.5 million dollar investment in exchange for 51% of the
company shares. I even added an extra term for you—if you can fulfill the contract today, I,
Jade Odell, will be yours!

―Go ahead, sign it. You‘re trying to trick me, aren‘t you? Okay, I agree with your terms. It‘s a
deal then! Sign the contract!‖

Javier was stunned. The sum and shares were fine but…

―Ms. Odell, this isn‘t appropriate, is it?‖

The corner of Jade‘s lips tugged into a sneer. ―Nothing right or wrong. I‘ll have you know,
I‘m also still a virgin. So that‘s a big bonus for you. Hurry up! Sign your name then transfer
the money to the company account. Then we can leave and complete the deal. Go on!‖

Hearing Jade‘s explicit choice of words, Javier stayed silent. With a flick of the wrist, he
signed his name on the contract as well. He then picked up his phone and, following the
account number printed on the contract, deposited the 1.5 million dollars into the
company‘s bank account.

Watching Javier‘s act, Jade found it too much effort to even scoff at him. Despite that, the
man who was seated opposite of her had the cheek to tell her, ―Check the company
account.‖

―Fine, I‘ll do that now. Let‘s see how much of a con you are, Javier.‖

With a click and a clack, Jade‘s fingers flew across the keyboard furiously. Jade logged on to
the company bank account. After keying in her credentials and hitting enter, she looked up
and mocked Javier, ―Hold onto your horses, I‘ll be with you very soon!‖

She did not skip a beat as she said that but the instant she looked back at her computer
screen, her eyes grew wide in disbelief. The six zeros lining up after the numbers one and
five made it very clear that it was indeed 1.5 million dollars.

Her gaze traveled to the name of the sender—Javier Kersey!

Chapter 8 The ―Scandal‖ in the Office

Jade‘s pretty face froze in shock. Never in her wildest dreams would she have guessed that
Javier was actually serious and would transfer 1.5 million dollars to the company account. It
took her a good ten seconds before she came back to reality and asked in disbelief, her eyes
wide open in shock, ―Where did you get so much money?!‖
―The wind blew them to me; the rain showered them on me; they grew out of the pot plants
too…‖

He rambled off some nonsense then tapped the index finger of his right hand on the
additional clause printed on the contract. Javier continued, ―There are actually many ways I
can get the money but, right now, I think we should focus on another topic, shouldn‘t we?‖

Looking at where Javier‘s finger was pointed, Jade immediately understood what he meant.
A delicious pink flushed over her fair cheeks as a look of embarrassment appeared on her
face. Now, she felt that her actions earlier had been too hasty. She should have let Javier
brag all he wanted just now. Why the heck had she been so foolish to add such a ridiculous
term? Now, look at what has happened! She shot herself in the foot with her own gun! She
had just dug her own grave and jumped into it!

Jade looked down awkwardly and kept her eyes on the additional clause in the contract. She
stammered in a voice barely above a whisper, ―J-Javier…‖

―Hmm, what‘s the matter, Ms. Odell?‖ Javier feigned confusion and asked with a face of pure
curiosity.

Mortified, she choked out, ―W-what I added just now wasn‘t appropriate…‖ She felt as
horrible as her stutter.

―If Javier Kersey deposits the agreed-upon sum of 1.5 million dollars to the designated
account stated in the contract within 24 hours in full, I, Jade Odell, shall be his girlfriend and
will not pursue any legal action against anything that may happen thereafter. Signed, Jade
Odell.‖

Reciting the additional term on purpose, Javier asked with a smile, ―Ms. Odell, do you mean
this additional clause?‖

The woman who was red in the cheeks nodded in embarrassment. ―Yes, that one.‖

Javier made an ―oh‖ sound. ―It‘s okay. The day is still early. The sun hasn‘t even set yet.
There‘s no hurry.‖

This only served to redden Jade‘s cheeks even further. What did he mean there was no
hurry? He made it sound as if she was the one eager to do that thing with him.

―I didn‘t mean it that way. I mean, can we forget about the additional term?‖

―Of course…not!‖

As the both of them were discussing this in Jade‘s office, Terry stood at the company
entrance, looking very much like a dog wagging its tail at its owner. The person he was
fawning over was Zack Dilley, the heir to a local automotive seat manufacturer.

Zack had met Jade last year at an annual year-end party for automotive suppliers. He had
been captivated by the woman‘s beauty and voluptuous figure and had spent a good half a
year pursuing her. It was just that…Jade was not interested. The man was sadly in for
unreciprocated love.

When he arrived at Zack‘s side, Terry bowed slightly in an obsequious manner, like a minion
ready to serve his master.

―Mr. Dilley, I‘ve done what you‘ve asked. Jade‘s investment has been cut and it‘s the perfect
opportunity for you to save the damsel in distress!‖

Zack wore a pleased grin as he patted Terry‘s pockmarked face. ―Not bad, not bad. Your
limp and pockmarks are kind of off-putting but you‘re rather resourceful. Alright, send me
your bank account number after this. I‘ll transfer the payment to you.‖

―Thank you, Mr. Dilley. Thank you!‖

Even though Zack had insulted his looks, that did not stop Terry from thanking the man
profusely. In his head, Terry rejoiced at the thought of the eight thousand dollars he was
about to receive. After that, Terry silently guided Zack to the general manager‘s office. Just
as he was about to knock on the door and announce Zack‘s arrival, they heard Jade and
Javier‘s voices coming from inside.

There was a whiny hint to Jade‘s voice, ―We‘re in the office! If the others were to see us, it
wouldn‘t look good!‖

Javier sounded indifferent, ―Don‘t worry. It‘ll be fine. No one will see us.‖

―I‘ll take it off myself!‖ Jade‘s voice said in a shy voice.

―It‘s all right. I‘ll take it off for you.‖ Javier replied insistently.

This short snippet of conversation caused Terry‘s hand to pause in midair as a dark look
overcame Zack‘s face. With gritted teeth and his jaw clenched tightly, Zack questioned with
a glare, ―Who‘s that man inside?‖

―J-Javier Kersey, a lowlife in the office,‖ Terry answered in shock.

Before he could make any further introductions, the pair in the office spoke up again.

Jade was heard whimpering, ―Ah! Go softer.‖

―It‘ll be fine,‖ Javier coaxed gently.

Without another word, Zack kicked the office door open as Terry gloated and cheered
inwardly.

For getting it on with Jade right in front of Zack, the man would at least rip that piece of
trash a new one if not kill him. Javier was definitely a goner this time!

―Trying to take what‘s mine? Go to hell!‖

To make sure that Javier suffered, Terry did all he could. Once Zack kicked the door open,
Terry immediately shouted, ―Javier Kersey, you b*stard! How dare you lay a finger on Mr.
Dilley‘s woman? Who do you think Dr. Dilley is?!‖

Right after him, Zack‘s voice boomed in the office.

―Jade, how could you sleep with another man? You…disappoint…me?‖

His exclamation had started loud and indignant but the last few words came out in an
unconvincing squeak as they left Zack‘s lips.

The reason? It was simple. Zack saw Javier kneeling by Jade‘s feet and massaging the
woman‘s ankle. A glittery silver high-heel shoe had been tossed casually onto the floor.
From the looks of it, Jade had probably sprained her ankle.

The reality that lay before their eyes was evidence that what happened in the office was
nothing as Zack and Terry had imagined. The two men were flabbergasted. As they stood
frozen by the door, they looked dumb and dumber.

Jade, who was seated in her chair, flushed a red so deep that it looked like her cheeks were
about to drip blood. The next second, a fire grew in the pupils of her eyes as she questioned
incredulously, ―Terry Hamer, who are you calling Zack‘s woman?!‖

―And you, Zack Dilley! Coming to my office and accusing me of such nonsense! What‘s the
meaning of this?!‖

Chapter 9 Mr. Dilley and His Money

Jade‘s furious questioning caused Zack and Terry to stammer. They did not know how to
answer her.
Despite that, Jade could not lash too harshly as Zack had once pulled some strings behind
the scenes and landed her some sizable contracts. That was how the office fell into an
awkward silence for the next half a minute.

Wanting to put a stop to the awkward situation, Terry spoke up and suggested, ―It‘s almost
noon now. Let‘s have lunch together and we can discuss the issue about the investment.‖

This suggestion was met with approving nods from Zack and Jade as they wanted out from
the bubble of awkwardness, but Javier caught a crucial point in what Terry had said.

―Ms. Odell has just found out about the issue with the company‘s investor. Terry Hamer,
how did you know?‖

―Huh?!‖

Terry had not even noticed his slip of the tongue and started panicking at Javier‘s
unexpected question. He put on a tough front and raised his voice to question the man
back instead of explaining himself, ―What gives a lowly employee like you the right to
question me?!‖

At this outburst, Jade recovered from the awkwardness and cast a serious look at the man.
―Terry, Javier is now—‖

―I‘m now the vice general manager because I managed to pull in some funding for the
company. Ms. Odell has promoted me based on this merit.‖

Jade was slightly taken aback, not understanding why Javier had chosen to lie. But after a
few moments of contemplation, she figured it out. She had overheard her employees
arguing earlier and was aware that Javier and Selena had gotten a divorce this morning. The
1.5 million dollars that Javier had invested into the company must have been part of his
premarital asset so if he were exposed, he would have to give half of it to Selena. He must
be hiding this fact because he was reluctant to share 750 thousand dollars with her!

Considering that Selena was not innocent either, Jade quietly went with Javier‘s statement.
She then told Terry, ―That‘s correct. Javier is the vice general manager now. He‘s not lying.
As for you, Mr. Hamer, I‘d really like to know how you found out about the investment
issue!‖
Javier being suddenly promoted to vice general manager was a hard pill for Terry to
swallow. Faced with Jade‘s interrogation, he explained halfheartedly, ―I overheard you guys
talking in the office just now.‖

The answer made Jade and Javier exchange a look but both of them decided to not
question it. Terry went silent as well, afraid that he would slip up the more he talked. Zack
took the opportunity to divert the topic.

―Let‘s go for lunch. I haven‘t had breakfast this morning and I‘m starving.‖

Jade got up, agreeing to Zack‘s prompt and as if believing Terry‘s explanation. It made the
latter sigh in relief but he secretly cussed Javier out in his mind for nearly exposing him.

He looked at the man with a chuckle. ―Mr. Kersey, congratulations on being promoted to
vice general manager. I think you won‘t be able to escape buying lunch today. Don‘t try to
run away now. We‘d all love to share in your delight.‖

Javier immediately saw through Terry‘s plan. The man must be trying to embarrass him
again by forcing him to pay for lunch with money Terry assumed he did not have. Too bad
though, Terry was going to find out that bullying him will prove much more difficult than
before. He was about to reply when someone else next to him spoke up.

―So what if he‘s been promoted to vice general manager? Did you think just anyone could
pay for this lunch? One has to be qualified to do so. Today will be my treat!‖

Zack acted like he was the richest one in the room and walked out the door proudly without
giving the others a chance to speak up. Javier glanced at Jade‘s sprained foot while the
latter shook her head to tell him that it was fine. He then told her that he did not wish to go,
but upon Jade‘s insistence, he relented and went along with them.

They decided to have lunch at the most luxurious hotel in town—Duxom Hotel. All the
patrons of this hotel were either affluent or influential. It was said that obtaining a
membership to this hotel required at least 15 thousand dollars and the restaurant declined
any non-members.

Zack looked as proud as a peacock as they were seated at a table in a lavishly decorated
room.
―Go on, order whatever you like. No need to feel bad for my pocket. To be frank, this is
nothing to me!‖

Right after Zack said that the cogs in Terry‘s mind turned quickly and he suggested, ―Mr.
Dilley, Mr. Kersey has just been promoted. Why don‘t we give him some face and let him
order the dishes? Besides, he‘s never been anywhere this classy before. Just look at it as
fulfilling his wish of becoming a wealthy man and allow him order.‖

Zack understood the meaning behind Terry‘s words. Terry was trying to set Javier up!
Viewing Javier as an obstacle—pulling in investments and spoiling his plans when he had
purposely created an opportunity to save the damsel in distress—he waved generously.

―Sure. Let‘s give Mr. Kersey the chance to feel like a rich man then. Go ahead, Mr. Kersey!‖

A female server stood to the side, an iPad in her hand and a smile on her face, waiting for
Javier to make the order. Zack and Terry watched with a snicker, waiting for Javier to
embarrass himself. No menu had been given to them. They watched and waited to see how
the man who had never been here before was going to order. It would be hilarious if the
pauper only ordered salad and lettuce!

Jade, noticing the situation, spoke up, ―I have a few dishes I would really like to have. Let me
order them!‖

She was mindful of her words, careful to eliminate the embarrassment factor and not letting
anything slip so that it wouldn‘t cost Javier his pride. Javier appreciated the kind gesture but
he did not think making a lunch order would hurt his pride.

―Allow me, see if what I order fits your taste, Ms. Odell.‖

Terry could not help but be amused when he heard Javier‘s insistent words and him
declining Jade‘s attempt to save him. What an idiot! Could he not tell that Jade was trying to
salvage the situation and he was foolishly insistent on making the order himself!

Zack was sneering as well, waiting for Javier to humiliate himself.

As for the man in question, he turned to their server with a smile on his face. ―Hi, we‘d like
to have some sake-steamed abalone and scallops, four pax; white escargot caviar over white
truffles, four pax; foie gras pate drizzled with a cherry gastrique, four pax; lobster and
avocado french toast, four pax; some Coffin Bay King Oysters on the side…‖
The mocking smirks that Zack and Terry had been wearing slid off their face and were
replaced by looks of shock when they heard the dishes Javier had ordered. The dishes he
had just ordered were at least 200 dollars per portion and Javier was still going, ordering a
whopping total of eight dishes which summed up to about six to eight thousand dollars!
And Javier was still ordering!

Terry panicked. He had dug the trap for Javier but it seemed like he had thrown himself in it
instead!

―Javier, are you a glutton? Can you really finish all those dishes?‖

Javier turned to look at the man and asked innocently, ―Didn‘t you say not to feel bad for
your pocket just now and say that nothing was too much for you? Why? Is this too much,
Mr. Dilley?‖

―Bullsh*t! I have all the money in the world, nothing‘s too much! Go on, keep ordering!‖

There, see, Javier liked dumb*sses like him who felt like they were the richest man in the
world when they only had a dime or two in their pocket. He went on to order another four
more items—nothing expensive, they were only about 1,500 dollars.

After that, Jade quickly stopped Javier. Otherwise, he would probably end up ordering all of
the most expensive dishes the restaurant had to offer.

Zack calculated in his head. That was already eight to ten thousand dollars out of his pocket
and they had not even ordered wine yet! He was instantly disgruntled. He had planned to
spend around 1,500 dollars just to show off to Jade but their lunch ended up being as
expensive as a regular sedan.

The more he thought about it, the more frustrated he felt. The plan was to make Javier look
like an idiot but he was the idiot that got tricked in the end. Looking at Terry who had a
meek and embarrassed look on his face, Zack felt his rage come to a boiling point.

If Terry had not suggested this, he would not have suffered such a loss! He spoke up, ―Right,
Mr. Hamer, I heard that you‘ve got a girlfriend and you‘re getting married soon? That‘s great
news! I think you‘re the only one qualified to buy lunch today, so I shall step out of the way
and stop hogging the limelight. Congratulations, by the way!‖
Terry had done nothing but stay seated on his chair and seemingly out of nowhere, the bill
landed on his head. Terry was flabbergasted.

Chapter 10 It‘s Nothing at All

Just two sentences from Zack and a bill costing eight to ten thousand dollars hit Terry in the
face. He dared not reject the man because Zack had yet to send him the eight thousand
dollars he had promised him for sabotaging the investment. Even if Terry was fuming
internally, he could only plaster on a smile. ―Of course, thank you, thank you…‖
When the dishes were served, Terry was irked by Javier‘s presence. Who knew where the
latter had scouted the names of these dishes from and put up such an act, causing him to
lose so much money.

The more he thought about it, the more disgruntled he grew, so he spoke up with a fake
grin, ―Mr. Kersey, you must‘ve had a hard time in the past, working in the office during the
day and sending food delivery during the night. I bet you‘ve never tried these delicacies
before. Have more of them. Who knows if you‘ll ever get another chance.‖

Javier ignored him, like how he had ignored the cutlery on the table, but Terry did not stop
there.

―Don‘t worry, help yourself. I won‘t ask you to foot the bill. Not everyone‘s like you, you
know? So poor that your pocket is emptier than a beggar‘s bowl. I‘m not like that. I can still
afford to buy a meal for you. It feels like giving charity.

―There was once, I took some burgers out to the streets and these stray dogs kept barking
since they were starving, so I did some charity and fed them those burgers.‖

Terry was not planning on stopping his stream of abuse but Jade interrupted him, ―Mr.
Hamer, the dishes are quite decent. Please, try them.‖

Terry scowled but kept his mouth shut after Jade‘s intervention. After that, however, he still
made occasional indirect remarks that were targeted at Javier. The latter said not a word in
retaliation and was instead focused on his cellphone, which seemed like a rude thing to do
during lunch, but Javier was actually scrolling through the black market app in the exclusive
OS on his phone.

Illegal items were not the only things for sale in the black market. There were services as
well, including finance hackers which Javier currently required.
As lunch went on, the fact that Javier busied himself on his phone without taking a single
bite displeased Zack greatly, especially because he was still resentful about Javier‘s
expensive orders that had ended up backfiring on him. Although he had transferred the
grievance to Terry, he was still miffed.

Unable to help himself, he slammed his cutlery on the table. ―Javier Kersey, who are you
trying to show your scowl to? No one owes you anything here!‖

Terry, that groveling *ss, was quick to side with Zack despite just being ripped off by him,
and made another jab at Javier.

―Sigh, don‘t remind him, Mr. Dilley. I owe him. He‘s taken care of my wife for years, and he
did it well too.‖

Zack was momentarily stunned before his face lit up with delight.

―I heard that you snatched your current chick from someone but I didn‘t expect it to be
him!

―I see, that‘s understandable now. Look at your sour and sullen face…

―Alright, I allow you to keep wearing that ugly look on your face. Keep it on, you look quite
good with it, haha!‖

After the mocking laugh, Zack continued telling, ―Seriously though, Mr. Kersey, we men can
be without anything but not money. You can be healthy, yes, but being poor is a debilitating
condition! If you‘re too poor, that‘s not just a condition, it‘s a crime. And if this crime were
to be penalized… Well, let‘s just say you‘d be shot seven times. Hahaha!‖

Zack seemed to get a kick out of taunting Javier as he was about to speak up after
guffawing but Jade cut him off. ―Terry, you‘ve stepped over the line.‖

Although Jade had said Terry‘s name, everyone at the table knew whom her words were
meant for.

When Zack turned to Jade, he had put on an entirely different expression, beaming brighter
than the sun. ―Aww, Jade, don‘t get mad. I‘m just joking with him. No need to be so
serious.‖
He then looked at Javier. ―No offense, yeah. It‘s a joke. If I wish to kick a dog, I have to check
who its owner is, right?‖

Javier, who had not even spared Zack a proper glance, finally focused his gaze on the man‘s
sneering face.

―Zack Dilley, you having fun ribbing me huh? Just because of those pricey orders I made?
Do you feel bad over a handful of pretty pennies?

―Man, you shouldn‘t have to feel that way. Mr. Dilley and his money, right? It wouldn‘t make
sense if you‘re feeling the pinch.

―It‘s just a simple meal and look at how miserable you‘re acting. That‘s very ‗successful‘ of
you!‖

Being poked in his sore spot in front of Jade served to charge Zack‘s rage and
embarrassment. He slammed a fist on the table and sent his cutlery flying.

―Bullsh*t! I‘m upset over money? That‘s the funniest joke in the world, ever!‖

Zack waved for their attending server immediately.

―Go, get your POS machine here. I‘m reloading 1,500 dollars to the member card. Let‘s show
this peasant what a rich man is!‖

Javier leaned back in his chair and smirked. ―You deny it when I say you‘re butthurt over the
dimes and want to reload a mere 1,500 dollars? Stop embarrassing yourself and turning
yourself into a joke for the staff.‖

Zack was shaking in anger as he pointed a shaking finger at Javier. ―You sound smug, don‘t
you? Fine, you think 1,500 dollars is too little? You reload an amount you deem suitable
then. I‘ll double however much you‘re reloading—even the same amount would be an
offense to me. Go on!‖

Zack was officially at loggerheads with Javier and Jade could not help but be worried for the
latter. She had asked him when he was massaging her ankle earlier and he said that he had
won 2 million dollars in the lottery. After the 22% tax deduction, he was only left with 1.6
million dollars. After the investment he had made this morning, he was now left with 60
thousand dollars.
He could barely win Zack with…a mere 60 thousand dollars, right?

Jade gave Javier‘s leg a light kick under the table with her high heels to warn him but the
man dismissed her with a smile.

Opposite of them, Zack was ready for a showdown, his spirit high and burning.

―Come on! Do it if you‘re a man! Do the reload if you dare or get your *ss out of here!‖

Javier gave Zack no reply and turned to smile at the server. ―Hi, please bring your card
machine here. I‘d like to sign up to be a member.‖

―Tch, mindlessly bold huh!‖

Zack patted Terry‘s head and chuckled. ―Make sure to keep your eyes open and watch how
he shoots himself in the foot later!‖

Terry promptly responded with a servile grin, ―Of course. You‘re so rich, Mr. Dilley. Anyone
who dares challenge you is seeking their doom!‖

Every line of their back and forth served to mock Javier and both men seemed to revel in
doing so.

Javier could care less about them, swiping his card when the server brought over the
machine and a new member card. ―30 thousand dollars, please.‖

―How much?!‖ Zack asked in surprise before the server had even confirmed it with Javier.

He realized that things were unlike what Terry had told him on the way to the hotel. Terry
had said that Javier could not even produce three thousand dollars as he was penniless.
That was exactly why he dared to bluff about going double however much Javier decided to
put in the membership card.

Now that the bluff was too much and he could not just bullsh*t his way out of it, he could
only retrieve his bank card in feigned generosity.

―Only this much? What a waste of effort. Here, 60 thousand dollars!‖

The beeping of the payment terminal as it printed out the receipt sounded like the erratic
beat of Zack‘s heart which was bleeding inwardly. While it was true that his family had four
to six million dollars, there were all fixed assets. It was not like the family factory had been
sold off and was cashed into his card.

The 60 thousand dollars he was swiping on his card had been obtained through insistent
pleading and whining, squeezed out of his old man‘s hands in the name of buying a car.
Well, look at what had just happened. The receipt came out easily with a few beeps but his
Audi A8 was turning into an Audi A4.

And he still acted nonchalant and proud!

―It‘s only 60 thousand dollars. This is nothing at all to me, like a drop in the ocean!‖

A drop in the ocean, huh… That would be the best.

Javier was going to test the water today. Let‘s see how deep Zack‘s ocean was!

Chapter 11 Not a Very Deep Ocean

After Zack had finished gloating, he glanced at Jade in hopes of seeing an impressed or
admiring gaze, Unfortunately for him, Jade‘s head was turned toward the window and was
paying him no mind.
Zack decided to speak up some more and attract the woman‘s attention.

―60 thousand dollars isn‘t much to me actually. This sum is like a drop—‖

―Another 30 thousand dollars,‖ Javier cut in and told the server, not even giving Zack even
an inch of opportunity to brag.

The words ―in the ocean‖ died in Zack‘s throat as a bewildered look overcame him. Again?
Where had the man got another 30 thousand dollars from?

Zack‘s head snapped in Terry‘s direction, his face filled with a seething, questioning gaze.
The latter was on pins and needles. He had no idea either! He heard from Selena that Javier
was close to being penniless yet the man was somehow pulling out 30 thousand dollars left
and right…

With a loud clap, Terry thought that he had figured out where the money had come from
and whispered into Zack‘s ear, ―Mr. Dilley, I saw him being intimate with a woman this
morning. He claimed that she‘s his younger sister but now thinking back, he‘s most likely
her toy boy.‖

―Being a gigolo doesn‘t bring that much, 60 thousand dollars should be the limit. I‘m sure
this is Javier‘s last run!‖

Fueled by the boat he had made in front of Jade and bolstered by Terry‘s confident
guarantee, Zack allowed his bank card to be swiped once more. His Audi would just have to
become a Suzuki, that was fine.

―Okay, okay. Another 60 thousand dollars then. Your dawdling is really boring to me. 30
thousand dollars once, 30 thousand dollars twice… With the way you‘re going about this,
God knows how long will it be before you finish all the money on my card.‖

Look at him shooting his mouth off! It was as if Zack had billions in his bank card.

Javier did not care to give him a reply. Once Zack had swiped another 60 thousand dollars
on the payment terminal machine, lazily and languidly, he pushed the man‘s button again.

―Here, another 30 thousand dollars.‖

―You‘re reloading again?!‖

Zack exploded instantly and he turned to stare at Terry, his eyes shooting daggers at the
cowering man. Terry felt wronged. He thought that his guess had been rather accurate. Who
knew how Javier could afford another 30 thousand dollars?

Suddenly, a possibility struck him and he told Zack softly, ―Go on. I think he‘s bluffing this
time.‖

Realizing the same thing, Zack urged the server to charge Javier‘s card.

But the reality was that…no one was bluffing here.

The machine beeped as it coughed out yet another receipt. When the third receipt from
Javier was placed on the table, Zack was stunned. The charged amount was printed on the
three receipts, clear as day: 30 thousand dollars each.
Zack only had two receipts with him, 60 thousand dollars each. He wanted to produce a
third one as well, but he had no more money! He had only managed to squeeze his old man
for 150 thousand dollars. Even if he added on whatever he could scrape together by himself,
he could not possibly produce a third receipt which required another 60 thousand dollars.

Javier finally spoke up, ―Mr. Dilley, it hasn‘t been very long yet. Is it possible that you‘ve
spent all the money on your card already?‖

The jab to his sore spot enraged Zack. ―Bullsh*t! All I have is money, more than you could
ever see in your life. This sum is just a drop in the ocean for me!‖

Javier knocked on the payment terminal machine placed on the table. ―I won‘t argue with
you. Pay up if you have the money, shut up if you don‘t.‖

Zack was infuriated. He had never been this insulted in his entire life but he did not know
what else he could do. The remaining balance in his card stopped him from taking this farce
any further. He turned to look at Terry, gesturing at the man via a hooked finger behind his
back. He was asking for Terry to foot the next 60 thousand.

While Terry had some money saved throughout the years, he had recently bought a house
and a car and was not very liquid at the moment…

―Ha!‖

After half a minute of silence, Javier scoffed at Zack and turned toward Jade, turning his
back on Zack.

―Ms. Odell, please excuse me. I still have some things to attend to. Please collect the
reloaded card on my behalf. You may keep it for company use.

―Oh yeah, and don‘t pay for today‘s lunch. I‘m not about to steal the limelight from Mr.
Hamer.‖

Javier would much rather grab a cheap burger from a fast-food chain restaurant than sit
down to lunch with Terry and Zack. A drop in the ocean? That was not many drops at all!
Three times and the ocean was already emptied. It was total bullsh*t!
Zack only yelled in retaliation when he saw Javier turn the corner at the end of the walkway,
―Don‘t leave if you dare! I have the money. Let‘s swipe our cards again! I‘ll suffocate you
with all my money, you piece of trash!‖

The hotel server reminded him with a smile, ―Sir, Mr. Kersey has left but if you need to speak
to him, I can inform the lobby and have the front desk relay your message to him.‖

Well, this was awkward. Zack was only yelling to salvage whatever was left of his pride. He
had not expected the server to be so naive. On top of that, the server was not just saying it.
She picked up the walkie-talkie pinned to the back of her hips and brought it up to her lips.

―Lobby, lobby, we‘re—‖

―Hey! Hey, there‘s no need. No need to relay anything.‖

Zack quickly stopped the server and turned to Jade with a shameless grin. ―He‘s your worker
after all. I ought to save you some face!‖

Jade nodded with a courteous smile. ―Thank you, Mr. Dilley. I have something to attend to
as well, so I‘ll be taking my leave now.‖

The moment Jade turned to leave, the smile on her face vanished and was replaced by a
look of complete disdain. It was not a matter of how rich they were, it was just that she was
incredibly put off by someone bluffing and exaggerating their wealth. This sole reason alone
was enough for Jade to never give Zack a chance!

After Jade left, Terry tried to excuse himself as well but Zack was not letting him off the
hook so easily. Instead, Zack dismissed the server and closed the door to their room. Zack
then grabbed a chair and stalked over to Terry.

―Terry Hamer, good job there putting me on the spot and telling me that Kersey only has 60
thousand dollars. Wonderful job!‖

Terry inched his way into the corner and finally stammered out an explanation when he had
nowhere left to go.

―Mr. Dilley, Mr. Dilley, listen. I really saw him this morning—‖

―Ah! Don‘t hit me, no! Ow!‖

After lunch, Jade called for a management meeting at work to announce Javier‘s promotion
to the position of vice general manager.

Those in attendance were Jade, Javier, the HR manager, the heads of the various
departments, and the finance director, Terry. The man‘s head had been wrapped up. The
bandages covered over his right eye, while his exposed left eye was bruised and swollen.

After Jade made the announcement, the others clapped in congratulations for Javier‘s
promotion. The applause was deafening despite the unknown extent of sincerity. Terry was
the only one who did not even lift a finger. His exposed and swollen eye dripped with
resentment.

If it had not been for Javier, Zack would not have beaten him up so violently. That man had
broken three, solid wooden chairs in the process. And the most infuriating part? As he was
gingerly stepping up into the ambulance that had come to pick him up, the hotel staff had
gone after him and requested that he settle the bill first!

After a few more communal announcements, Jade was about to signal for the end of the
meeting when Terry suddenly stood up and boomed, ―Ms. Odell, I want to request a raise!‖

He then went on to list his contributions to the company over the years, talking about how
hard he worked, offering his current state of insisting to stay on and work despite having his
head bandaged as proof. He whined and tried his best to garner the pity of his audience.
Finally, he threw out an ultimatum. If he was not given a raise, he would resign.

As the company was in need of workers at the moment, Jade had to accept the man‘s threat
despite how irritated she felt. She reluctantly agreed to Terry‘s request. Terry still was not
satisfied. He pushed further and requested remunerations that matched the vice general
manager‘s.

Jade was ticked off. She slowly scanned the rest of the people in the meeting room. ―What
do the rest of you think?‖

No one dared to meet her eyes as she swept her gaze across the room. They either stared at
the ceiling or under the table. Some even covered their eyes with their hands. It seemed that
everyone wanted a boost in their salary and payment package, given the chance.

This made Jade‘s blood boil. There was an entire room of people but no one was taking her
side.
―I disagree!‖

As disappointment and even despair filled her, Javier spoke up. It felt like a torch in the dark.

Chapter 12 Ruthless Mr. Kersey

Javier‘s promotion to the position of vice general manager ruffled Terry‘s feathers. It
prompted him to snatch the opportunity and show off his hard work and accomplishments,
even requesting an increment and better benefits in the process.
He believed that everyone at the table shared his sentiment, so he felt that he would
definitely have their support. Reality proved that he was right but he had not expected
Javier to step up in the final moment and voice out his disagreement.

―What right do you have to disagree? You got promoted to vice GM with that meager
investment you managed to pull in based on your sh*tty luck. Did you hear us say anything
about that?

―Ask everyone here today. Which of us hasn‘t worked diligently all these years? Which of us
hasn‘t put in hard work and the merits to show for it? The total contributions from any one
of us are greater than yours!

―And you want to voice a disagreement? Did you even ask if we agree with you becoming
the vice GM?!‖

Terry‘s words brought with it a chorus of assent from the other executives present. The calm
of the meeting room broke as people began complaining about their displeasures aloud
and joined the side that asked for increments and better benefits.

Jade repeatedly asked for them to quiet down but even as general manager, she could not
suppress the collective fervor Terry had instigated because everyone wanted to look out for
their own.

The meeting turned into a denouncing rally and things got out of hand.

Javier scanned the group and finally landed on Terry. The latter‘s gaze glowed with victory
and even a hint of a challenge. It was as if he was telling Javier, ―Let‘s see if Jade eliminates
you to appease everyone, or gives us all a raise!‖
Seeing through the pathetic trick, Javier scoffed and stood up. He strode toward the printer
in the corner of the meeting room and connected his cellphone to the machine. After a few
swipes, he had printed out a small stack of documents.

As everyone continued arguing their case, he distributed said stack of papers. Everyone
except for Terry received a set of documents. This caused the man to be taken aback as he
had no idea what Javier had printed.

What was even more shocking was that anyone who was done browsing the document
clamped their mouth shut and proceeded to remain seated in silence. It did not take long
before the meeting room fell into a state of pin-drop silence.

―What are you guys rea—‖

―Terry Hamer!‖

With a slam of the table, Jade sprang up, not giving Terry a chance to finish his question.
Enraged and shaking, she pointed a finger at him. ―I trusted you and this is how you treat
me and the company?!‖

Alarmed, Terry snatched the document from the person beside him. As his eyes scanned the
document, he felt his legs giving out from the panic that was starting to rise once he
realized what was written in it.

The embezzlement of company funds he had been involved in, bribes and commissions he
had accepted, the accounting numbers that he had manipulated, and whatnot were
recorded in detail on the document before him. All of it was real, including some older
entries that even the perpetrator himself had forgotten.

Terry had kept all of this information to himself and had never mentioned a word to anyone
before. How did Javier manage to find them?

―Hamer, what else do you have to say for yourself?!‖

Terry, who was inwardly panicking, forced himself to maintain his composure and cried
loudly in defense of his innocence despite Jade‘s shout.
―This is slander! Someone‘s framing me! I‘ve toiled for years in this company, making many
contributions, if not accomplishments. My conscience is clear, you can‘t humiliate and
defame me like this!‖

Javier was not in the mood to fight Terry‘s vehement denial, so he turned to Jade and said,
―Ms. Odell, please call the police. Who knows, the police might actually find Mr. Hamer
innocent.‖

Jade nodded and picked up her phone to do just that.

At his wit‘s end, Terry tried to run toward Jade but got tripped by the leg of a chair and fell
to the floor. As he heard the sound of numbers being dialed, he wailed, ―Don‘t call the
police! Don‘t call the police!‖

The man was fearful. He did not want to be put behind bars. Staying on the floor, he
begged for mercy, ―Ms. Odell, Ms. Odell, I‘m in the wrong. I admit it. I got greedy and it
blinded me. I‘m sorry, I‘ve disappointed you, I‘ve broken your trust. I‘m guilty toward the
company. I‘m scum, I‘m worthless. Please… Please don‘t call the police…‖

Jade shook with fury. It had never crossed her mind that her company was keeping such a
rotten apple.

―Enough! Keep whatever you have to say for the police!‖

Hearing that Jade insisted on calling the police, Terry scrambled to his knees. He pleaded
and begged tearfully. As he got on his knees, it was indeed a pitiful sight.

Jade‘s heart softened and she put down her phone. She decided not to call the police.
Instead, she told Terry to put the money he had embezzled back into the company account
and leave.

―Oh, and bring Sean Johnson, your accomplice, out of this company as well!‖

―Yes, of course, yes. Thank you, Ms. Odell, thank you.‖

Terry scurried out of the meeting room as quickly as he could.

Javier was not bothered to watch the man leave. Instead, he turned to look at those who
were still in the meeting room.
―Ms. Odell won‘t allow me to put everything up here but that doesn‘t mean that I have no
proof. A sincere word of advice to you guys, get a clear conscience, and do your job as you
should. The company won‘t mistreat you, your reward will go up with the results you
produce.

―But if you try to execute any nefarious plan you may have in your head… Well then… Ha!‖

The last word came out as more of a scoff that sounded so grating to the ears that it put
everyone on pins and needles. When Jade finally dismissed them, they all left the meeting
room like they were fleeing for their lives.

After Javier had used Terry to set a precedent, it was obvious that they were all afraid of the
man. As someone at the management level, no one dared to say that they had no hidden
dirt. What happened today had truly alarmed them, making them realize that their new vice
general manager, Mr. Kersey, was ruthless!

After the others had scrambled off, Javier was about to leave the meeting room as well but
Jade stopped him.

―Javier, hold on for a minute. I‘d like to talk to you.‖

At the same time, Sean stood outside the meeting room in the common area, boasting to
his coworker.

―I knew about Javier‘s promotion to being vice general manager right after lunch. Don‘t
worry. He won‘t last. Who knows, maybe he‘ll even be sacked today? We have Mr. Hamer,
y‘know. He is Beacon Tires‘ head of finance. Do you think that Ms. Odell would dare offend
him? Hah!

―Let me tell you. There‘s no use bootlicking anyone else in the office. You gotta be like me,
just pander to Mr. Hamer.‖

As he spoke, Terry walked up to Sean and said, ―Let‘s go!‖

―Sure!‖ Sean tossed a preening gaze to his coworker and got up to follow Terry. ―Where to,
Mr. Hamer?‖
Terry ignored him and kept marching ahead with a glower on his face. But since his face was
mostly covered in bandages, Sean did not realize the ugly mood the man was in. Eager to
know where they were headed, Sean kept repeatedly asking Terry where they were going.

Annoyed by the constant questions, Terry turned to growl at the man, ―We‘ve both just
been fired! We have to get out of the office right now. Are you happy?‖

Sean was astounded. He was just bragging to his coworker about how wonderful it was to
follow Terry and now they were fired? Snapping back to reality, he continued to ask Terry
why but the man paid no attention to him.

When they reached the company entrance, Terry pulled out his phone to call Zack. After
some pleading humbly and servilely for a few minutes, he got himself a new job and would
be starting immediately at Zack‘s company. As he thanked the man repeatedly, Sean kept
poking Terry‘s chest to remind him, ―Me, me. What about me?‖

Once Terry hung up, he shoved Sean away. ―F*ck off! P*ss of wherever you want!‖

Sean froze from shock.

After a few moments, Selena exited the building and came after Terry. The man left with an
arm around the woman. He had lost his job, but lucky for him, he still had a beauty in his
arm.

As they walked away, Selena asked, ―Was Javier…really promoted to vice general manager?‖

Chapter 13 Bum of a Vice General Manager Visits

Jade was seated at the head of the table in the meeting room while Javier sat next to her.
She was grateful to the man for helping her to keep the management executives who were
trying to rebel in check, and building her intimidation factor on behalf of her. Despite that,
she was still curious and wanted to know how Javier found these things out.
How? Javier had depended on the finance hackers who hacked into Terry‘s phone and
computer. They then tracked down all this information for him, but Javier was not about to
disclose that fact.

―I‘ve kept an eye on him a long time ago, so I‘ve been investigating.‖

His answer did not satisfy Jade. ―But how did you get into the details?‖
Not wanting to linger on the topic, Javier tried diverting the conversation.

―Ms. Odell, I thought that you asked me to stay because you wanted to talk to me about the
additional clause on our contract!‖

Jade instantly blushed at the mention of it.

