Lily stood there with her fists clenched. Heavy taxes on alcohol and tobacco products were commonplace, yet the students couldn't help but be shocked by the sheer magnitude of those levies.Christian, in particular, was deeply distressed. 1.7 million dollars for a bottle of wine? That sum could have bought him a luxurious new car!Christian couldn't bear the thought of paying that amount. Pain shot through his cheeks as he bit down hard. Desperate for a solution, he turned to Timmy, hoping for a lifeline. Unfortunately, Timmy was too overwhelmed to register Christian's silent plea.A surge of contempt washed over Christian. Timmy had been silent despite all the encouragement earlier, making Christian feel like a fool.The room was deathly silent.Oliver prompted, "Sir?"Determined to salvage his dignity, Christian tugged on Oliver's sleeve. "Why is this wine so expensive?""Expensive?" Oliver flashed him a big smile. "Sir, didn't you say it was just a bottle of wine and wouldn
The disdain on Oliver's face dealt a blow to Lily's dignity. Not wanting to be brought down even more just because of a bottle of wine, she said, "That's enough! It's just a misunderstanding. Christian, pay for everything with your credit card."Her gaze, fixated on Christian, was emotional. She and Christian were similar, so he would definitely know that this incident would only harm his family's reputation if he let it snowball further.If word of this were to spread on campus, if everyone else heard about how Christian, the scion of the Short family, couldn't even afford a bottle of wine, he'd never get to join the elite social circles in Janovin. Christian understood what Lily meant. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Hand me the reader."The restaurant manager walked over. Christian gripped his card tightly, which made his reluctance to pay obvious. However, he decided it was fine. He would just have his father give him more money later."I'm sorry, sir, but this card isn't worki
Even when the York family’s bodyguards weren't publicly assigned to their employers, they would still discreetly send experienced men for protection.Before Christian's friends could unleash a torrent of insults, Timmy was already on the floor. Confused, the group of students hesitated before erupting into chaos.Oliver was annoyed and was about to tell them to leave when a cold, deep voice said slowly, "Tell them to come in."The bodyguards stood to the side, and the students finally saw Landon's face in its entirety. He had extremely exquisite features, and he stood lean and tall. His eyes were as dark as the night as he sat on a mahogany chair. He was only wearing a shirt and slacks, but he fit right in with the opulence of this restaurant.He looked as majestic as a king in ancient times, and his gaze alone was full of meaning. His bright red rosary bracelet was especially eye-catching—it seemed to distance him from modern times. He remained striking even in comparison with the
"That was in the past, and I'm not proud of it, so don't mention it." Aria tapped on Landon's wrist. "He's talking to you, so show some respect."What Aria wanted was simple—for Christian to be dismissed as soon as possible. Christian was so ugly that it ruined her mood.Landon complied. He looked up lazily. "I don't know what will happen to me if I antagonize your family, but I know what's going to happen to your family.""Now that's funny! You're just a pretty boy Aria is providing for, and yet you dare boast so arrogantly in front of us!" a young man shouted.Lily no longer thought much about Landon. So what if he was pretty? Could looks be exchanged for money?Her opinion toward him had soured also because he'd embarrassed her in that manner. Aria laughed when she heard those words. "Pretty boy, huh? You're not wrong. You'll probably have to pay 100,000 dollars for him if he were to work in a nightclub. Or maybe double that—it'd still be worth it."Landon wouldn't just let
Upon seeing who called, Christian complained, "You must help me out here, Dad. Someone's looking down on our family—"Before Christian could finish his sentence, Norman roared, "Where are you?"Christian's hands started to shake. "Dad—""Don't call me that! Answer my question! Where are you?" Norman was going mad.Christian realized that something had gone wrong. "I-I'm at this place serving baked seafood—""Bastard!" Norman clutched at his chest. "Why did I give birth to you when you do nothing but give me trouble? All thanks to you, our family is done for!"Norman's voice was so loud that Christian's friends heard him. "Who did you cross? Tell me, you useless good-for-nothing!"Norman suddenly received countless calls on his phone. The family's business dealings in the gray area were under investigation. Everything had happened within minutes, and Norman hadn't even had time to enlist someone else's services. The authorities had directly issued an order suspending the family
The other students asked hoarsely, "What does that mean? Is he—""The exact amount of wealth amassed by the Yorks have yet to be fully calculated. The antiques the family donated to museums alone are worth 10 billion dollars." Mary turned to Landon. "You're Landon York."Landon didn't deny that, which made Christian even more fearful. He said, his lips trembling, "I didn't know it was you, Mr. York. If I'd known, I wouldn't have come over here no matter what.""This is all a misunderstanding!" Christian grabbed Timmy's arm. "It's because of him! He kept on egging me on!"Christian no longer cared about his dignity. "Can you spare my family, seeing as we have achieved countless feats in the medical field? Please, this is just a misunderstanding!""A misunderstanding, you say?" Landon glanced at him, his gaze cold. "You didn't know who I was, but I know about you."He said icily, "You were my fiancée's ex-boyfriend."Fiancée? Everyone turned to Aria.Landon said slowly, half-smil
Christian crumpled to the floor. No one dared step forward after they knew who Landon was. Landon made to leave the room with Aria; his bodyguards would deal with everything else that followed.Upon seeing how protective he was of Aria, Lily was consumed by flames of jealousy, which eventually morphed into a burning hatred. Why did Aria, of all people, get to have this man as beautiful as an angel? Lily gripped the straps of her backpack hard as her gaze fell on Landon's face. Her lips were almost bruised from how hard she was biting on them, and her eyes burned hotly. "This fine man should have been mine," Lily thought. Despite coming from a wealthy family in Southbury, Christian was cowardly in the face of difficulty, unlike Landon, who was so powerful he could bring upon the Short family's downfall with just one sentence.Lily decided to try attracting Landon's attention. Although they didn't have a good start, she was greatly advantaged in a way other people weren't—she k
Chenice had said all that out of jealousy because Aria had found herself a great boyfriend. However, when she started rumors about Aria and her sugar daddies, Mary wondered if Chenice was not afraid of the karmic consequences.Mary didn't know about anyone else, but the only thought in her mind was that she should stay away from this crowd.When Landon left, he said, "I can't tolerate anyone saying malicious things about my fiancée. If anyone else wants to spread rumors around, expect lawyers to show up at your door. I'm always ready to take the matter further."All the students dared not speak. Lily, the shrewd and calculating woman she was, knew very well that this was not the right time and place to tell Landon about what she knew. Those who attracted the most attention were always dealt with first. Also, Landon wasn't just an ordinary descendant from a wealthy family; he wouldn't remember her if she'd only used the most basic tricks.As Lily witnessed Chenice's downfall, she