Chapter 7

Edward's cold gaze locked onto Hailey as he reached out his hand. "Since this isn't your family's Volkswagen, can I have my key back now?"

Hailey let out a contemptuous snort, tossing the key into Edward's hand.

"I'm sure this key is just a toy. Do you really expect me to believe that some country bumpkin like you could afford a Maybach?"

Willian sneered and added, "With how poor he is, there's no way he can afford a Maybach. I'll eat my hat if he does. Edward has been living off Winona all these years. Without her, he's just a worthless man."

Then, William pointed to the yellow Maybach parked nearby and mocked, "I bet you don't even know what a Maybach looks like. Let me educate you. That car over there? That's a Maybach."

Around them, people began noticing the yellow Maybach parked in front of Villa 20. A buzz of admiration filled the air.

"That car is stunning! The sleek curves, the flashy design. If I had a car like that, I'd be the king of the road."

"I didn't know Maybach made such a good-looking sports car. I'll go ask my dad for a few million and buy one myself!"

"A few million? You'd be lucky to get a set of wheels with that. This car is a Maybach 'Phantom Storm.' There's only one in the world, and it costs over a hundred million. And we're talking in meldos—Meldora currency—which is worth seven times more than our dollar."

"What? A hundred million meldos for that car? Wait a minute... it's parked in front of Villa 20... could it be theirs?"

The crowd, upon learning that the Maybach cost a staggering amount, shifted their gaze toward Hailey and the group with a new level of interest.

In Havaria, anyone who could spend a hundred million meldos on a car was definitely among the wealthiest of the wealthy.

While the people living in this villa community are all wealthy in their own right, none of them have reached the level where buying a hundred-million-Meldora dollars car was just another purchase.

William noticed the envious looks from the crowd as they discussed the Maybach possibly belonging to his family. He couldn't help but lift his head, a smug expression spreading across his face as he basked in their admiration.

Seeing William's vanity, Edward couldn't help but let out a chuckle.

"William, don't tell me you're trying to say this Maybach belongs to your family?"

William snapped out of his thoughts, his eyes flashing with a hint of uncertainty. But when he saw the amused look in Edward's eyes, he couldn't help but say, "Yeah, that car? It's my sister's.

"You're well aware that my sister's about to land the ten-billion-dollar contract with Draken Group. Spending a hundred million meldos on a car? No big deal for her."

In truth, William was bluffing.

He hadn't heard Winona mention the Maybach at all. But he figured that since the car was parked in front of his sister's villa, it was probably hers.

After all, who would park a car right outside someone else's house?

Hailey leaned over to William, tugging at his sleeve. Her voice dropped to a whisper. "William, are you sure this car really belongs to us? I don't remember your sister ever mentioning it."

Worry flickered in her eyes. With so many people watching, they would be caught in a very awkward situation if the actual owner showed up.

William lowered his voice, trying to reassure her. "Mom, relax. Who else would park a car like that at Winona's place? It's probably one she just bought and hasn't had a chance to tell us about yet."

Hailey swallowed, a tight motion in her throat. She thought William's explanation sounded pretty far-fetched. Even if the car was newly bought, wouldn't Winona have mentioned it before?

But since William had already made that claim, Hailey didn't want to contradict him in front of everyone. So, she stayed quiet.

William looked down at Edward with a sneer, lifting his chin in a show of arrogance.

He gestured to the car and said, "Edward, you see the gap between you and my sister now, right? My sister drops a hundred million meldos on a car like it's nothing, and you... well, I bet even if you worked for ten years, you'd still be stuck driving a used Volkswagen."

Edward's eyes were filled with amusement as William boasted, and he sneered. "I never realized you had such a talent for bragging without thinking."

Williams's face darkened with anger at Edward's words. He stepped forward and angrily shouted, "What are you talking about, Edward? When did I ever brag?"

Edward's eyes suddenly sharpened, his entire presence shifting into something more dangerous and intense. The air around him seemed to grow colder, and William instinctively took a step back, startled by the sudden change.

"Will you swear on it, William Spencer? Swear that your sister bought that car?"

Edward's voice was cold and cutting, his gaze never leaving William's face. The intensity of his stare made William feel uneasy, and he felt his throat dry up.

But then he remembered how weak Edward had seemed over the past three years, and that thought gave him some courage back.