It had been really awkward this morning. She tried to excuse herself but in her rush, she
tripped and sprained her ankle. Now that it was brought up again… What could she do?
Excuse herself once more?

Just as she was at a loss, her phone rang suddenly.

―Oh, look. I have an important call. That‘s all then.‖

With that, Jade grabbed her phone to leave, her high heels clicking on the floor hastily with
a hint of panic.

Javier shook his head with a chortle but did not stop Jade as he watched her flee. Pulling his
phone out, he went through the data the hacker had sent him that not only included Terry‘s
dirty wor. It also contained information regarding Jade.

From what the hacker sent, he unintentionally found out Jade‘s real identity during his
investigation. The director of the Odello Corporation, one of the top three local companies,
was Jade‘s grandfather. The woman had left Odello Corp. to prove herself because she was
unhappy with the contract marriage that her family had arranged for her.

Her family had given her a tire company that was at the brink of bankruptcy and asked her
to bring it in profits within three months. By completing the target for this quarter, Jade
would be able to prove herself and free herself from the arranged marriage that was based
on only profit and interest. Otherwise, she would have to go home and obey her family‘s
wishes—sacrifice herself and get married for the family‘s greater good.

With Jade‘s wish to promote Javier to the department director and help him out of the
predicament in the hotel restaurant, the man thought that she was decent.

―I shall give you a hand then. I‘ll help you hit this quarter‘s target!‖
Just as he murmured his decision, Jade returned to the meeting room with a hast in her
stride.

―Mr. Kersey, I have an important client to meet this afternoon but I just got an emergency
call just now. Please go to this appointment on my behalf as the vice general manager.
Don‘t worry, I‘ll send someone with you to negotiate the deal.‖

Javier understood what she meant. He did not have to personally be involved in the
negotiation. She just needed him, the vice general manager, to be there in person as a sign
of respect. Despite that, Javier did not see himself as a pretty vase. He was one capable
talent!

―No need. I can do it on my own.‖

―No way. You have never negotiated before. I‘ll send someone with you and that‘s final!‖

After leaving her instructions about the company and executives they were to meet, Jade
left in a hurry. By the time she came back to the meeting room with the person who was
supposed to go with Javier, the man himself was gone.

―Ugh, Javier must‘ve gone to the appointment himself. This is infuriating!‖

Jade‘s phone rang again, the same number from just now blinked up at her. Unable to care
more, she could only hurry off. As for Javier attending the business deal on his own, Jade
could not come up with a better solution. She was not hopeful that he would succeed but
she hoped the deal would not sour.

Fusion Electric Cars, a rather famous local electric car manufacturer, was the client that Jade
had a business appointment with this afternoon.

The purchasing manager of Fusion Electric Cars, Jeremy Laster, was chatting animatedly with
Zack in his office at the factory‘s office building.

―Mr. Dilley, you‘re so capable despite your young age. The car seat company Mr. Dilley Sr. is
managing now will surely flourish under your leadership in the future.‖

―Oh, Mr. Laster, you flatter me. I did nothing. It‘s all due to my father‘s efforts. If it weren‘t
for him, I might only be a regular worker in the company now,‖ Zack said humbly.
‖Unlike you, Mr. Laster, you‘ve gotten to the purchasing manager position based on your
talent and hard work. I‘m really impressed…‖

The atmosphere in the office was warm as Jeremy and Zack showered each other with
praises. The box of expensive cigars under the table, specifically, had sweetened the mood.

As the men chatted happily, the landline in the office rang. Jeremy put the phone on
speaker. ―Hello.‖

―Mr. Laster, it‘s the security booth. We have a vice general manager from Beacon Tires here
who says he has an appointment with you.‖

Jeremy remembered the appointment and asked the security guard to let the man in.
However, Zack was pressed up against the window and was looking down at the entrance.

Beacon Tires was Jade‘s company, so the vice general manager had to be…Javier! As he
watched through the window, a scowl crept onto his face. Just as he suspected, it was Javier!
When he recalled the embarrassment in the hotel restaurant he had suffered earlier this
afternoon, Zack‘s blood boiled.

Javier wanted to negotiate a business deal now? Dream on!

Thinking quickly, Zack told Jeremy, ―Jade‘s getting more arrogant now. She‘s always gone to
negotiate deals personally but why is she sending the vice GM to meet you?

―I know this man. We just had lunch today. Guy‘s bullsh*t.

―And Jade sent him to talk to you? Is she looking down on this deal or is she looking down
on you, Mr. Laster?

Jeremy‘s face fell the moment he heard Zack‘s words. ―Is that true?‖

Zack looked offended. ―Mr. Laster, what do you mean? Perhaps you could doubt me if I was
their rival, but I manufacture car seats, not tires. What good will it do for me to sabotage
them?

―This man‘s name should be Javier Kersey. Call the security and confirm it with them if you
don‘t believe me!‖
Jeremy waved. ―Mr. Dilley, you‘ve misunderstood me. I didn‘t mean it like that.‖

Jeremy only looked icier after the perfunctory explanation. He called the security booth and
ordered, ―Bring the vice GM to the booth so I can speak to him!‖

A moment later, Javier‘s voice sounded from the other end of the line. ―Hello, I‘m—‖

―Javier Kersey, right? You don‘t have to come. I don‘t have time to meet a small fry like you.
Ask Jade Odell to meet me personally!‖

Jeremy hung up right after that, feeling disgruntled. He was annoyed. He had thought that
Jade seemed decent. He had not expected this to happen. Not only was she not here
personally, but she also sent a bum of a vice general manager to see him. This was blatant
disrespect!

While he fumed inwardly, the security booth called again. The moment Jeremy answered,
Javier‘s voice spoke up, ―Laster, don‘t regret refusing to see me.‖

―Are you threatening me? You‘re trying to sell your parts and you‘re threatening me?!‖

Jeremy was enraged. He had never seen someone so impudent! A supplier was threatening
a purchasing manager—had the world lost its mind?!

Zack had poured gasoline into the fire in the office and made Javier out to be someone
absolutely outrageous and flippant. It angered Jeremy sufficiently as he growled at the
phone, ―I‘m not seeing Jade even if she personally comes here today. Unless you‘re fired,
she can forget about supplying tires to us, ever!

―F*cker, I could go to anyone for tires. How dare you threaten me?‖

Zack gloated at the scene, laughing in his mind, ‗Javier Kersey, you‘re going down!‘

Chapter 14 I Shouldn‘t Have Been Rude

Javier put down the phone in the security booth and turned to see the security guard giving
him a thumbs up.
―Awesome, man. This is the first time I‘m seeing a supplier threatening a purchasing
manager. You‘re the sh*ts!
―What a pity you aren‘t a robber. The police would have to run if they see you otherwise
because you‘re absolutely the sh*ts!‖

Ignoring the guard‘s mocking, Javier left the security booth and found a rock to sit on in the
shady area outside of the building. He pulled out his phone to call Ciara.

―Ciara, I‘ll send you the company‘s name. I want their company‘s list of tire orders. Don‘t
disclose my identity…‖

Javier had no wish to come into contact with his family, for now, so he left it to Ciara. After
the call, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up before puffing on it leisurely, not at all looking
remorseful that he had just offended a purchasing manager.

The security guard looked at him from afar like he was looking at an idiot, unable to
understand which unlucky company would hire an idiot like him for a salesperson.

About ten minutes later, a fat man ran over from the factory‘s office area, his extra weight
jiggling as he did. He looked completely out of breath but he continued to dash for the
entrance anyway.

The security guard straightened up once he saw the fat man and greeted respectfully, ―Mr.
Farlow!‖

The fat man was the general manager of Fusion Electric Cars, Wade Farlow. He ignored the
security guard and ran over to Javier‘s side, huffing and puffing, before he greeted him
servilely, ―Hello, you‘re Mr. Kersey, the vice GM of Beacon Tires, right?‖

Javier nodded and Wade introduced himself immediately as he stretched out his hand to
shake Javier‘s in a friendly manner. After the pleasantries, Wade probed, ―You‘re related
to…‖

Javier did not know who Wade was referring to. There were too many people in the Kerseys
and they must have gone through several levels down to where Wade was. Who knew how
many petty connections it had taken? There was no way Javier would know whichever small
fry Wade was speaking of.

With a side-eye at the man, Javier answered curtly, ―That‘s beside the question. I‘m here for
sales!‖
Wade grinned awkwardly. ―No way, someone as brilliant as you came here for sales? Is this a
joke?‖

Javier, who was seated on the rock, retorted, ―Am I close to you? Why would I joke with
you?‖

Well, that made the situation awkward for Wade. Fortunately, Javier did not put him in the
spot for too long as he spoke up again, ―Your purchasing manager, Jeremey Laster, is it?
That man‘s a wonder, huh? He refused to even see me when I‘m here for a business deal
and threatened me with the sales, asking for my boss to fire me. Question for you, what‘s so
great about him, yeah?‖

D*mn it. He knew it. Wade knew that something must have happened. Why else would the
commerce bureau‘s higher-up call him personally?

Wade was furious the moment he heard that Jeremy had caused trouble. That b*stard could
not wait for his company to go down, could he?

―I‘m so sorry, Mr. Kersey. My apologies. I had neglected to train my staff and they have
caused you trouble.‖

After a series of apologies, Wade called Jeremy. ―Get yourself here right this instant—the
factory gate!‖

Jeremy was reveling in Zack‘s pandering and flattery in his office. He had to mention that
expensive cigarettes did taste smoother, too.

Suddenly receiving his boss‘ enraged call, he got up to rush to the man‘s side. Wade
slapped a hand down Jeremy‘s head the moment he got to the gate.

―Either do your job properly or get the hell out of here!‖

Jeremy was bewildered. ―Mr. Farlow, why are you hitting me?‖

Did he just ask that? He had the cheek to ask him? Wade kicked the man out of rage and
pulled him to the side to relay the entire situation.
Jeremy was startled. He had completely thought that Javier was nothing but a fool only for
the latter to turn out to be some big shot. He plastered on a smile—more like a grimace
really—as he walked toward Javier.

―Mr. Kersey, I apologize for looking down on you and insulting you just now. I was blind. I
shouldn‘t have been rude…‖

As Jeremy apologized, he felt wronged. Who was the rude, insolent one here? He was a
purchasing manager who got threatened by a supplier and he had to bow down and
apologize meekly. Oh, the grievance!

Javier did not make things difficult for Jeremy, saying, ―I just want to know why you called
the security guard to chase me out when you‘ve already agreed to let me in, and taunted
me too, at that. Care to share the reason?‖

Jeremy was infuriated once this was brought up. He had Zack to thank for! If it were not for
Zack, he would stay unscathed today. Would he have offended this big shot? Would he
have been slapped and kicked by his boss?

Almost instantly, he poured out everything that Zack had told him, the whole truth of the
matter, out clean.

Zack Dilley, the man who had the ocean… They met again. Great. Javier smiled at Jeremy
and asked, ―Mr. Laster, regarding the order for our company‘s tires…‖

Before Jeremy said anything, Wade decided there and then. ―All of it. As long as our
factory‘s manufacturing, the order is your company‘s!‖

Javier nodded. ―And Zack Dilley‘s car seat company…‖

Jeremy was quick to speak up this time. ―Rejected, nullified. Anything we have. We‘ll cease
all collaborations with them from now on!‖

―And my identity?‖ Javier tossed the last question he had.

―Kept confidential!‖ Wade and Jeremy answered simultaneously.

Very well. Javier was happy with the men‘s attitudes, so he stood up, patted the dust off his
bottom, and glanced over at the security guard who stood straight like a flag pole.
The security guard felt his soul leaving him when he felt Javier‘s gaze on him. How could he
possibly know that the visitor was someone so influential that their general manager had to
bow down to him? If the latter knew that he had just mocked the man, he would be sacked
immediately!

Despite what had happened, Javier ignored him and turned to leave. It made the guard
breathe out a sigh of relief. He was aware that Javier did not find fault with him not because
he had forgotten about it, but because he couldn‘t care less. This was the mannerism of
someone successful—generous and magnanimous!

At the same time, Zack was puffing a cigarette in a great mood in Jeremy‘s office. He could
not help imagining Jade kicking Javier out for ruining the business when he returned to the
company. And as Jade fretted over the deal, Zack would then arrive like a heroic savior and
put in a few good words for her to Jeremy.

When the deal went through successfully later, Jade would look at him with starry eyes filled
with admiration, give him her heart and a kiss… The more Zack fantasized, the more excited
he grew that he nearly laughed out loud to himself.

It was at the same time the door to the office opened and in came Jeremy.

―Dilley, get the f*ck out of here! With your car seats!‖

Chapter 15 Drop the Rich Act

Zack was stunned. The earlier mood had been pretty friendly. What happened? He was still
thinking of striking the deal and signing the new contract today, so imagine his surprise
when Jeremy came in and blurted out those words.
Before he could recover from the shock, Jeremy dashed to his work desk and tore up the
contract that Zack had brought into shreds.

―Trying to seal the deal? Deal my *ss! Leave with your car seats right now!‖

Zack was anxious and looked flummoxed.

―Wait, Mr. Laster. Didn‘t we agree that there‘s no issue with the new contract? I‘ve produced
and sent the car seats here without having the contract signed first based on my trust for
you. You can‘t do this! Even if we‘re not signing the new agreement, for now, that‘s fine, but
you could at least take this batch of car seats off my hands first!‖
Pulling out a pack of cigarettes, Zack wanted to go up and offer Jeremy a stick but the latter
swatted it away. Not only was he not accepting the stick, but he also grabbed the expensive
cigars under the table and tossed them all at Zack.

―You better leave now with those car seats in the warehouse. Otherwise, I won‘t be paying
you a cent even if they get installed in the cars!‖

Zack was at the brink of tears. ―No, wait. Mr. Laster, tell me what‘s going on!‖

―What‘s going on? It‘s none of your business. P*ss off!‖

Not wanting to say another word to Zack, Jeremy hauled him out angrily and threatened to
call the security if he refused to leave.

Zack, who had just been a guest earlier, stood at the office door like an unwelcome dog in
just a blink of an eye. He was still muttering aggrievedly, ―Why…‖

At the same time, Jade was on the road, speeding her way home. When her phone rang, her
heart dropped at the sight of the name on the screen.

―Sh*t! Jeremy‘s calling. I knew I shouldn‘t have let Javier go alone. See, we‘re in big trouble
now!‖

Answering the call promptly, Jade was already rehearsing her sincere and genuine
apologetic speech. But before she could say a word, Jeremy‘s voice came through.

―Ms. Odell, our talk went well. Fusion will be taking its entire supply of tires from you from
now on.‖

―What?!‖

Jade‘s apology hung off her lips at Jeremy‘s announcement. It surprised her so much that
she nearly ran into the car in front of her that was making a turn. It was after some frantic
swerving that she managed to park her car by the curb.

―Hold on, Mr. Laster. What did you just say? I didn‘t quite catch it.‖
Unable to believe her ears, Jade realized that what she heard was real after Jeremy repeated
himself. The man hung up politely after informing her about the signing of the contract.
Jade was left in a stupor as she held the phone against her ear.

―How did Javier go about the negotiation? This is amazing! He managed to score the deal
within half an hour and it‘s an exclusive supply deal!‖

Delight filled Jade‘s face as she murmured to herself. Although she was skeptical about
Javier‘s negotiation, what mattered most was that she had something to bring back home!
Her family had been asking her to come back but she was without any concrete
accomplishments. This time, she could finally keep her head high.

She had filled up one-third of the company‘s loss now and there were still two and a half
months before the quarter was over. As long as she could get two more deals in the
remaining time and recover Beacon Tires‘ loss, she would win!

Jade could not help but be thrilled once she thought of it and danced in her car, her limbs
flailing as she squealed like an excited lunatic. A passerby stopped his bicycle to peer into
the car in surprise and asked, ―Do you… Do you need me to call for help?‖

Embarrassed, she said no and quickly drove off. Despite that, Jade felt that Javier was truly
her lucky star. He was brilliant for securing the investment and scoring such an important
deal!

While Jade was overjoyed, her self-acknowledged lucky star, Javier was glum. He had been
waiting for a ride by the side of the road but buses sped past with blinking signals despite
reaching the stop and the cabs that passed were all filled with passengers, even Uber had
no driver available. It had already been more than ten minutes since he started waiting.

He had millions of dollars in his pocket but he could not even get a ride. Javier was
indignant. He was going to buy a car!

Recalling that there was a car dealership by the road from when he passed by earlier, he
made his way there instantly. As for the USSV Rhino GX, that tank of an SUV was too eye-
catching. Javier did not like that and decided he would give it to Ciara.

As he crossed the street and strolled past shaded walkways, he came to the dealership a few
minutes later.
―Hello, welcome to Mercedes-Benz.‖

The saleslady welcomed Javier with a smile, to which the latter nodded in response and
moved to walk in.

It was exactly at that moment that a mocking voice spoke up behind him. ―Oh, look who got
himself in with a Mercedes dealer. What now? You didn‘t get your sales and you‘re trying to
put up a façade with a new Mercedes? Or are you here to enjoy the free air-conditioning?‖

Javier turned to see Zack‘s derisive sneer staring back at him.

The latter was here to buy a car too. Although he had spent 120 thousand dollars loading
up the restaurant card this afternoon, he was a crafty one! He put in another 15 thousand
dollars before he left the hotel and went home to show it off to his old man.

―The hotel‘s having a promotion now. There‘s a complimentary 7.5 thousand dollars for each
60 thousand dollars reloaded and 15 thousand dollars for each 120 thousand dollars. I was
thinking that we usually host our clients and guests there, so we‘d get 15 thousand dollars
for nothing. Instead of buying the car I wanted, I put 120 thousand dollars in the card.‖

His old man was delighted at the news, praising Zack for being sensible and giving him
another 150 thousand dollars to buy a car.

Zack had wanted an Audi but that would not do now. He had tanked the order with Fusion
Electric Cars and the car seats sent there were currently being sent back to their own plant
in a truck. He‘d better buy his car now or his old man would withdraw the money when he
found out and got angry.

That explained why Zack had come to the nearest Mercedes-Benz dealer—so he could
spend what he had and get himself a car first!

He was not expecting to run into Javier here, so his disgruntlement prompted him to taunt
the man.

―Hey, Kersey. I heard from Terry that you got a sugar mommy? What, is it her 60th birthday
today, so you‘re making her buy you the car in the name of gifting it to her?‖
The car dealership was a public space. Javier had no right to make Zack shut up but he
could ignore him. Turning around, Javier entered the lobby and began browsing the cars as
he was led by the saleslady.

―See, he won‘t admit that he‘s poor and is still putting up a rich act. You‘ll leave empty-
handed by the end of the day anyway! Pfft!‖

Making a show of entering the showroom, Zack raised his right hand.

―I‘m buying a car, a luxury Mercedes. Get a pretty girl to serve me. I have the money, come
get your commission!‖

It was not like the salesladies in the dealership had never met nouveau riches before, but
this was their first time seeing one who was so insolent. Out of their professionalism,
however, a saleslady went up to Zack and inquired amicably.

―Hi, sir. What model would you like? We have the A-Class, the CLA coupe, the GLA…‖

Zack was immediately offended. ―What are you trying to say? I told you, I want the luxury
one. Why are you introducing the 30-45 thousand dollars subcompacts to me? Are you
looking down on me? Do you think I don‘t have the money?

―I‘m letting you know I have the money! It‘s just a stupid Mercedes. The price is like a drop
in my money ocean!‖

Alright… The saleslady understood the man.

―Here, sir. Please come this way. This is the latest model we have, G500. It is 248 thousand
dollars and a perfect match to your honorable status.‖

Uh… The car looked wonderful and the status befitted Zack‘s but… he did not quite have
enough money for it…

Chapter 16 Ashamed to Be Driving the Same Brand

Having boasted really loudly but being unable to afford the car was simply embarrassing,
but Zack, who was a master of such scenarios, was not at all fazed by an awkward accident
like this.
―There‘s no hurry. One can‘t just look at the honor of buying a car. There‘s a vibe too. I‘ve
got to pick one that matches my vibe.‖
As he tried to pave his way out of the embarrassment, he walked around and browsed
through the other cars. Looking at the price tags placed atop the cars, Zack was distraught
when he saw none cost less than millions of dollars. However, refusing to show his distress,
he shook his head at the GLS with his fingers clasping his chin.

―Nah, I don‘t like the 9AT gearbox.‖

When Zack came to the G500, he put on a deep frown. ―What the heck is this? Its corners
are so angular that it looks like a coffin. What a bad omen…‖

The man did not even stop in his tracks when he passed the performance line of the brand,
the AMG GLE-class. ―I don‘t like coupes. Horrible combination. The engineers must have lost
their mind when they were designing this trash…‖

Whatever car it was, as long as the price went over several hundred thousand dollars—
whether it was the retail price or the out the door (OTD) price, Zack would find reasons to
dislike it. And of course, none of the reasons had anything to do with the cost of the cars.
He tried to make it sound as though he was rich enough to afford them, and that he just did
not like them.

As he picked and complained, he finally came to an area of the showroom that had models
within his budget of not more than several hundred thousand dollars OTD.

―This is it! These match my vibe and status with their lofty and exquisite looks. Its luxury is
low-profile and muted. What a gorgeous car… It‘s like they were designed specifically for
me. The designer knows exactly what I was looking for. Brilliant!‖

The saleslady felt that this man was absolutely despicable and wanted to put on a grimace,
but out of her professionalism, she had to plaster on a warm smile.

―Sir, this is an AMG GLC-class. the 3.0T costs 101 thousand dollars, the 4.0T costs 152
thousand dollars…‖

The saleslady droned on about the car but Zack was not listening to her and was doing the
calculations in his mind.

‗Buying the low spec would make me look cheap but the full spec… Sales tax is about 10%,
I‘m guessing insurance goes up to around three thousand dollars, the registration fee is
probably some 50 dollars…‘
After some calculation, Zack concluded that he would need a little less than 173 thousand
dollars for the car. That‘s fine, he had that amount. He had 15 thousand dollars extra from
noon, so that would cover it.

Now assured, Zack began to bluster.

―Save your speech. I‘m not petty with my purchases. I‘ll buy it if I like it and I‘ll buy the best
available! I‘ll take the 4.0T. As for discounts and whatnot, do as you please. I won‘t ask about
it, just get it done for me.‖

With a confident wave of a hand, Zack sent the saleslady to get the contract.

He kept his hands clasped behind his back as he strolled to where Javier was and preened at
the latter. The saleslady who was serving Javier greeted him politely, ―Sir, have you decided
on the car you want?‖

―Of course. A full spec AMG at over a hundred thousand dollars, OTD. I liked it so I bought
it. Such a small sum doesn‘t matter to me!‖

Zack then continued to tell the saleslady, ―But I feel bad for you. If you‘d served me, you‘d
be counting your commission in glee already. You didn‘t, though. You‘re serving him. He‘s
so poor that his wife ran off with someone else and he‘s here looking at Mercedes?

―I‘m just putting this out there for you. The man his wife ran off with? He was crying and
begging me to give him a job just this afternoon!‖

The corner of Javier‘s lips twitched. He had not wanted to bother with the guy but he
couldn‘t hold himself back anymore.

―Man, just admit that you don‘t have the money. Why are you making up so many excuses?
Did you hear yourself just now? How embarrassing did you sound when you talked about
vibe and status? And as if you know so much about cars… You said you don‘t like the 9AT
gearbox, but don‘t you know that the car you picked has the same exact transmission spec,
a 9AT gearbox?

―And to boast here about buying a full spec AMG… AMG my *ss! It‘s only a GLC-class and
you‘re crowing about it?
―When you pranced around the showroom earlier, you must have been thinking which
model would cost less than several hundred thousand dollars at OTD price, huh? What?
Don‘t have enough money for it?‖

Javier‘s retorts were snarky and were aimed right at Zack‘s sore spots. It flustered the latter
and the man glared back at Javier.

―Bullsh*t! Since when do I not have enough money? Money‘s all I have! It‘s just a stupid car.
How much would it cost me? It‘s like a drop in the ocean for me!

―Do you think everyone here‘s like you? Spending so much time here just to find some
stupid A-Class that‘s over 30 thousand dollars? Good job!

―I‘m not even trying to make fun of you at this point. You can‘t even afford an A-Class. You
best put your hands together and pray. Oh, dear lord, please. Let me make a big fortune so
that I can afford a Mercedes in the future. I don‘t even mind if it‘s an A-Class!‖

Not only was Zack putting on a high-pitched whine as said those last words, he even put his
hands together as if in prayer to drive home his mockery of Javier, as if he wouldn‘t relent
until he made sure he had quashed Javier completely.

Before he continued with his taunts, the saleslady that had been serving him came back with
his car sales agreement.

―What a waste of my effort talking to you. Scum! I‘m not bragging but you won‘t be able to
afford my car your entire life!

―And you‘re still checking out the A-Class. If you actually get around to buying it, it‘d be a
humiliation to my car. I‘m ashamed to be driving the same brand as you!‖

After another round of tirade, Zack went off to sign and pay in glee.

Javier scoffed. He actually had no intention of buying the A180L, he just found the new
sedan pretty nice looking. The saleslady attending to him spoke up, ―Don‘t mind him, sir.
Some people are just like that.‖

Javier paused and turned to glance at the saleslady. She wore a kind smile that could warm
anybody‘s heart. He felt she was rather decent. Since he had already taken a look at the cars
he wanted, Javier decided to buy a car and let the lady earn her commission, figuring that a
kind person should be repaid for her kind deed.

―I saw that you have a special edition G63 in your inner foyer just now?‖

The saleslady nodded. ―We do. It had just arrived in the showroom. It‘s a display unit for an
auto show which is in two days from now.‖

Nodding in comprehension, Javier continued asking, ―Can it be bought?‖

The saleslady answered with a chuckle, ―Who knows? It‘s over 300 hundred thousand
dollars. It‘s hard to tell if anyone could buy it‖

What Javier meant was that if the car was for sale but the saleslady‘s reply had indirectly
answered him. Hence, he pulled out his Messer card and passed it to her.

―There‘s no password. You can just swipe it. I‘d like to drive off with it today.‖

The saleslady was astonished. She thought that Javier was joking but his serious look did
not look like he was at all. Skeptically, she went to the payment counter with the metal bank
card.

A while later, Zack came out holding an envelope and his car key looking smug.

―Ah, I‘m only buying a car. Look at you guys insisting to throw me some sort of celebration
ceremony. Hah… It‘s just a car over a hundred thousand dollars. It‘s not worth that sort of
formality. What an exaggeration! I don‘t even care for that amount of money!

―It‘s not even money. It‘s just a drop of water, a drop of water in the ocean. Hah, that‘s how
rich I am!‖

Javier watched Zack blow his own trumpet and could not even bring himself to scoff at the
latter.

A few minutes later, the staff at the dealership was done with preparing the small ceremony,
had put out the red carpet, and had driven the new car over. There was another one of them
holding a big ribbon to put on the car.
Zack threw a victorious glance at Javier. ―Scum, you want to drop the act now? Come on,
buy a car. Come stand next to me too!‖

While he gloated, the manager of the dealership came out to instruct the staff farther away.
―Hey guys, come here. Put that pause on the ceremony. Put out another red carpet. We‘re
ringing the bell twice today!‖

Chapter 17 A Grand Ceremony

Ringing the bell twice would mean that the car dealership had made two sales at the same
time.
When Zack found out from the staff beside him, he was upset about it. He and Javier were
the only two customers in the dealership. Who else could have bought a car after him?

―F*ck this sh*t, no way I‘m accepting this. I bought an AMG. Why should his cheap A-Class
get to share my glory?

―That dirt-cheap A-Class standing next to my car will be a big humiliation to it. I…‖

As Zack shot off his mouth, he saw the special edition G63 that cost 387 thousand dollars
parked in the showroom being driven out. There was no denying that the car looked lofty
and Zack let the admiration color his eyes. He thought that he was definitely buying himself
a G63 too when he had the money in the future!

When he unintentionally discovered that Javier was paying attention to the car as well, he
sneered almost instinctively.

―Kersey, yo, you‘re not thinking that this car is yours, right? Stop fantasizing. They‘re just
backing the car so that they can drive your stupid A-Class out.

―What an honor that trash of an A-Class of yours has, ay? A G63 has to move out of the way
for it. Do you know how much this car is? At least 300 thousand dollars OTD. This might
actually be your only moment of glory in life, y‘know, having a G63 make way for you?
Hah!‖

Javier ignored Zack, afraid that he would catch the man‘s stupidity if he talked to him. Zack
still rambled on, as if his status would be elevated the harsher he taunted the former. And a
few moments later, he realized that the G63 was not making space for anyone. It was
actually being driven to the red carpet.
The staff quickly went up and tied a huge ribbon around it.

On the left was a G63 which was over 300 thousand dollars OTD while on the right was an
AMG a little over 100 thousand dollars. They were both parked on the red carpet side by
side. Since the brand logos were the same, it was even more awkward as the class difference
between the cheaper and more expensive models was obvious to everyone who saw it.

The kind-hearted sales lady came at that moment to pass the envelope to Javier.

―Mr. Kersey, the car purchasing agreement, the car key, and your bank card are all inside
along with the manuals and whatnot.‖

Javier accepted it and nodded at her with a smile. ―Alright, thank you for going through all
that trouble for me.‖

The saleslady waved in dismissal quickly. ―No trouble at all. I should be thanking you
instead.‖

She was being sincere. Although the commission selling luxury cars was rather low, it was
still some eight to ten thousand dollars…

Zack, who was standing a little ways away, was thoroughly dumbstruck. He had just made
fun of Javier for buying an A-Class and taunted that the most glorious moment in his life
would be the G63 making way for him, only to realize that the man had bought said G63.
Oh, the loud slap in the face!

Looking at the smiling faces around him, no matter how he looked at it, it was like they were
laughing at him for being a total dumb*ss. Flushed red in embarrassment, Zack was too
mortified to stay for the little ceremony the dealer had for him. He had made a complete
fool out of himself.

―Forget about the ceremony. My time is valuable. I make tens of thousands per minute. No
time to be wasted over you guys!‖

Zack stomped toward his car and pulled the ribbon off to get into the vehicle when Javier
asked him, ―Mr. Dilley, is it because you‘re ashamed to be driving the same brand as me?‖
With what he said being thrown back at him, Zack was both embarrassed and angered. No
matter how he looked at it, the words were grating and they brimmed with mockery. It
made him feel like rushing up to Javier and choking him dead!

Smiling, Javier shook hands with the saleslady. ―The ceremony is nice but I‘ll have to excuse
myself. I still have things to attend to, my apologies.‖

After a polite exchange, Javier got into the car and drove off, not even sparing Zack a
backward glance.

Hearing the G63‘s engine purr deliciously as it sped off, Zack was close to exploding as he
was filled with rage. He lifted his leg to kick the tire of his car but missed and got the wheel
fender instead, causing a large dent and the mudguard to crack.

Zack was befuddled. He had kicked the tire to vent his frustration but missed his target
completely. Promptly crouching to pat the dent, Zack looked pained. His new car! It was
damaged!

A staff member went up to comfort him amicably. ―Sir, our workshop is just at the back. We
have the parts. It‘s not expensive to replace the fender and mudguard. We‘ll even give you a
discount on the workmanship. You don‘t have to feel too upset.‖

Zack was infuriated, shouting indignantly, ―I‘m upset? Bullsh*t!

―Do I need your discount? I have the money! This petty sum is a drop in the ocean to me!‖

As the employee secretly cussed out the bragger, Javier was already on his way back to the
office. As he drove, he figured that he ought to find some time to go back to his place and
pack up his personal belongings. Just as he thought about it, he spotted Selena standing by
the side of the road.

Without a shade around, Selena was standing under the hot sun and looked rather
miserable. Javier wanted to step on the accelerator and zoom off but ultimately stopped
next to her after some silent contemplation.

―What are you doing standing by the road under the hot sun?‖
As the window came down, Selena looked fretful when she saw it was Javier who popped
his head out of the Mercedes G63. She quickly tugged some hair over her left cheek but not
before Javier noted the bruise there.

―I-I‘m fine. I‘m just taking a stroll.‖

Javier did not expose the woman‘s blatant lie and just opened the door to his passenger
seat instead.

―Hop in. I‘ll send you back,‖ he added upon spotting the sight of Selena‘s awkward
expression. ―Don‘t worry. I‘m not trying to show off. I‘m on the way back to the house
anyway, to grab my stuff.‖

After a moment‘s hesitation, Selena stiffly got into the car.

The car cruised along the road smoothly, taking the pair to the rented unit they had stayed
in together. Selena kept her head down and did not say a word as Javier stayed quiet as
well.

When they were home and were packing up, neither of them said much to the other either.
It was not until Javier was done packing up and was about to leave that the silence was
broken. He informed the woman out of courtesy, ―I‘ll be leaving now.‖

Selena did not reply, and Javier did not need her to, as he headed for the door with his
suitcase. The moment his hand came into contact with the doorknob, however, Selena cried
from the living room.

―Javier!‖

With a slight frown, the man turned to see the woman sobbing on the couch, cradling her
head.

―I‘m sorry, Javier. I‘m sorry. I was wrong…

―I betrayed our vows and your feelings for me, I‘m so sorry…

―Greed and materialism blinded me. I‘m a materialistic woman, I deserve it…‖
If Selena was only apologizing to him because of his new job and his new car, Javier refused
to accept it. But through her tears, Selena told him in tears that she was not asking him to
get back together with her. She told him that she had had a fight with Terry and the man
had slapped her before abandoning her by the side of the road. It was only then she
realized the difference between Terry and Javier.

―I‘m not asking you to get back together with me. I‘m just apologizing for the hurt I‘ve
caused you. I‘m sorry.‖

Javier stood at the door in silence for a moment before finally saying, ―It‘s all in the past
now. Let‘s just leave it there.‖

With that, he opened the door and left with his suitcase. To Selena, however, Javier was not
only leaving with his suitcase—he was leaving with her only happiness in life.

When the door to the apartment shut, sobs and wails of remorse rang out from inside…

As Javier was closing the door to his old unit, Jade was opening the door to her house. Her
mother was not the only one at home. There was also her second uncle who had come to
force her to agree with the arranged marriage.

Chapter 18 It‘s for Your Own Good

The call that Jade had received in the meeting room earlier had been from her mother,
Catherine Nance-Odell, who had urged her to return home.
The moment Jade opened the door, Catherine hurried up to her and spoke urgently, ―Jade,
your Uncle Matthew‘s here to ask you to get married again…‖

―I know, mom. You told me on the phone. Don‘t worry.‖

Soothing Catherine, Jade entered the living room and was greeted by Matthew Odell who
was sitting on the couch, smoking with one leg crossed over the other.

―Uncle Matthew, according to the agreement I‘ve made with the family, there‘s still two
months before the end of the quarter. What are you trying to do by coming to our house
and forcing me to get married?‖

Matthew frowned instantly. ―What do you mean forcing you to get married? Am I doing
that? This is for your own good. I‘m doing this for my niece‘s sake!
―My elder brother passed away early and left the two of you all alone. I want to find you
good in-laws so both of you mother and daughter will have good support and a safety net
to fall back on. Is that so wrong of me?‖

After the man questioned Jade, he turned to Catherine.

―You too, sis-in-law. Look at how you‘ve spoiled Jade. She does what she wants without
caring for the family‘s best interest or her own wellbeing, fighting back and insisting to
prove herself… Why is there any need to prove herself?

―People say that a spoiled child is the result of their parents‘ doing. Brother has passed on.
As her mother, are you going to bear the responsibility of failing to educate your child?‖

Catherine was quick to nod timidly at Matthew‘s berating. ―It‘s my fault, it‘s my fault…‖

Catherine had come from the countryside. Jade‘s father had married her despite his family‘s
prohibition back then. Without any education, ability, or background, Catherine had to
swallow her pride the day she was married into the Odells and had always acted like a meek
servant whenever he was facing the family.

Back when Jade‘s father was still around, someone could protect her. Now that her man was
gone, she could only bow even lower.

―Mom!‖ Jade was exasperated at her mother‘s weak spine. ―You‘re his elder sister-in-law.
Why are you bowing down to him?‖

Jade then raised her voice at Matthew. ―This is your elder sister-in-law! You should at least
respect that rank. Is this how you should be talking to her?‖

Jade never backed down from a confrontation and was a stark contrast to Catherine.

―And don‘t think I don‘t know what you and your people are up to!

―Odello Corp. wants to get listed and grandfather wants to get it done legitimately. But
since he had fallen ill, you guys are trying to take the shortcut and are trying to force me to
get married to pander to that b*stard from the Dunhams because he likes me. You‘re
hoping to gain support from the Dunhams.

―Don‘t think that you can hide something so obvious from me. I‘m not a fool!‖
With his plan exposed, Matthew was enraged by the embarrassment. He threw the
remaining half of his cigarette on the floor and cursed.

―Bullsh*t! If I really wanted to force you, do you think you could still fight for that so-called
chance to prove yourself?‖

Jade scoffed audibly at Matthew‘s attempt to defend himself. ―Uncle Matthew, save yourself
some pride. If it weren‘t for the old men in the corporation supporting me due to my
deceased father, would you have spared me the chance?‖

With everything out in the open, Matthew felt like he had been slapped in the face. Seeing
as he could no longer hide the truth, he decided to divert the topic.

―I‘m not here for your nonsense. You whine about proving yourself, so what have you
proved? How useless you are?

―I sent someone over to check yesterday. It‘s been half a month and that tire company
basically achieved nothing under your management. There‘s no accomplishment nor result.
If this is your ability, I‘d suggest you put on the wedding dress and get married straight
away.

―Get yourself married and become Dunham‘s daughter-in-law, then help Odello Corp. get
listed. This will be the biggest achievement you could accomplish as a woman!‖

Jade snorted. ―You sent someone to check on me yesterday? Why didn‘t you send them
again today?

―Sorry to disappoint you, Uncle Matthew. I just got a big order. It‘s more than enough to fill
up one-third of the loss within our agreed time. Give me another half a year and I could turn
Beacon Tires‘ losses into profits with this order alone!

―Didn‘t you ask what I‘ve proved? This is what I‘m proving—my ability!‖

Matthew was stunned by Jade‘s retort. He had come today to force Jade to let the
agreement go and get married soon due to the information he had received yesterday, not
expecting that there would be a turn of events today. Jade had gotten herself a big order.
As for the results of the agreed three months, the man did not doubt Jade at all. It was just
that…had Jade really filled up one-third of the loss when so many people had been
powerless when it came to this pathetic tire company that was close to bankruptcy?

While Matthew was still at a loss for words, Jade questioned, ―What else do you have to
say?‖

Gaping and stammering, Matthew‘s embarrassment got the better of him and he slammed
the table angrily.

―Watch your tone! I‘m your uncle! How dare you speak to me like this?! I‘ll also have you
know that you won‘t last long in business over a stroke of luck! You‘re not built for the
business world. Just get married! That‘s the right choice for you!‖

With that, Matthew got up to leave without giving Jade a chance to fight back.

