Chapter 1 The Woman's Provocation

I was meeting a client at a café when a server splashed coffee on me. Before I could say anything, the server began sobbing. "I didn't do it on purpose!"

Yet the defiance in her eyes was palpable.

I frowned. "Get some tissues for me."

The server begrudgingly handed some tissues over to me and said, "I'm just a student working part-time here. Please don't report me to our boss, okay?"

I was wiping the stain off my clothes, though I figured my effort was in vain. My clothes were already ruined.

"Are you trying to avoid punishment after causing trouble?" I snapped.

"I told you it was an accident," she retorted. "Besides, I already apologized. Why are you making things difficult for me?"

Had the server been upfront about it, I wouldn't have pressed further.

"Just because it's an accident doesn't mean you don't have to compensate me," I reminded sarcastically.

"It's just a shirt! How much is it? I'll pay you," she spat out the words.

Whisking out a few hundred-dollar bills from her wallet, she slammed the money on the table and jerked her chin at me. "Is this enough?"

I shook my head.

Her smug expression froze. Reluctantly pulling out a few more bills, she snarled. "Is it enough now?"

"My clothes are from the latest season," I drawled out. "You can check how much it's worth on the official website."

Some eager onlookers had already checked the price of my clothes and gasped. "Ten thousand dollars?"

The server immediately turned grim. "Are you trying to scam me? How can a shirt possibly cost ten thousand dollars? Come on, I could get plenty of shirts like yours anywhere."

I couldn't be bothered to argue with her. Just as I was about to call the manager, the server's expression changed.

"Miss, I'm sorry," she blurted out.

My client also happened to call at that time.

As I stopped in my tracks, the server quickly added, "Miss, you should answer your phone now. With all your money, surely, this small amount isn't worth fussing over."

…

Since my meeting with my client was suddenly canceled, I headed home instead. Sean said he was going to bring his girlfriend over today.

Hearing his voice outside, I was about to go downstairs when I heard a familiar voice.

"That old woman was an absolute lunatic today! I already apologized to her, yet she refused to let me off the hook. You have no idea how arrogant she was. She was just trying to bully poor people like me. Sean, your sister's nothing like that, right?"

Sean patted his chest and assured her, saying, "Don't worry. Sasha isn't that kind of person!

"Sasha?"

As I descended the stairs, I flashed a smile at the server from the café, who was still gawking at me.

Unaware of the awkwardness between us, Sean led his girlfriend toward me and said, "Sasha, this is my girlfriend, Isobel Lane. Izzie, meet my sister."

Isobel froze. "Hi, Sasha…"

"Don't bother," I said indifferently and sat down. "You just called me an old woman earlier."

Sean finally caught up. "Izzie, so the woman you met at the café earlier was my sister? What a coincidence!"

Looking wronged, Isobel hung her head low and murmured, "Sasha, does that mean you're still mad at me?"

I was rendered speechless.

"Sasha has plenty of clothes. Losing one isn't a big deal," Sean said, rushing to comfort her. "Hush, don't cry."

"I know." Isobel sobbed, leaning into Sean. "I might come from a poor background, but I've never thought of taking advantage of you guys. I'll compensate Sasha for her shirt."

"Forget it. We're family, after all," Sean said.

He then turned to me and shook my arms, pleading, "Sasha, have some pity on Izzie, will you? You're the bigger person, so just let this go, okay?"

Slightly uneasy from his rough grip, I chided, "You're not a child anymore, but you're still acting like one."

Sean beamed. "Sasha, is that a yes?"

He turned toward Isobel and quickly urged, "Izzie, say thanks to Sasha now!"

Isobel reluctantly complied.

After all, she was Sean's girlfriend. My expression softened as I said, "You're still young, so be more mindful of your actions. I don't expect much from you two. Sean's my only brother, and I genuinely wish the best for both of you."

"Sasha, don't worry," Sean chimed in happily. "Izzie's the best. When the time comes, we'll both help you out at the company so that you won't tire yourself."

I nodded in relief. "You two have fun at home. I still have some work to handle at the company."

"Sure. You've worked hard, Sasha."

As I was about to reach the garage, I suddenly realized I had forgotten something and turned back.

"Sean, is your sister in charge of the company?"

"Yeah. I'm still young, so it doesn't matter if I have fun for a few more years. I'll also have more time to be with you."

"But I've seen news about siblings fighting over a company. You and your sister get along well, but you should still be cautious."

I didn't hear Sean's response, nor did I plan to go back inside. I simply turned around and left.