Trying to maintain his composure, William puffed out his chest and declared loudly, "Fine, I swear. If this car isn't my sister's, then I'll—I'll—"

He froze, the words catching in his throat. Despite his bravado, there was still a flicker of doubt in his mind.

Even though swearing oaths might just be superstitious nonsense, what if it was actually real?

Edward smirked and said, "Go on, finish your sentence. Why did you stop?"

William swallowed hard, but his eyes hardened with resolve. "I'll—I'll get hit by a car!"

Hailey immediately rushed forward to stop him.

"How can you say something like that, William? Take back those words right now!"

"Mom, why are you so worried? This car is definitely Winona's. You don't need to be scared."

"But…"

"No buts! Just stop talking."

Edward watched them bicker for a moment, then sighed, clearly uninterested. He crouched down to neatly pack the suitcase, then grabbed it and started walking toward the car.

Thinking Edward was about to leave, William quickly called out, "Edward, don't go. I—"

His words trailed off, his eyes widening in disbelief. Edward, holding the so-called "toy" Maybach key, pressed a button, and the car's yellow lights blinked on.

After setting the suitcase in the trunk, Edward looked over at William with an amused glint in his eyes.

"You might want to be more careful next time you leave the house, or you might just get hit by a car for real," he taunted.

With that, Edward slid into the driver's seat. The engine roared to life, and the Maybach shot forward like a bullet, leaving a trail of exhaust smoke that caused William and Hailey to cough uncontrollably.

The crowd around them stood frozen in shock.

"Oh my God, that car worth over a hundred million meldos is his? I can't believe it! You'd never guess someone so young could afford a car like that," one person exclaimed.

"You're crazy if you think money alone can get you a car like that. Those limited-edition models? You need connections. Even if you have a hundred million meldos, you won't get one," another person corrected.

"Whoa! Now that you mention it, that makes sense. So, the guy's not just rich, but connected too. How did the Spencer family let someone like him slip through their fingers? They must be blind, or just plain dumb," another person added.

The crowd looked over at William and Hailey with a mix of mockery and amusement.

The remarks stung. William and Hailey exchanged uncomfortable glances, quickly turning and heading into the villa to hide from the growing gossip.

Inside the villa, William still couldn't process that the Maybach had belonged to Edward.

"Mom, what's going on? How could that country bumpkin Edward afford a hundred million-Meldora Dollar car?" he muttered, his eyes full of confusion as he turned to Hailey.

Hailey's face was full of confusion as she replied, "You're asking me that? How would I know? Why don't you ask your sister? Maybe she bought the car for Edward as compensation for their divorce."

The moment William heard that, a spark of realization lit up his eyes. "That's it! I knew there was no way that country bumpkin Edward could afford such an expensive car. It must've been a gift from Winona."

Hailey's eyes widened in excitement. "If that's the case, we need to get that car back. It's worth over a hundred million meldos! Why should Edward, of all people, get to keep it?"

William nodded in agreement, quickly pulling out his phone to make a call. "Don't worry, Mom. Edward's not getting away with that car. I'll find out where it is, and we'll get it back."

Hailey's face lit up with anticipation. That car was worth more than a hundred million Meldora dollars. Just the thought of it made her heart race.

-

Meanwhile, Edward drove the Maybach aimlessly down the street, lost in thought. It wasn't until then that he realized he hadn't even figured out where he was going to stay yet.

Just then, Edward spotted a 30-story building in the distance. It was the only five-star hotel in Havaria.

-

Inside the Galaxy Hotel's suite, Edward had just finished his shower and was wrapped in a white towel. Sitting back on the sofa with a glass of red wine in hand, he took a slow sip, his gaze distant as he stared out the floor-to-ceiling windows at the city's night lights.

He sighed. "Three years of effort, and this is the outcome…"

His thoughts drifted back to reality as he sighed again, lifting his glass and finishing off the wine in one go.

Just then, a loud noise from outside caught his attention.

Furrowing his brow, Edward stood and walked toward the door to see what was going on. But as soon as he opened it, someone rushed straight into his arms.

Edward felt the softness in his arms, the faint scent of perfume drifting up to his nose. It was a woman—a woman with a body that felt... incredible.

His mind raced as his hands made contact with her back, and he was momentarily stunned.

"Are you okay?" Edward asked, snapping out of his daze as he gently pushed the woman away from him.

As she moved, he was met with a face so stunning it almost took his breath away.

His throat tightened, and he swallowed hard, unable to tear his gaze away from her. He couldn't deny it—this was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.