After sending the man off with a forced smile, Catherine went back to Jade and persuaded
her softly, ―Jade, why don‘t you just get married? The man‘s family is well to do and we‘ll
have a good life. You should just stop fighting them…‖

―Mom!‖ Jade was incredulous. ―If you don‘t support me, fine. But why would you side with
the outsiders?!‖

Catherine muttered softly with a lowered head, ―It‘s for your own good.‖

Her own good again. Everyone who asked her to get married said the same thing, that it
was for her own good.

Indignant, Jade was about to argue with Catherine that she ought to give her freedom and
not interfere with her life if she really cared about her own good, but once she saw how
meek the woman was, she felt bad for her mother.

―Alright, Mom, stop fretting. We don‘t have to depend on others. Trust me, I can do it…‖

After placating Catherine, Jade left and drove back to the office. All the way there, she
sulked until she recalled the shock Matthew had been in when she threw the
accomplishment in his face. For that, she was grateful to Javier for what he did. Otherwise,
she would not have been able to stand tall and proud today.
Driving into the company parking lot, Jade ran into Javier who had just got back after taking
care of his personal affair. When she saw the brand new Mercedes G63, she went around
the car, clicking her tongue as she went.

―Mr. Kersey, looks like you won quite a big lottery huh? I don‘t think it‘s just 2 million
dollars.‖

Javier chuckled and replied perfunctorily before asking, ―So, when are we carrying out the
additional clause, Ms. Odell?‖

Jade clammed up immediately. Forget about where Javier‘s money came from, forget about
how Javier got the business deal. The additional term she had personally added was her
Achilles‘ heel. Any poke or prod at it felt horrible.

The woman diverted the topic swiftly. ―A big company‘s preparing to call for tender. It‘d be
wonderful if we can get it. They‘re publishing the invitation and proposal this afternoon so
I‘ll be going there to check it out instead of going into the office.‖

With that, Jade turned to leave but Javier caught her arm. She thought that she was
doomed. The man would not try to force himself on her, would he? She was then greeted
with the sight of the keys to the Mercedes. Javier pushed them toward her as he spoke,
―Take this car. Your appearance represents the company‘s capability to some extent.‖

Thinking that he was right, Jade did not refuse the offer. She exchanged the key to her
Volkswagen Passat with Javier and left with his new car.

Walking into the building, Javier headed back to his office. Just as the doors opened, he
spotted a young man who was barely 20 years old sitting in his chair. The latter had both his
legs propped up on Javier‘s desk as he toyed with his phone leisurely.

With a tilt of the head and a side-eye at Javier, the young man made a waving gesture.
―Javier Kersey, is it? No need to stand there while you attend to me. I‘m not big on
formalities. Sit down!‖

Chapter 19 Absolutely Deplorable

This was…interesting. Javier had no idea where this guy had come from, or who he was to
have the right to sit in his chair and have the gall to tell him that he did not have to wait on
him hand and foot. Javier‘s thoughts wandered off, realizing that he actually had never
waited on anyone‘s hand and foot before.
Faced with the young man, he even felt like his lines had been snatched. Lines from ten
years ago, at that.

The young man fiddled with his phone as he made himself comfortable in Javier‘s chair and
introduced himself. ―I‘m Kendrick Odell, Jade‘s younger cousin.

―You don‘t have to care who I am in particular. Just report everything about Jade Odell to
me as soon as possible in the future and you‘ll be rewarded.‖

Kendrick pulled out a bank card from his pocket and tossed it on the table carelessly.

―The pin is the last six digits of the card number. I think there are some 3 to 4.5 thousand
dollars of fun money in the card. Take it and enjoy yourself! If you do a good job, I‘ll put in
several times or even a few dozen times more of that amount into the card. No need to
doubt me. Anything I, Kendrick, say, is more promising than a bill from the bank.‖

Javier glanced at Kendrick who had not taken his eyes off the game on his phone as he
spoke and picked up the bank card on the table. This Kendrick Odell talked big despite his
young age and seemed rather intimidating. Obviously, being born an Odell gave him that
confidence.

Without saying anything, Javier did not even take a look at the bank card in his hand before
he tossed it in the trash.

Noticing what Javier had done, the corner of Kendrick‘s lips twitched as he put his phone
away.

―Bro, my advice is to drop the act. It doesn‘t do you any good. You‘ll have to go through
your own trash after this and dirty your hands. And for what?‖

Kendrick grabbed the Louis Vuitton clutch on the table and pulled out a business card from
the open zipper, but quickly pulled it back when he remembered that his identity was stated
on the card. He went for pen and paper instead and wrote down his number.

It was just that the paper he wrote his phone number on was ―unintentionally‖ tossed into
the trash after that.

―Oops, sorry. It fell into the trashcan. Please pick it up yourself!‖

With that, Kendrick got up and patted Javier‘s shoulder as he walked past him.

―I‘ve seen many posers and even more who pushed their faces to me asking for a slap
afterward. I hope you don‘t turn into those people since those asking for a slap from me are
still taking numbers and lining up. You aren‘t even qualified for it. Hmm, how do I put it? I
like the city and you‘re like the person wishing to buy a car and drive on my roads. But
you‘re not even qualified to buy a car, so how could you drive it on the road in the city,
y‘know?‖

With a scoff, Kendrick left, bag in hand. When he came to the hallway, he realized his
shoelaces had come undone and crouched down to retie them. Just as he was done, he
stood up and saw an employee leaving Javier‘s office with the trashcan in tow.

As the employee walked past him, he spotted the bank card and the paper he had left his
phone number on still in there.

―Where‘s the tact, bro, where‘s the tact? You said nothing to me and just decided to trash
my bank card and phone number? Sure, I‘ll let this go today since I‘m busy. I‘d like to see
how you‘ll get on your knees and ask me to slap your face next time!‖

Kendrick made no move to retrieve his bank card, his ego could not take the blow. When he
left the building, however, he drove toward the bank to replace it…

Javier wiped down the furniture in his office, afraid that he would be infected with that
young man‘s stupidity. He completely disregarded Kendrick, as the young man was nothing
but a little pest.

He stayed in the office until it was time to leave. Jade had yet to get back when Ciara called
instead. She had booked a hotel and asked Javier to go over after he was finished with
work.

Javier drove Jade‘s Passat out of the parking lot and departed for the hotel Ciara had
booked. But lo and behold, enemies were bound to meet. Not that Javier thought Zack was
qualified to be his enemy but they kept running into each other.

He ran into him during a business deal in the afternoon, he had bumped into him at the car
dealership when he was purchasing a car, and now he was meeting him over dinner? Oh,
yes indeed!
Just as he parked his car, Javier heard snorts coming from behind him.

―Hahaha, see, I was just wondering where you get the money for the G63 from, and ah-ha!
Jade‘s changing her car and giving her old Passat to you, the vice GM, huh? Yet you had the
audacity to put on such an act earlier. You really are something!‖

Turning to see Zack‘s face once again, Javier honestly felt that this city was too d*mn small.
He ignored the guy and made his way to the hotel.

At the same time, the roaring engine of a car was heard approaching. What felt offensive
was that there was a driveway but the car did not seem to care. It revved, drove up the 15-
centimeter curb with a growl, and parked itself next to Javier.

The entire process was fast and fierce, like the words Javier had once used to describe Ciara,
the looks of a goddess but the core of a man.

Zack was still mocking him.

―Right, you‘re only picking up after someone‘s trash and you had boasted so much in the
afternoon.

―Remember how you were preening? Oh gosh. Being ashamed of driving the same brand as
me huh? Talking about the 9AT gearbox huh? Trying to challenge me as if you know
anything about cars. What do you know then? You don‘t even have your own car and you‘re
trying to slap that into my face!

―You gave the card you loaded back to Jade as well too. What‘s up with that? Acting rich
with the company‘s money? I was nice enough to not expose you, you know? I didn‘t say
anything ‗cuz I was trying to save Jade‘s pride. Did you really think I don‘t have the money?
I‘m loaded, that‘s only a drop—‖

Before he finished his sentence, a pretty girl stepped out of the tank of an SUV that Zack did
not even recognize the logo of. His eyes went straight toward the girl. Her figure and face…
It was as if the Almighty creator had made her into the image of a perfect goddess!

Zack felt himself being enamored. He was completely bewitched by the flawless goddess.
The next instant, however, he watched his perfect goddess run into Javier‘s arms, leaving a
fragrant trail of perfume behind her.
The man was stunned. It felt like a large anvil had just fallen on his head.

―Oh sh*t, someone‘s willing to sugar you and your pathetic looks? A beautiful woman like
this too?!‖

What was wrong with the world? This was outrageous! Zack thought that he no longer
understood how the world worked. While he was caught in confusion, Ciara heard his taunt.

There was a sly little glint in her gaze as she puckered her lips and pecked Javier on the
cheek.

―Baby, I missed you so much! I wish I could get all over you right now!‖

Javier was speechless. Was this his younger sister? Was this how a younger sister was
supposed to behave?

Zack was nearly in tears—coveting tears. The girl was beautiful, hot, and rich! Why had he
never encountered something this wonderful?

―Alright, let‘s get inside.‖

Javier pushed Ciara out of his embrace and headed for the hotel. The girl was quick to
whine from behind him, ―Baby! Wait for me!‖

Zack was incredulous. What an unappreciative jerk! The divine beauty threw herself into his
arms and he pushed her away? How absolutely deplorable!

He fantasized about the girl being in his arms and went after her. When Zack caught up to
Ciara, he looked obsequious. ―Hey baby doll, I‘m Zack D—‖

―F*ck off!‖

Ciara‘s sweet charm was not for trash like him!

Chapter 20 He‘s Asking to Be Taught a Lesson

With his advance being shot down mercilessly, Zack was too embarrassed to keep trying.
However, it seemed that they were quite fated as Javier and Ciara went into the room
opposite of Zack‘s. When Javier turned around, he caught a glimpse of Kendrick who was
toying with his phone inside.
With a quick ponder, Javier, who had also come from a huge family, understood the
situation instantly. The Odells had tried to get some sort of benefit out of arranging a
marriage for Jade, but the latter had refused. So Kendrick wanted to find out about Jade‘s
business direction through Javier, but he had turned the man down.

Hence, Kendrick contacted Zack who was decently acquainted with Jade, wishing to find out
the same thing through him and secretly sabotage Jade, so she would go along the family‘s
wishes and get married when she failed to meet the quarter year target.

Despicable motive and a shabby move, Javier thought. Their family was not even that
influential, what was the point of playing all these tricks? It all felt like child‘s play…

Javier shook his head and took a seat at the dining table with Ciara.

His younger sister had wanted to throw a big party and invite all their old friends to
celebrate his birthday, but he had declined. It meant that there were only two of them
tonight, chatting as they helped themselves to the table full of dishes. They exchanged
funny stories about what had happened and sh*tty family affairs. Wherever the conversation
brought them to, they dabbled into it.

As for the room opposite of theirs, before Kendrick, Zack was tense and groveled like a dog.
Like Javier had guessed, Kendrick came with the intention of sabotaging Jade.

―Jade is my elder cousin and of course, she‘s an Odell, so you can forget about trying to win
her over. If you insist on realizing that fantasy, I won‘t hesitate to grind you and your old
man at home into bits. Understand?‖

Kendrick was frank and crude but Zack did not dare think otherwise because the Odells and
his family were miles apart. Not wanting his family‘s car seat factory to be doomed, he could
only nod quickly.

―Don‘t worry, Mr. Kendrick Odell. I‘ll make sure to cut all connections with Jade. I won‘t even
call her, I—‖

―Shut up!‖ Kendrick glared at Zack. ―Who asked you not to contact her?‖

Zack was a little flummoxed, not understanding what Kendrick was getting at.
The young man continued, ―I can help your family‘s pathetic little car seat manufacturing
plant with Odell‘s resources but I need you to keep an eye on Jade for me. You are to report
her every business move to me. And if the situation calls for it, to shoot her in the foot and
throw her into whatever trap you can make up.

―Basically, the worse you cause her company to fail, the happier I am, and in turn, the more
reward you‘ll receive. Understand?‖

Zack was confused. No, he did not understand. Was Jade not Kendrick‘s elder cousin? Were
they not a family? Why…

―You‘re unqualified to ask for an explanation. Just tell me if you can do it or not!‖

Zack quickly nodded in agreement. Tempted by the offer of the Odells‘ help to back up his
family‘s car seat factory, of course, he could do it. To prove his sincerity, he told Kendrick
about the investment Javier managed to score.

―The company was initially going downhill but lord knows where that guy got the
investment from and saved the company from its doom. He‘s also touchy with anything that
pertains to Jade while Jade takes his side very often. Who knows if anything is going on
between the two of them…‖

Since it was destined that he would never get Jade to himself, Zack went all out to sabotage
the woman.

A frown instantly appeared on Kendrick‘s face. ―D*mn it, it‘s Javier Kersey again. Looks like
he‘s asking to be taught a lesson!‖

Hearing that, Zack perked up and an evil gleam shone from within his eyes.

―Kendrick, Javier‘s in the room opposite of us. I saw him when I came in earlier.

―He brought a girl with him too. That‘s one cutie with a hot body.‖

While the men hatched an evil plan, the room opposite of theirs talked about returning
home.

―Javy, you haven‘t gone home for such a long time. Go back for a visit with me. That old fox
has let go of his anger for a long time now.‖
Ciara was returning to the Kersey‘s and wanted Javier to go with her. The latter waved away
her suggestion.

―We‘ll see. I don‘t want to go back yet.‖

Ciara wanted to persuade him further but she decided to bite her tongue. The coming of
age ceremony would be held soon anyway—about three months from now—and no matter
how he tried to avoid it, Javier would have to go back to the house then. She ceased the
topic and brought up Zack.

―Right, Javier, who was that dude at the hotel entrance? He had a good time ribbing you.
Should we get someone to take him out? The world wouldn‘t care about a piece of sh*t.‖

Ciara‘s domineering attitude of wanting to kill someone once she was offended exasperated
Javier.

―Cici, tell me. When will you ever act like a woman?‖

His question made the girl straighten up, chest puffed and chin tucked.

―Who‘s said that I‘m not womanly?‖

Javier felt defeated. That was not what he was talking about. Just when he wanted to explain
himself, the door to their room was pushed open.

Zack appeared and put an arm out in a gesture of inviting the man behind him to enter the
room. This was followed by Kendrick‘s figure. He looked pretty cool when he stepped in but
he was dumbstruck the moment he saw Ciara.

He remembered the time he first caught a glimpse of Jade when she came home after
spending four years in university. He had been utterly enthralled. It was a pity that Jade was
his cousin and the woman that the Dunhams liked, so he dared not make a move on her.

Ciara was different. She was not related to him by blood and no one was there to intimidate
him from wooing her, so his mind went south. He gave Zack, who was next to him a light
kick, prompting the man to start introducing him.

―Cutie, this is Kendrick—‖

―F*ck off!‖

Zack was speechless. That was exactly how he was cursed at when he had tried to introduce
himself earlier. He was worried that Kendrick would be furious because of it but the latter
was not.

Kendrick had always had a good temper around pretty women. He took a seat next to Ciara
with a grin on his face.

―Babe, let‘s have a drink and get to know each other! I‘m Kendrick Odell, the Odello
Corp.‘s—‖

Not sparing Kendrick the opportunity to introduce himself, Ciara asked, ―Odello Corp.? Are
you very rich?‖

Kendrick smirked. ―I wouldn‘t say I‘m very rich, but I believe that the total of what everyone
in this room has wouldn‘t be more than what I have.‖

‗The more ignorant, the more confident,‘ Ciara thought.

She asked, ―You want a drink with me?‖

Kendrick nodded. ―Of course. The company of a beautiful woman must go along with fine
wine.‖

Ciara pursed her lips. ―But I don‘t like drinking in hotel restaurants. Why don‘t we go to a
bar?‖

It was exactly what Kendrick wanted to hear. The bar was great, a good spot for thrills with
its high and pumping energy. He agreed immediately and got up to gesture after Ciara.

Looking at the event unfolding before him, Javier thought that some people really wanted
to send themselves to their own graves!

Chapter 21 She’s Not That Innocent

No matter how Kendrick flirted with Ciara, Javier kept a blind eye like it was
none of his business. Zack, who was observing Javier‗s reaction, despised the man, thinking t
hat he was a coward for not daring to fight back when someone was making a move on
his woman right in front of him.

The reality was that...Javier truly did

not care. He was well aware that Ciara was incredibly gifted in pranking others. She had basi
cally been born with that ability. There
was no need for him to worry. As long as Kendrick did not force himself on her, he was dead
meat. If he did force himself on her, Javier would make sure he was deader than dead meat.

Under Ciara‗s request, the four of them made their way out of the hotel to the biggest club i
n town. Zack led the way, while Javier drove Ciara in the Volkswagen Passat, and
Kendrick followed behind with his Audi Q7. The sibling pair chatted in the car, none of them
cared enough about Kendrick or Zack.

When they entered the establishment, the DJ was shouting at the top of his lungs as EDM bl
asted through the speakers. The dance beats made one‗s heart thump along with it. Countle
ss men and women were raving and dancing on the dancefloor–
their enthusiasm charged by their youth–as they filled the place up with their energy.

The foursome got a VIP room on the second floor. Kendrick passed the
alcohol menu to Ciara. He boasted, ―Order whatever you want, babe. I‗m buying tonight!

Ciara did not take the menu from him but waved. ―No need. I‗m not in the habit of making a
man spend on me.‖

Kendrick laughed. ―What a coincidence. I don‗t have the habit of making a woman pay for m
e either.‖

―What should we do then?‖ Ciara asked.

Kendrick did not know what to do either. Both of them wanted to pay but he could
not show off how rich he was if he let the girl foot the bill. If he insisted on paying, it might s
poil the current mood, so he looked toward Zack.

Zack spoke up with a chuckle. ―This place has a bottle keep system. Both of you don‗t lack th
e money, let‗s opt for that. Whoever has more bottles by the end of the night will pay for th
e night then.‖
Kendrick thought that it was a good idea. He and his friends were always drinking, so it was
fine for him to buy a few bottles in advance. After he nodded in assent, he looked at Ciara.

―Babe, any opinions?‖

―None, but I do have a suggestion.‖ Standing by the

railing outside of the room, Ciara pointed at the raving youngsters on the dancefloor.

―It‗s quite boring to just do the bottle keep. Let‗s add something to it.‖

―Whoever has the most bottles on keep tonight will foot the
bill, while the lesser one will go down there and dance naked.‖

Kendrick‗s eyes sparkled at Ciara‗s suggestion as he kept his gaze on the girl. He gulped. His
interest was instantly piqued.

―All right, we already have something at stake, so let‗s go for something more exciting.‖

Ciara scrunched up her pretty face. ―That‗s bullying me now, don‗t you think?‖

―Don‗t worry, I don‗t have that much money. I was just boasting to bring up the mood!‖

Anyone who was not stupid could see through Kendrick‗s ulterior motive easily. Since he
was s o eager to get himself played, Ciara could only ―reluctantly‖ agree.

―Fine!‖

With a nod of Ciara‗s head, Kendrick‗s

eyes glowed eagerly and made Zack ask for the server. A little while later, the manager of th
e club came up personally, a welcoming look plastered on his face. After some pleasantries
and introducing himself, he asked Kendrick and Ciara,― Which of you will go first?‖

Kendrick went first when Ciara put a

hand out to gesture at him. ―I‗ll keep a bottle of 1982 Chateau Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Imp
erial.‖

His bumpkin nature was thoroughly exposed by what he had said.

The Lafite gained its fame from films. It was not exactly expensive, costing around 12.5 thou
sand dollars a bottle in recent years. The main reason it was expensive was that it was barely
available now. There was no genuine stock kept around, so it was hard to get one‗s hands o
n it.

It would be impossible for one to buy an authentic Lafite in a bar like this. The most one wo
uld get would be an authentic glass bottle. Yet Kendrick preened, delighted that the though
t that h e had bought the most expensive wine in the establishment.

―A bottle of Lafite is priced at 13.8 thousand dollars,‖ the manager stated as he swiped the
man‗s card and looked at Ciara after passing Kendrick the receipt. ―And what would you like,
miss?”

Ciara opened her limited–

edition Gucci purse and lit up a cigarette that she pulled out from it before tossing the man
her bank card.

―Any bottle, as long as it hits 80 thousand dollars. You can just swipe the card, there‗s no pin
.‖

The manager was stunned. He had thought that it would be nice if he could sell a Romanée
Conti in the
same class as the Lafite. But surprise, surprise, the woman was not keeping bottles, but keep
ing cash. Had she mixed up the club with the bank?

Scanned with CamScanner

Chapter 21 She‗s Not that innocent

Gleefully, the manager swiftly picked up the card to charge the 80 thousand dollars, as if afr
aid that Ciara would regret her words.

As
the card was charged, Kendrick sucked in a cold breath. The babe was no innocent girl at all
–she was ruthless, swiping 80 thousand dollars in one go like she was dumping the money.
Since his lackey, Zack, was the one to give the idea knowing that Javier and Ciara were watc
hing, Kendrick never thought that he would embarrass himself like that. After the receipt for
the 80 thousand dollars was printed, he spoke up breezily, ―Okay. I‗ll keep 125 thousand doll
ars worth of wine then!‖

It was just 125 thousand dollars. Kendrick did not care. As an Odell, he would never step out
of the door without several hundred thousand on him.

Zack, on the side, was flabbergasted. F*ck, these were the real filthy rich. The man did not ev
en bat an eye when he threw the 125 thousand dollars out. Recalling how he had beat Terry
u p this afternoon over the same amount of money, he felt
that he was too poor in comparison. Zack patted himself on the back for the brilliant decisio
n he had made. As long as he remained i n Kendrick‗s good graces, his
future would certainly be bright and wealthy!

The club manager was overjoyed as well, repeating the word ―sure‖ over and over as he coul
d barely keep his mouth closed.

Just as the card payment terminal machine began beeping and printing the receipt, Ciara sp
oke up.

―Only 45 thousand dollars more? That‗s kind of petty. Is that all you have as an Odell? For re
al ... I thought I had finally met someone who could speak to me on my level. What a disapp
ointment.‖

She turned to the manager and waved a casual hand at him. ―Go on, charge another 300 tho
usand dollars on the bottle keep system.‖

The manager nearly wet his pants from how thrilled he was. His trembling hands swiped the
woman‗s card. It was exhilarating! He was running into gods of fortune tonight. These peopl
e were filthy rich!

Kendrick felt a tingle travel up his spine. He finally realized that the girl really did
not lack money. As an Odell, however, there was no way he was allowing someone else to hi
t him back with their wealth in his own territory. No way, he forbade something like this fro
m ever happening!

The man then grinned. ―All right. Go big or go home, right, babe? Let‗s go big then!‖
He turned to the manager. ―Find out how much I have in the card.‖

After charging Ciara‗s card, the club manager did as he was told.

―You have about 900 thousand dollars in your card, sir. To be precise,”

―No need to tell me the exact number. Charge all of it. I don‗t care for this petty sum!‖

The domineering tone and arrogance made Zack understand what a truly wealthy man was l
ike. As for said true wealthy man, Kendrick, he was currently side–eyeing Ciara who
was sitting on the couch.

Chapter 22 Embarrassing!

Throwing more than 900 thousand dollars into a little game did not just shock Zack and the
club manager, Kendrick thought he was very impressive as well. Spending that sum with a w
ave of a hand was practically the most impressive thing he had ever done in his life.

That was why he had a cocky look as he looked toward Ciara, sparing Javier a slight glance,
as i fto tell him, ―Look! i‗m rich!‖ Using the bottle keep program to see who was richer attrac
ted the attention of patrons who passed by the area. ―What
the f*ck? It‗s like he‗s not spending money. I don‗t even get 900 thousand dollars when I pla
y Monopoly!‖

―Hah, who do you think you‗re comparing yourself to? That‗s Kendrick Odell from the Odello
Corp.!‖

―Ah, yes, my eyes have been blessed. The living God of Fortune, Kendrick Odell, huh? I finally
got to witness it today. He‗s crazy rich!‖

The exclamations and praises from the onlookers inflated Kendrick‗s ego, but the majority of
his attention was still on the beauty who was seated on the couch. He hoped to see a look
of shock from the girl‗s pretty little face. Unfortunately for him, rather than shock, her face w
as filled with disdain.

―Kendrick, Kendrick, are you looking down on me, or have you not seen the world? Do you t
hink 900 thousand dollars is big money? And you call yourself an Odell... I feel embarrassed
for the Odells. Look how pumped a mere 900 thousand dollars made you!‖
Ciara mocked, actually bewildering Kendrick with her jeers. Before he could snap out of his d
aze, the young woman pointed at the payment terminal machine and instructed, ―Lessen the
amount. Charge 1.5 million dollars on it first, in case I scare your lucky star away and make
you guys lose the chance to apple–polish him.‖

The crowd who stood around opened their eyes in astonishment.

That was 1.5 million dollars! It was real money, not pretend money!

Zack gulped. Whether the drool was from the shock or his greed for the fortune, that remai
ned unknown.

The club manager was so flabbergasted that he forgot about being over the moon and infor
med shakily, ―M–
miss, the maximum amount the terminal can charge at a time is 150 thousand dollars. We ca
n‗t —–we‗re unable to charge this much.‖

The shock of 1.5 million dollars had

made the man forget that he had separately charged the 300 thousand dollars and 900 tho
usand dollars earlier.

―1.5 million divided by 150 thousand equals ten. Do I have to spell out simple math for you

now?‖

When Ciara snapped at him, the manager

instantly recovered and dipped his head to charge her card.

The payment terminal machine looked like it was suffering from a bout of stomach flu
as it kept beeping and spitting out receipts. The thermal paper roll even had to be
replaced in the middle of the process to finish printing all the transactions.

Looking at the ten receipts that came up to a total of 1.5 million dollars on the table in front
of Ciara, Kendrick was dumbfounded. He honestly thought that
dumping 900 thousand dollars was an impressive feat. It wasn‗t like it was unprecedented, b
ut he thought it would at least distinguish him from the rest
of the town. He had not expected the
girl to just wave and dump 1.5 million dollars before he had even preened enough over the
900 thousand
,She had not just dumped the money, she mocked him mercilessly. Kendrick finally found hi
s thinking cap then. The girl had lured him here with her beauty, only to slap him in the face
with her wealth. Finally understanding what was happening, he was enraged about being pl
ayed. But despite that, he could only glare and scowl at the woman. They
were contesting to see who was richer and his only way to vent was to put up
more money but he had none

anymore.

600
thousand dollars out of the 900 thousand dollars he had so generously thrown in just now
was actually a part of the company funds that he had yet to
return to the company account. His

initial plan had been decent. He had thought to use the 900 thousand dollars to build his re
putation for the night, then use Odell‗s local influence to force the manager for a refund.

That way, the amount of money would just make a round outside
before ultimately going back into his card, earning him fame without him
having to lose anything. Now, however... He could still proceed with the refund but he woul
d be utterly embarrassed.

Opposite him, Ciara leaned against the couch with a cigarette perched between her fair
fingers. She was watching Kendrick with a teasing gaze.

―Kendrick, are we stopping already?‖

Said man‗s new lackey, Zack, was furious on behalf of

the man. ―Bullsh*t! Kendrick is rich! The extent of his wealth is nothing you poor
people can ever imagine. 900 thousand dollars is like a drop in the ocean for him!‖

What Zack said pleased Kendrick, but the next words that came out of Zack‗s
mouth made him want to pounce on him and beat him up. Zack said, ―Kendrick, we‗ll put in
3 million dollars. Hah! Get it in their face! Show them what it really means to be rich!‖

Kendrick quivered with rage, thinking that Zack must

have thought that he was not embarrassed enough. He would have thrown in 3 million dolla
rs if he had it. Would he sit around and listen to Zack bluster? What a fool. Chari Ambarrassi
ng Clamping his mouth shut about money, Kendrick pointed a wrathful finger at Ciara. ―Tryi
ng t o trick me, aren‗t you? Just you wait!‖
Like a child who lost a fight and fled with the threat of ―just you
wait―, Kendrick did exactly that. He turned to leave, not allowing Ciara a chance to talk back.

Just as he got to the door, however, he was kicked back into the room with a loud thud and
fell on the floor like a lump of dead meat.

―You Zack sounded like he was trying

to defend his master, but before he could speak, his head was smashed against the wall and
his nose started to bleed.

Two men towered at around 1.9 meters and weighed over 100 kilograms standing by either
side of the door. They were akin to two solid towers. With a straight face, they chased the o
nlookers away and stood guard by the door.

Ciara stood up with a beam. ―Kendrick, if it‗s laid, it‗s played. You agreed to go down to the
dancefloor and dance in your underwear just now. Hurry up, go on!‖

She picked up her purse and headed for the

door after that, telling the two bodyguards when she passed them, ―If he refuses to dance, c
hop his legs off. No use keeping them.‖

Kendrick, who wanted to get up and argue, was intimidated by her words. His legs shook wh
en he saw one of the bodyguards pull out a dagger from behind his back.

As a bystander, Javier kept his initial opinion–

some people just liked shooting themselves in the foot. He got up to leave as well, uninteres
ted in watching Kendrick dance in his underwear, but Ciara turned to point at him then.

―Right, stop following me already. I‗m done with you. P*ss off!‖

Javier was speechless but he understood that Ciara was drawing the line with him, lest she c
aused him trouble after this. He did not mind it. Although he was not scared of someone lik
e Kendrick, it was better to stay out of trouble when he could.

Under the threat of the two bodyguards‗ sharp blades, Kendrick reluctantly went to the cent
er of the dancefloor. As he took off his clothing piece by piece, hesitating when it came to re
moving his pants. The final push was when he saw one of the bodyguards coming toward hi
m on the dancefloor.
Once his pants came off, those who were dancing on the dancefloor were astonished, thinki
ng that he was
truly wh*ring himself out here. It was not like Kendrick could help it. He had not expected to
lose in a competition of wealth tonight! Hearing the jeers and taunts around him, he
felt like he could die. The humiliation quickly accumulated into rage within him. He was dete
rmined to get his revenge! ―F*ckers, I‗ll make sure you pay for humiliating me!‖

Chapter 23 How Dare He Humiliates Me With Money

Dressed only in his underwear, Kendrick swayed and writhed

on the dancefloor, looking absolutely sultry. But really, he felt like crying. He wanted his mo
mmy.

As for Ciara, she made a call after exiting the place and stated the club‗s name.

―Yes, acquire the club and shut it down. Kick the money back to me and donate the guy‗s su
m t. o poverty–
stricken areas to build schools and stuff. Keep an eye on it, don‗t let anyone else acquire it.‖

Hanging up, Ciara got into a black luxury sedan and left without looking back. She called Jav
ier on the way to tell him that she was going home and asked if he wanted to keep the two
bodyguards.

―Nah, I don‗t need them. I‗m not so weak that I need bodyguards yet. You behave and cause
less trouble.‖

―Heh, I don‗t have to cause trouble. I‗m trouble herself.‖

The siblings chatted a bit more before Javier hung up and exited the club. As for Kendrick w
ho was still on his ―sexy‖ dance routine, he did not care and did not want to look.

Not too long after Javier drove off, however, he realized that the car kept swerving to the rig
ht. He checked the tire pressure
indicator and saw that the pressure had dropped significantly, so he stopped by the side of
the road to check it out.

Ppedi Militello Win

There was a
nail that had gone straight into the tire and punctured it. It was not a big deal as scenarios li
ke this were common when one drove. One just had to open the trunk and get out the spar
e tire.

It was during when Javier was changing the tire that Kendrick redressed himself, left the― sex
y‖ life, and exited the club. And he was not alone. Zack and some seven or eight thugs trailin
g behind him.

Spotting Javier who was changing the tire

from afar, Zack pointed an angry finger toward Javier. ―That‗s him, get him!‖

The thugs rushed up to Javier as ordered while Zack told

Kendrick, ―Don‗t worry, we‗ll teach Javier a good lesson tonight to vent your fury, Kendrick!‖

Kendrick responded with

a slap on Zack‗s face. ―F*ck you! Shut up! You have less than a couple of hundred bucks and
you have the audacity to drive a Mercedes? I have to pay for these guys t o get to work, you
useless piece of sh*t!‖ 1

Zack felt wronged. He had thrown 125 thousand dollars around during noon and he had sp
ent all his money on that car he had bought this afternoon.

It was not like Kendrick was any better. He had used all the money in the card to pay for the

bottle keep and the money he used to hire these thugs was the few thousand dollars that
Javier had refused this afternoon. Thankfully, he had gone to the bank to
get a replacement card or h e would be penniless.

Regardless, Kendrick thought that he could finally channel his rage and frustration this time.
Although he had yet to find the girl
who had tricked him, he did not mind beating Javier up to vent his anger first.

―Tossing my card in the afternoon? Dumb*ss!‖

Cursing, Kendrick lit a cigarette and waited

to watch Javier get on his knees to beg for mercy after getting beaten up. Halfway through
his smoke, however, the thugs who had rushed up to Javier did not seem to be attacking.
Curious, he was about to send Zack to urge
them when he saw the thugs coming back to him. They were
not just coming back to them, they were swinging sticks and looking menacing as they yelle
d about beating the two of them up.

Zack panicked. ―No, wait, what‗s going on?‖

Kendrick kicked him in the leg. ―You

found the thugs and you have the cheek to ask me? Run!‖

Both men fled but the thugs caught up to them not too far down the road. Surrounded by t
he thugs, they got a good walloping from them.

As an Odell, Kendrick had never suffered like this, more often than not being pandered to w
herever he went. Feeling aggrieved, he hugged his head as he curled up on the ground sob
bing.

―Why are you guys hitting me? I paid you to hit him!‖

The thugs were...well, thugs, but they were reasonable. ―Right, you paid but you only gave u
s like three thousand dollars. We went to the guy and he banked us eight thousand dollars r
ight there and then. So it only makes sense that we‗re beating you up, yeah?‖

Kendrick fumed. No, it did not make sense. They were not even following through with their
words!

At the same time, Zack erupted in rage as well. ―F*ckers, you materialistic b*stards! You‗re lis
tening to whoever‗s paying you more, huh? I‗ll pay you 15 thousand dollars. Go over there a
nd beat him up! It‗s just money! I have a lot of it, this is only a drop in the ocean for me!‖

As he bragged, Kendrick asked curiously, ―Didn‗t you say earlier that you have no money?‖

Startled, Zack pulled a long face and answered, ―I got so angry that I forgot I had used them
all up to buy my car...‖

The thugs who thought

that they were being played were furious, thus they once again brought
down their bars and sticks to beat up the two men,
With a glance at the two fools who were being squashed some distance away, Javier who ha
d

changed out
his flat tire wiped his hands and drove off. He wondered if the two guys were taking revenge
on him, or just out to spread stupidity upon knowing they were hopeless cases. +

After Javier and the thugs went away, the two men, Zack and Kendrick, who were bruised an
d swollen from head to toe, finally got up from the ground. Shoving away Zack who tried to
help him, Kendrick clenched his fists and gritted his teeth.

―F*ck, how dare he humiliate me with money? Eight thousand dollars and he got someone t
o beat me up? F*ck him! Come on, we‗re going back to the
club to ask for the money back. With that money, I‗ll make sure to put him into his grave. Do
n‗t call me an Odell if I don‗t make him get on his knees and beg for mercy!‖

Kendrick limped back to the bar together with Zack, whose face was swollen, in tow.

The music had been shut off, and all the LED lights were lit up. The place shined as bright as
day and the club manager was chasing the patrons out. It was far from closing
time, so this was bizarre, but Kendrick did not dwell on it. He waved the manager over from
afar. ―Hey you,

come here!‖

The manager came up with a grin. ―Mister, what brings you back?”

―Cut the cr*p!‖ Kendrick looked menacing. ―Refund me all the money I had put in just now.
Quick!‖

His crudeness wiped the smile off the manager‗s face. ―Sorry, we can‗t do that.‖

Zack slammed a fist on the bar top. ―Bullsh*t! Do you

know who this is? This is the only grandson to the director of Odello Corp., the future boss o
f Odello Corp., Kendrick Odell! And that‗s Mr. Odell to you!

―You should know how–

influential Odello Corp. is within the local market. If you offend Mr. Odell, you can forget ab
out running this club from now on! Hurry the f*ck up and refund us the money. Make sure y
ou don‘t leave out a single cent!‖

If it had been ten minutes ago, the club manager would actually have to do as he was told w
ith a fake smile no matter how disgruntled he was, but now...

―Oh, Odello Corporation. I see, very impressive. But the grandson of the corporation‗s direct
or is still just that—
a grandson! Stop acting like the boss and try to kick me around! You‘re already all bruised u
p from being beaten up, so stop assuming that you‗re high and mighty!

―I‗ll have you know that even if you‗re the lord—I. Don‗t. Care!

―The pretty girl from earlier had sent someone to acquire this club and my
hands are now free of it. Burn the whole place if you like, I‗ve got nothing to do with the clu
b anymore. That‗ll be a free fire show for me too!‖ Kendrick was dumbstruck.

Chapter 24 You‗re Too Optimistic

Kendrick had not given much thought about the money he had spent on the bottle
keep as he was confident he
could have it refunded. Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that the girl was so rut
hless that she axed that idea head–on and would take over the establishment!

―Then, what about the money I‗ve put in?‖

―How does that concern me?‖

Before shoving Zack and Kendrick out the door, the manager added, ―I‗ll be the nice guy her
e.

They told me over the phone that the club is to be shut down instantly and it‗s enough
to make a small sum like that from you.‖

Kendrick felt like he could die on the spot... Standing outside the club exit, he kicked the tre
e beside him in anger, feeling an acute sense of resentment over what Ciara had done to hi
m.
Zack suggested then, ―Kendrick, let‗s go to Javier and teach him a lesson!‖

―For what? If it weren‗t your stupid idea, would I have gotten involved with that girl and got
tricked?‖

Once Kendrick thought of it, he was infuriated. Instead of kicking the tree, he kicked Zack. T
he man fell to the ground. After adding in several more kicks to vent
his fury, only then was Kendrick‗s anger quelled.

―We‗re not going to Javier. He‗s just the girl‗s toy. She doesn‗t even want to be bothered wit
h him now.

―What‗s important right now is to find the girl and get my money back. That‗s almost million
s!‖

There were 600 thousand dollars in there that was

company money. If his old man found out that he
had squandered it all away, he would be doomed. Not having it in him to care about Javier,
Kendrick got into his car and drove away.

Watching the Audi Q7 zoom off, Zack spat out some blood. ―F*cker, getting tricked for bein
g a dumb*ss and blaming it on me. It‗d be a miracle if Odello Corp. survives under your man
agement!

Zack furiously muttered under his breath as he pulled out his phone to call Terry, asking him
t o come as soon as possible. It took only ten minutes before Terry came rushing to his side
with a pale face.

When he saw how badly Zack had been beaten up, he went up to show his concern. ―Oh, Mr
. Dilley, what‗s‖

He had yet to finish his sentence when Zack threw an angry slap at him.

―If it weren‗t for you, would I have gotten into this mess and got beaten up tonight? You b*
stard!‖

Terry was teary and bruised from the slap and he felt utterly wronged. What did he do? Why
was he being beaten up for no reason…
After Javier left the club, he drove to a
hotel nearby the company. With the divorce processed, he had lost his place of residence an
d could only find shelter in a hotel. On his way to his hotel room, however, he mulled over n
eeding to free up some time to buy himself a place.

The hotel was convenient but it was a public space where anyone could stay. It did not feel r
ight no matter how clean it was kept. While he pondered, his phone rang. It was Jade who c
alled.

―Javier, where are you? I need to talk to you.‖

What else did she have to talk to him about? She must want to return his car but Javier did
not mind it.

―If it‗s nothing urgent, we‗ll talk in the office tomorrow. There‗s no hurry.‖

A few moments of silence passed before Jade spoke up again, ―Sure. It‗s getting late. I‗ll turn
i n for the night then.‖

Hanging up, Javier went into his room and entered the bathroom after taking off his clothes.
Once he was inside, he was suddenly struck with a realization and wondered if Jade had call
ed him just now to carry out their additional clause...

Javier met Jade in her office around 9 am the next morning.

The woman did not bring up

the additional clause but instead started talking about her trip to Grazin‗ Tractors for the bid
ding invitation vesterday. To get the bidding invitation had been a

smooth process, but

it was another story when it was time to talk to the supplier, so she had bought the higher–
ups from Grazin‗ Tractors out for dinner last night.

Javier said nothing as he

assumed that Jade was elaborating on why she did not return the car yesterday.

―You can drive the car. I was

just angry that I couldn‗t get a ride and simply bought something to get around in.‖
It was the truth but the way it was phrased made Jade speechless. What she wanted to talk
about was not this, however, but something else.

―What I want to say is that your car is currently

in the hands of Mr. Keeton from Grazin‗ Tractors...‖

Javier was puzzled. He did not understand what she was trying to get at. The woman did n
ot seal the deal and his car was being driven by someone else?

Jade was quick to explain. ―Don‗t worry, he‗s just borrowing it. Said that
his nephew‗s getting married today and your car looks classy enough, so he wanted to borr
ow it for the wedding

car. He‗ll return it by noon today. Don‗t worry about this, it‗s fine. I can guarantee it.‖

Javier understood it now and chuckled. ―Can you really guarantee it, Ms. Odell? I don‗t think
so.

fara

―This Mr. Keeton‗s nephew is getting married this morning

and he‗s only looking for a wedding car last night. Isn‗t that a bit too late?

―If you ask what I think, his nephew isn‗t getting married. What he wants is for you to be at h
is door and ask for the car back. As for how you‗re going to get it back, whether it‗s through
monetary means or... Well, I believe you don‗t need me to elaborate now, do you?‖

Jade
waved in dismissal. ―Impossible. Nothing like that. He just wanted to add to his nephew‗s ha
ppy occasion when he saw the luxury car. It‗s normal that he suddenly thought of switching
the wedding car. You‗re thinking the worst of people. You‗re such a pessimist.‖

Fine. Javier did not dwell on the topic, hoping that he

was a pessimist and not Jade who was being too optimistic.

Both of them talked about some other things before Javier took his leave. Jade spent the res
t of the morning feeling restless after that. Her mind was occupied with that Mercedes G63,
worried that Javier had spoken the truth.
When the clock struck 11:30 in the late morning and the wedding car should have already d
one

its part, the man had yet to call Jade. The latter took the initiative to make the call then and l
ucky for her, the man picked up shortly.

―Hello, Ms. Odell, hi. The car, right? Yes, we‗re done with it. Thank you so much...

―So my other nephew‗s getting married in three days and after seeing the beautiful car, he‗d
like to use it too. You can leave it with me first...

―What? You‗re coming over to pick it up? Ms. Odell, do you think I‗m coveting your car? Call
the police if you‗re that worried!‖

Jade was stunned when the man hung up on her. During the phone call, she overheard on t
he other end of the line someone
knocking on the door, asking to come in. This meant that he was in the office and there was
no nephew of his getting married. In other words, Javier was spot on with his assumption. It
was not that he was thinking the worst of people. Jade had been too naive.

During noon, Jade invited Javier to join her at the company cafeteria for lunch and hesitated
to speak up. Javier could guess at once he saw her troubled look and told her, ―You won‗t b
e able t o get the car back using just the phone.‖.

With her thoughts exposed, Jade looked embarrassed.

―Don‗t worry, though. I‗ll make sure to get the car back. I‗ll return it to you even if I need to

ask favors from others!‖

Javier was well aware of Jade‗s little–to–

none network of connection. She would turn to Odello Corp. ultimately and with her
current relationship with her family...

―Never mind. Don‗t fret over it. I‗ll ask for it back myself.‖

Jade was going to say something

about it when Javier continued to ask, ―Right, did you bring u p their company‗s bidding in t
he call?‖
Jade shook her head. ―I was only thinking about your car and didn‗t think of it.‖

Javier chortled. ―Okay, I‗ll take care of it. I‗ll go to them this afternoon and get the car back a
s

well.‖

Chapter 25 The Attitude for a Negotiation

Chapter 25 The Attitude for a Negotiation

Jade was skeptical about Javier‘s claim to seal the deal with Grazin‘ Tractors. Even though h
e had got Fusion Electric Cars to sign the deal yesterday, Fusion was unlike Grazin‘ Tractors.
The latter sold its tractors nationwide while Fusion Electric Cars was only known locally. They
could barely be compared.

She then advised, ―I‘ll go talk to them about the sales. As for the car, I‘ll also—‖

―No need. I‘ll go in the afternoon. It‘s decided.‖.

Javier never liked stalling and dawdling. It was how he always had been and that came
across as aggressive sometimes.

Jade was not quite used to such assertiveness but she did argue any further, thinking that
what Matthew told her yesterday was more suitable to be said to Javier-business was not
about a stroke of luck!

She thought to let him run into the wall and experience how easy one could fail despite his
brimming confidence.

Later on, Javier warned Jade, ―Keep your distance from Zack Dilley from now on and keep
your guard up, especially in terms of busine,‖

Before he finished, Jade nodded. ―Sure, got it.‖

Her cold shoulder stopped Javier from saying more. He had done his part to remind her, any
more would fall on deaf ears.
After lunch, he went back to his office and pulled out his phone to post a mission on the
black market app. The mission he put up was simple: investigate the vice general manager
of Grazin‘ Tractors, Larry Keeton. Just from the fact that he dared to threaten Jade with a car,

Javier believed that Larry must have skeletons in his closet.

He tossed his phone aside after posting the mission and laid down on the couch for an
afternoon nap in the air-conditioned room. When he opened his eyes again, it was already
three in the afternoon. Getting up and stretching, Javier lit up a cigarette to wake himself up
and scrolled through his phone as he puffed.

Not too bad… It was as he expected. Larry did have skeletons in his closet. He connected his
phone to the computer and printed the information he had received. Javier had just put
them away in an envelope when Jade strode into his office.

―How did your meeting with Mr. Keeton go?‖

Javier tucked the envelope under his arm. ―I just got up. I haven‘t gone yet!‖

Speechless, Jade thought that Javier had already done something when she had spent more
than an hour waiting in her office. In the end, the man had not even gone but had taken a
nap

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Chapter 25 The Attitude for a Negotiation

during work hours. It must be nice being a vice general manager like him…

She was about to comment when Javier headed for the door. As he passed Jade, he fingered
a strand of hair that fell to her shoulder. ―Don‘t worry, it‘ll be fine.‖

Jade had no idea where Javier got his confidence from.

After he left the building, Javier took a cab straight to Grazin‘ Tractors. He made his identity
known and was permitted to enter the factory to look for Larry after the security guard
called t o ask.
Larry was currently pacing back and forth in his office. The furrow between his brows was so
deep that it could squish a fly. When he heard someone knocking, Larry sat back to his chair
and soothed his furrowed brows, feigning indifference. ―Come in.‖ Javier entered the office
with the envelope under his arm.

―Who are you?‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Larry asked curiously but Javier was in no hurry to answer. Instead, he closed the door to the
office and dragged a chair to sit in front of the desk, directly across from Larry.

―Mr. Keeton, right? I‘m Javier Kersey from Beacon Tires, here to pick up my G63 and also to
talk to you about the tender.‖

Larry raked his eyes over Javier sitting opposite him with a peeved gaze. He did not know
how this guy could sit here and ask for the Mercedes G63 back and declare that he wanted
to ‖ also‖ talk about the tender. He pointed a finger at the door. ―Get out!‖ Javier pursed his
lips. ―Mr. Keeton, this is not the attitude for a negotiation. You‖

Before he finished his sentence, Larry questioned him, ―Why should I negotiate with you?
Who are you to ask that of me? Are you even qualified? Forget about you. Even if Jade Odell
from your company has come personally, she‘ll have to wait and see if I want to talk to her.

―Don‘t make me tell you again. Get out!‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Javier stuck two fingers from his right hand up at Larry-his index and middle finger.

―Don‘t misunderstand. I‘m not making a peace sign at you. I just want to let you know that
you„ve chased me out twice. A third time, I‘ll leave immediately, and send this envelope to
your director. I believe that he‘ll be very interested to see this.‖

Larry‘s order for Javier to get out rolled to the tip of his tongue but he ultimately swallowed
it despite his parted lips. He was no longer young and reckless. Short tempers had left him
with age as well.

Taking a deep breath to suppress his irritation, he ordered, ―Open it and show me what you
have.‖

Javier casually tossed the envelope onto the desk and replied, ―Look at it yourself.‖
Larry threw him a glare but picked up the envelope to uncoil the string and pulled out the
document inside. With just one glance, his hands started to shake from the shock. He could
barely still his hands.

There were detailed financial statements and various screenshots from surveillance
recordings on the document. The screenshots showed him sitting at a gambling table with
chips piled high in front of him. He even looked proud and victorious. Despite that, Larry
knew that that was his last winning round. He kept losing afterward. As for the financial
statements, they recorded the sum he had lost and included the amount he had embezzled
from the company funds… no Larry paled after looking at what was presented to him. His
voice quivered as well. ―W-where did you get all these?‖ (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

Javier pulled out a cigarette and lit it, the smoke leaving his mouth together with the words,
―I f I were you, I‘d get someone to drive the Mercedes over immediately rather than ask
stupid questions like this.‖

―Yes, yes! I understand!‖

Larry nodded like a pecking chicken and quickly fished out his phone to make the call. Gone
was his earlier authoritative aura.

―Hurry, drive the car back and make sure you clean it inside out.‖

Larry forced a smile. ―Mr. Kersey, I‘ve already asked the chauffeur to bring your car back.‖

Javier hummed and asked, ―Where were you driving my car to? I hope it wasn‘t to the
casinot o settle your debt?‖

Larry stuttered, unable to give a proper answer. When he finally caved under Javier‘s stare, h
e answered with a long face, ―I didn‘t want to do it. I know that it‘s against the law. But the
casino‘s been pressing me. If I don‘t pay them back, they‘ll come and expose me. So I–‖

Javier nodded and said nothing. It was normal. Casinos had a multitude of methods to claim
back their debts. He did not want to poke his nose into business that was not his, however,
and asked, ―Mr. Keeton, about the tender from Beacon Tires?‖ (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

Larry replied instantly. ―I‘ll do my best. I‘ll get Beacon Tires as many orders as I can!‖
Cool. Javier was relieved with that promise and turned to leave, leaving the envelope and its
document to Larry

When the Mercedes G63 came to the building, Javier got inside and sped away.

It was just that about ten minutes or so after he left, a black Audi Q7 drove into the factory.
The vehicle registration plate showed that it was the same car that Kendrick had driven
last night.

Chapter 26 Played for a Sucker

Jade‘s eyes were closed as she stood before the window in her office, mulling over how she
was going to get Javier‘s car back through Odello Corp. No matter how she
thought about it, it seemed that she could only play the pity card and ask for the old folks in
the company to consider her late father and help her ask for the car back. It was just that
she was uncertain if she had that kind of sway over them.

It was troubling. Jade even felt frustrated about her appearance. If she had been boin uglier,
she would not have run into so many issues. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

The door to her office was thrown open as she was busy fretting over this and in came
Javier. He casually tossed the key of the G63 onto the desk.

―I got the car back. It‘s in the parking lot and I already got someone to clean it. You can
drive it from now on!‖

Looking at the car key on the table, then at Javier‘s nonchalant expression, Jade was
befuddled. The thing that had given her a headache and had even made her feel powerless
only took Javier half an hour to resolve? It was unbelievable! (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

―No, wait, Javier, are you some sort of god? Why is everything so easy for you?‖

Javier chortled. ―Of course not. It‘s just that these issues aren‘t really issues, that‘s all.‖

Jade was floored. She accepted defeat. She had no idea what tactics Javier had used but she
was honestly impressed. Just as she was going to say more, however, her phone rang and
she answered it first.
A phone call later, her initial admiration got replaced by fury. Jade hung up and glared at
Javier.

―Grazin‘ Tractors is declaring our tires to be non-compliant and Larry Keeton himself called t
o disqualify our bid. Are you happy now?‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Javier was taken aback. ―Did you hear that right? Larry Keeton personally promised to
allocate a supply quota for us.‖

―I heard it wrong? I think you can‘t recognize sarcasm!‖ Jade was angry. ―Maybe Larry‘s
nephew is really getting married in three days and thought that he could drive your car
around for a bit for the next two days to show off and that‘s why he kept the car. But your
little Mercedes is too precious and you hurried to go get it back.

―Look at what you‘ve done. You offended Larry and he declared our product to be below
accepted standards! He was being sarcastic when he promised you part of the supply quota,
probably a remark out of spite, and you foolishly thought that it was true! I knew
I shouldn‗t have let someone inexperienced like you go to the negotiation. Ugh, this
is infuriating!‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

It was understandable that Jade had misunderstood. After all, it was too much of a
coincidence. Anyone would have connected the dots the same way. Jade‘s anger was also
understandable. After all, she was bound by the quarterly deal and she could not afford to
pay the price of defeat.

What Javier could not understand was…was Larry Keeton trying to shoot himself in the foot?
Was he not scared of Javier exposing his embezzlement of company funds to gamble that
he dared go back on his words?

While Javier pondered, Jade grabbed her phone again to make a call.

“Mr. Dilley? You can leave what I asked you to help probe about supplying tires to Grazin‘
first. Hurry and pull some strings for me. I just received Larry Keeton‘s call saying that our
tires have been rejected. I haven‘t even sent them for inspection...‖

Jade was still on the phone but Javier had already understood the whole situation. He finally
found the source of the problem. Jade must have called Zack and the latter had leaked the
news to Kendrick, so the man had begun to foil Jade‘s business opportunity. (Daily Latest
update www.sweetawaz.com)
After Jade ended the call, Javier asked with a frown, ―Didn‘t I ask you to keep your distance
from Zack Dilley? Especially not to tell him about your business activities and decisions. Why
are you contacting him again?‖

Jade was miffed. ―Javier, how can you say that? I don‘t care that you have a personal grudge
with Zack but you can‘t bring it to work! Zack‘s supplying car seats to Grazin‘ and he must

there. What‘s so wrong with me asking him for news? Our tires have been rejected because
you‘ve offended Larry Keeton yet you‘re accusing Zack? That‘s a dirty trick to play! I‘m so
disappointed in you!‖

Oh wow, Javier was honestly speechless. ―Jade, gosh, Jade Odell, you‗d be played for a
sucker if you really go into business!‖

He grabbed the G63 car key and left the office with that, leaving Jade to stomp her foot in
rage as she watched his retreating back. ―Ugh! This is stupid! Is he out of his mind?!‖

Right, Javier would like to return the same words to her. Was Jade out of her mind? He was
dragging her away from the trap but she was scrambling to throw herself into it. People like
her were infuriatingly naive and kind yet Javier could not just watch her as she threw herself
into the trap. Sigh.. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Even if it was not to help Jade, he had to prove himself anyway, so he drove to Grazin‘ again.

When he drove into the office building in the factory, he found Larry hugging his head as he
sat on the step. Javier could not even bring
himself to get out of the car as he called out, ―Get in!‖

When Larry saw that it was Javier, he grimaced but ultimately got into the passenger seat.
He began pouring out his grievance in the car before the man had even asked anything.

―Mr. Kersey, it‘s not my fault. I‘m being forced. I can‘t do anything! ―Not long after you had
left, Kendrick Odell from Odello Corp. came and had the same evidence of me embezzling
the company funds. He threatened me to call Jade immediately to tell you guys that Beacon
Tires did not meet the compliance.

―Mr. Kersey, what could I do? Tell me what could I do? I haven‘t even gotten myself out of
the s h*thole and you guys got me stuck in the center of your fight, blackmailing me with
the same sore spot. I‘m in a dilemma too!‖
Javier was struck with a realization. So this was why Larry had dared go back on his words.
Kendrick had used the same evidence against him. That scum acted
fast, though. He had just made a visit and Kendrick had rushed over with the same proof
right after he had left. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

The fact that Kendrick had obtained the records just as fast was rather unbelievable.

While Javier thought about it, Larry shifted so that his back was against the car door to get
on his knees despite the cramped space. He bowed his head continuously against the gear
stick as he sobbed, ―Mr. Kersey, you must be someone capable since you could get my
records and find things out about me so easily.

―You‘re so almighty. Please, I beg you to help get me out of this. I have old folks and young
kids to take care of at home. I wouldn‘t have dared embezzle the fund if my wife hadn‘t
been diagnosed with leukemia. I thought to use some of the company funds and win some
money. That way, I‘d have money for my wife‘s treatment and I could put the money back
into the company fund. I didn‘t expect to lose everything.

―I‘m not greedy for money. I‘ve worked in Grazin‘ for years and have taken small bribes and
gifts here and there, but I‘ve never taken serious matters lightly, nor have I dared use the
company fund for my own benefit. This is the first time ever!

―Mr. Kersey, please help me. If I get caught, my wife will die and my family will be
destroyed!‖

The man was in his fifties, wailing on his knees in the car with a reddened forehead from
knocking it continuously at the gearstick. He did look quite deplorable. If the circumstances
had not called for it, no man would have acted this pitifully. (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

Larry was going to bow even more but Javier helped him up
swiftly. ―Alright, stop it. Sit properly!

―I really don‘t know if I owed you for some sort of favor in our past lives, or that you were a
saint back then. You‘ve played me and now I have to help you. This is really...‖

Chapter 27 The Almighty One

Larry checked himself after getting out of the car, trying to look as calm as he could before
reentering the office building, lest his coworkers noticed something was wrong.

After letting the man leave, Javier sat alone in his car and made a call. About ten minutes
later, his phone rang again. The display showed that it was Ciara who was calling.

―Javier, I‘ve found the casino you asked me to check out. It‘s a cheap, dodgy place. I did as
per your instructions too and it‘s reported back to me that the person in charge of that little
casino listens well.

‗He‘s already deleted all information regarding Larry Keeton and has prepared the initial
capital to return to Larry and has even added 150 thousand dollars as a token.‖

Javier thought that it was a great move as he could give it to Larry so he could treat his
wife‘s

cancer.

―Right, Javy, so other than these, I think you‘d be interested in something else about that
casino.‖

Ciara went on to tell him that Matthew Odell, Kendrick‘s father, had shares in the casino.

Javier finally understood how Kendrick got the evidence so easily. After he ended the call
with Ciara, he asked Larry to come down again.

Both of them went to the hospital to visit Larry‘s wife. After confirming that the man was not
lying to him, Javier took him to the shabby casino and retrieved the money. Like what the
person in charge had promised, other than giving all the money back, he had added in
another 150 thousand dollars. Before they left, the person in charge also told Javier that
they had guzzled down Matthew‘s shares anyway since this was all illegal stuff. It was good
news. Javier was happy to hear that. As for his involvement in the matter, the person in
charge promised to keep it a secret and would not say a word.

As they left the casino and went to the car, Larry ran over to Javier just as he was about to
open the car door. Javier instinctively tensed up to counterattack but Larry instead fell to his
knees. The road was yellow with dirt and had a layer of fine sand, but Larry kneeled there
and bowed to him repeatedly. Each bow rang out with a loud thud and the fine sand
scraped the skin on his forehead. A gash opened up and blood started dotting the wound.
Javier promptly crouched down to stop the man but the latter refused to budge.

―Mr. Kersey, you have to accept this bow from me no matter what. I‘m thanking you on
behalf of my two kids at home. If it were not for you, they‘d have lost their mother and me
when I went to jail. Thank you so much...‖

Hot tears rolled down his face. Larry was genuinely thankful to Javier. As he said, Javier had
not only saved him, he had saved his whole family.

After an extended amount of persuasion and soothing, Javier finally helped Larry up and
told him that it was not a big deal. Once they got into the car, Larry repaid Javier‘s favor and
promised to get Beacon Tires as many orders as he could. And Larry made sure to make
good on his promise this time.

Once he returned to the factory, he made the arrangements and received the director‘s
approval. He then called Jade personally.

―Ms. Odell, Mr. Kersey‘s come to me just now and I‘ve felt your company‘s utmost sincerity.
As for the rejection earlier, it was honestly not my intention. Something out of my control
had happened. I apologize for the trouble I‘ve caused you. I‘ve already sealed the deal with
Mr. Kersey and have obtained my director‘s approval. Grazin‘ will be giving Beacon Tires
30% of our annual order. As for more… Well, I hope you‘re aware that we have to consider
various sides, so this is the most we could provide. I hope you‘ll be able to understand.‖

Ending the conversation with Larry, Jade felt like she had been shot silly by the sudden bliss.
She honestly thought that the business deal was ruined and hoped that Zack could pull
some strings to find her some hope. But not only did the deal go through, but she had also
received 3 0% of their orders!

It must be mentioned that the maximum Beacon Tires had supplied to Grazin‘ Tractors in
the past was 5% of their orders and that was after throwing a load of money in. Now that
Javier went to deal with it, not only had they not spent a cent, they had also got 30% of the
tractor company‘s orders. It was like Jade was dreaming!

Jade felt that Javier was truly some kind of god, an almighty one at that. Thrilled, she
punched the buttons on the calculator and realized that this order would fill up another one
third of the loss with another two and a half months left.

―Yes! Another one-third of loss to go and I‘ll be making a profit! Yes! This is awesome!‖
Jade excitedly hopped up and down in her office. She had even taken off her high heels and
was jumping on the couch in her nude tights like a child jumping on the bed. She was over
the moon.

After about two minutes of celebrating, she came down from the couch, her hair a total
mess.

‗Look how happy you are. If it weren„t for Javier, you wouldn‘t even have enough tears to cry
now!‘ Jade chided herself.

Jade‘s mind wandered to Javier. She had blindly accused him earlier and was now feeling
guilty over it. Thinking about how he would be coming back to the office later and not
knowing how to face him, she was truly embarrassed. It was so awkward…

At the same time, Matthew, who was smoking from his couch at home, listened to
Kendrick‘s recount with a smile.

―Basically, Larry Keeton was terrified. Once he heard that I wanted him to stop giving Beacon

Tires business, he called Jade right away. Dad, you didn‗t hear how the woman cried on the
phone and kept asking why.‖

With the exaggerated version of the story, Matthew grinned and showered compliments
about Kendrick being efficient in what he did. He scoffed and mumbled, ―The little girl wants
t o fight me? A small trick from me and she doesn‘t even know how she died!‖

―Haha, of course! Women are just playthings. They‘re good for nothing other than to serve
the needs of men!‖

As the father and son gloated, the older gentleman received a call. After he hung up, his
face looked dark as he waved at Kendrick to come closer. Puzzled, Kendrick approached his
father, but before he could ask about it, he got slapped in the face.

―Piece of sh*t, didn‘t you say that Keeton has rejected Beacon Tires? Explain to me why
Keeton from Grazin‘ just faxed a 30% supply-demand from their annual order to Beacon
Tires?‖

―Huh? That‘s impossible…‖

As Kendrick backed his car out of the driveway of his home, half of his face was swollen. The
right side of his face was still numb from the slap his father had given him while the man
had been filled with fury.

‗Larry Keeton, if you don‘t give me an explanation and cancel the order to
Jade Odell, I‗m sending you right to jail! Larry thought to himself furiously.

Driving to the entrance of Grazin‘ Tractors, Kendrick was stopped by the security guard. He

got out of his car and shouted at the guard, ―Tell Larry Keeton to come out and see me! I‘m
Kendrick Odell!‖

Looking at his insolent, aggressive, and domineering attitude, the security guard dared not
slack and hurriedly called Larry using the internal com system. Half a minute later, four
guards marched up to Kendrick fiercely. Before the man could react, they picked him up and
carried him out like a log.

―Hey, hey. Put me down! I‗m Odello Corp.‘s—‖

Kendrick had not even finished his sentence when the four security guards
counted ―1, 2, 3‖ and threw him onto the curb. The impact made him lose his bearings and it
took him a long time before he got up.

People who passed by looked at him like they were looking at a fool, flustering and
enraging Kendrick ―Larry Keeton, I‗m not an Odell if I didn‗t send you behind bars
today itself!‖

Chapter 28 Acting Dumb Again

Furious, Kendrick went through his family connections and contacted Grazin‘ Tractors‘
director, Nathaniel Graze. When they met, he exposed Larry‗s embezzlement and how he
had lost all that money.

Nathaniel was wrathful when he heard about it. Someone from Odello Corp. had personally
paid a visit to inform him, so the accusation must be true. The director asked the finance
team to check their accounts immediately.

While the audit was being done, Nathaniel summoned Larry into his office to Kendrick‘s
accusations.
―Larry Keeton, you‘re doomed. Go pack your bags and wait to be sent to jail!‖

Larry furrowed his brows at Kendrick‘s gloating.

―Mr. Odell, I don‘t understand what you‘re saying and I don‘t know when I‘ve offended you.‖

Kendrick scoffed. ―Acting dumb, is it? Sure, go on and act. The truth speaks louder
anyway. Save your tears for later!‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Larry did not retort and stood there quietly, composed like his name would be cleared, as if
he was innocent, to begin with.

About half an hour later, the finance person had completed the preliminary audit and
informed Nathaniel of the results.

―Mr. Graze, the preliminary audit shows that no large amounts had been moved
recently, 10 thousand dollars is the most detailed we can check immediately. As for smaller
summed entries, we need three days as we have to compare each of them manually.‖

Hearing the result, Nathaniel looked at Kendrick with hostility in his eyes. ―Mr. Odell, please
give me an explanation.‖

Kendrick had been gloating, waiting to see how Larry would react when his dirt was dug up.
H e did not expect to come to such a result after having waited around.

―That‘s impossible. He embezzled 780 thousand dollars! There‘s no way around it. How
could you possibly not find it?‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Out of the blue, Kendrick found a possibility. He pointed an angry finger and questioned the
female finance director, ―Tell me! Do you have an affair with Larry Keeton and are you
helping him in secret?‖

Nathaniel‗s blood boiled then. ―Bullsh*t! She‗s my wife!‖ I

That was awkward. Kendrick was in deep trouble now. If the audit was correct, how could
they not find records of the missing funds?

While he was still confused, Larry spoke up to criticize him, ―Mr. Odell, please have some
respect for yourself. Even if you‘re not considering the reputation of your character, think
about Odello Corp.‘s reputation. Show us the evidence if you want to accuse someone.
Please don‘t accuse an innocent person carelessly!‖

Kendrick huffed in anger, ―I‘m accusing an innocent man? You embezzled the company
funds and gambled it all away and you‘re saying you‘re an innocent man?

―Okay. You think I don‘t have the evidence anymore after giving you a copy, is that it? I‘ll
show you the proof you want.‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Kendrick pulled his phone out to call the casino and asked for the evidence to be sent to
him again but was told that their partnership had ended and the casino had wanted nothing
to do with the Odells from then on. This proclamation stunned the man. He was unable to
figure out what was going on. When Larry asked for the evidence again, he stammered and
admitted he could not produce anything.

Nathaniel berated him with a scowl, ―Odello Corp. has crossed the line by slandering my
company‘s higher-up! What is it? Do you guys want to throw me out of my position as the
director too? So that Odello Corp. can come and take over Grazin‘ Tractors?‖ Kendrick
explained frantically, ―No, no, of course not. I don‗t mean it like that. I–‖ Nathaniel made a
dismissive wave. ―Get him out of here!‖

The security guards came through the door and hauled Kendrick away like they were
chasing away a fly.

As he was chased out of the tractor company, Kendrick‘s eyes rimmed red with tears of
bewilderment. ‗What the f*ck happened?!‘ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

No one would tell him what the f*ck happened, though. Not Larry, and certainly not Javier.

Javier had arrived back at the company by now and was about to return to his office when
someone called out to him. SO ―Ja-Javier…‖

Turning around, Javier saw Jade standing inside her office, peeking out through the half
opened door, looking very awkward indeed. Javier could make a good guess as to what was
u p just by looking at the embarrassment she wore on her pretty face.

―Larry Keeton called you, so now you‘re embarrassed and don‘t know how to face me or
speak to me?‖
Spot on. This only embarrassed Jade further.

Afraid that others would catch her in this awkward situation in the hallway, Jade asked Javier
into her office.

―I‘m sorry I misunderstood you…‖ Jade hung her head, looking ashamed.

Javier had helped her obtain 30% of Grazin‘ Tractors‘ annual production order yet she had
misunderstood him so much earlier. The more she thought about it, the more mortified she
felt.

Despite that, Javier did not say much as he understood.

―I don‘t mind you misunderstanding me, but don‗t misunderstand others and yourself.

―The business world is like a battlefield. It‘s not just a saying. Business people will always
prioritize profits, so there are no true friends in the field of business. Zack Dilley, for
example, will easily stab you in the back when tempted with a promise of profits.‖

With how Javier had successfully obtained the order, Jade found enough reason to believe
what he said.

―I just don‗t get it. Zack must get at least some benefit for going against me, right? Like
what you said, the temptation of profits. But I don‘t have a conflict of interest with him. He
produces car seats and I‘m producing tires. What does he get for stabbing me in the back?‖

Javier gave the simplest answer to her doubt. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

―Kendrick Odell came to see me in the office yesterday afternoon, wanting to buy me to
monitor your every step. And then later when I was having dinner outside, I saw him and
Zack together.‖

Jade was immediately struck with the realization. That was why Javier warned her to keep
her distance from Zack. She had even accused him of bringing personal grudges into work…

The more she thought about it, the more ashamed she felt. As her thoughts shifted to
Kendrick, however, she was incredibly pissed. Matthew and Kendrick were too much. If it
were not for Javier‘s help this time, she would not even know how she had died!
As she fumed inwardly, there was a knock on the door. Someone entered the next second to
inform her hastily, ―Ms. Odell, we have a problem...‖

A problem they had. And a big one, too.

From the employee who came in, they found out that three of their clients had called to
express quality issues with Beacon Tires and had requested a refund. It did not require much
thinking to know that this was a move targeting Jade. It was highly unlikely that three clients
were rejecting them simultaneously.

After guessing at what was happening, Javier got up from the couch. ―I‘ll take care of it.‖

Jade shook her head. ―I‗ll do it. If I depend on you to solve everything, I‗d be useless.‖

Since the woman had spoken, Javier refrained from saying more. As Jade went off, he
thought that there was nothing much for him to do and decided to skip out on work to go

house viewing. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Two hours of driving around later, his efforts proved futile. Secondhand houses were too far
from the company and did not have strategic locations, and while new units were strategic
in location, Javier could not move in right off the bat.

He drove back to the office, intending to go online and check out more places. It was at the
same time that Jade came back with an indignant scowl on her pretty face.

―Zack Dilley is unbelievable. The tires are fine quality-wise. He‘s pulling his connection to
slander me!‖

It was more or less what Javier had guessed, so his attitude was indifferent when he heard
about it.

―Since he‘s being such a fool and is repeatedly trying to dig his own grave, we‘ll do him the
courtesy and kick him into said grave. Simple.‖

Chapter 29 The Chamber of Industry and Commerce Dinner

Jade thought that Javier was only saying those words out of anger, so she did not take him
seriously. And the truth was, the man looked like he had done nothing either.
It had been one and a half days since the issue of the three manufacturers kicking their
order back had cropped up, but Javier was still driving around leisurely. She even heard that
he had gone into the city and bought a pot of flowers back.

Jade did not have the brainpower and was too embarrassed to care. The man had invested
1.5 million dollars and had become the biggest shareholder, as well as pulling two major
business deals in. How was she supposed to boss him around? (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

Hence, the job of running around to prove their tire quality passed the mark became her
task as she wished. It was one hectic job.

The next day when the workday was about to end, Jade proved not quite fruitful that day
and returned to the company. Just as she entered her office, she saw Javier fiddling with a
white jasmine plant.

―Ms. Odell, you‘re finally back. Look at this. What do you think of this pot of jasmine I‘ve
brought back for you on my way back from the city? It‘s Arabian jasmine. I bought it from
an old man who was growing these in his yard. He was quite reluctant to sell it to me! This is
a nice species. When the flowers bloom, it smells nicer than even French perfume. It‘s very
well -known for its fragrance…‖ wa Jade was speechless. Yes, she liked jasmines, but they
were in a tight bind right now. How was she supposed to be in the mood to enjoy some
flowers?

Wanting to snap at Javier but recalling that she had been the one asking to take care of the
matter, Jade swallowed her words. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

―Yes, yes, I quite like it. Just leave it there, thanks.‖

After the cursory reply, Jade covered her face with her hands as she sat in her chair looking
exhausted.

Javier merely smiled watching her, clearly seeing through her helplessness, but he did not
offer her any comfort. Instead, he brought something else up.

―The Chamber of Industry and Commerce our company is in called during the afternoon to
invite you to a dinner event tonight.‖
Jade did join an industry and commerce chamber previously. It was a social thing, like a
small enterprise alliance. Back when she had planned to expand the business, she had
joined with the purpose of making more connections, but it seemed that it had not been
quite effective. So she shook her head at the news.

―I‘m not going. I‘m in no mood to attend.‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

―Attend it. Think of it as taking me there to expand my horizon. I haven‘t been to any...‖

At Javier‘s incessant request, Jade was unable to refuse and could only attend the dinner
with him.

When they arrived at the banquet hall in the hotel, the other SME bosses were already

gathered there. As Javier raked his eyes over the place, he realized that there were plenty of
people, at least over a hundred of them. He spotted a few familiar faces, Wade Farlow, the
boss of Fusion Electric Cars, and Zack Dilley and Terry Hamer who were bootlicking him.

When Zack saw Jade, he went up to her with a warm smile. ―Jade, you‘re here!‖

The man‘s friendliness disgusted Jade. ―Had fun stabbing me in the back huh?‖ (Daily Latest
update www.sweetawaz.com)

Knowing what she meant but acting like he did not, Zack asked, ―What do you mean?‖

―You know what I mean! And it‘s Ms. Odell to you from now on. You calling me Jade
repulses me!‖

At Jade‘s burst of anger, Zack was well aware of the situation now and dropped the act,
staying silent with a smirk on his face. Simultaneously, Wade espied Javier and hurriedly
squeezed his plump self through the crowd to get to him.

Zack plastered on a bright smile as he approached Wade. Fusion Electric Cars had turned
down his family‘s car seat order and he was hoping he could discuss it directly with Wade.
He started to greet the man obsequiously, ―Hey, Mr. Farlow, you‘re he-‖

―Mr. Kersey, you‘re here too?‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Zack had extended out both his hands to shake hands with Wade, but the latter extended
his pair of hands to Javier instead. It was absolutely awkward. Zack‘s hands were left
hanging in the air and he did not know what to do. He also did not understand why Wade
was acting so polite with Javier.

Javier‘s brows creased slightly, which Wade noticed and was instantly reminded of the
confidentiality promise. He continued to say, ―How are you? How‘s work at the gas company
recently?‖

Jade chuckled when she noticed the blunder. ―Mr. Farlow, this is Mr. Kersey from our
company. Did you get the wrong person?‖

―Huh, he‗s from your company? I thought he‘s from the gas company...‖

Muttering under his breath, Wade turned away after greeting Jade and thoroughly ignored
Zack. The latter was embarrassed but he thought that Javier felt it even more.

―Tch, you didn‘t really think that he‘s here to shake hands with you, did you? He‘s the boss
of Fusion Electric Cars. And you?‖

With a grumble of the word ―trash‖, Zack stalked away haughtily.

Javier paid him no mind. Since he had asked to attend the Chamber of Industry and
Commerce dinner event tonight, he was ready to give Zack a piece of his mind. (Daily Latest
update www.sweetawaz.com)

Suddenly, a throng of people started coming through the doors of the banquet
hall as loud proclamations were heard.

―Oh, it‘s our honor and the highlight of tonight‘s dinner to be graced by your presence, Mr.
Noe!‖

―Mr. Noe is attending our dinner event tonight? What an honor!‖

―Mr. Noe, have you been doing fine recently? I‘ve been busy and didn‘t have the time to
visit.‖

Javier took a look at the old man walking in. He was in his seventies with silver hair but
looked robust and lively. Jade filled him in from the side.
―That‘s Parker Noe, someone who used to be in charge of economic affairs in the
municipality. A lot of people here got into industry and commerce thanks to him, so he‘s
like the father of our town‘s industry and commerce development. On top of that, he‘s a
virtuous man. He‘s not into bureaucracy and doesn‘t do anything against the law. He‘s one
of the good politicians.‖

As Jade talked about Parker, Zack had gone up to the latter and chatted with the man
amicably. Listening to their conversation, it seemed that their families were close to each
other as the old man and Dilley Sr. were very much friends. As the dinner commenced,
Parker brought Zack around like he was taking care of a junior in his family.

―Zack, how‘s your father doing? How‘s your family car seat company recently?‖

―Thanks for asking, Uncle Parker. My dad‘s been well and is doing okay. Just a few days ago,
h e mentioned that he wanted to invite you out for a drink…‖ (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

Parker and Zack‘s easy flow of conversation at the dinner table stirred envy from the people
around them. Although Parker had retired, his subordinates from his earlier days had now
gone up in ranks and commanded real authority within the city.

Basically, a single word from Parker would make resources lean toward a certain company
from left and right. Due to this fact, there were plenty of people who went up to him for a
toast despite not sharing a table with him

Jade had not wanted to go. She did not want to stoop as low as these people but Javier
kept persuading her.

―No, I‘m not going over there. Zack Dilley‘s going to speak ill of me when I‘m there.
He‗s closet o Mr. Noe.‖

―What are you scared of? You said he‘s a virtuous man. If you don‘t go, it would look like
you really have something to hide. Go on!‖

As Javier kept up his coaxing, Jade failed in her refusal and finally went on her way.

―Nice to meet you, Mr. Noe. I‘m Jade Odell from Beacon Tires. I—‖
―Oh, Ms. Odell, I think you shouldn‘t come over. You‘re currently under the scrutiny of three
companies that are questioning the quality of your tires and you have the cheek to come
here? If I were you, I‘d hurry back to check on my tire quality and readjust my business
values and product quality first!‖

As expected, Zack, who had dropped his facade, began his slander before Jade could even
finish her sentence. Farther away from them, Javier‘s gaze was tinged with a hint of a
sneer. ‗Go on, bluff and jump as high as you can. How else would the fall hurt badly
enough?‘

Chapter 30 Javier’s Retaliation

Zack had already figured it out. It was his reality that he would never get his hands on Jade,
s o he might as well ruin her and cling to Kendrick. After all, a man had to want something.
Since he was unable to lust after the woman, he would lust after the money! ulicy:

His intentional sabotage made Parker, who had just picked up his wine glass, drop his glass
back on the table with a thud. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

―What‘s the matter with Beacon Tires? How could you be this despicable? Quality is how you
gain a standing in the business world. What are you guys trying to do?

―Tires, especially. They‘re so very crucial to vehicle safety. How many drivers would meet
harm on the road and even lose their lives because of the problematic tires you made, have
you ever thought about that?!‖

Parker went on to fire off a tirade at Jade as Zack occasionally added a comment here and
there, to fuel the fire and make the flames burn even brighter. Jade tried to explain herself
several times but was unable to interrupt Parker‘s rebuke. She felt wronged and aggrieved.

“A person has to be credible, more so for a business. It should also be accountable!

―Alright, this is all I have to say to you. Go back and reflect on yourself!‖

Parker waved with a huff and dismissed Jade with a careless wave.
Being berated by the old man in front of everyone, Jade was red in the face with
embarrassment and shame. She felt incredibly wronged. Beacon Tires was the one being
accused, but she had not been even given a chance to defend herself. (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

When she got back to her seat, she glared at Javier and complained with a sob in her voice,―
This is all your fault. I said I didn‘t want to go and you insisted on making me go. Are you
happy now that I got embarrassed and scolded in public?‖ Javier nodded. ―I am.‖

Jade was infuriated and turned to look the other way, deciding to ignore Javier. After
waiting for some time, she grew even more furious when she realized that Javier was not
going to offer her an explanation or an apology. Was this guy for real? He had encouraged
her to go up there and caused her to get a lecture but he was not going to apologize for it?
(Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Just as Jade turned back to question Javier, she realized that he was no longer in the seat
next to hers. As she scanned the hall for the man, she finally found him-walking toward
Parker Noe!

Jade immediately panicked. The quality issue of Beacon Tires was the biggest controversy
right now. If Javier went to Parker to get even and affected the tire order from Fusion
Electric Cars and Grazin‘ Tractors, what would she ever do?

With the worry gnawing at her, Jade got up to stop him. Despite her haste, Javier managed
to reach Parker first and started to speak to the old man.

―Hello, Mr. Noe. I‘m the vice general manager of Beacon Tires, Javier Kersey.‖

Before Parker spoke up, Zack waved his hand impatiently.

―All right, all right. Go back and bring up your company‘s product quality. Stop thinking
about taking shortcuts here with Mr. Noe to cover up the fact that your product quality isn‘t
up to par.‖

Zack sounded like he was driving Javier away from Parker but what he implied with his
words was pointed. Parker nodded in agreement.

―Yes, what Zack said is the conscience and awareness that an industry and commerce
company should have.‖
Zack preened at the praise and arched a brow at Javier like he was both boasting and
provoking him. The latter ignored him and opened his work bag to pull out some
documents. (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

―Mr. Noe, Beacon Tires does not lack the conscience and awareness that an industry and
commerce company should have at all. But this won‘t stop slander from parties with ulterior
motives. This is the evidence to prove our company‘s innocence. Please, have a look.‖

Javier passed the documents to Parker right after he spoke.

While Zack did not know what the documents were, he was aware of one thing, and that
was not to give Javier a chance to defend himself. That was the best choice he could make,
so he extended a hand to snatch the documents to toss them aside.

Unfortunately, Parker had already taken hold of the papers. Zack was not bold enough to
snatch them from him. Parker had good eyesight, not having to wear glasses despite being
in his seventies. He could read the documents straight away. Page after page, there were
legitimate reports from the company‘s own quality assurance department and quality
control reports from the recipient manufacturers. The one that held the most significant was
the last document-the city‘s quality and technical supervision bureau! (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

―Mr. Noe, we‘ve informed the city‘s quality and technical supervision bureau the moment we
heard that someone was slandering our product quality, and have invited them to inspect
our parts production and warehouse located at our factory, as well as the tires we have
produced i n the past. This is the inspection report from the bureau itself. The evidence here
proves that Beacon Tires have no quality issue and the matter was purely slander and
defamation!

―If you and anyone present doubt this report, you can call the city‘s quality and technical
supervision bureau and inquire about the report‘s authenticity, or go to Beacon Tires for any
form of inspection. We welcome you anytime.‖

Parker could recognize the authenticity of the report in one glance, so there was no need
for further inspection. Wade took this opportunity to speak up as well.

―While I don‘t know Mr. Kersey here, we Fusion Electric Cars have always used Beacon
Tires. As a matter of fact, nothing from what Beacon Tires have supplied to us has ever been
noncompliant. There aren‘t any flawed products either. The feedback from the market has
been great as well.
―I don‘t know who‘s trying to defame a brilliant company like this, but I know that it hasn‘t
been easy on Ms. Odell as a young woman to be hands-on in this industry and lead the
company this wonderfully.

―Not only is the culprit not supporting her, but they‘re also slandering her company. This
person is truly despicable!‖ (Daily Latest update www.sweetawaz.com)

Jade, who stood beside Javier, had been worried that the matter would get blown up even
further and the consequent negative blowback. She had not expected Javier to have done
so much behind her back. Even his trip to the city was for an inspection by the bureau‘s
officials.

Everything that was happening had been accomplished by Javier single-handedly. As the
boss, she was both grateful and embarrassed.

Parker stood up and extended both his hands to Jade.

―Ms. Odell, I misunderstood you earlier. I must‘ve hurt a brilliant entrepreneur such as
yourself. Please, accept my sincerest apologies.‖

Delighted and surprised, Jade assured the old man that it was fine and promptly asked him t
o sit back down.

Despite that, Parker refused to sit down. Not only that, he picked up from where Wade had
left off.

―Yes, we ought to find this slanderous weasel. People should know about them and
question them about their conscience, see if it‘s still with them or had a dog mauled it!‖

Zack was on pins and needles. He had not expected Javier to squash the quality controversy
s o fast before it could even unleash its full impact. What was more frightening was that his
Uncle Parker wanted to seek him out and question his conscience. (Daily Latest update
www.sweetawaz.com)

Thinking about it, however, it should not be a big issue. He had invited those people out
individually. He probably would not get exposed. Hence, Zack slapped the table in
indignation. ―What a b*stard indeed! The culprit should be paraded in front of the public so
that everyone can slap them!‖
Ah, Javier‘s thought exactly.

That was why he had passed a thumb drive to the banquet hall server and asked her to play
its contents on the large screen. Immediately, surveillance recordings from a certain hotel, a
certain club, and more, appeared on the screen.

In the clips, Zack was seen drinking, singing, and enjoying himself with a few escorts on

three separate occasions. And on each occasion, he was accompanied by one of the three
people who were in charge of the companies that had complained about Beacon
Tires.... 3 Seeing those clips, Zack was horrified.

Chapter 31 Never Skimp on Charity

Chapter 31 Never Skimp on Charity Everyone in the banquet hall, including Parker, shifted
their gaze onto Zack.

Zack was both anxious and mortified. Just half a minute ago, he was slamming the table in
indignation, claiming that they should haul the slanderer out and take turns to slap him.
Half a minute later, his face was appearing on the surveillance camera recording, acting
chummy with the three individuals who had complained about Beacon Tires‘ product
quality.

Karma came so fast that he suffered a whiplash.

Feeling on pins and needles, Zack looked around as he felt his face flush. The next moment,
however, he growled at Javier with a fierce expression, ―What is the meaning of this? This
can‘t be treated as evidence at all!‖

Javier seemed indifferent as he replied, ―Yeah, I didn‘t say that it was proof. But why are you
panicking over it?‖

*I-.‖ Zack stammered, at a loss for words. He wanted to deny everything, say that he was not
the culprit, but the truth had been laid bare.

Although it could not possibly be counted as evidence, the guests gathered here were no
fools. Everyone could see his role in the incident.
When Zack saw Parker sitting down with a scowl, he quickly went up to him to explain,‖
Uncle Parker, I didn‘t…‖

Parker was not having it. He pointed a finger at Zack‘s cutlery and waved for a nearby
server.

‗Here, please change these cutleries for a set of new ones.‖

Zack was befuddled. Parker had ordered for his cutlery to be taken away on the spot. It was
apparent that the older man was keeping his distance from him. Watching his cutlery get
taken away, Zack was so angry that his hands were shaking. The gaze that he gave Javier
brimmed with resentment.

If it had not been for this piece of trash, he would not have embarrassed himself so much
tonight! But in front of so many people, he could only keep his mouth shut. He haughtily
went to another table in a corner and sat down. Zack could not leave the event either; to
leave would mean that he was silently admitting that he had done it.

No matter how upsetting and mortifying it was, he had to sit there quietly until the dinner
ended!

As the dinner went on, Parker invited Jade to sit next to him. The older man apologized to
her repeatedly throughout the night, expressing that she could voice out any challenges she
may face as it must not be easy for her as an entrepreneur.

Jade was delightfully surprised and immensely grateful for Parker‘s encouragement and

support. Nevertheless, she was even more thankful toward one other person-Javier. If it had
not been Javier, no one would care even if she cried; forget regaining her reputation and
sitting next to Parker so proudly.

Sneaking a glance at Javier who was nonchalantly helping himself to dinner whilst seated at
a table nearby, Jade was secretly impressed. The guy was amazing, resolving the issue
silently and even exposing Zack just as he deserved. Jade knew that she would not be able
to imagine such a divine tactic even in her wildest dream, let alone see it through it.

Half an hour later when everyone was done with their meal, it was about time for the dinner
t o come to an end. It was at this moment that Parker stood up and followed the red carpet
onto the stage.
―I see that all of you present tonight are rather young. Allow me to leverage on my seniority
and be shameless for one night. I have something to share with you all.‖

The self-demeaning comment attracted everyone‘s attention and all the guests turned to
listen attentively.

Parker then disclosed that he had visited an old friend not long ago and discovered that the
mountain village he was living in was impoverished. They did not have electricity or clean
water. Even the education system there was lacking. The one teacher in the village was only
paid 50 dollars a month.

On top of that, the teacher had to teach Math, literature, art, physical education, and every
other subject. The children in the village did not attend school as long as they could since
the locals felt that farming made more sense than getting an education.

The trip stirred Parker‘s worry and sympathy, thus he had decided to ask everyone at the
dinner for some donations to help the poverty-stricken population.

―Don‘t you all worry. I won‘t ask for your money without giving anything back,‖ Parker
announced as he retrieved a scroll, unrolling it with the help of a server.

―This is a replica of the painting Along the River left behind by my ancestors. I‘m not too
sure how much it‘s worth since I never planned to sell what my ancestors have kept and
passed down. But I can‘t possibly let you donate out of your pocket for nothing. So…‖

Before Parker finished his sentence, someone suggested that they would donate anyway
without him putting up the replica of Along the River. The others were quick to chorus the
sentiment.

They were all commerce and industry people, relatively successful compared to the usual
working class of society. With just a modest donation of three to five thousand dollars each,
the donation total would easily come up to 300-500 thousand dollars.

Parker, however, refused this suggestion. He insisted on auctioning Along the River and all
the proceeds would go to the village.

Since Parker insisted, the rest of them could only agree to the auction,
Since it was not at a professional auction, there were not many rules and they started with a
casual rostrum. The only rule was that the bid would start at eight thousand dollars and
each increasing bid would have to be at least a thousand dollars.

The guests fought one another to bid for the painting just so they would leave a good
impression on Parker. Considering it as a repayment for the favorable treatment, Jade
enthusiastically joined the crowd and the price went up to 35 thousand dollars.

Javier did not say anything. He merely glanced at the painting and continued listening to
the bids. He thought that a replica of Along the River was only worth 8 thousand dollars
maximum. It was not like it was painted by a famous painter and the replica did not have its
own style. There was no flair in it and it was far more inferior compared to the ancient
paintings back at his home.

Nonetheless, he supported Jade in bidding for it. Most of the time, the meaning of the item
was not determined by the money spent on the item itself. As he kept listening, he found
that Jade had stopped bidding. It seemed like she had already given up.

Javier went close to her. ―Why aren‘t you bidding anymore?‖

―There‘s no point. Mr. Noe doesn‘t like bootlickers and that painting isn‘t worth much,‖ Jade
answered.

―Of course, he doesn‘t like bootlickers and that painting truly isn‘t worth much. But you have
t o think about the significance of the matter. When word about this auction tonight gets
out, the enterprise of the person who won the bid would be publicized.

―Beacon Tires is lacking in reputation right now. Even the reputation of being a bootlicker is
better than having none at all.‖

Javier laid everything out on the table to Jade but the latter still felt the pinch and wanted to
focus on developing the company. It was understandable. She was thinking about securing
the quarter deal, but what Javier considered was the future.

The man stopped persuading Jade and tuned in to the current bid-53 thousand dollars. He
stood up.

―Beacon Tires, 150 thousand dollars!‖

The entire hall fell silent as the guests were too stunned at the announcement. They all
looked toward Jade. They were thinking that Javier could not possibly represent Beacon
Tires, only Jade could do that.

Since Javier had already declared the bid, though, it was not like Jade could deny and she
could only nod in compliance despite thinking, ‗If it weren‘t for all these eyes on us, I‘d have
choked you to death!‘

One sentence and he had spent 150 thousand dollars for her. This was not the way to
indulge!

While everyone was shocked over Beacon Tire‘s generosity, another voice spoke up from
the corner.

―I, Zack Dilley, never skimp on charity. 170 thousand dollars!‖ Ugh, what a nuisance! There
he went again…

Chapter 32 Kindness Is Kindness

Zack had been paying attention to Jade since Parker first mentioned the bidding. He knew
nothing about ancient paintings but the patriarch of the Odells at the Odello Corporation
was known for loving old paintings and calligraphy. Kendrick had mentioned during their
chats that Jade had a certain level of understanding for such art pieces as she had spent a
lot of time with the old man during her younger years.

That was why Zack kept his eyes on Jade, wanting to judge from her reaction if the replica of
Along the River was valuable or not. He assumed that it was not worth much when Jade had
only made bids in small increments. He was even more convinced when she finally kept
quiet

However, when Javier called out 150 thousand dollars, Zack recalled the assumption. He felt
that it was a tactic that Jade was trying to pull. Everyone knew that the Odell patriarch liked
ancient paintings so she must have made Javier do the bidding instead, calling out 150
thousand dollars directly to stun the rest of them and win the painting.
Zack was not letting Jade get away with her ploy. He would be happy to follow along if
he could both please Parker and win an ancient painting. After some thought, he stood up
to put forth his bid of 170 thousand dollars.

To be honest, he was quite anxious after placing his bid, worried that Javier would call it
quits. Surprisingly enough, Javier increased the bid almost instantly.

―230 thousand dollars!‖

The huge leap in increment gave Zack confidence as he shouted, ―250 thousand dollars!‖

After they spoke up, the merry auction had suddenly turned into an exclusive bidding war
between Javier and Zack. The other guests had already expressed their sincerity, so they
kept their mouths shut and silently watched the drama of Javier and Zack at loggerheads
unfold.

Jade panicked a little when she saw that Javier was about to stand up again when Zack
raised the bid to 250 thousand dollars, but she could not show her feelings outright. Forcing
herself to stay calm, she leaned into Javier‘s ear with a smile plastered on her lips.

―That‘s enough, Javier. We earned enough reputation already. Let Zack be the idiot who
pays. He‘s gonna cry when he finds out the painting is only worth a couple of grand after
this.‖

Javier was speechless.

―Be more farsighted. These people here are industry bosses and so are their circles of
friends. I f we win the bid, the reputation of Beacon Tires will drop into these bosses‘ ears
like targeted missiles and business will boom soon after.

―Stop thinking of trying to trick and trap people. That‘s not the way to act in the business
world. Be more merciful, will you?‖

Jade nearly choked from Javier‘s retort. He had been putting Zack in his place just moments
earlier and had even wanted to chop someone‘s head previously, but now he‘s talking about
being merciful? Right now? He was calling her petty? Jade was about to curse at him but
Javier did not give her the chance to, standing up and raising his arm.

―280 thousand dollars!‖

Zack, who saw Jade and Javier whispering to each other, felt completely assured.

Hah, f*ck, luckily I‘m smart or you guys would‘ve gotten the jackpot!

Inwardly rejoicing over his fast thinking, Zack did not stall as he raised his bid again.

―300 thousand dollars!‖

After shouting out his bid, he looked at Javier and Jade as he preened. But he winced as he
realized that Jade was trying to hold Javier back from getting up and shouting out his next
bid.

Their actions were unaligned with his earlier judgment. Zack felt his heart drop as dread
filled him. The two of them were not working together to trick him, were they? The more he
thought about it, the more holes he saw. Fear gnawed at him. That was 300 thousand
dollars that he would be taking out of the factory‘s funds.

If the painting was truly valuable, it would be fine. If that was not the case, his old man
would skin him alive!

When Javier did not get up and leaned in to whisper to Jade, Zack felt the fear within him
grow. It was only then he remembered that his old man was friends with Parker and might
have seen the painting before. He quickly dialed his father‘s number.

Once he asked, he nearly peed his pants. His old man said that he had secretly brought a
professional to take a look and that painting was only worth 3-4.5 thousand dollars.

Spending 300 thousand dollars on a painting worth 3-4.5 thousand dollars… The image of
his death flashed in Zack‘s mind. It did not look good.

Seated at this chair, both his legs under the table quivered. Zack fervently prayed for Javier
to make another bid. As long as he made another bid, even if it was just one dollar higher,
Zack swore he would not counterbid. He was even chanting in his mind, ‗Javier Kersey,
please. I promise, as long as you make another bid, I‘ll never mock you ever again.‘

Jade, on the other hand, was doing the complete opposite from Zack.

―Javier, please stop bidding now. Consider this me pleading with you, okay? The bid‘s now
at 315 thousand dollars! It could be used on something else. If you want the publicity that
badly, I promise, we‘ll put in an advertisement with the TV station tomorrow. We‘ll put all
315 thousand dollars into advertisement fees, okay?‖

Jade felt like she was nothing even though she was the boss. What could she do? 315
thousand dollars was not a small sum and Beacon Tires could not afford to just toss such a
large sum down the drain.

Javier was obviously more farsighted than Jade was. It was not that TV commercials were
ineffective, but infomercials depended on the product. To advertise tires on TV and hope for
consumers to buy them? Come on…

Before Jade could persuade him any further, he got up and made another bid. ―Beacon
Tires, 315 thousand dollars!‖

When he heard those words, Zack heaved a long sigh of relief, feeling beads of cold sweat
roll down his forehead. Awesome, someone had finally taken over. This was wonderful! As if
afraid that Javier would back out on his bid, he even stood up to clap.

―Congratulations! Congratulations, Ms. Odell, for winning the bid for Along the River.‖

After Zack‘s congratulations, the others continued with their own sentiments. No one else
was putting forth a bid so the painting must belong to Jade. Failing to stop Javier and
successfully losing 315 thousand dollars, Jade‘s nerves were fraught but she was forced to
crack a grin. Thanking the guests for their congratulations, she went up on stage to collect
the painting from Parker.

The old man was very moved by Beacon Tires‘ charity. Passing the scroll to Jade, his hands
shook. ―Ms. Odell, you‘re a kind soul! An angel among entrepreneurs!‖

Jade‘s hands too were shaking as she accepted the painting. ―Oh, no, not at all, Mr. Noe.
You flatter me too much.‖

Parker was shaking because he was moved, but Jade was shaking from the blow of 315
thousand dollars!

Zack, who managed to escape his predicament, went to Javier haughtily. The silent vow he
had made to himself earlier had long been forgotten.
Slinging an arm around Javier‘s neck, Zack sang out, ―Dumb*ss, that painting‘s only worth
some 3-4.5 thousand dollars. Jade will burn you to death for spending 315 thousand dollars
o n it.

―Don‘t think that you‘re invincible and oh-so-great just because you found some evidence
against me. Know your place, you‘re still a piece of sh*t. And you‘ll always be a piece of sh*tt
o me. You‘ll never amount to anything no matter how much you try!

―Buying an ancient painting? What do you know about art? I‘m a professional at this. Watch
and learn!‖

Zack gloated arrogantly with a victorious look on his face.

Javier spoke up but his words were not directed at Zack. Instead, he was addressing Parker

who was on the stage, ―Mr. Noe, I think what you did was unfair. Beacon Tires bought the
painting, yes, but it doesn‘t mean that other bosses here aren‘t charitable. Mr. Dilley here,
for example, is extremely charitable. We can‘t possibly take that away from him just over a
painting, right? 1

―Personally, I think kindness is kindness no matter the amount. Why don‘t you pen
something on the spot and gift it to Mr. Dilley so that he can also donate 300 thousand
dollars and fulfill his wish of being charitable?‖

Zack was stunned when he heard the words coming out of Javier‘s mouth. What stunned
him more was what came after that…

When Parker saw Zack standing with Javier with an arm around the latter‘s neck all smiles, h
e thought that the young man had regained his conscience. He was rather glad about it.

―Sure. Since Zack has the intention to do a good deed, I shall fulfill his wish!‖ Zack was at the
brink of tears. He did not want to donate anything…

Chapter 33 Keeping up Appearances Despite the Costs

Between money and dignity, there was no right choice. To all the businesspeople present
tonight, money mattered as true businesspeople were always after profits.
Despite this, Zack was not a real businessman. To Javier, he was merely an idiot who
was slightly better off in life.

And reality did not let Javier down either. Zack actually made an idiotic decision and
accepted Parker‘s calligraphy with tears in his eyes.

Parker himself was very moved when he saw that Zack was close to tears and embraced the
younger man. ―You‘re a good kid. It‘s okay to make mistakes. You‘re still a good kid if you
realize your mistake and correct it. You‘ve done a good job tonight and I‗ll help you spread
your kindness.‖ 1

Zack actually cried but it was not tears of remorse; it was because of the ache in his heart
over the money he had lost!

No matter how much it pained him, however, it did not stop him from maintaining his
image. Wiping his tears away, he raised Parker‘s calligraphy high up. ―What‘s this? This is an
act of kindness.

―We, as businesses and corporations, must not chase after profits blindly. We have a
responsibility and duty toward society.

―I‘ve donated 300 thousand dollars tonight but it‗s nothing. It‗s only a drop in the ocean
toward my responsibility and duty!‖

The crowd applauded and cheered for him but no matter how Zack heard it, it sounded like
they were calling him a dumb*ss. He thought of denying Javier‘s proposal and refusing to
donate, but before this large group of guests, he could not bring himself to do it.

After all, he had been the one to shout 300 thousand dollars. How would his dignity survive
the blow if he were to back down now…

As the dinner ended, Javier carefully analyzed the business potential the 315 thousand
dollars would bring Jade and the forced acknowledgment she would earn. At the same time,
she voiced her doubts, ―How did you know that Zack would agree to empty his pockets of
300 thousand dollars?‖

Javier scoffed. ―I wasn‘t hoping for him to spend a single cent. I just want him to
embarrass himself in public. Who knew that he‘d insist on keeping up appearances despite
the costs? His family‘s already struggling to find funding and he‘s rushing to throw 300
thousand dollars away to salvage his dignity.‖

Jade was curious. ―You‘ve looked into the financial background of his family‘s car seat
factory?‖

Javier shook his head. ―There‘s no need to. That company is worth about 4-6 million dollars
s o the cash flow in and out has to stay within the range of a hundred thousand dollars. He
has spent 125 thousand to reload the hotel card, 173 thousand to buy a car, and tonight
he‘s forking out 300 thousand. That‘s almost 600 thousand dollars. The company‘s probably
collapsing!‖

Jade thought about it and it seemed like there was some truth to Javier„s words. She had to
give it to him. He really was slightly better than her in business dealings. He was sly like a
fox

Furthermore, she had received an unknown call when she left Javier‘s side earlier to use the
washroom. The person said that they had heard about Beacon Tires from a friend and
wanted to make an appointment to visit the company and discuss a possible collaboration.

Reality had proven that Javier throwing 300 thousand dollars had indeed been effective. It
delighted Jade and she was now even more impressed with him.

At the same time, Zack and Terry were confronting Javier at the parking lot.

―F*ck you! Who do you think you are? You‘re just a toyboy yet you dare act so
presumptuous before me? I‘m writing down that 300 thousand dollars as your fault. I will
get you back for this, just you wait!‖

Terry, who was standing to the side, spat at the ground. ―Exactly, this isn‘t over. Even if
you‘re a god, you‘ll have to get on your knees and beg for forgiveness for offending Mr.
Dilley!‖

―One dumb*ss and another dumb*ss.‖

Javier got into the car and left without even a backward glance, speeding off to pick Jade up
from the entrance of the hotel.

Zack asked with a frown, ―What do you think he meant earlier?‖

―Two dumb*sses?‖ Terry answered.

It was correct and Zack slapped him.

―Do you really think that‘s what I‘m asking you? I‘m asking why is he spending 315 thousand
dollars to purchase a replica painting and you‘re doing math? F*ck!‖

Terry felt wronged. He was from the finance department. What else was his skill useful for if
not math…

Javier, who was driving, asked Jade where her house was, intending to send her home but
she politely rejected his offer. Javier did not comment on this as he drove the car toward the
hotel he was staying. When the car stopped at the hotel, Jade felt a little awkward and could
not help but recall the additional clause..

Javier chuckled when he saw how abashed Jade looked, ―Don‘t think too much. I‘m currently
staying here.‖

This made the woman sigh in relief before she asked in surprise, ―You‘re staying at a hotel?‖

Javier nodded. ―Where else am I going to stay? There isn‘t any unit close that‘s enough if 1
wish to rent and I won‘t be able to move in right away if I buy a place. The company doesn‘t
provide accommodation, neither could I possibly put out a mattress in the office and stay
there, right? It wouldn‘t be a good look.‖

That was true. Jade thought about it and offered, ―All right, I‗ll figure out something for you.
Consider it my thanks to you.‖

Javier raked his eyes over Jade‘s slender figure and said teasingly, ―Jade, if you want to
thank me, shouldn‘t you be fulfilling the additional clause?‖

Embarrassed, Jade‘s cheeks turned pink and she rushed to open the door to get out of the
car. But Javier got out before her and decided to leave the car with her.

―Take the car. I stay near the office anyway and can just walk to work tomorrow.‖

With that, Javier turned and left.

Watching his retreating back, Jade was unable to give a name to what she felt. After
spending these days interacting with him and everything that had happened, she felt that
nothing would be an issue as long as Javier was around…

As Javier parted with Jade, Zack met up with Kendrick. After relaying what had happened
tonight, Kendrick called Zack a moron. ―Jade spent all that time with my grandfather when
she was younger. She‘s like a semi-professional when it comes to ancient art, maybe even
a full one. Bidding against her for an ancient painting is basically signing yourself up for a
suicide mission!‖

Zack could not retort. After all, he had been the one who made those foolish bids and had
agreed to pay. He pleaded with Kendrick for help, ―Kendrick, my family has been under
intense pressure recently...‖

Before he even finished his plea, Kendrick waved in dismissal. That was nothing to him.
―What matters now is that you‘ve got to do something for me first!‖

He hooked an arm around Zack‘s neck, pressed his lips to the man‘s ear, and
whispered. Zack was immediately unsettled

―No way, Kendrick! That‗s a crime!‖

Kendrick pat Zack‘s shoulder. ―What are you scared of? High risks, high returns, right?

―Besides, I‘m not asking you to do it yourself. Get a scapegoat!

―You‘ve got to understand. To receive Odell‘s support, you‘ll need to contribute something

substantial. Even the workers in your factory understand that the more they work, the more
they earn. You should understand this too, yes?‖

Zack hesitated but ultimately nodded in agreement..

The next day around five in the morning, Javier was sleeping in his hotel room when his
phone started ringing nonstop. Thoroughly annoyed, he answered his phone. But before he
could ask anything, a frantic voice came through the speaker, ―Mr. Kersey, there‘s an
emergency!‖

Chapter 34 I Guarantee It With My Head

Beacon Tires‘ workshop had caught fire.

By the time Javier got there, Jade, with her disheveled hair haphazardly gathered into a
ponytail at the back of her head, was already there.

According to the woman, it was fortunate that an employee had caught the fire early which
resulted in less loss or casualties. Only some small parts and semi-completed items had
been burned. The rough estimation loss was around 15 thousand dollars.

Against the threat of a fire, this loss could almost be dismissed, but they had to find out the
cause of the incident.

After checking the surveillance footage of the workshop, they found out why the place had
caught fire… Half an hour ago, a burglar had sneaked into the tool storeroom at the back of
the workshop and had used a lighter to light up his surroundings. Due to the prolonged
burning time, the lighter burned through its own plastic casing and this caused the burglar
to throw the lighter onto the floor in a panic. Coincidentally, there were tools on the floor
that were wrapped in some grease paper and they caught on fire.

After finding out the cause of the fire, some employees suggested reporting it to the police
but Jade shot down the idea.

―Let‘s not report it. Who knows how it‘ll affect us if the police were to intervene. Since the
loss isn‘t large and that burglar looked like a waste picker, there‘s no need to get the police
involved.‖

Jade‘s decision was sound. If the police opened an investigation into the fire, the workshop
would have to temporarily cease production. Not only would this affect the company‘s
production output but the word might also get out. Coupled with untrue accusations from
those with ulterior motives, the headlines could possibly become ―Fire in Beacon Tires Due
to Poor Safety Production Adherence.‖

They had just rid themselves of the quality issue. Jade did not want the company to come
under fire for similar topics again.

Javier was supportive of not reporting the fire to the police, but he was skeptical about the
burglar. Why would anyone rob a tire company? To steal a wheel?
There would always be a cost-benefit analysis in doing anything. Since the burglar had
decided to break in, would it not make more sense to head to the finance room where more
valuables were kept?

With the assumption that something must have gone wrong, Javier saved the face of the
burglar from the surveillance footage and pulled out his phone.

There were various services in the black market, including bounty hunters. As professionals
in capturing criminals, they were the best to track down a person. Hence, Javier published a
task to capture the burglar in the video clip and to find out from them what truly happened.

It was past seven in the morning when they left the workshop. Javier and Jade grabbed
breakfast from a food truck by the side of the road and settled into a car. As they ate, Jade
asked suddenly, ―Do you take me for a fool?‖

Javier paused, not understanding why she was suddenly asking a question like that.

The woman explained promptly, ―I was thinking about what happened during the dinner
after I got home last night and realized that you genuinely wanted me to get a berating
from M 1. Noe when you encouraged me to go to him. You were using me to instigate Zack
to attack me.‖

Javier chewed as he answered, ―Coming to this realization proves that you‘re not a fool.
You‘re only underestimating the war that goes on in the business world.

―From how I see it, the wars that go on in the business world are harder than the ones on
battlegrounds because one can forgo rules in the latter. There‘s a clear goal. If I want to
invade your territory, I‘ll send a troop to attack you and you‗ll realize it, but that‘s not the
case i n the business world.‖

Over the next few minutes, Javier explained multiple business concepts to Jade. She had
been a little displeased at first but she was quickly engrossed in Javier‘s ―business tutorial.‖

By the time they finished breakfast, Javier‘s Business 101 class ended as well. Receiving a lot
of input that she had never known, Jade felt like it was an informative lesson and she was
more than amazed. She could not help praising, ―You sound like you‘d make a successful
businessman!‖

Javier smiled but did not say anything.

The Kerseys had been in business for many centuries. He had spent his childhood around
the old sly fox and had picked up a lot from him and this was nothing to him. Despite that,
what h e felt was nothing was a truck full of knowledge to Jade.

Upon returning to the office, Javier and Jade parted ways and attended to their work.

Close to lunchtime around noon, Javier received a call from an unknown number that told
him the burglar from last night had been captured. The bounty hunter was efficient, but it
probably also had to do with the 30-thousand-dollar reward.

Javier met the bounty hunter, as well as the burglar who had caused the fire last night, in a
wooden hut in the suburbs.

Due to the generous 30-thousand-dollar reward, the bounty hunter had covered all his
grounds. He had even interrogated the burglar for Javier.

―He had been instructed to start a fire by purposely letting the lighter flame go on for a long
time. So that it would look like the flame had burned through the plastic casing, causing him
to drop the lighter in a panic, and make the whole thing look like an accident…‖

It was a pretty well–thought–out plan. Arson was a serious crime, but accidental fire and
attempted theft would not come up too many years behind bars.

Javier faced the burglar and presented Kendrick and Zack‘s photos for him to identify them,
but the burglar denied knowing them. After the burglar‘s description, Javier then asked the
company for Terry‘s photo from when he had worked there in the past and showed it to the
burglar.

The burglar recognized him at once. ―It was him! He asked me to do it!‖

While Javier confronted the burglar, Kendrick was woken up by rapid knocks on his door.
Lifting his leg, he kicked the woman sleeping next to him off the bed. ―Go, open the door!‖

Reluctantly and groggily, the woman went to do as she was told. It was Zack who entered
the room.

Kendrick sat up against the headboard. ―How did it go? What happened?‖
Zack answered sheepishly, ―Everything went quite smoothly but unfortunately, they found
out right after the fire started so we did not do much damage. They didn‘t report it to the
police either, so their production isn‘t affected.‖

―Trash!‖ Kendrick, who had been anticipating good news, was furious. ―You scum! Can‘t you
d o anything right?!‖

The cursing that followed both humiliated and enraged Zack, but he did not dare fight back.

After venting his anger, Kendrick asked again, ‗Did you clean up after
yourself? Don‗t let the investigation lead back to us.‖

Zack quickly replied, ―Don‗t worry, Kendrick. It won‘t. I‘ve already arranged everything. The
guy responsible for starting the fire has probably fled to another state by now. They didn‘t
report the fire to the police but even if they did, the police would never catch him!‖

―You guarantee this?‖ Kendrick asked.

Zack nodded fervently. ―Don‗t worry. I guarantee it with my head. They will never catch
him!‖

Right after Zack reassured Kendrick, his phone rang. He fished out his phone to see Terry‘s
name flashing on the screen. ―See, the confirmation call arrives just as we speak. It must
already be done. I‗ll put the call on speaker so you can listen as well!‖

Zack answered the call with a flourish and swiped the loudspeaker button.

―Hello, Terry, how‗s=‖

―Mr. Dilley! Mr. Dilley, save me! The police came to the workshop and said that I‘m a
suspected accomplice in an arson case…‖

Zack was stupefied. Just seconds earlier, he had been so confident that nothing would go

wrong. And now here they were, being exposed. Kendrick fumed the moment he heard the
conversation

―Didn‘t you say you arranged everything?

―Didn‘t you guarantee it with your head?

―Zack Dilley, you scum. You can‘t even do one thing right!‖

Each line was accompanied by a kick from Kendrick, forcing Zack to cower in a corner as
curled up and hugged his head. But I‘ve asked Terry to send the man away. I‘ve even given
him eight thousand dollars…‖

Chapter 35 A Phone Call Away

Chapter 35 A Phone Call Away Zack did pay but instead of eight thousand dollars, he had
only paid four thousand. The money that went through Terry would naturally not be
audited, so the man had of course kept some for himself and the amount ultimately became
1.5 thousand dollars.

The burglar had kept an eye out and saw that the fire had not done much damage and the
police were not called, so he happily squandered the 1.5 thousand dollars. But before he
could spend most of it, he was caught by the bounty hunter.

Terry, who was hiding in the washroom to call Zack for help, was dragged out by the police
and hauled away.

The next morning, as the person who lodged the report, Javier went to the criminal
investigation bureau. Upon arriving, he saw Zack being brought to the interrogation room
by an officer. The officer in charge informed him that Terry had admitted that Zack was the
one who instructed him to do it.

Despite that being the truth, Zack had kept a backup plan. He paid using only cash and the
two had only ever talked about the fire face to face. There was no evidence left behind.
Terry was aghast when Zack denied it outright.

―Mr. Dilley, you can‘t do this! Mr. Dilley, I was doing it for you, you can‘t frame me!‖

―Bullsh*t! Terry Hamer, you were upset after being fired by Beacon Tires and went to seek
revenge! I kindly took you into my company and this is how you accuse me? Have you got a
conscience?‖

Terry gritted his teeth in resentment. If he were released now, he would tear Zack apart. He
was unable to get out as the police had told him that arson was considered a serious crime.
Even when the fire does not result in massive losses or casualties, he would still spend
between three to ten years behind bars. This meant that Terry would have to wait for at
least three years if he wanted to rip Zack apart.

―How f*cking blind was I to follow a b*stard like you!‖

As Terry sat in a cell, filled with regret and frustration, Zack walked out of the bureau.
Although they were suspicious of him, he was innocent for now since the police had not
been able to find any evidence on him.

Javier met a smug Zack Dilley at the parking lot of the bureau building.

―Zack Dilley, you better be good from now on or your family factory is just one phone call
away from closing down.‖ Javier heard that the head of the Dilley family was a rather nice
man and did not wish to end the family so offhandedly. Thus, he decided to give Zack one
last chance. But for his kindness, he received Zack‘s mockery in exchange.

―Kersey, who do you think you are? How dare you threaten me! My family factory‘s a phone
call away from closing down?! My family business is huge! It‘s bigger than you could ever
imagine. A nobody like you will never reach this height in your entire life. If you anger me, 1
can just throw money and you‘ll be finished, I wouldn‘t even have to lift a finger!‖

Javier did not reply and just got into his car with a calm expression on his face.

The man‘s nonchalance infuriated Zack. The moment Zack got into his car, he slammed on
the accelerator and sped past Javier.

Zack swerved his car left and right in front of Javier, hitting the brakes out of the blue and
pulling all sorts of dangerous stunts.

A cold smirk crept onto Javier‘s lips. ―Sure. Since you want to play, I guess it‘s time to go
bigo I go home then!‖

He parked the car by the side and pulled out his phone to make a call.

Zack, who was in front of him, stopped his car as well. Through the rearview mirror, he saw
that Javier was parked by the side of the road like a loser. He was pleased.

―Scum, trying to fight me? You‘re nothing to me!‖ he shouted from inside the car.
After throwing a couple of insults and taunts, he lowered his car window, put out his left
hand, and raised his middle finger at Javier. When he saw that Javier did not dare react, he
happily drove off.

As Zack sped along the road, he felt incredibly pleased. He knew that Javier was nothing
and would not dare fight him when he showed his true prowess. He went to get a hair wash
at the salon before heading back to his family-owned car seat factory.

With his car parked, Zack whistled victoriously as he headed for his office with both hands
shoved into his pants pockets. He did not get to whistle for long, though, as the manager
ran u p to him frantically.

―Mr. Dilley, there‘s an emergency at the plant. Hurry and come take a look!‖

―What are you panicking about? If there‘s an emergency, just deal with it. Why are you
losing your cool over it?‖

It was after nagging with a poker face that Zack said, ―With me around, nothing is too much
to handle. Tell me, what happened?‖

It was only then the man answered, ―The Environmental Protection Agency came and said
that the sponge we use for our seats doesn‘t meet the standards. It‘s contaminated.

―The labor office came too and said that they received a complaint regarding the safety of
our workers at the factory ―The Safety Supervision Agency came as well and said that there‘s
an issue with our product safety

―The fire brigade came and said that our plant‘s fire fighting system isn‘t up to code…‖

There were a total of seven to eight government bodies. Basically, all those who could say
anything about the factory had come. Zack‘s eyes grew wide.

―Why didn‘t you tell me right away when something so big happened? Why are you still
stalling here?‖

The manager felt wronged. ―I wanted to tell you right away but you said that I lost my
cool…‖
Zack was speechless from the retort. The calm expression on his face was long gone as he
ran toward the plant anxiously. He had to find out what was going on. Why were these
agencies picking on him all at once?

But before he could reach the plant, he was stopped by the sales manager and purchasing
chief midway.

The sales manager reported, ―Mr. Dilley, I don‘t know what went wrong, but the few
companies we‘re supplying called this morning to add to their order and pushed for mass
production. We have to deliver the seats tomorrow but with the investigation going on, we
can‘t do anything.‖

The purchasing chief then continued. ―Mr. Dilley, several of our suppliers called as well to
ask us to settle outstanding payments. If we can‘t pay up by today, they‘ll cease our
contracts and stop supplying until we complete the payment.‖

Zack was at a loss. He did not know what was going on. For a moment, though, he flashed
back to what Javier had said about how his family factory was only a phone call away from
closing down. He immediately thought that it was impossible. How could a nobody-a
toyboy -be so influential?

He dismissed the thought and hurried to figure out solutions to resolve the hurricane he
was caught in. Half an afternoon later, neither he nor his father could solve their
predicaments.

Without mercy, the agencies came together and sent out the notice for them to stop
production and shut the plant. Zack‘s father tried to use his connections to find out which
person of power had they offended but his digging came back with no results.

Zack then went up to the old man looking utterly confident. ―Dad, watch me. I‘ll call Odello
Corp. and ask them to help us out!‖

His father‘s eyes shone at his son‘s words. Odello Corp. was one of the top three
corporations i n town. Surely their issues would be resolved if Odello Corp.comes to their
rescue.

The old man was still worried. Since when was his prodigal son so acquainted with the
Odello Corporation? It was during this moment of doubt that Zack thumped his chest.
―Don‘t worry, Dad. I‘m best bros with Kendrick Odell of Odello Corp.!‖

With a confident declaration, Zack called Kendrick and briefed him about his situation,
ending it with ―Odello Corp. has a wide network of connections and plenty of favors to
collect. Kendrick, please take care of this!‖

Zack sounded sincere, and so did Kendrick when he replied straightforwardly, ―What the hell
does the doom of your family have to do with me?‖

Chapter 36 He’ll Be Kendrick’s Loyal Dog

Zack was stunned speechless at Kendrick‘s retort.

It took him a while before he regained his senses. He sobbed and yelled like a wronged
housewife, ‗You can‘t do this to me, Kendrick!‖

However, Kendrick had already hung up the phone call.

Zack hurriedly tried to redial but was greeted with a voicemail, saying that Kendrick had
already turned off his cell phone.

Zack suddenly understood what Terry had felt before. All of the tricks and schemes that he
had used on the latter, using him as a scapegoat and discarding him the moment he had
lost his purpose… Kendrick had just done the very same thing to Zack.

Meanwhile, Zack‘s father became extremely furious when he saw how dejected Zack looked.

―I must‘ve been blind to think that I could place my hopes on you… I should‘ve known that
you‘re just an incompetent fool who will never amount to anything!‖

As much as Zack felt aggrieved and unhappy, there was nothing he could do when he was
scolded by his father. Fortunately, Zack‘s father did not carry on scolding Zack for too long.

Instead, he asked if Zack and Kendrick had been up to no good recently. Otherwise, there
was no way their car seat company would suffer from wave after wave of attacks. ‗I‘m sure
he‘s offended an important person for all of this to happen!

Surprisingly, Zack came clean and told his father everything that had happened without
hiding a single detail.
In fact, after being pursued to talk even further, Zack even blurted out what Javier had said
about just having to make one phone call.

―You absolute fool! How could you still have the nerve to provoke him when he had already

given you a warning?!‖

―Wait, Dad! That‘s definitely a smoking gun! It‘s a fact that he‘s just some woman‘s little pet,
plus he‘s even been abandoned by his ex-wife recently…‖

However, because Zack‘s father had already been exposed to the real world for so many
years, how was it possible that he would be unable to discern how a truly powerful person
looked or behaved, including one who was deliberately hiding his true strength?

Paying Zack no more attention, his father immediately ordered his driver to take him to
Beacon Tires.

The more he thought about what was happening, the more and more aggrieved Zack felt.
The only reason he had gone all out to help Kendrick was so that he could gain the favor of
a as

powerful person. Yet, now that there was huge trouble afoot, Kendrick had ended up
abandoning Zack. ‗What a f*cking *sshole!‘

Feeling the anger rise within him, Zack got into his car and drove off to Kendrick‘s place.

When he arrived, he coincidentally saw Kendrick walking his dog as he held a beautiful

woman in his arms.

Zack rushed out and stormed over. ―You can‘t just leave me for dead like this! Hurry up and
help my family! So long as you help us get through this hurdle, I swear to you, I‘ll forever be
loyal to you, as loyal as a dog in fact!‖

Zack, who had always been an egotistical man, had to be completely at his wit‘s end to be
willing to utter such desperate words. However, Zack‘s desperate pleas only earned him
scornful looks from Kendrick. ―As loyal as a dog, eh?‖ Kendrick shook the leash in his hand
and his Labrador immediately sat down. After that, Kendrick playfully asked, ―How loyal are
we talking? Like my dog here?
Zack felt absolutely humiliated, but he did not dare to show it on his face even in the
slightest since he was the one who needed Kendrick‘s help at that moment. Thus, he could
only continue to beg for the man‘s help.

Kendrick then asked, ―Why should I help you just because you‘ve failed to do a clean job
with whatever you do? How dare you still have the nerve to come to see me? You should be
counting your lucky stars that I haven‘t sicced my dog on you! Now get out of my sight,
you‘re wasting my time!‖ Right after Kendrick pushed Zack away, he proceeded to place his
hand on the beautiful woman‘s waist and continued walking his dog.

At the same time, he even spoke to the Labrador. ―Someone had the balls to try and
compete with you, my dear boy. Don‘t worry, I still love you the most. Nobody will ever be
able to take your place.‖

Kendrick‘s words were like a sharp needle that drove directly into Zack‘s ears, making its
way to his heart. Zack was furious and felt as if he was being engulfed in flames of rage.

Suppressing his anger, Zack returned to his car. But the more he thought about his
predicament, the angrier he got.

‗I‘m the son of the great Dilley family, yet I‘m now being toyed around like a f*cking
monkey! T o make matters worse, I‘m no better than a f*cking dog!!!

‗I did everything I could to help you, yet you‘re abandoning me when my family needs you
the most?! Plus, you‘ve even had the nerve to mock me! ‗Damn you, Kendrick Odell! I‘m
gonna kill you!!! Blinded by his rage, Zack slammed on the throttle and drove toward
Kendrick at full.speed, his car roaring like a crazed bull..

Meanwhile, Zack‘s father had just arrived at Beacon Tires and was standing before Javier‘s
office.

However, he was not in a hurry to knock on the door. Instead, he was pondering how he
was going to start the conversation, which was when Jade found him just standing there.

―Uncle Dilley, what are you doing here? Are you here to see me? Come, let‘s talk in my
office.‖
When Zack‘s father saw Jade calling out to him in a very friendly manner, he hurriedly waved
his hand and entered Javier‘s office, leaving Jade standing in the corridor with a
dumbfounded expression, not understanding what had just happened.

Javier was going through some company documents and felt confused when someone
barged into his office out of the blue.

After Zack‘s father introduced himself, Javier understood who he was and guessed what he
was doing there. IN

―Mr. Kersey, on behalf of my son, I‘d like to apologize to you for what he‘s done.

―I understand how much trouble he‘s brought you and that a single apology won‘t mean
anything to you. But…please take pity on this old man and forgive him. Please don‘t come
after our company!

“As useless as that boy is, at the end of the day, he‘s still my only son. The only reason he‘s
grown into this arrogant and troublemaking fool‘s because I was busy with work and his
mother had passed away early, so we‘ve both failed to teach him how to behave properly.

―As I said, he‘s still my only son, no matter how foolish of a son he is. I know that he‘s
incapable and incompetent, so the only thing I can do now is to work as hard as I can to
leave him some inheritance. All I hope for him is that he‘s able to live well, I don‘t mind if
he‘s unable to become a wealthy man.

―So please… I‘ll do anything you want so long as you forgive him and our company! I‘ll even
get down on my knees and beg you if you‘d like!‖

Zack‘s father was serious about what he had just said as he had already begun to bend his
knees, ready to kneel.

The only reason the man, who was reaching 60, would get down on his knees before a man
much younger than him was because of his incompetent son. Seeing this, Javier
immediately rushed forward to stop Zack‘s father from doing so.

However, Zack‘s father was adamant about getting down on his knees so that his son‘s
future would be saved. ―I won‘t get up unless you agree to let him go!‖
Out of options, Javier had no choice but to nod his head. ―All right, all right… I‘ll drop this
matter and let him go.‖

Zack‘s father was extremely grateful upon receiving Javier‘s assurance. He thanked Javier
continuously for his kindness.

However, Javier added in two more conditions for his forgiveness. The first was that the
matter was to be kept confidential, and the second was for Zack to live his life as a changed
man.

Both of those conditions were things that should‘ve been done in the first place, so Zack‘s
father did not think of them as conditions and readily agreed.

However, at that very moment, Zack‘s father‘s cell phone rang. He took out his cell phone
and realized that it was Zack calling him.

Feeling excited, Zack‘s father answered the phone call and was just about to have his son
apologize to Javier. But before he could even say anything, Zack began sobbing profusely
on the other end… ―Dad… I‘ve committed a crime… I ran over Kendrick and he‘s dead
now… What should I do…‖

Today‘s Bonus Offer

Chapter 37 That Might Have Been Rash of Me…

By the time his father and Javier arrived at the scene, Zack had already been apprehended
by police who were patrolling the area.

Zack‘s father almost fainted when he saw Kendrick, lying on the ground in a pool of
blood. The only thought that ran through his mind at the time was that his son had killed
someone out of revenge

Fortunately, when the ambulance arrived, upon examination, the paramedics declared that
Kendrick was merely severely wounded and unconscious. The pool of blood that Kendrick
was lying in was his Labrador‘s, his so-called ―dear boy‖, which had been rammed over.

Thus, Zack was taken away in a police car while Kendrick was taken away in an ambulance.
Meanwhile, the Labrador‘s corpse and the beautiful woman that Kendrick had been with
were both taken away as well since they were evidence and witness to the crime. After
photos of the crime scene had been taken, the management of the building nearby very
quickly cleaned up the mess.

Javier had not expected such a thing to happen, nor had he expected Zack to be such a rash
person

After thinking it through, Javier apologized to Zack‘s father who was beside himself. Javier
could not help but think that he was somehow responsible for everything that had
happened

However, Zack‘s father was an understanding person, so he did not blame Javier for
anything. ―You haven‘t done anything wrong, Mr. Kersey. This is all my son‘s fault for being
rash and foolish and being used in the first place. I only blame Kendrick for tricking my son
into doing all those nonsense, that b*stard… You‘re a genuinely good person, so this really
isn‘t your fault.‖

Zack‘s father had indeed been able to tell that Javier was a good person from the moment
the latter was willing to let go of both Zack and his family‘s company.

‗Although Javier has everything he needs to come after us, he wasn‘t the one who made the
first move against Zack and had only retaliated after he was agitated. In fact, I‘m willing to
admit that it‘s my own son‘s fault that he‘s in his current situation… It‘s his own fault…‘

The next day, a conclusive result about the matter was drawn up in the afternoon. Kendrick‘s
injuries were so severe that his spine had been affected. Although he was not in critical
condition after emergency treatment, he would remain a cripple and would have to be
confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. 1

Meanwhile, Zack was charged with wounding or causing grievous bodily harm with intent by
the prosecutor. Although his sentence had yet to be served, Zack‘s father had found out
from their lawyers that Zack was going to be sentenced to jail for at least seven years.
Although Zack‘s sentence could be reduced after he compensated for harming Kendrick and
received

the Odells‘ forgiveness, Zack‘s father knew very well that the latter was never going to
forgive Zack 1

On the other hand, Javier had pulled the plug on the continuous attacks against Zack‘s
father‘s car seat company, so everything had returned to normal.
Jade sat in her office and heaved a sigh when she heard all of this news. ―They deserve
everything that happened to them. I hope they both learn their lesson after this!‖

Javier also hoped for the same thing, but he also understood that it was going to be a tall
order for that hope to become a reality.

The old fox once mentioned that nobody in this world is willing to admit their mistakes and
accept their just punishments. When the time does come and they do get punished, they‘ll
somehow find all sorts of excuses to get out of the situation. In fact, they might even find
some other means to vent their frustrations should they be forced to accept their

punishments…‘

These were words that Javier had come to understand at a much deeper level.

Thus, he said to Jade, ―Now that Kendrick has become a cripple, Matthew will definitely vent
his anger out on you since there‘s no way he‘ll be able to have his revenge against Zack.‖

Just as Jade was about to say something, she was suddenly caught by surprise. ―Did you
look into my background?‖

―The Odells are very famous in this city, yet Kendrick was hellbent on coming after you. Did
you think it would be very difficult to link everything together?‖

Jade was stunned speechless…

Half an hour later, she continued their previous conversation. ―I doubt Matthew will do
anything to me since I wasn‘t the one who provoked his son. On the contrary, it was
Kendrick who aggravated me and forced me to play dirty, so he had everything coming.
What‘s it got to do with me?‖

Javier chuckled. ―How wonderful would it be if everything in this world could be resolved
through common sense!‖

Jade was once again speechless at that remark, but she still doubted Matthew was going to
d o anything to her.
It was not until around two in the afternoon when Jade received a phone call from the bank.
The account manager requested an early return of Beacon Tires‘ loans on the pretense that
the company‘s financial status had become unstable due to poor sales performance.

―It‘s been a long time since the company has suffered from poor sales performance. Plus we
received their investment even when our financial status wasn‘t ideal, so that‘s just a
nonsensical excuse! Also, the account manager even told me that they‘re going to sue us if
we don‘t saddle up the money by the newly fixed date…‖

Jade was furiously telling Javier everything that the account manager had just told her. She
even expressed that she was going to talk with the finance director once more.

Javier very curiously asked, ―Why would you want to meet the finance director if it‘s the
bank that‘s pushing for us to return their money?‖

―That‘s because he‘s got good connections with the people there. Take Terry for example.
Although he might be a jerk, he‘s always maintained good relations with the bank. So I‘m
sure something like this wouldn‘t be happening if he was around.‖

Javier could not find the words to say when he saw how confident Jade was.

―Ms. Odell, have you ever seen someone naturally born with good relations? All we have to
do is rebuild the relations we want if we‘re lacking in them!‖

―You don‘t understand, this isn‘t a mere walk in the park as you may imagine. The waters
you‘re thinking of treading are very deep. On top of that, you‘ve never socialized with
anyone from a bank before!‖

Javier was instantly rendered speechless.

It was true that he had never socialized with anyone from within a bank before, but he still
did not think that their current conundrum would not be unresolvable without the
finance manager.

*I‗ll handle this. I refuse to believe that the bank will not acknowledge Beacon Tires‘ financial
capabilities without the finance director!‖
Jade thought that Javier was being very stubborn, so she came up with all sorts of ways to
dissuade him and to make him understand how difficult the journey he was about to
embark on would be.

As much as Javier thought that Jade‘s words made sense, he was even more confident in
himself that he was fully capable of resolving the situation.

Thus, Jade finally gave up after trying to push her points across for a few minutes. ―Fine, go
ahead and do whatever you want, Mr. Do-It–All!‖

Just as Javier picked up his car keys and was about to head out, he suddenly recalled
something and asked, ―Dona Odell, didn‘t you say you were going to help me resolve and
make arrangements in regards to my accomodations?‖

Jade was obviously annoyed by that nickname because it was obviously a retort at her for
calling Javier ―Mr. Do–It–All―.

‗Why the heck is he addressing me like I‘m an old mafia leader when I‗m just 27 years old?!
Suppressing her rage, Jade said with puffed cheeks. ―Just focus on the thing that you said
you‘re going to do. If you‘re able to resolve this issue, I‘ll arrange a place for you to stay by
tonight!‖

Javier then asked with a serious expression, ―Where would that be then? I‘m just going to
put i tout there right now that I dislike living in hotels.‖

Frustrated, Jade immediately replied, ―I‘ve got a lot of empty rooms in my house. Would you
b e satisfied with that?‖

Javier was obviously much more satisfied with this answer, so he readily agreed and
walked out.

Jade finally regained her senses at that moment. ―That might have been rash of me… I think
I‘ve just promised him something I shouldn‘t have…

‗Javier‘s not going to be able to resolve this issue, is he?‘

Jade was feeling very conflicted. She was both worried that Javier might not be able to
resolve their current issue, and also worried that he might succeed…
Meanwhile, Javier arrived at the bank and immediately headed toward Justin Black‘s office

Beacon Tires‘ account manager-after he had parked his car.

Justin was obviously very unhappy when Javier questioned him about the reason Beacon
Tires was being forced to return their loan earlier than scheduled.

―Did you have to come all the way here just to ask about this? Haven‘t I already explained it
over the phone?‖

After complaining coldly, Justin repeated the reason once more, which was still about
Beacon Tires‘ unstable financial status and poor sales performance.

However, immediately after he said this, Javier placed the investment agreement his
company had received along with confirmed orders from both Fusion and Grazin‘ on Justin‘s
desk.

―That‘s 1.5 million dollars with of investment in total, so my company‘s financial status is
perfectly stable. At the same time, those two purchase orders you see there show that we‘ve
got ideal sales performance. Would you like to check this yourself?‖

Justin immediately pushed the documents to the side without so much as taking a look at

them.

“We„ve got our own standard operating procedures here, which is completely unrelated to
your current situation. Either you prepare the money to return to us now, or prepare to be
sued. Stop coming up with all this nonsense and leave. I‘m a very busy man!‖

However, Javier did not get up from his seat. Instead, he asked, ―Are you busy trying to gain
Odello Corporation‘s favor?‖

Justin‘s expression instantly changed. ―I don‘t know what you‘re talking about!‖ Javier then
took back all three agreements and said to Justin with a bright smile on his face,

You‘ll know what I‘m talking about very soon… I only hope that you don‘t cry when the time
comes.‖

Chapter 38 I Told You Not to Cry, but You Wouldn’t listen…

―Such arrogance! I‘ve never seen anyone with such arrogance before!!!‖

Justin furiously yelled out after Javier had left. Justin was an account manager, so he had no
choice but to keep a smile on his face and make sure that Javier was well served.

However, Javier‘s actions completely pushed Justin off the edge, leaving him feeling very
unhappy

Then again, as unhappy as he was, Justin still had to remain professional.

After calming down, the smile on Justin‘s face returned before he took out his cell phone.
―Hello, is this Matthew Odell of Odello Corp.? This is Justin from the bank. I‘ve done as
you‘ve asked. An idiot from Beacon Tires‘ finance department just dropped by, but I‘ve
already sent him away. Don‘t worry, I‘ll make sure that they will no longer be a hindrance to

While Justin was on the phone with Matthew, Javier had already put up a few tasks on the
black market. After that, Javier pushed back his car seat, laid down, and listened to some
music as he relaxed. He did not seem to be worried about the fact that the bank was
pushing his company to return their loan earlier than scheduled.

I‘ll just sit back and relax for now… It‘s just under a million dollars anyway. I‘ll be able to get
the money easily and throw it at that guy‘s face if I want to.

―Then again… I shouldn‘t go about revealing some things, so I should probably come up
with another solution.

‗Just the fact that he‘s the account manager and is in charge of approving loans is proof
enough that he isn‘t without any dirt on him…

‗Otherwise, there‘s no way these commercial banks would end up with so much bad debt
every year. Just last year, the number of bad debts they accumulated went all the way up to
a whopping 237 million dollars!!!‘

Sure enough, half an hour later, Javier received a lot of documents and evidence. He
brought this newfound evidence with him to meet the bank manager once again. Javier had
a very simple objective. He had two copies of the evidence he had collected, one was for the
bank manager, the other for Justin.
‗Someone‘s going to end up getting involved and that person will be investigated. As for
who it‘s going to be… I‘m sure the manager will be able to make the right decision.‘

20 minutes later, Javier left the bank manager‘s office. Just as he was passing the main hall,
he saw the bank‘s internal investigators grabbing Justin by the arm.

Justin seemed very distraught. Tears and snot covered his entire face as he expressed that
he only did what he did because he had been blinded by greed.

When Justin passed by Javier, the latter said, ―I told you not to cry, but you wouldn‘t listen
to me. So, do you understand what I meant earlier?‖

Justin finally realized what had just happened and was instantly filled with regret. ‗I should
never have offended this guy?‘

However, if only regret were something that could turn back time… Justin was now facing
his just desserts after everything he had done.

At the same time, Matthew was calling Justin again. Matthew was too busy worrying about
how he should take care of Kendrick, so he had no time to be bothered with Beacon Tires‘

matters. Thus, he wanted Justin to deal with the company for him.

Alas, that was a phone call that was never going to be answered.

Left with no other choice, Matthew dialed another person‘s number from within the same
bank with whom he was also close.

After being asked about what was happening, the other person from the bank took
approximately ten minutes to look into the matter before he replied to Matthew. ―Justin‘s
been nabbed by our internal investigation team…‖

Of course, he was taken away because someone had dug up dirt on him. However, what left
Matthew befuddled was why he would suddenly be taken away when he was showing off
his achievements just moments ago…

However, Matthew did not have time to ponder over this. Instead, he hurriedly ordered the
person he was now in contact with to take over Justin‘s job and push Beacon Tires into
returning their loan.
―Forget it, Mr. Odell. I wasn‘t your first choice to handle this case, but you now want me to
help when something‘s gone south?

―You can get anyone you want to look into this case, but I won‘t do it. Plus, the bank
manager has already re-approved their loan because they‘ve provided new evidence that
they‘ve got sales agreements and purchase orders. This entire issue has been put on hold
now. I suggest you drop this.‖

With that, the phone call ended, leaving Matthew completely dumbfounded.

‗This is too much of a coincidence! Justin‘s only just begun taking action, yet the company‘s
managed to submit new documents to prove their financial stability? This can‘t be right..

‗Yes, this can‘t be right. Jade shouldn‘t be powerful enough to be able to influence the bank
manager. That‘s it, this is all just a coincidence… It must be!

‗Heh! Looks like you‘ve gotten pretty lucky, Jade. However, don‘t you think that this is the
end of it! It‘s all your fault that Kendrick‘s still lying in the hospital right now! None of this
would‘ve happened if you‘d just gotten married to the Dunhams like a good girl!

‗I‘m going to make sure that you pay for all of this… I swear!!!‘

Meanwhile, Javier had already returned to Beacon Tires. When he walked past Jade‘s office,
she called him inside.

―How did it go, Mr. Do-It-All? Is it done? Are you going to be moving into my house
tonight?‖

Seeing how Jade seemed to be pretty cheeky by challenging him, Javier said, ―Hmm?
Someone sounds like she‘s looking forward to me moving in.‖

‗Heh! There‘s absolutely nothing for me to be afraid of since I‘m sure you‘ve failed to resolve
the issue!‘ Odell thought to herself.

―You‘re right, I‘m looking forward to it very much! I can‘t wait to bring you home with me
tonight. Just think about it, we‘ll be coming to work and going back at the same time. It
would be so wonderful for us to be able to see each other all the time! But… It‘s such a
pity… Tsk tsk…‖
After being addressed as ―Dona‖, Jade did not hold anything back. Javier merely rolled his
eyes.

However, just as Jade was feeling excited that Javier seemed to have lost the bet, she
received a phone. Jade answered the phone and her exquisite-looking face fell. Her red and
full lips formed a very clear ―O‖ shape, which seemed quite sexy, and also quite misleading
at the same time…

When she hung up the call, it took her a good moment before she regained her senses and
said, ―How did you manage to get the bank to change their mind so quickly?! Are you a
god?!‖

Javier merely leaned against the sofa and was all smiles as he looked at Jade.

―Now then, Dona Odel… Who was it that said she couldn‘t wait to bring me home with her
tonight and that it would be so wonderful for us to be able to see each other all the time?‖

―Err… Um…‖ Jade mumbled as her face instantly flushed red in embarrassment.

Before Javier had left earlier, she was wondering if her rashness was going to end up costing
her when in fact…she had not even resolved the price she had to pay for her previous
rashness. And now she has ended up owing Javier once more!

Javier said, ―Well then, let‘s just have you pay all your debt you‘ve incurred by having me in
your bedroom tonight.‖

Jade felt nothing but embarrassment at that moment. She desperately wished that there
was a hole for her to hide in and that she would never have to come out…

After having dinner together, Javier once again drove to a hotel with Jade in the car.

Jade once again thought that Javier was about to fulfill the additional clause in their
agreement. But once again, Javier left the car key with her again, which left her feeling both
embarrassed and guilty at the same time.

She was usually someone who would make good on her promises and would always request
for her subordinates to do the same as well. Yet she had ended up breaking her promise
twice in a row.
After thinking about it over and over again, she finally decided to call out to Javier

Tm a woman of my word! Come stay at my house from now on

Just as he was about to enter the hotel‘s reception arer Javier was slightly startled when he
heard Jade‘s voice coming from behind him

I know you only made that bet on a whim, so I didn‘t intend on having you fulfill it in the
first place. Don‘t worry about it.‖

However, Jade only felt even more guilty at that point

―No, I said I was going to let you stay at my place, so hurry up and get in the car?‖ Left
without a choice, Javier ended up being forced back into the car.

Chapter 39 One Should Not Live Their Lives at the Mercy of Others

In truth, Jade had not only agreed to have Javier stay in her home to honor her bet, but she
also did it for the Dunhams.

Later on, she came clean with Javier about her thoughts and hoped that by having Javier live
in her home, the fellow from the Dunhams would finally give up. If he were to stop pursuing
Jade, she would not be forced into marrying him anymore.

However, Javier did not agree with her thoughts. Instead, he merely thought that Jade was
unknowingly making him more enemies!

If he were to live in Jade‘s home, both the Odells and the Dunhams would immediately see
him as a hostile presence. However, Javier decided that it didn‘t matter.

Why should I be worried about those small fries when I‘m the one they should be afraid of?
Let those foolish idiots come at me as much as they want then! I‘ll teach them a lesson that
they will remember forever… They will come to realize that I‘m no mere pushover they can
just mess around with whenever they please!

Jade‘s house was located in an area filled with villas at the heart of the city. It consisted of
three floors with a build–up of 500 to 600 square meters, which was not small by any
means. According to Jade, her father had left the house to her while he was still alive, so the
only people living there were her and her mother, Catherine.
Once they had parked in the courtyard, Jade looked slightly embarrassed as she continued
to sit in the car.

Javier could instantly tell what she was thinking and said, ―I think I should just stay at the
hotel. I really can‘t bring myself to be a bother to you and your mother.

Although Javier had not intended on pulling reverse psychology on Jade, it ended up being
just that

Right after he said that Jade immediately got out of the car. ―No, it‗s no
trouble. I trust you!‖

Come on, I don‘t even trust myself that much…‘Javier thought to himself. However, he was
already being forcibly dragged into her house.

At the time, Catherine was holding a piece of cloth and was on all fours as she wiped the
floor.

Jade went up to help her mother get on her feet. ―Mom, I‘ve told you many times
already... I‗ll handle the chores myself.‖

Jade began introducing Javier after she snatched the piece of cloth away from Catherine.

―This is Mr. Kersey, my vice general manager. He‘s… He‘s going to be living with us from
now o n!‖

Catherine immediately put a smile on her face upon being introduced to Javier and greeted
him warmly.

However, halfway through that, her smile froze… ―H-Hang on… What do you mean, Jade?‖

―Exactly what I just said.‖

Jade‘s face flushed red in embarrassment.

She dashed straight to her bedroom after taking off her clothes, leaving Catherine all alone
and dumbfounded.
She pointedly looked at Jade‘s bedroom and then at Javier, who was in the living room and
was trying his best to hide himself. For a brief moment, Catherine could not quite put her
finger on the sudden wave of information that was gushing into her head.

‗So… He‘s..my son-in-law?!‘

At that moment, someone suddenly banged on the door, completely ignoring the doorbell
that should have been right next to them.

Catherine hurriedly went to open the door, seeming as though she knew who it was.

Upon the door opening, a furious voice yelled out, ―Where‘s Jade?! I saw her coming home
already. Get the f*ck out here right now!!!‖

It was none other than Matthew Odell, Jade‘s second uncle, and Kendrick‘s father.

Matthew stalked into the living room and scanned his surroundings, but failed to locate
Jade anywhere. Although he had cast a very quick glance at Javier, Matthew did not pay any
attention to the man since Jade was the only reason he was there that night.

Immediately after that, Matthew turned around to look at Catherine. ―Where‘s that little b*
tch?!‖

Before Catherine could even answer, Jade immediately stormed out of her bedroom. She
had just been about to change her clothes.

―Who are you calling a little b*tch, Matthew Odell? Whoever in the world are you calling? Is
it your sister-in-law? Or maybe your elder brother?!‖

Jade did not take a single step back as she bravely faced Matthew‘s curses.

On top of that, Matthew was rendered speechless at her retort and had no choice but to
change the topic of conversation. He waved his hand and angrily yelled, ―I‘m not going to
waste my time on that nonsense! Now that Kendrick‘s never going to be able to stand
again, what do you expect him to do now, huh? Tell me!‖ ,

Jade laughed. ―You‘re a rather intriguing fellow, Matthew… How does Kendrick not being
able to stand anymore have anything to do with me?‖
―Bullsh*t! Of course, it has everything to do with you!‖ Matthew hysterically started yelling
again. ―If you‘d agreed to marry into the Dunhams from the get–go, would any of this
nonsense have even happened? You‘re the reason for all of this!

―Plus, it‗s public knowledge that Zack Dilley‘s pursuing you, so I‘m sure you were the one
who brainwashed him into running Kendrick over!‖

Jade was enraged by Matthew‘s fantastic conspiracy theory. ―I‘m the reason this all
happened? Let me ask you then. If you hadn‘t tried to force me to marry into the Dunhams
in the first place and not instructed Kendrick to come up with all those dirty tricks behind
my back, would any of this nonsense ever have happened?

―Also, aside from the fact that Zack did indeed run Kendrick over, I„ve got nothing to do with
this at all!

―Zack and Kendrick were the ones who worked together to go against me, and Kendrick
ended up throwing Zack under the bus. So Zack flying into a rage and running Kendrick
over was his just desserts!‖

―That‗s just bullsh*t!!‖

Matthew was now so furious that he could no longer be reasoned with. In the next second,
he raised his hand and was just about to slap Jade in the face! However, he did not have the
courage to actually do so, probably because he was afraid that he might end up offending
the Dunhams.

Of course, with Javier right next to them, there was no way Matthew would have been able
to slap Jade even if he wanted to.

Instead, Matthew started yelling at Jade once again.

―You‘d best take my advice and marry into the Dunhams as soon as possible! I don‘t care
what this quarterly promise that you‘re hoping will arrive is about, but I‘ll never allow you to
see itt o completion! So, if you know what‘s best for you, I‗ll still show your mother a
modicum of respect and see her as my sister-in-law. Otherwise, I‘ll have you both thrown
out of this place!‖

Matthew turned around and left immediately after that.

Halfway, he threw Catherine, who was in his way, with a disgusted expression and angrily
retorted, ―Get out of my way, you cheap country bumpkin filth!‖ 1

Meanwhile, Catherine, who was Matthew‘s sister-in-law, hurriedly lowered her head and
stepped aside, fearful that she was in his way.

Jade was just about to storm toward Matthew to reason with him after seeing him yell at her
mother. Yet, before she could even say anything, Catherine immediately stopped her and
said, ―Jade, listen to me! Drop this matter!‖

Jade was so angry that she was almost in tears. ―Mom! Can‘t you stand up for yourself? He‘s
literally just bullied you...‖

However, Catherine kept on dissuading Jade in a kind tone without a single shred of temper
i n sight.

Catherine had grown to be cowardly and self-deprecating ever since she married into the
Odells, to which she had deeply engraved those traits into her entire being. This was the
reason why she did not dare to release any temper whatsoever in front of the Odells,
allowing the latter to be more and more relentless whenever they bullied her.

After that night, Javier felt that Jade had suffered a lot growing up. ‗Her father‘s passed
away, her mother‘s a coward, and her second uncle‘s a crazed hound… It must‘ve been really
difficult for her to still be able to grow into the strong woman she is now despite such harsh
conditions.‘

Javier was now pondering if he was obliged to help Jade all the way and get her out of the
trouble she was in!

Meanwhile, Catherine dragged Jade aside, her face filled with fear and concern.

Although Javier could not hear what they were talking about, he could still guess that
Catherine was worried that Jade might end up causing both Matthew and the Dunhams to
feel unhappy if he were to live with them.

Out of concern that Catherine might have to live her life in fear, Javier was about to take his
leave when he was stopped by Jade.
After that, Jade said to her mother, ―Mom, you„ve been letting them have their way your
entire life. But has Matthew ever shown you any respect? No! So what we should do now is
fight back!

―We have to rely on ourselves if we want to make others respect us instead of living under
the mercy of others!‖

Chapter 40 They Should Be the Ones Coming to Beg Us!

Jade‘s words were firm, something that was almost unimaginable for her to have
considering her slender and petite frame.

In fact, her fearless temperament bolstered Catherine‘s courage. Finally, Catherine took a
deep breath and nodded her head. ―All right then!‖

With that, Catherine agreed to have Javier live with them…

That night, Javier was arranged to live on the second floor, while Jade and Catherine lived
on the third. Initially, Catherine was worried that Javier might get up to no good during the
night, but it turned out that she had been worried for nothing. It was only after this that
Catherine wholeheartedly accepted Javier living in their home.

The next morning, Jade and Javier headed to the company, where they entered their own
offices and buried their heads into their work.

However, after a mere half an hour, Jade rushed into Javier‘s office in a panic.

―Javier! Something bad happened!‖

Javier could tell from Jade‘s expression that whatever it was, it was definitely not going to be
good. Jade began to briefly explain to Javier about their current situation.

It was about Midnoon Tires, a tire company located in Liamsworth.

In comparison to this company, Beacon Tires was on a slightly larger scale. However, due to
a silent agreement about their market beforehand, neither of them was involved in any
competition since their target markets did not have any conflict with one another.
On that very day, Jade suddenly received news that Midnoon Tires had made a move
against them. To make matters worse, they were coming after Beacon Tires on a rather
grand scale, snatching away a number of their existing customers in a single swoop. All of
them had suddenly cut off ties with Beacon Tires to form new partnerships with Midnoon
Tires.

What was previously a 13 loss was now once again reverted to being 2/3 after these
customers had retracted their purchase orders. On top of that, what scared Jade more was
that the other companies that Beacon Tires were supplying to were beginning to waver,
ready to jump ship t o Midnoon Tires at any given moment.

If this were to happen, there was a very high chance that the purchase orders she had
accumulated thus far would dwindle to only the recent ones from Fusion and Grazin‘! acc

―I‘ve already looked into it, Matthew‘s personally leading Odello Corp. to put pressure on
these companies. That f*cking b*stard!‖

Jade was fuming at the mere mention of

the mere mention of Matthew‘s name. She could not understand for the

life of her why her very own uncle would treat her so horribly.

However, Javier did not ponder too much about the matter. What he was more concerned
about was…

―Didn‘t you draw up contracts before you went into partnership with them? The contracts
should have a clause where the party that ends up canceling their purchase order or failure t
o deliver the products would lead to a breach of contract, whereby whichever party that‘s
involved would have to bear the full responsibility no matter what.‖

However, the reality of the situation was very different from what Javier was thinking
Helplessly, Jade explained, ―I wasn‘t the one who drew up the contracts. When the contracts
were drawn, the clauses stated that the customer would only have to compensate
a very small amount of money, possibly even nothing… The only focus of the sales
personnel at that time was to make sure that they secure these customers‘ business…‖

Javier instantly understood what was happening!

―The penalty on them for breaching our contract is so minimal that they aren‘t afraid of
breaching it at all!

After pondering for a moment, Javier stood up and invited Jade to take a trip with him to
request the penalty since their contracts had been breached.

―No, what we should do now is to salvage our business. Wouldn‘t you be sentencing them
to death by asking them to pay up the penalty now?”

As much as Jade‘s retort had made sense, Javier was not going to play by her usual style.

Ignoring her unhappiness about the matter, Javier dragged Jade into the car, and off they
went to retrieve their compensation.

Despite how difficult it was for Beacon Tires to pull in more business at the time, it was an
extremely easy task to retrieve their compensations for a breach of contract. After visiting
three companies that very morning, they managed to accumulate 24 thousand dollars in
total.

‗Eight thousand dollars of compensation from each company on average huh… Seriously….
Javier wanted to laugh when he looked at the pathetic amount of money.

Meanwhile, Jade‘s expression was cold and unhappy throughout the entire journey. ―Are
you happy now? You‘ve just made enemies with our customers and have left us with no way
of salvaging the matter anymore.‖

Javier once again gave Jade a ‗business lecture‖.

―There are many ways to develop a successful business, so you can‘t always be fixated on
one single direction. Lowering your heads to beg for their business is one method, but the
other way can be another way as well. You should change your mindset a little.‖

Jade ended up listening to Javier‘s lecture for the rest of the trip as they rushed toward the
fourth company.

Undeniably, Jade had indeed learned a great deal after listening to Javier‘s lecture.
However, her current issue was that she still could not understand how Beacon Tires would
b e able to reach so high that her customers would end up begging them to deliver their
products to them.

Without explaining to Jade, Javier brought her along upstairs to meet Dwayne Lewis, the
owner of the fourth company.

At that moment, Dwayne was sitting in his office with Clement Lewinsky, having a leisurely
chat. The latter was none other than the owner of Midnoon Tires himself,

Upon entering the office, Jade‘s face fell the moment she saw Clement. However, she
maintained her professionalism. ―What a coincidence, Mi. Lewinsky.‖

Clement hurriedly stood up and had the word ―triumph‖ written all over his face. He then
apologized hypocritically by saying, ―My goodness, I‘m so, so sorry about everything that‘s
happening, Ms. Odell. I‘ve ended up butting into your territory and taking your customers.
But, I have no choice but to do this, which I‘m sure you‘ll understand since we„re both
businesspeople, right? There‘s no reason for us not to talk business if a customer calls us up
for an inquiry, don‘t you agree?‖

Jade forced a smile but remained silent…

Meanwhile, Javier told Dwayne the reason for their visit that day and requested

compensation as per their contract.

Originally, Dwayne thought that the pair were visiting him to try and beg for his business,
but what happened was completely out of his expectations.

Thus, he sneered and said, ―Ms. Odell, this vice general manager of yours is a finance major,
is he? Just look at how high in regards he holds money… At any given moment, he‘s just
thinking about how he can collect his money. I can‘t help but think that you‘ve found
yourself a wonderful expert at wealth management.‖

Dwayne‘s words were obviously filled with scorn, indicating that Javier was a short-sighted
man for collecting his company‘s compensation when he should be trying his best to regain
the business his company had just lost. ‗What a foolish fellow…‘
Jade understood what the man was hinting at very well. In fact, she agreed with Dwayne and
that they should be begging for Dwayne‘s business.

However, both Javier and herself were representatives of Beacon Tires, so of course, she had
n o choice but to support Javier.

―Mr. Lewis, of course, we would choose to beg for your business should it be an effective
route. However, based on the fact that you‘ve chosen to breach our contract, it would seem
like you‘ve already made your decision to cease your partnership with Beacon Tires. As such,
why shouldn‘t we choose to ask for compensation?‖ .

Jade‘s statement made perfect sense, which Javier was very impressed by.

Next to them, Dwayne was slightly startled, but very quickly smiled and said, ―Looks like
you‘re a very straightforward person, Ms. Odell. Fine, 16 thousand dollars as a penalty for
my breach of contract means nothing to me. I‘ll have my finance department transfer the
money over to you this afternoon.

―Seeing how it‘s now time for lunch, how about I treat you both to a meal together with Mi.
Lewinsky?‖

Jade did not want to take up his invitation, but she could understand the meaning behind
Dwayne‘s words. ‗He‘s not going to pay up if we don‘t join him for lunch!

On the other hand, Javier could easily read between the lines.

Dwayne‘s eyes were brimming with so much lust that any man would be able to understand
what was happening. ‗He‘s planning on making use of this lunch to get Jade drunk so that
she‘ll embarrass herself. In fact, he might even have some other wild thoughts in mind…

‗Sure then, let‘s see who ends up embarrassing themselves this afternoon…?

In truth, Javier could not hold his drink very well, but the Kerseys had a medical team that
had successfully developed a special drug that would allow the consumer to very swiftly
break down any alcohol that enters their system, effectively allowing them to remain sober
n o matter how much they drank…

―Let‘s see whether you‘ll end up feeling frustrated, you sneaky old b*stard…‘
Chapter 41 Don’t Come Begging Me

Jade‘s first instinct was to decline, but Javier beat her to the punch and said yes, much to the
young woman‘s initial bewilderment. Of course, by the end of their lunch, Jade saw why.
Javier could drink an ocean if he wanted to.

Jade wagered the men had consumed a good 700ml or so worth of white wine each, and
yet only Dwayne and Clement were positively sh*t-faced. By the time Jade and Javier left,
those two were swinging their clothes around like a lasso while taking their sexiest attempts
at twerking

To top it off, Dwayne would even throw his head and spew a drunken, skyward spout every
now and then. Clement, being quite the supportive hype-man, would then groggily clap and
cheer, ―Ooh..Pwetty…fountain!‖ 1

To sober up after that spectacular foofaraw was to toil in embarrassment.

―You are a f*cking lightweight, Mr. Lewinsky. That was what, a kid-sized pint? And
apparently, that‘s enough to reduce you to a clown!‖

―Ha, the pot calling the kettle a terrible drinker, aye? You were throwing up toward the sky
and drenching yourself with your own lunch! God, how am I gonna delete your magnificent
fountain show from my memory?‖

The blame game went on for the rest of the afternoon and almost ended up in fisticuffs. It
never came, though, as bringing up a common enemy united their ire. ―That son of a bitch
acted like he was a helpless little lightweight-big, fat, phony farce could drink like a
bottomless barrel! Just what the f-‖

Jade considered Javier in amazement as they drove back to the company. What godly
kidneys he must have to not be even a little bit tipsy after downing more than 700ml of
wine!

While she was still in awe, Javier suddenly spoke up, ―There‘s no need to pause production. I
n fact, pour more resources and people into it and up the amount. The more we produce,
the better.‖

Jade was incredulous. ―But we lost our contracts, didn‘t we? Who are we making all of that
product for?”
―Our previous contractors who canceled their deals, of course. Relax… They‘ll come back to
us pretty soon.‖

Javier sounded so confident…but Jade‘s confusion was not diminished. She kept pressing
him for why, but she never got her answer. Still, she had unwavering-unconditional, in fact
faith in Javier. She would do anything he told her to. If there was anything she was sure of, it
was that Javier would only work to benefit her. He would never harm her.

Shortly after returning to the office, one of the employees led a woman in her forties to
meet Jade. The newcomer was decked out fashionably and carried herself with a magisterial
air that made one immediately see her as a leader of sorts in a company.

―Hi. You must be.?‖

―Ms. Odell, pleased to meet you! Mae Kingsley. I heard your company is looking for a CFO.‖

Jade had indeed put up a hiring notice online for the position, but the woman had been the
only one who decided to show up in person for consideration rather than doing so through
a call.

After getting ahold of Mae‘s credentials, Jade‘s reception had only become warmer and
more welcoming. As it turned out, Mae Kingsley was no run-of-the-mill middle-aged
woman looking for a job-she was a veteran who once worked as a Chief Financial Officer in
another heavyweight company rivaling Odello Corp.‘s prestige. Then, her daughter started
attending a university in the area, and Mae promptly moved with her. She decided to get a
new job in a new place, and that was how she came to stand in front of Jade. With a resume
so illustrious, Jade could not help but think Mae was punching way below her weight. Mae,
for her part, insisted that she was convinced by the future of the company rather than the
apparent present. She was more than willing to march with the company as it scaled an
upward path to greatness!

It was a blood-pumping, exhilarating thing to hear; a sermon that roused spirits. Naturally,
Jade gleefully welcomed Mae aboard and told the older woman she could start working
tomorrow. As soon as she saw the woman out after copious amounts of merriment, Jade
immediately grabbed her phone and ordered a background check on her prospective
employee.

She received her report half an hour later: Matthew Odell had arranged for Mae Kingsley to
join the company Jade made her way to Javier‘s office and ran the issue over
with him. ―I knew it. If something‘s too good to be true, then it most certainly is, isn‘t it?
She‘s a mole. We‘ll have to tell her she‘s out now, huh?‖

Jade‘s vigilance was admirable, but Javier ultimately thought differently. ―Nah. Let her stay.
We‘ll use her as the messenger to get to Matthew,‖ he replied, before adding, ―Besides, I„ve
already found you a CFO. She‘ll be with us tomorrow.‖

True to his word, the very next afternoon, Mary Jane Gould arrived. A casual chit-chat
between Javier and herself promptly followed, in which the woman made a compliment
about ―Young Master Javier‖ growing into a fine, strapping young man.

Mary Jane was no slouch. She had worked for over a dozen financial groups within the
nation, who then led a charge against foreign competitors in an epic guerilla-styled financial
warfare with stakes rising to hundreds of billions of dollars. She had emerged victorious,

upending all of her foreign competitors and launching herself into the
international spotlight. Even Warren Buffet, the ―Sage‖ of the stock market, was crowned
―the male Mary Jane Gould‖ when he first carved his acclaimed mark as an investor.

Such was the extent of her deified cachet.

In recent years, she had joined the Kerseys to oversee their financial affairs on a global scale.
I n other words, she had become an indispensable arm to the sly, all-powerful titan-before
Javier dislocated said arm and grafted it onto Beacon Tires‘ shoulder.

One could only imagine how grouchy the ―titan‖ must be over this…

Of course, Javier had conveniently skirted around Mary Jane‘s intimidating rep and
introduced her only as ―the new CFO of the company.‖ He would not want Jade to be too
shocked.

Jade, for her part, warmed up to Mary Jane a lot simply out of faith and trust in Javier‘s
judgment. After instructing the veteran to accompany Jade in meeting Mae, Javier did not
stick around and left the office in his car. There was nothing to warrant his stay, Mae was a
small fry going up against a demigod. She was an ant to Mary Jane‘s boot.

Javier drove to Liamsworth, a nearby town to meet the man behind Midnoon Tires-the shirt
flinging, mad-twerking Clement Lewinsky of yesterday. Today, Clement was found rubbing
his temples in between gulps of coffee, which was a clear sign that he might not have
completely recovered from his hangover.

Still, upon seeing Javier, Clement could not stop himself from remarking, ―To what do I owe
this pleasure after you‘ve set me up yesterday, Mr. Vice GM? Here to rub it in my face and
make fun of me like a b*stard?‖

Javier had no time for trivial banter. Plopping himself on the couch, he cut straight to the
chase, ―No. Just here to talk about an acquisition.‖

Clement laughed. ―Come one, is this necessary, Mr. Kersey? Did me taking some of your
business deals hurt you so much that you want me to acquire your company already?‖ he
gibed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. ―And that tone. God. So hurt! So bitter! It‘s like
you‘re licking your wounds and looking for sympathy just because you‘ve lost a little in a
friendly competition!‖ he puffed, smoke billowing from his mocking lips.

―Oh, you‘re taking this the wrong way, Mr. Lewinsky. I‘m here as Beacon Tires‘ rep. I‘m
talking about the acquisition of Midnoon Tires by my company.‖

Clement was stunned; he did not even realize his coffee was trickling over the brim of his
cup as he froze mid–pour. It took him quite some time before he finally recovered his
senses. With à scornful snigger, he said, ―I know you drank a lot yesterday, but man, you
haven‘t sobered u p? You must be sh*tting me. Beacon Tires dreaming about acquiring
Midnoon! I have one word for you-ludicrous!

―Just take a dtmn look at the state of your company! You‘d make more sense if you begged
m

e to take your company as mine. But no. Instead, you think you can buy out your betters
without even a smidge of doubt of how plausible that would be forgive my oh-so-crass
language but, were you dropped as a baby?‖

Javier snatched the older man‘s ceramic ashtray before slamming it hard against the
armrest. ―Yes, or no?‖

His uppity attitude provoked Clement. ―F**k off, greenhorn. You‘re disrespecting my time
with your bullsh*t, and you expect me to play along?! Let‘s make this clear in terms even
you can understand: Beacon Tires is doomed. Matthew Odell and I have cinched a grand,
strategic alliance united against a single enemy. You! Our goal is to see you crash and burn.
And all in just a month‘s work, too!
―Your little Beacon is busting, boy! You people can‘t even save your own *sses while you
waltz in here, chest-pumping like a big boy and talking up a big bluff. You‘re a clown sleep
talking with his eyes wide open,‖ he snarled, ―I‘ve asked you before, but it‘s worth repeating
Were you dropped as a baby, Kersey?‖

Javier planted the burning tip of his cigarette into the ashtray and killed its ember.

The conversation was over. He rose and left, but not without throwing in the last one-liner,
sure hope you don‘t end up begging me in my office.‖

―I ain‘t a Lewinsky no more if I so much drop my f*cking voice into a pathetic plea in your
godd*mn office!‖

Chapter 42 You Got What You Wanted

Javier left Midnoon Tires and began making calls and arrangements as soon as he got into
his car. Satisfied, he played some airy music and drove back to the company, terrifyingly
relaxed and chilled.

His return was immediately greeted by a grinning Jade, who sprung into his office,
beaming.‖ Oh My God! You wouldn‘t believe how frickin‘ cool Ms. Gould is. She‘s such a
bad*ss! Upon arriving at work, Mae Kingsley didn‘t waste time before planting system-
breaking bugs and making up fake accounting to siphon our funding away. Just around-
the-clock crippling our financial system!

―But then Ms. Gould came, and do you know how much time it took her to debug the entire
system that saboteur tried so hard to ruin? Less than ten frickin‘ minutes! Then she sniffed
out that fake accounting and the stolen funds and wrapped it around Mae‘s neck like a
leash! Ha! That old rat was so scared, she was squealing for mercy and started laying out all
the deets…just like that!‖

Jade subsequently relayed Mae‘s confession to him, including naming Matthew as the man
who orchestrated her arrival, as well as the one who had directed her to wreak havoc upon
Beacon Tires‘ accounting. The goal was explicit; he wanted Mae to destroy the company
from the inside.

Clement to run frontal assault, and Mae to set fire from within, thus attacking the rear.
Matthew really brought out his scheming best when he employed a double strike strategy.
―Too bad, his little subterfuge has been cracked! With Mae becoming our captive, she has
no choice but to serve us and do whatever we demand of her! And it‘s all thanks to Ms.
Gould… And of course, our very own Vice GM, Mister Kersey!‖ Jade praised earnestly.
―You‘re one of the heroes too!‖

Jade was enlivened. Her cherry lips blossomed like a flower in a sunny meadow, and she
somehow managed to become more and more beautiful by the second. Javier could feel an
urge ballooning inside of him. He wanted to pull that beautiful, beaming girl into his arms
so much…

Before he could try turning his desire into reality though, Jade skipped out of his office in
the same sprightly steps she took when she came, humming something about asking Mary
Janet o enlighten her on some financial matters or even getting her to be her mentor.

Now that would be a noble pursuit. The leader of a company should always be equipped
with a decent understanding of finance and its related matters. An unlearned boss would be
akin t o owning a potent weapon and yet only her lancer alone knows how to use it. Sure,
everything would be peachy if the lancer was loyal to their liege, but one would not want a
repeat of Terry Hamer now, would they?

While Jade‘s face was beaming as much as a sunlit spring, way over at Midnoon Tires,
Clement Lewinsky‘s mien had turned into a wintry overcast as he moaned, ―Why the hell is
this news breaking?!‖

Worse, it was serial news-breaking, with Midnoon Tires as the main character in every single
one of them. Half an hour after Javier left, Clement‘s secretary had entered with a stack of
news reports still warm from its printing.

The article had been taken down from one of the nation‘s largest newspaper sites, the
content unsparing in its details about an accident on the freeway. The tires suddenly burst
as the vehicle was cruising, causing the driver and two passengers in the backseat to die on
the spot.

It was all old news; a tragedy that had happened last year. And yet, it went viral today.
Someone in the comment section had managed to stir up a furor by pointing out that the
victims had been using Midnoon‘s tires.

A lone case would not have made much of a dent in the company‘s reputation, but five or
six more old news about similar accidents became viral again later. All of them shared a few
commonalities: they were all old news, the accidents involved only the victims‘ cars, and all
o f their tires had been from Midnoon.

As the noon matured, a hashtag concerning Midnoon Tires‘ supposed problems started
trending on Twitter. Its infamy soared so much that it managed to eclipse news about a
famous teen idol‘s alleged affair by late afternoon. Even more ludicrously, the sheer
immensity of people giving a damn about Midnoon Tires managed to dwarf attention given
to a celebrity scandal.

Clement pounded his desk in exasperation. ―How the f*ck is this happening?!‖

No one could answer him. Not even he himself could.

Alarmed rapping echoed from the other side of the door. Before Clement could say
anything, his secretary had marched in uninvited, gasping, ―Mr. Lewinsky, you have to see
this… This report just came in! An accident just happened, and they were using Midnoon
Tires…‖

Clement snatched the paper up. Godd*mn it, she was right about the news just breaking! A
long-distance driver was crossing the interstate freeway when he suddenly wanted to
unload himself. Parking his car by the emergency lane, he opted to pee behind his car‘s
door to shield himself from view. That was when the tire he was facing allegedly exploded
and the impact threw the driver half a meter away and knocked him out cold.

The title of the piece was very mocking: ―Shocking! Midnoon Tires Will Punish You if You
Pee on It!‖ The tone did not get any less jeering after that either; it went on a sardonic track,
skewering Midnoon Tires‘ quality while gleefully offering links to every other news about all
previous accidents.

Unsurprisingly, it blazed through social media and other online platforms, ostensibly to
warn

all self-respecting car lovers to check if they were currently using Midnoon Tires. Those who
were current users were advised to ―never pee on it to prevent explosions.‖

Clement was apoplectic. He jumped right into the fray to debunk the article, and yet a
crusade of one was hopeless against the deluge of the many eagerly cracking wise and
adding their own punch. He produced not even a ripple, let alone a splash.
Before all of this had happened, Clement had thought of capitalizing on his alliance with
Ordello Corp. to gain a handsome sum fee for advertising purposes. Now, it looked like he
had got what he wanted at no price at all, did he? Not a single dime was spent, and yet the
entire internet was talking about his tires.

But at what cost?

Clement just felt like crying by this point!

Midnoon Tires‘ imbroglio went on to become the evening news in TV channels nationwide.
The head of the State Quality Control Department had assured consumers in the interview
that they would begin investigating Midnoon Tires at the nearest possible time.

―Le-wins-kyyyyy! What the hell is with this malarkey?! Are you trying to tank my business?!
That‘s it! The contract between us is over! I‘m going back to Beacon Tires, and that‘s final!

―Matthew Odell, you harebrained moron! Do you know how much work I‘ve had to go
through to change my supplier? I have to register new model numbers, make new models-
those things take at least two or three days to complete! And then there‘s gonna be a week
before the first batch is produced! How is my factory going to survive zero production or
work for a whole goddamn week? Am I supposed to sacrifice all that just to please Matthew
and his god awful judgment? Bah! Count me out, *sshole!‖

Dwayne was hardly the only one coming to that conclusion. Every single one of Clement‘s
soon-to-be-ex partners had similar thoughts. They were businessmen first, after all;
capitalists who gravitate toward profit margin over anything else. Tires were tires no matter
what brand they were. The only reason they had been willing to change their supplier to a
company sanctioned by Odello Corp. was that gaining the Odells‘ favor seemed profitable
at the time, but things had changed. Their bottom line was under threat! Who gives a damn
about buttering up Odello Corp.! They had to save themselves from this fiasco!

A deluge of canceled contracts followed. Midnoon Tires was abandoned like a sinking ship.
Factory operation was halted for state inspection. Journalists formed a line of coteries
united in their desire to interview Clement, so they could question him for coveting profit
over scruples when doing business.

Clement had never ever felt so wronged. There was no problem with the quality of his
tires! And that was before getting into the facts and truth about why any tire could be
punctured. There were literally thousands of various independent reasons that could cause
such a thing t o happen!
Unfortunately, few people cared. They were all fixated on a wholly unreasonable and unfair
point. Since the victims had been using Midnoon Tires, the problem must lie in his tires and
absolutely nothing else. There would be no cost on one‘s moral standing for piling on
someone so glaringly at fault!

Finally, the result of the department‘s investigation came to light. Midnoon‘s tires were
proven to be safe and up to standards. Clement breathed a sigh of relief; finally, it seemed
that he was about to be vindicated.

But his optimism was premature. The director of the department had a different idea. ―The
court of public opinion is completely against you and your product, Mr. Lewinsky. I‘m afraid
you‘ll have to endure that,‖ he said, ―The people‘s opinions always come first no matter
when and where, you know? So yeah, I know you‘re innocent and everything… But well,
serves you right for provoking the people‘s ire, huh?

―Well, that settles it then. Your factory will cease operation for a month. We‘ll tell them it‘s
for restructuring and all that,‖ the director finally said, ―That‘s it, boys. Our job is done.‖

With an authorized paper stamped onto the factory‘s door and a few strips of yellow tape
later, the department‘s team left without a word.

Clement stood, alone, in front of the main door to the factory, his line of vision marred by
the stinging cross the department‘s tape had left on the entry.

Sullen and crestfallen, he murmured to no one in particular, ―How on Earth did I get here?
Did I offend the Devil or what?!‖

Chapter 43 Say Goodbye To Being A Lewinsky!

Waking up to all of her old customers and their contracts pouring back in made Jade Odell

quite ecstatic. She was in a good mood, especially after she arrived at her office to find
Dwayne Lewis standing there with a smile that could only be a prelude to flattery.

―Ms. Odell, just the brilliant mind I‘ve been dying to see! Finally, I‘ve been waiting for you!‖
Jade scoffed. ―For what? Waiting to get Mr. Kersey so drunk that you can finally harass me
uninterrupted?‖

Her barb cut deeply enough to instantly make Dwayne‘s face wrinkle in embarrassment. ―Oh
god, no! That was a misunderstanding, Ms. Odell! A blunder on my part! Don‘t take it
seriously, Ms. Odell...‖

Dwayne did not stop there. His flattery and apologies were incessant as he followed Jade
into her office. Anything and everything he had done before today, be it trivial or no, had an
apology of its own. The goal was to soften Jade up and appeal to her angels, hoping that
she would eventually supply tires for his cars once again…or risk having his factory‘s
production grinding to a halt.

So what if he could produce cars? He could not just fashion four metallic rings and call them
wheels!

Then, there were the pressing demands coming from car dealers. If he failed to assemble his
cars within their stipulated time frame, Dwayne would have to saddle up a mountain of
penalties. Hell, the total sum of all of those penalties easily outnumbered Beacon Tires‘ 15
thousand dollars from back when it was desperate to gain any prospective client. Having to
pay all that off was enough to plunge him straight into poverty!

With a crisis looming at large, Jade was his only lifeline now. And for that…no flattery was
too much!

Besides, it takes a businessperson to know another. Private grudges or not, even Jade would
not say no to a lucrative, desperate source of money. After dishing out a few more barbs
and jeers at the man and upping her price, she ultimately signed a new contract with
Dwayne.

The man was as enraptured as a junkie getting his fix. He signed without a second thought,
a s though worried that even a millisecond of hesitation would give Jade enough time to
regret and retract.

Stepping out of Beacon Tires‘ doors, Dwayne‘s feet fell into a stop in front of its main
entrance before the mother of all sighs burbled out of him. ―Jesus H. Christ… I‘ve licked the
boots of the big suits in the government. Buttered up those pesky car dealers. But to beg a
supplier for accepting my money and doing my business?‖ he scoffed to himself. ―Now this
is just straight up bizarre. And yet, I‘ve done that too!‖
A supplier doing their best to win a client? Norm. Said client begging the supplier to please
please-please take up their business? Now that‘s a tough sell!

After today, though, Dwayne now had the experience to boot…

Jade could not help but feel her heart swell in jubilance. She made a maddened dash to
Javier‘s office as soon as Dwayne left just to spread the joy. ―I‘ve always been the one
scrambling for his oh-so-important favor in the past, Javier But just now? Gawd! How the
tables turned! He was practically begging me to smile at him! Have you any idea how wild
this is?! I wouldn‘t think this is possible even in a dream!‖

She paused in her awe and asked pointedly, ―Something‘s up with Midnoon Tires, isn‘t it?
know something‘s up!‖

Javier cracked a small, wordless smile as a tacit admission.

―I still don‘t get it,‖ Jade admitted. ―How did you do it?‖

Javier flung the file in his hand aside. ―Elementary, dear Jade. Good old internet
manipulators,‖ he replied placidly.

Jade had a good grip on how information on the internet worked. She was also no stranger
to narrative-pushers and influencers. But never had she ever thought of corporations
combining forces with these agents to set a trend. It had worked unbelievably well!

She could not resist holding her thumb up like a kid in awe. ―Oh my god, you‘re a genius!‖

―Nah. It‘s just some underhanded trickery. Not worth mentioning at all.‖

Javier genuinely thought it was nothing worth mentioning, but Jade saw it as a shining
exemplar of ultimate humility. He had the skills and smarts and none of the smugness! Oh,
Javier was so cool and awesome, Jade could not help but be floored!

There was one teensy-weensy problem, though. They seemed to have received too many
orders-they were producing below demand! Now, they could open up new production lines
t o ease the load, but that would entail acquiring new plots and applying for a permit to
build new factories.

Basically…pure hassle.
Of course, Javier was way ahead in his game enough to have thought about this before it
happened. Him, forgetting to plan his next steps for his own master plan? What kind of
amateur would he be?

―Please, you don‘t even have to worry about a thing. Just get ready to attend tonight‘s
regular meeting.‖

John Odell, the patriarch of the Odell family, had made it a rule that Odello Corp. would
have a monthly meeting. Participation from each family member was mandatory, and
though John himself was hospitalized, it was no reason to cancel the regular meeting.

Jade nodded. She would require preparation for the meeting, especially since Matthew had
n o doubt set up new schemes just for her.

She walked out of Javier‘s office and was preparing to head back when to her surprise, she
found a very sullen Clement dragging his feet from the opposite direction.

That was wholly unexpected. Jade could not fathom why he was here at this time, or why he
wanted to talk to her right now. ―Mr. Lewinsky? Why are you here? Shouldn‘t you be, I don‘t
know, brainstorming for a contingency plan for Midnoon Tires right now?‖ she questioned.
―I wouldn‘t think that this would be a good time to pay a visit.‖

Clement shot Jade a side glance before casting his eyes ahead and continuing his slumped
march forward. ―Wasn‘t looking for you at all, ma‘am. Here to see Mr. Kersey.‖

That bummed Jade out. She was supposed to be the CEO of the company, and yet
somehow, everyone kept bypassing her for every little thing…

But Jade was not the least bit jealous at all. In fact, she was pretty stoked about it! Her
precious, master-of-all-trades Vice GM could do everything perfectly! Who wouldn‘t be
giddy about that?!

The only with a soiled mood right now would be Clement because his cursed memory was
good enough to remember what he had shouted yesterday: ‗I ain‘t a Lewinsky no more if I
so much drop my f**king voice into a pathetic plea in your godd*mn office!

Well, it sure seemed like he was going to become Clement not-Lewinsky very soon… 1
By the time he knocked on that door though, Clement had managed to come up with a
more dignity-preserving front to adopt in lieu of his original mopey intentions. ―Mr. Javier
Kersey! I am not here to beg for your help. I am here to demand answers!‖

Javier could smell a last-minute change of attitude from that sloppy facade, but he was
going to let something so trivial pass for now. Gesturing toward the chair where Clement
should sit, Javier stood up and brewed some coffee for both himself and his guest.

When Clement left the mug untouched, Javier laughed. ―Come on. You aren‘t worried that
I‘d spike your coffee, right?‖

His embarrassing escapade while drunk was the last thing Clement wanted to be reminded
o f, so he picked the cup up and took a small, courtesy sip. He set it back down. ―Mr. Kersey,
let‘s not beat around the bush like a bunch of pansies. Are you behind this or not?‖

Javier answered by sipping his coffee, giving yet another tacit confirmation.

Clement was boiling. One could take one look at his teeth and wondered if he intended to
bite Javier‘s nose off. ―Motherf**ker! Dirty f**king schemer! You knew there was no problem
with Midnoon‘s tires! But you throw up this disinformation to slander my business! *sshole,
douchebag, *sshat son of a b*tch! We businesspeople engage in healthy, lawful
competition, you f**king sicko!‖

While Clement railed and lambasted him to the beat of his stomping foot, Javier let him
blow off steam while he sipped his coffee. It took Clement two full minutes to finally reach
the limit of his censure before Javier set his mug down.

―You finished? If yes, it‘s my turn to speak,‖ he replied. ―First of all, there‘s no such thing as
being lawful and honorable in business. If you seriously believe there is an honor code in
this, well… You might be better off at a nursery school, ‘cause your naivety would be perfect
for the environment.

―Next, we didn‘t start this. Midnoon went up in arms to attack us, so we simply retaliated.
After that, I came to you-personally, I might add-to give you a chance to repent, but you
ignored the dove and wanted the hawk. Not my fault now, is it?

―Last but not least… Come on, we aren‘t children. You can‘t solve a problem by throwing
tantrums at it. We have to communicate, yea? Like adults. So, let‘s communicate,‖ he said.‖
Would you like to talk about Beacon Tires‘ acquisition of Midnoon now?‖
Javier‘s logic and argument were so impeccable and literally irrefutable that Clement could
not even come up with anything to deny the facts. Forced into a corner, he squeezed his
reply out of his reluctant teeth. ―I don‘t want to lose my company, so all I‘m asking is if
there‘s something else we could do about this, okay?‖

Javier snickered as he refilled Clement‘s cup. ―Sorry, but no can do. You can either crash and
burn, or…you can say yes to the acquisition. Your choice.‖

Chapter 44 Such Tactical Prowess! Such Majestic Air!

Javier had not cared enough to lace his words with the most basic of courtesies. In fact, he
was provocative and disrespectful, which only fanned the flames in Clement even more.

Unfortunately, right now, he was hardly in the position to negotiate not continue his
previous hissy fit. As Javier had so succinctly pointed out, tantrums were not going to fix the
pickle he

was in

―Fine.‖ It was all he could say by this point. ―How much are you willing to fork out to acquire
m y company?‖

Javier made a whole theater production of counting with his fingers before proclaiming,‖
About 780 thousand dollars.‖ ―You said what now?!‖ Clement could not believe his ears. It
took Javier repeating himself to convince the former that he had not misheard his
quotation, and send him into a flying fit.

―Son of a b*tch! Are you f**king kidding me? My company‘s fixed assets make up to at
least 4.7 million dollars, dumb*ss! And now you‘re buying a company worth that much with
that paltry 780k dollars?!‖

Javier fell back into silently drinking his coffee.

Clement was about to add more into his lambasting when his phone suddenly rang. It was
from Midnoon‘s finance department!

He hardly got a word edgewise when the caller‘s voice, strained and alarmed, broke
through,‖ Mr. Lewinsky! I-I-It‘s the bank! They were demanding us to pay our debts… Said
they had to press us now that our business is at risk of folding, and we„ve only got three
days to pay them!‖

―Three days? Three godd*mn days?! Do I look like I print money for a living?! How the hell
am I supposed to pull some 1.5 million dollars out of my *ss in a span of three days, huh?!‖

Railing at his finance department would not work; they were merely the bank‘s messenger.
Realizing that, Clement quickly hung up and dialed the bank director‘s personal number for
help.

Javier let him-it was going to be for naught, anyway, because Javier had made his own call t
o the director a while ago. It was not a breach of law to do so since Midnoon Tires was
suffering such a heavy blow to their reputation and sales that any bank would be justified to
suddenly pressure Clement into paying up his debt before declaring bankruptcy. So, a little
goading call from Javier was enough to put the director into action, pronto.

Clement‘s call brought him no respite from the bank. The manager was adamant that they
stood on the right side of the law, and that there was simply no room for personal favors or
leeway

Clement crashed onto the couch in a spell, as though his bones had all been removed. It
was then that Javier spoke again. ―Here, I‘ve squared the numbers for you. If you stubbornly
hold out like this, the bank will sue you three days from now. The court will take it up, freeze
your assets, and then auction them off.

―Think about it. Discounting the penalties you‘ll have to pay for not meeting your contracts,
the debt you owe the bank, a whole host of costs such as worker wages, and all that other
crap … How much are you really left, huh? 470 thousand dollars, give or take. And here I am
offering you 780k to inherit that dump you‘re leaving. Is that really that paltry an amount?‖

Well, when he put it that way… It certainly did not seem that terrible. Still, to have a player
as big as Midnoon Tires be sold off for a stupidly pathetic amount of 780 thousand dollars
was a s acceptable as Clement welcoming a knife to his gut.

His mind drifted to Odello Corp. and Matthew Odell. Reaching for his phone once again,
Clement smirked at Javier, ―I‘m done with your ludicrous jokes. I‘m not going to let you win
this one, you b*stard!‖

Javier held so little regard for him that he would not even spare a snicker in return. ―Oh,
hoping that Matthew will send the cavalry, are you? I‘d love to see you try, especially since
his precious son was no stranger to backstabbing any tool that had long past being useful.
So yea, go ahead. Give him a ring. I want to see the nature of the tree that the rotten apple
fell from.‖

Clement found the suggestion utterly objectionable. ―There‘s no way! Mr. Odell could not
possibly be that despicable!‖

His call connected, and Clement wasted no breath briefing his last lifeline about the
calamitous crisis he was trapped in. At the tail of his account, he finished with an
appeal,‗... A s you can see, Mr. Odell, I really need your help to get through this. Your
connection reaches far and wide, doesn‘t it-‖

―It‘s all your fault that your sh*tty product has piss-poor quality, and you just had to drag
my plan through the muck along to hell with your incompetent *ss!‖ came the reproach.
―And now you‘ve got the gall to ask me to help you?! Get the f**k out of here!‖

That was apparently all Matthew had left to say to him. He would not give Clement even the
room to speak before slamming the phone and disconnecting the call, leaving only cold,
rhythmic beeping for the bewildered man to hear.

Clement‘s eyes were mired in pure perplexity.

He never dreamt that he would be so…readily deserted. A bull past its prime, useful no
longer, and so slaughtered as a sacrifice to save that b*stard‘s skin. Clement could not help
but compare the niceties Matthew had fed him back when he came to seek an alliance with
Midnoon Tires with the disgusting attitude used against him right at this moment. He could
not help but ball his hands into fists, his entire arms visibly trembling in pure anger..

Had it not been for Matthew-f**king-Odell, he would have never become Javier‘s enemy!

None of these sh*tty things would have happened to him at all!

*F**k, f**k, f**k! F**k, you to hell and back, Matthew! My only f**king sin was gobbling up
your bullsh*t. And now I‘m f**ked! F**ked in the *ss and you‘re the one with the stick!‖
Clement snarled, bristling to himself for so long that instead of feeling better, his tirade only
seemed to bring him to feverish heights.
Javier immediately took advantage of the man‘s impulsive rage to once again bring up the
acquisition. This time, Clement shouted, ―F**k it, you can have it! Just take it from me! It‘s
either death or this. At least I‘m earning some money from you!‖

The deal was done.

With an unsettlingly ready grin baring his teeth, Javier brought out the contract and handed
i t to Clement. The receiver considered the paper and how Javier had obviously prepared it
beforehand, his heart sinking into his stomach. He raised his gaze and met the placid look
on the young man‘s face.

He let out a sigh. God knows how much he loathed losing to Javier. But at the very least-if
he was being honest and without care for his image-he at least did not feel too bad. The
contract was all the proof Clement needed to know just how much his opponent had
masterminded this. He had planned each and every step of his downfall; he never had a
chance to climb out of the grave Javier had dug for him. For f**k‘s sake, that young man
even saw through Matthew and knew how he would act.

On the contrary, Clement had bought into the rosy illusion that he was Matthew‘s most
valued ally. In the end, the same man who gained his loyalty backstabbed him and left him
to

die. He signed the paper.

Clement tried, with all his might, to disassemble an imperturbable disposition, but his regret
stubbornly broke out into every wrinkled feature in his disappointed mien. He should have
listened to Javier earlier. He should have sold Midnoon sooner. He should have!

But god. It was too late.

Sighing to himself, Clement rose and turned away, so eager to leave that he did not care to
bid his farewell. He now had 780 thousand dollars in his bank account, at the cost of losing
all title and prestige that his business cards supposedly conferred.

As a disconcerted Clement shuffled his feet to the door, Javier suddenly spoke up. ―You
know, Mr. Lewinsky, the only changes to Midnoon Tires are its shareholder, ownership, and
other things pertaining to legality. The company is still yours… And you‘re liable to receive a
10% performance share. If your leadership manages to bring 30% growth to company yearly
sales, I‘ll throw 10% more into your performance shares for that year. Continue that streak
for.a
decade, and honestly? I might as well just return Midnoon back to such capable hands.‖ This
struck a chord in Clement‘s heart. He had founded Midnoon Tires himself; there was no
universe where selling his precious legacy would not bring him painful resentment. Only
despair and desperation would make him do such a thing. A path where he had no choice.

But now Javier was telling him that there was a chance that he could take it back? How was
h e supposed to not react to that?!

―You‘re...you‘re not pulling my leg, right?‖

Javier placed another contract on the table before the bewildered man. This too was a part
of his plan. Everything was part of his plan. He had considered everything.

There was no other emotion left in Clement other than unadulterated awe. This was it. He
accepted his defeat, and he did so gladly. Javier was dangling that performance share
before him like a carrot in front of a horse. If he could achieve his benchmark, his good
master would reward him with a carrot to nibble. And now, in order to take back the very
thing he poured his heart and soul into for years, Clement was effectively locked into always
giving his all and nothing less. Javier, on the other hand, would not even need to lift a
finger. He just had to collect the fruits of his labor, and all he had to pay was 780 thousand
dollars.

Clement knew he was no more than cattle from now on, and yet he was willing to be used
that way-he had to be. This was Javier‘s masterstroke.

He could not resist giving the young man a thumbs-up. ―Such tactical prowess! Such
majestic air! Fine, I‗ll sign it!‖

Clement Lewinsky might never have been particularly remarkable as a businessman

throughout all his years, but he has never lost to anyone either. Except for Javier Kersey,
of course. God, he was floored!

After seeing Clement off, Javier brought the contracts to Jade‘s office to share the news.―
Midnoon Tires is 100% owned by us now, and all we needed to shell out was 780k!‖ he
proudly announced, ―All of our canceled orders have come back to us as well. At the time of
this incident, our loss stood at less than one-third. And now with our acquisition of Midnoon
Tires, we have completely covered our remaining losses and have actually started earning
profits. Do you know what that means?
―It means you‘ve fulfilled your end of the deal. You can show this off at tonight‘s monthly
meeting, and Matthew will have no choice but to concede!‖

Chapter 45 Promises Made, Promises Kept-the Quarterly Deal

The quarterly deal!

This used to look like Mount Spectacular to Jade. A spectacular benchmark, yes, but also
something she believed she could scale. Then a battalion of business difficulties joined
forces with family members trying their damndest to frustrate her, and suddenly, Jade found
herself facing grueling odds to meet her goal.

However, all of that changed since Javier Kersey appeared. Even the most insurmountable of
odds crumbled before him, like a famous landmark helpless before the might of a
superhero! And now, even without any long-term preparation, he managed to push her into
fulfilling the deal!

As Jade‘s fair, delicate hands flipped through the contract detailing the change to the
ownership of Midnoon Tires, they trembled against her wishes. She was astounded that
Javier managed to acquire their rival company at a slashed price of 780 thousand dollars.
She was ecstatic that she had managed to hold up the end of her deal, thus freeing her
from the nightmare of a political marriage.

But above all else, her emotions translated into a single, swelling ball of gratitude-she was
grateful for Javier‘s incredibly selfless help.

―Very few people in my family have been willing to help me since Grandpa‘s sickness made
him permanently bedridden. The only other people who cared enough to lend me a hand
have been the elders in our family. Even then, their help had been…inconsistent and
selective. They were only doing it out of respect for my late father…

―I was so alone. So helpless. But you‘re…you‘re the only one who has helped me
unreservedly a t every turn and every step of the way. … …thank you, Javier! Just…thank
you.‖

With each passing word, her voice phased into a silent, soft hush. And yet, the sincerity of
her gratitude filled her stuttering and hushed voice as a thin film began to coat her big, doe
eyes. She had no idea how else to express her immense gratitude; saying thanks, over and
over again, was the only way she knew how.
Javier presented her with some tissues. ―Hey now, don‘t cry,‖ he cooed, the gentleness in his
voice mirroring her own, ―Now is not the time to be dwelling on mopey things like these,
right? Come on, time to get ready for the monthly meeting! Since I‘m not one of you Odells,
I‘m barred from attending the thing and helping you from the side. You‘ll have to do this on
your own, Jade.‖

The young woman wiped her tears away and nodded solemnly. ―You bet I will. I‘m going
to… I‘m going to show Matthew my achievement… and wipe the floor with his *ss!‖

Jade had never said anything so crass before, but by God, no other words had ever made
her feel so good before!

After giving Jade a few more passing instructions, Javier made his way to Mae‘s office. A few
moments later, Mae, whom Mary Jane was dangling a threat over, sent a private message to
Matthew.

(Beacon Tires‘ finances are in total chaos, Mr. Odell. Don‘t worry, they„re going under as we

speak.)

Matthew was pleased by the revelation. So pleased, that he could not help but to keep on
hammering about how Jade‘s decision to go against him was a suicidal move. ―I‘m going to
have so much fun humiliating that uppity little spring chicken tonight! That hubris of hers
needs a good punishment.‖

After ordering Mae to send a fake financial report to fool the man, Javier returned to his
office and gave Clement a call. His latest underling was told to report to Matthew in two
hours to relay the same hoax about Beacon Tires‘s demise as well as Midnoon Tires
apparent recovery from its crisis.

Clement needed no further convincing. This hoax was his best chance at revenge, and so he
took it up without even a millisecond of hesitation.

With everything in place, all Javier needed to do was sit back and wait for the night. The
prospect of Jade humiliating Matthew to the maximum degree was just so exciting!

The two had dinner together before Jade drove to the venue for tonight‘s meeting. Javier,
meanwhile, was ready to hang back at home and wait for the good news and epic tale
coming his way. He steered his car onto the course that led to home.
Suddenly, an unknown string of numbers reached him. Javier answered it, and a voice, as
old and worn as a relic, boomed, ―Mr. Kersey, good evening. L.am John Odell. And I would
like to meet you in person.‖

John Odell. Jade‘s grandfather and Matthew‘s father. The chairman of Odello Corp. But…
was Mr. John not currently hospitalized? Why would he want to meet Javier specifically?

The monthly meeting was well underway.

Matthew was listening to the monthly earning reports from the leaders that helmed the
family‘s major industries. He gave some run-of-the-mill directions on which parts to expand,
develop, and grow after their report, before eagerly launching into the anti-Jade tirade he
had been itching to do since the meeting began.

―As we all know, Odello Corp. has a few, shall we say, underperforming subdivisions that
have done nothing more than hog precious resources and money. These underachievers
enthusiastically waved their bloodline and surname like it‘s a free pass to do whatever they
like,‖ he began. ―To them, the growth of our family business is nothing more than a trifle.
Squandering resources? It hardly means a thing to them!‖

He kept going. ―The way I see it, these parasitic entities are like tumors to our family‘s .

business. The only way to curb this is to have them removed before they can pilfer and
plunder more of our organization‘s vitality. That is why I solemnly suggest all of us start
discussing if we should remove said tumors starting from today!‖

Everyone understood who the euphemism was alleging to-Beacon Tires. Matthew‘s
sycophants, on cue, leaped to their feet, lending their voice to removing the ―tumor‖ that he
had condemned.

Throughout his rabble-rousing, Jade made herself comfortable in the corner of the meeting
room, scornfully admiring the man and his toadies‘ concerted performance, no matter how
crude it was. She waited for the embarrassment to end before rising to her feet.

―Nice try sugarcoating it, but it‘s clear that you‘re pointing your finger at Beacon Tires,‖ she
snapped back. ―We‘re a tumor to you, huh? You accuse us of squandering and plundering
your precious resources. Do you have any evidence to back that up?‖
Matthew scoffed and sneered. ―Evidence? How about the plummeting sales of your
company? Is that enough ‗evidence‘? But, of course, seeing is believing, right? I prefer
showing things in good old black-and-white. So if ‗evidence‘ is what you seek, then
‗evidence‘ is what all of us, including the jury, will get! Let‘s see if Beacon Tires deserve to
exist beyond today!‖

Matthew waved, and his secretary quickly presented stacks of documents before the
attendees. As their attention focused on the papers, he continued, ―Here. The sales report of
your company after a month. I invite all of you to take a gander and marvel at her acumen.
It‘s as mediocre as it can get! If this company is supposed to be your proof of competence,
then congratulations! You‘ve proved beyond a doubt that you have zero competence
whatsoever!‖

The attendees quickly flipped through the report. The figures were as down-the-ditch as
Matthew had promised; one could easily predict a colossal failure like this going bankrupt at
any moment now.

Matthew was giddy and pleased with himself. Tonight was the night he squashed this pesky
girl into oblivion. He did not even need to care about that quarterly deal anymore.

To his surprise, Jade took a cursory look at the figures and snorted.

Tossing the report aside, she asked, ―God, where did you get these reports from, Mr. Odell?‖

―None of your business, girl. I have my sources. You should focus on admitting the truth.
That‘s the least you can do!‖ Matthew retorted.

His unbridled conceit sparked the powder keg within Jade. Angrily, she snapped, ―The truth?
Sure! If you want the truth so much, then who am I not to oblige, dear Uncle? I‘ll show you
what‘s the truth!‖

With a cutting declaration like that, Jade picked up her phone and called someone into
coming in.

The door to the conference room opened, revealing Mae Kingsley who sniped a second-
long

leer at Matthew before lowering her head.

Matthew was bewildered to see her. He could not understand why she would even be here.

The woman began to speak. She recounted everything from how Matthew instructed her
into joining Beacon Tires, how he had her act as his mole, to the underhanded schemes she
was made to do, and how ―the ever-so-shrewd Ms. Odell‖ found out about her deeds
almost immediately. And finally, how she became a part of Beacon Tires‘ counter strike.

At the end of Mae‘s confession, Jade leveled a frigid glare at the incriminated man. ―That
hogwash you touted as truth? That was me. I had Mae draft up a fake report to bait you.
That‘s the truth. Mae Kingsley‘s role in all of this? That‘s also the truth. The brother of a
deceased man concocting a scheme to force his still-grieving niece into a political marriage?
That‘s the truth too! All of it!‖ she bristled. ―You don‘t even stop to think about how deeply
dishonorable and disgusting the tactics and schemes you employ against me are, Matthew!
Don‘t you have any shame?!‖

Matthew‘s face turned into a mask of utter humiliation. His backdoor deeds had been
exposed. And to top it off, he was being publicly censured for it. Still, a man had to deny to
hell and back even if he was on his last leg, and that was what he did. ―It‘s all for your
own good and the family‘s collective good! Face it, you can‘t fulfill your end of the quarterly
deal anyway!‖

Jade snickered. ―How are you so sure that I can‗t, huh?‖

―If you can fulfill your end,‖ Matthew snarled in indignant certainty, ―Then I‘ll eat this report
right here, right now!‖

Chapter 46 Should You Be Holding It in Your Hand?

Chapter 46 Should You Be Holding it in Your Hand? Matthew was exceptionally confident
that Jade would not be able to fulfill the quarterly deal they had.

Clement had called him earlier in the afternoon and said that production had recovered
while the controversy surrounding Midnoon Tires had also died down. Midnoon Tires had
also reacquired most of the orders that had flocked to Beacon Tires when the scandal broke
out.

In Clement‘s words, Beacon Tires was only a step away from bankruptcy! That was why
Matthew dared be so sure.
While those in the meeting shifted their gazes toward Jade, the lady was calm and
composed as she retrieved photocopies of a report from her workbag. She tossed them on
top of the meeting table and everyone picked up a copy. Everyone got a copy except
Matthew.

When they saw the photocopied reports, they gaped. The Matthew‘s lackeys who had been
hollering shut their mouths then. This made Matthew curious. Snatching one from his
underlings to see for himself, he was shocked at what he read and stood frozen like a statue.

Jade spoke up, ―Beacon Tires has made up for more than two-thirds of loss from the orders
from Fusion and Grazin‘, as well as a few other smaller sales agreements. And now, our
acquisition of Midnoon Tires has allowed us to start making a profit instead of staying in the
loss.

―Compared to when I first took over Beacon Tires a month ago, I‘ve made a 10% profit from
the total production value.

―Matthew Odell, haven‘t you been doubting my ability? This is my proof!

―Also, I wonder who said that he‘d eat the fake report if I fulfilled the quarterly deal? As the
vice GM of the corporation, I think you should keep your promise, lest you lose credibility as
a leader!‖

Each of Jade‘s sentences was logical, backed with evidence, and piercing. It put Matthew in a
n awkward position. No matter how he cracked his head, he could not figure out how
Midnoon Tires was acquired by Beacon Tires.

Recalling how Clement told him so surely through the phone that Beacon Tires was
definitely meeting its doom, Matthew was furious. That b*stard of a man had secretly
worked together with Jade to trap him and embarrass him tonight!

Right now, however, it was not the time to take care of that. He had to get through his
current predicament first. Clearing his throat, Matthew forced a smile as he looked at Jade
awkwardly

―Uh… Jade is truly capable. She needed only a month to turn Beacon Tire‘s loss into profit.
That‘s a good job. This is the Odell family and Odello Corp.‘s fortune. Jade is an Odell
through
and through. I‘m proud of you!‖

It felt awkward in the beginning but the more Matthew went on, the smoother it flowed-like
he was truly happy for the young woman and like he was not the one who had been
pressing her just moments ago.

―Amazing. I‘m genuinely happy to have a niece such as you. And on behalf of my late
brother, I‘m glad. Jade, you‘ve done an amazing job. I‘m so proud of you!‖

Looking at Matthew flash her a big thumbs up, Jade felt absolutely repulsed. Never in her
wildest dreams had she dreamt of somebody to be as shameless as this old man.
Apparently, i t could be worse.

Matthew then continued. ―Jade, since you‘ve completed the quarter deal, Beacon Tires
should be returned to the corporation. After all, Odello sent you to be the GM there to
prove your ability, not to give it to you. I‘ll send someone over tomorrow morning to take
over the management of Beacon Tires. You just go home and get some well-deserved rest!‖

It was not just Jade who was stunned at Matthew‘s words, the others who were in the
meeting were stupefied as well. Burn the bridge after crossing it, yes, but not like this! The
woman had salvaged the mess of a company that was on the verge of shutting down, and
this man here wanted to kick her out after all she had done? Did he not have any decency?

The reality was that Matthew did not need decency. Any shred of it he had was flushed
down the toilet a long time ago.

He waved at one of his followers. ―You‘ll take over Beacon Tires tomorrow morning.‖

It was extremely audacious of Matthew to snatch the company so publicly without any
reasonable cause. However, despite being faced with her barefaced uncle, Jade was not
angered. She scoffed, ―Matthew Odell, you have no shame, do you? I‘d like to ask, on what
premise are you taking over Beacon Tires?‖

―Jade, watch your tone. I‘m the vice GM of Odello Corp. and also your second uncle. Do not
be rude!‖ Matthew chided and answered, ―Beacon Tires has always been under the
corporation, There‘s no doubt about it!‖
―Of course!‖ Jade answered right after him and did not retort. She then unclasped her bag
again and took out the photocopied documents Javier had prepared for her earlier that
afternoon.

Tossing the stack of documents onto the meeting table, Jade spoke up while the meeting
attendees automatically distributed the papers, ―Beacon Tires has long accepted a full
funding acquisition. 100% of the shares belong to the shareholder. Due to confidentiality
clauses, I‘m unable to disclose the identity of the shareholder, but you will see here that he
has transferred 49% of the shares to me without the need for compensation.

―While I‘m the general manager of Beacon Tires, the main shareholder is now said investor.
A s for the shares that once belonged to Odello Corp., they were cleared null by the court
when

Beacon Tired applied for bankruptcy.

―In other words, Beacon Tires currently has nothing to do with Odello Corp.!‖

As she said those words, Jade could not help being impressed by Javier‘s all-rounded
consideration. In the afternoon, Javier had told her that Matthew would likely burn the
bridge after he crossed it, but she had remained doubtful. Turns out Javier was right! If he
had not prepared in advance, all the time and effort Jade had spent to revive Beacon Tires
would fly to someone else‘s hands now!

After Jade‘s announcement, those in the room had already gone through the various share
transferring contracts they had. All of them understood that this was Jade‘s tactic but
legally, Beacon Tires was no longer tied to Odello Corp. No one could do anything but
watch.

All of them here were smart people. While Beacon Tires‘ shares had been transferred here
and there, they were still under Jade. It was not an asset leaving the Odells. Since it was just
a matter of name, no one poked their nose into it.

Nevertheless, they began to feel surprised at Jade‘s tactics. Not only had she turned a loss
into profit within a month, but she had also tricked Matthew and taken Beacon Tires away
from right under Odello Corp.‘s nose. The girl was doing great!

Matthew was befuddled at the photocopied contracts of share transfers. He had never
expected Jade to be able to do this. Not only had he failed to reap the fruit that was the
current Beacon Tires, but he had also lost his grip on the company as well. Realizing that he
had been tricked like a circus monkey, the elder man shook in rage.

―Meeting dismissed!‖ Gritting that out through his clenched teeth, Matthew wanted to leave
just like that but Jade was not having it.

―Uncle, should you still be holding that financial statement in your hand?‖ He said that he
would eat it, so that was exactly what he was going to do!

Chapter 47 The Price for Being Defiant

Chapter 47 The Price for Being Defiant And lo and behold, before everyone‘s eyes, Matthew
crammed the fake report into his mouth. He could not have backed out even if he wanted
to. As Jade said, he had made that declaration in front of so many people and could not
lose his credibility as the vice general manager of the corporation.

As he chewed, his eyes burned with a rage that looked like they could spew out and burn
Jade alive. As an authority figure within the corporation, forcing him to eat the fake report
was akin to having his face slapped. This infuriated Matthew.

After swallowing the paper, Matthew glared daggers at Jade before turning around and
storming out. He was too humiliated to stay any longer.

When the monthly meeting had been wrapped up, Jade was in a great mood. The first thing
she did going back to her car was to pull out her phone to call Javier and share the good
news with him.

Surprisingly, she could not reach his phone. The automated operator said that the phone
was turned off. This put Jade on edge for some reason. She even mused that the ‗ancient
general‖ had gone off to live in seclusion once he had successfully conquered the world.
She was worried that Javier would go missing out of the blue and disappear from her world
just like that.

It was not that Jade was hoping for Javier to keep taking the world on for her, but she had
gotten used to having the man by her side. With that longing in mind, she drove back home
a s fast as she could to see if Javier was still there.
Just as she stepped inside the porch, she saw a man seated there and puffing away on his
cigarettes. The delight painted her face at this discovery and she was beaming for no
reason.

Jade complained to Javier after she got out of the car, ―Why did you switch your phone off?
I thought you had left. You worried me for nothing.‖

―Worried about what? You can‘t possibly have fallen for me, have you?‖ Javier chuckled.

Jade blushed instantly at the suggestion. ―N-no. Cut it out.‖

She felt her heart thumping wildly, losing its usual rhythm. She could not help wondering if
she had really fallen for Javier. Why else would she be worried about him? The more she
thought about it, the more bashful she grew. She dared not entertain the thought any
longer and diverted the topic.

―Right, Javier, you didn‘t see how I clapped back at Matthew Odell tonight…‖

As she retold the story to him, Jade could not help the thrill that buzzed through her. It was
like she had finally released a breath full of hot air. When she got to the part of Matthew
eating the financial report, she became even more animated. Her happiness was palpable.

Jade then turned to Javier. ―And it‘s all thanks to you. If it hadn‘t been for you, things
wouldn‘t have gone this smoothly. Beacon Tires would‘ve been bankrupt by
now. Thank you, Javier.‖

Javier waved away the woman‘s sincere thanks. The woman then took a seat beside him and
gazed up at the clear starry sky in a pleasant mood.

―There are no clouds. The sky is as clear and bright as my mood right now. Finally, I won‘t be
forced to get married anymore. This feels amazing!‖

As he observed the charming face under the light of the moon, Javier did not say much
Accompanied by the beautiful nightfall and a gorgeous lady, he did not want to spoil the
mood with the truth. Despite Jade‘s assumption, he knew that it was impossible that
Matthew would give up trying to force her into a political marriage even though the
quarterly deal was over now.
And reality proved Javier right. The next morning when Javier and Jade were just heading
out to work, they were stopped by Matthew. His stance was clear. For the corporation to be
listed and to generate more profit, the decision for Jade to marry into the Dunhams
remained.

Jade was infuriated and snapped, ―Was the deal we made all bullsh*t to you?‖

Matthew waved. ―I‘m not arguing with you. You have to marry into the Dunhams, and that‘s
final!‖

Unreasonable as he was, he then pointed a finger at Javier, nearly poking the latter in his
nose. ―And you, you b*stard. This is my final warning. Get the hell out of Jade‘s house right
now or I‘ll-hey, hey, ow, let go! Let go of me! It hurts! Let go right now!‖

Before Matthew could finish threatening Javier, the younger man had gripped his finger and
bent it forcibly. It made Matthew hiss as he squirmed and cried in pain.

―I advise you to heed my warning. Point at me again and I‘ll break your finger!‖

Amidst Matthew‘s dog-like yelps, Javier let go of him and gestured for Jade to get in the
cart o leave. Nursing his finger, Matthew wanted to retort but did not dare speak up. He
only raised his voice and thundered after Javier had driven hundreds of meters away with
Jade next to him, ―Kersey, stop the car if you dare! I‘ll kill you!‖ Cursing under his breath,
Matthew pulled out his phone. ―Hello, Mr. Langdon. I need a favor…‖ In the car, Jade
stomped her foot in indignation as they drove to the office. ―How could Matthew Odell be
so shameless? We‘ve agreed on a deal and he‘s breaking it just like that!‖

Javier was indifferent about it. ―It‘s normal. You just think too nice of him.

―The quarter deal was only a tactic for him to force you toward the Dunhams. Since that
didn‘t work, of course, he‘ll continue resorting to other tricks to accomplish his goal of
marrying you off to the Dunhams.‖

Jade now understood, but what could she do? When she raised the question to Javier, the
man answered with a grin, ―Marry me. This problem would then be solved once and for all.‖

Jade glared at him and muttered with a flushed face, ―Be serious.‖
Of course, Javier was only joking, but Jade being forced to get married meant very little to
him. Odello Corp. was just a tiny thing, a puny entity that was not even qualified to kick up a
fuss in front of him, so Javier was not worried about it at all.

―Don‘t worry. No one can coerce you into marrying to the Dunhams if you don‘t want to-no

one.‖

Javier spoke pretty nonchalantly but his words quickly placated Jade‘s anxious heart. From
her perspective, Javier was like the bane of all her troubles. As long as he was around her,
she did not have to be scared of anything.

It felt..nice. Great, in fact. She liked it. Hence, as she discreetly stole glances at Javier, there
was an involuntary smile on her face.

Upon reaching the office, both of them went to their own hustle. Now that Beacon Tires had
acquired Midnoon Tires, there were plenty of things to take care of. Javier even drove over
to Midnoon Tires to discuss a few things with Clement.

In the afternoon, he went out to handle several other matters. But just as he was about to
hop into his car, two vans-one at the hood and one at the trunk of his car-screeched to halt,
pinning his car in the middle.

The doors of the vans opened and over a dozen thugs rushed out, encircling Javier while
holding batons in their hands. Their leader, a man in his forties with a shiny bald head
without even a single strand of hair and a fleshy face, looked menacing.

―Javier Kersey? Someone has instructed me to cut off your ear as a price for being defiant.
―Make your choice. Do you want me to cut the left one or the right one?‖

Chapter 48 Quiet but Deadly

As he observed the circle of men that surrounded him, Javier did not say a word. Instead, he
proceeded to empty his pockets, tossing his items into his car. He was not even bothered to
ask who had sent them. He could guess as much from Matthew‘s barks earlier this morning.

The bald guy snorted at Javier‘s actions. ―Don‘t worry. We„re only cutting your ear off. We
won‘t take your things.‖
―You think too much. I‘m just afraid that I have to waste more time looking for my stuff if I
lose them while taking care of you guys.‖

Javier‘s reply stunned the baldy for a few moments. He then guffawed and looked back at
Javier like he was an idiot. ―You? You think you can beat all of us?‖

―I, Sam Langdon, have spent years in the underworld. And you‘re the first to ever amuse me
even before I do anything to you. That‘s pretty nice. To reward you, I‘ll cut both your ears off
s o you maintain your symmetry. No need to thank me. 1-‖

Sam was still speaking when Javier threw a fast punch. The baldy barely had time to react.
The only thing that registered was a sting as a gust of wind rushed toward his mouth.

The next instant, his whole mouth felt numb. He even felt some of his teeth coming loose.
The unforeseen heavy blow made him stumble backward involuntarily and almost fall to the
ground. As Sam stood there holding his jaw, he saw Javier initiating the fight against the
members he had brought along.

Like an action-packed film, Javier suddenly sprang up and kicked his legs out in a split,
hitting one guy on his left and one on his right. As he landed, he raised his arm and
elbowed the skull of the guy in front of him.

Sam did not know how else to describe it. He believed that if there were to be running
commentary here, the story would be an epic one. Alas, he was no storyteller and could only
describe what he saw with the simplest of words.

His mouth was still bleeding, but he could care less about it as he watched Javier throw the
guys he had brought to the ground within two minutes. Each of them was either holding
their head or chest looking agonized.

Dusting his hands off in a few claps, Javier then walked up to Sam, seeming as though he
had done nothing. Sam sucked in a cold breath and instinctively feared for his life. This guy
was skilled. He was a tough one. Nonetheless, Sam was no coward. He pulled out a dagger
from behind his back.

Before Sam could make a move, Javier fished out a packet of cigarettes from the baldy‘s
shirt pocket. After lighting up a stick, he said, ―Three things. One, I ran out of cigarettes, so
I‘m taking yours. Two, I‘m not one for small talk. Three, move your d*mn car. It‘s in my way.‖
Despite the dagger in his hand, he was befuddled. He was here to cut off the man‘s ear,
but the latter had stolen his cigarettes instead? If word got out, his reputation was going to
take a huge hit.

While Sam was caught in his daze, Javier spoke up again. ―You deaf? Do I need to repeat
myself?‖

Snapping out of it, Sam quickly put his dagger away. ―No, no, I can hear you loud and
clear. I‗ll move the car right now…‖

And that was exactly what Sam did. He ordered his underlings to get back into the vans and
drove off hastily.

After they left, Javier went toward his car and got back inside as well. Just as he got
comfortable and was ready to start the car, he saw that someone had plopped down on his
car hood in front of the vehicle.

The guy wore a white raggedy shirt, loose black pants, and had one of his feet-which were
in a pair of slippers-on the hood. What would catch one‘s attention was his wavy, shoulder
length hair that made him look like an artist. There was a brush perched on his ear.

At the sight of the man, the corner of Javier‘s lips curled upward and he stealthily pressed
down on his honk. At the sudden beep, the guy on his car hood turned around, slow as a
sloth. ―If you scare me to death, will you bury me?‖

―No,‖ Javier answered. He then got out of his car while the man seated on the hood came
down as well.

Both of them walked toward each other, swiftly closing the distance between, and only
stopped when the tip of their toes nearly touched each other. They then moved
simultaneously, wrapping their arms around each other in a tight hug.

Javier was delighted as he asked, ―Kenzo, what brought you here?‖

―I came back to take care of some stuff. Figured I‘d visit you after I was done.‖

Kenzo, or Mackenzie Spencer, was in charge of the Kerseys‘ black market influences and was
also Javier‘s closest childhood playmate. Although ―play‖ was a stretch, considering that
what Javier had learned from Mackenzie included shooting, wrestling, and whatnot.
The two men got back inside the car and smoked while they did some catching up. After
that, Mackenzie brought up something more serious. ―The old man called me yesterday to
ask if m y location was far from you. He didn‘t ask me to come, but I can guess what he‘s
thinking. He wants to know when you‘ll be back.‖

Javier was silent for a while before he replied, ―There‘s the coming of age ceremony. I have
to go back anyway.”

ISSU

Mackenzie flashed a smile. That was enough to reassure him and for him to go back and

reassure the patriarch.

As they chatted, they heard honking. Three vans sped over and surrounded Javier‘s car once
more. This time, over 20 thugs rushed out of the vans. They did not even say a word as they
dashed over with their sticks, embodying the quiet-but-deadly vibe.

―All right, that‘s it for now then. We‘ll have a good chat when I see you back at
home. I‗ll be going now.‖

With a pat on Javier‘s shoulder, Mackenzie opened the car door and got out. Nobody saw
him raise his arm but the brush that was perched on his ear was now in his hand.

Its handle was red whilst its bristles were snow white. It looked like a brush of good quality.

When Mackenzie flicked it, however, the bristles separated to reveal a sharp blade in the
center…

After Mackenzie got out of the car, Javier turned on the radio. The current song had yet to
reach the chorus but Mackenzie was already waving from a distance away to gesture that he
was leaving.

The aggressive-looking gang of thugs was shaking in pain as they held the sides of their
heads. Sam, who was holding onto a pair of binoculars in a car farther away, felt his hands
tremble at the horror that was the scattered ears on the ground.

That long hair monster had reaped all of his underlings‘ left ears within half a minute. If that
brush that felt more like a mini spear had slashed not their ears, but their necks…
Sam had thought that he would definitely be able to regain his dignity. But at the scene
before his eyes, he dared not think about it anymore. He fumbled for his phone to ask his
men to retreat but the device rang first. The flash of Matthew‘s name on the screen
infuriated him.

If it had not been for this b*stard, Sam‘s men would not be missing an ear each right now,
would they?

When he answered the call, though, he showed no sign of his fury.

―Haha, Mr. Odell, don‘t you worry. I„ve taken care of Javier Kersey. I guarantee he‘ll listen
well from now on…‖

Hanging up, Sam looked menacing. He would let Matthew continue provoking Javier since
the older man had caused over 20 of his men to lose their ears. It was only a matter of time
before Matthew dug a large enough hole for himself!

At the same time, the father-son duo, Matthew and Kendrick, were at the hospital and were
u p to new troubles again.

Chapter 49 What a Bully

Matthew was taking care of Kendrick in the hospital and telling his son about how Jade had
completed the quarter deal. Kendrick had yet to find out that he would be wheelchair-
bound for the rest of his life, thus was unbothered and unruffled that he had the time to
think about making others suffer.

―Since Jade has completed the deal, we don‘t have to target her business dealing from now
on

Kendrick was speaking when Matthew cut him off. ―What do you mean we don‘t have to? Of
course, we have to. It‘s necessary that we do so!

―What do Jade and her mother depend on for their livelihood currently? Beacon Tires, no
doubt.

―Think about it. If they don‘t have Beacon Tires, how will the two of them survive?”
Realization struck Kendrick. ―I understand what you mean now. We will be taking away their
livelihood when we bring down Beacon Tires. When they‘re unable to survive and we Odells
don‘t provide them with any support, Jade can only send herself to the Dunhams!‖

Matthew wore a victorious grin. ―Correct. And I‘ve already made the arrangement. What we
are to do now is wait patiently for Beacon Tires to crumble and for them to go begging the
Dunhams.

―When Jade marries into the Dunhams, Odell Corp. will be swiftly listed from the support we
will receive from the Dunhams. After being listed for some time, we‘ll reap the profits and
the two of us can swim in a pool of fortune from then on!‖

Kendrick looked forward to the delightful future that Matthew was describing and did not
skimp on the compliments he showered on his father.

―Dad, you‘re awesome. You foresee and take everything into consideration. Jade can‘t rival
you at all.‖

―Of course. Who does she think she is? She‘s just some immature brat. Once I‘ve set my
mind o n taking her down, there‘s nothing she could do.‖

Matthew was not all bluster. Not too long after getting into work the next morning, Jade
received a call from the purchasing chief.

He informed her of various degrees of price hikes in the local raw materials they used and
that the increase this time felt odd. Beacon Tires and Midnoon Tires were the only ones
affected. Their rivals remained unscathed.

When Jade went to investigate, she was enraged to find that it was Matthew using Odello

Corp.‘s local influence and abundant funds to manipulate the raw material market and hike

the price to oppress her two factories.

―Matthew‘s still targeting me even when we‘re done with the quarter deal. This is too
much. He‘s trying to ruin Beacon and Midnoon so mum and I won‘t have anything
to live on and he can force me to marry into the Dunhams!‖
Jade saw through Matthew‘s motive right away but could not come up with any decent
solution. She could source raw materials from elsewhere, but that would definitely bring up
her cost. Once the cost rose, she had to increase the product pricing to make a
profit. But the other suppliers would be offering lower prices. On what grounds would her
tires deserve to be priced higher? Her clients would definitely not be willing to fork over the
extra money.

The thought of it brought Jade a headache. However, she felt a need to go talk to the
raw material suppliers to negotiate for a regular quotation.

When Javier found out about the issue, Jade had already gone to negotiate with the raw
material suppliers. He guessed that her tactic would not work, and so he went to seek out
their new CFO, Mary Jane.

Said woman was snacking and binge-watching a series when Javier entered her office. Upon
realizing that it was him, she did not look the slightest bit fazed that it was her boss who
had come in and continued watching her series.

―I‘ve done everything I should. You‘re not allowed to nag me for watching a show!‖

―Of course not. You‘re Mary Jane Gould, the best of the best in finance! The fact that you‘re
willing to accept the CFO position in Beacon when you could‘ve worked somewhere more
established is already our absolute honor. Even with a single finger and both eyes closed,
these banal tasks will be completed perfectly, right?‖

Javier‘s continuous apple-polishing put a grin on Mary Jane‘s face.

―Brat. Ever since you were young, nothing good ever follows whenever you shower me with
unnecessary praises. Spill, what do you want?‖

Javier skipped the pleasantries and talked about how Odello Corp. was oppressing Beacon
Tires and Midnoon Tires. Mary Jane waved right after that.

―I understand what you mean. You want me to hit back at Odello to save the wheels!‖

Javier stuck his thumb up, genuinely admiring the woman.

―You know me best, Mary Jane. That‘s my intention, direct a good amount of funds into
targeting Odello Corp. and force them to spit back the funds they used to stockpile the raw
materials. That way, Beacon and Midnoon‘s crisis will be resolved. I‘ll make the call and get u
s the funds right now.‖

Mary Jane chuckled. ―You‘re still underestimating me, boy. We don‘t need that much money
t o play with a small thing like Odello Corp. Watch how I set the trap and scare them witless
with just a few hundred thousand dollars!‖

That was how confident Mary Jane was. She was omnipotent within the field of
finance. If she wanted to, she could crush Odello Corp. with her bare hands-that was how
insignificant the corporation was to her!

―All right! I‗ll leave this to you then...‖

Exiting Mary Jane‘s office, Javier went back to his own four walls to take a few idle puffs
What he had to do after this was simple. He just needed to wait and witness the attack on
Odello Corp.!

It was two in the afternoon and it was working hours, but Matthew was taking care of his
precious son in the hospital. Once he thought of how Kendrick would have to spend the rest
o f his life in a wheelchair, flames of fury burned within him and he directed them toward
Jade.

He remained stubborn that nothing would have happened if Jade had not put up a fight
and had just agreed to marry into the Dunhams. Kendrick would not be handicapped right
now. Hence, Matthew‘s fury toward Jade only increased.

If Mr. Dunham had not taken a liking to Jade, he might have even broken both of Jade‘s legs
and rendered her a cripple!

While he fumed silently, his secretary called. Worried that he would wake Kendrick, who was
taking a nap, Matthew covered the speaker of his phone and stepped out of the ward to
answer it.

―What? We„re under fire by an unknown conglomerate? Why is this happening? What
happened?‖

The moment he learned of what was happening, Matthew was unsettled. He hastily left
instructions with Kendrick‘s caretaker and sped off. Once he got back to headquarters, he
flew toward the finance department to find out the current situation from the deputy
finance director.

The guy explained, ―The attack is coming from all directions. All the businesses under our
corporation are financially affected, in varying degrees, by the market.

―Right now, all our subsidiaries are going haywire. We have no idea which corporation is
targeting us, but I‘ve launched an investigation. The first thing we have to do is wire in our
funding to counter such financial attacks…‖

Chapter 50 The Reassurance He Brings

Matthew knew nothing about finances. Similarly, he did not understand how
Odello Corp. was being targeted financially when the company was not even listed. The
deputy finance director explained everything to him, but it all sounded like a foreign
language to Matthew. H e just could not be bothered to digest it.

―You‘re the expert here. I‘ll leave this to you. I‘ll trust whatever you suggest!‖

The deputy finance director was quite moved. ―I won‘t let you down, M1. Odell!‖

After the vow, the deputy finance director suggested that Matthew pull back all the
corporation‘s funds in order to face a possible incoming and bigger finance attack.

Matthew sent out the order at once to direct back all the funds that could possibly be
pulled back. His secretary asked softly from the side, ―Mr. Odell, those stockpiles of raw
materials for tires, they make up quite a substantial amount.‖

On one hand, it was the life and death of Odello Corp. On the other hand, it was tearing
Beacon Tires apart. Although Matthew was reluctant to lose such an opportunity, he had to
assent. ―Sell them all in exchange for funding so we can fully concentrate on facing this
crisis. Whatever you do, don‘t sell it to Beacon or Midnoon!‖

The secretary complied and hurried off to delegate the tasks to the relevant staff.

Half an hour later, Larry from Grazin‘ Tractor appeared at one of Odello Corp.‘s warehouses.
After some back and forth bargaining with the person in charge, the raw materials were all
sold to Larry at a price that was 20% lower than the market rate. They put the agreement
down in writing too, signed and sealed, so it was bound by the law.
After the agreement was signed, Larry made the logistic arrangements to transport the
materials while the warehouse person in charge contacted Matthew.

―Mr. Odell, we‘ve sold all the raw materials for the tires according to your instructions. The
payment has been made, but we had to give a 20% discount.‖

Matthew sighed at the news. ―It‘s all right, as long as we manage to sell everything, the
discount is negligible. It‘s more urgent that we tackle what we‘re facing now. Right, who did
you sell it to? Not Beacon or Midnoon, right?‖

The answer was negative. The person in charge reported that he had followed Matthew‘s
instructions and had sold the materials to Grazin‘ Tractors instead.

Matthew found the name familiar like he had come across it somewhere, but he did not pay
attention to it since his priority was still to fend off the finance attack. He hung up shortly
and notified the deputy finance director that all traceable funds were back in place.

It was then the deputy finance director creased his brows in confusion. Matthew asked

curiously, ―What‘s the matter? Do we not have enough funds?‖

The man shook his head. ―No, that‘s not the case. It‘s just that they seem to be
behaving quite oddly. They showed signs of going all out in battle earlier, attacking all the
businesses under our corporation, but it‘s all quiet now.‖

Matthew did not understand what he was getting at, so the deputy finance director
explained in simpler terms, ―It‘s like they were trying to scare us.‖

―Then?‖ Matthew questioned.

―It‘s exactly because nothing came after that is why I‘m confused. It‘s like the sky had
darkened and thunder had roared just a second ago, but all the dark clouds suddenly
vanished and there isn‘t a single drop of rain…‖ the deputy finance director answered.

Matthew finally understood. ―So basically, I was anxious and panicky all day and prepared
for an attack that didn‘t happen?!‖

The deputy finance director winced, ―We can‘t exactly say that either. After all, they were
being really aggressive just now. We couldn‘t afford to not take precautions.‖
Matthew was furious. He had been scared and worried for nothing. It turned out that
nothing had happened. But there was nothing he could say to the deputy finance director.
The latter did not do anything wrong. He had been getting them ready just in case.

Matthew was puzzled. And thinking about the 20% of funds he had lost on the raw tire
materials frustrated him. Then, his phone rang, showing an unknown local number.

Before Matthew could say anything, the person on the other end of the line spoke up first.

―Mr. Matthew Odell? I‘m the purchasing chief of Beacon Tires. Our boss asked me to thank
Odello Corp. for getting us raw materials that cost 20% less than the market price and
saving u s over 300 thousand dollars.

―Our boss also mentioned that to show our sincere gratitude, she has decided to host a pity
party for you at Dum-O-Mattie-Diner tonight and has invited you to join us. Do come, Mr.
Odell. All of us at Beacon Tires are really looking forward to your presence!‖

Matthew was unable to get a word in throughout the phone call. It was until the call was cut
that he snapped out of it. He finally remembered who Grazin‘ Tractors was-they were
Beacon Tires‘ biggest client according to the report Jade had presented!

In his office, Matthew roared and thrashed his phone out of rage. He had repeated himself
like a broken record to not sell the materials to Jade, but that woman ultimately managed to
get her hands on them.

That was a loss of over 300 thousand dollars. While it was nothing to Odello Corp., it was a
huge thorn in his side. Matthew had dug a trap for Jade, wanting to bury her inside, only to
end up jumping into it himself and even became her stepping stone.

The mere thought made Matthew want to explode. He furiously pounded his fists on the
desktop. How dare they say Dum-O-Mattie-Diner-Mattie was short for Matthew, they were
basically calling him a dummy!

Paying over 300 thousand dollars on behalf of someone else, being called up and mocked
at, and even addressed as a dummy… Matthew‘s eyes watered from fury. It was
exasperating. This was not the way to do things. They were such bullies…
Jade was in similar woe. Returning to the office a huff, she was irked. How could they have
increased the price just like that and done it only to her company? She had not even been
able to reach a mutual price agreement with them. They were such bullies…

As she grumbled to herself, the purchasing chief ran over giddily.

―Ms. Odell, Mr. Kersey‘s amazing. He got us the raw materials and saved us over 300
thousand dollars. He‘s the man!‖

Jade looked lost, not comprehending the situation. She had just come back from the
negotiation where she had failed. Where was Javier sourcing the raw materials from?

She hurried to Javier‘s office to ask about it and an awed gaze fell over her face when she
was told the solution ―Javier, you‘re amazing! I was just wondering how we were going to
go about this issue and you‘ve already resolved it. That, and have given Matthew Odell a
loud slap across his face as well. What a bad*ss!‖

Jade was not trying to pander to Javier. She genuinely thought that the man with his tactics
was brilliant.

Javier did not take the credit but replied with a smile, ―It‘s got nothing to do with me. Ms.
Gould‘s the one who accomplished the feat.‖

Jade said nothing more but she was well aware-Mary Jane should not be discredited in this
achievement, but it was obviously Javier‘s idea. Moreover, if it had not been for Javier, Mary
Jane would not even join Beacon Tires and thus would have helped them today. Basically,
Jade was still immensely grateful to Javier, thankful that he was around her and for the
sense of reassurance he brought to her…