Immortal King

Chapter 40

"Don't be hasty! I'm not saying I won't pay!" Bob quickly said, eyeing the burly security guards standing before him.

The cashier snorted. "Honestly, who throws a dress on the ground and stomps on it? Normally, a customer who picks the wrong item can return it, but you've destroyed it, so it can't be returned!"

Bob frowned deeply, unable to come up with a response. The woman behind him was pale and visibly frightened.

Jack, standing nearby, allowed a small smile to form. He knew that the real price of the dress was only a few hundred dollars. When the woman started stomping on it, Jack—being the owner of D.T. Tower—had contacted the store owner and quickly changed the system's price and item name in the backend. Had they not caused trouble, Jack wouldn't have bothered.

"Honey, what are we going to do?" The woman clung to Bob, her voice trembling.

Bob's face turned ashen. He had initially intended to default on the payment, but he knew that none of the businesses in D.T. Tower were easy to deal with. Reluctantly, he abandoned that idea.

He only had one hundred thousand dollars on him. Recently, the Foster family had been spending heavily on the memorial park project, leaving him with little pocket money.

"Do you have the money or not?" The cashier prompted, seeing Bob still standing there.

Bob gritted his teeth. "Who said I don't have the money? Just wait!" He then marched over to Emily, hand outstretched. "Emily, give me two hundred thousand dollars, and I'll plead with the old lady to rescind the order to evict your family."

"What?" Emily laughed in disbelief. She didn't have two hundred thousand on her, and even if she did, why would she give it to Bob? Besides, returning to the Foster family no longer held any appeal for them.

Ignoring Bob, Emily placed her items on the counter and paid. As she was about to leave, Bob grabbed her wrist, his eyes bloodshot. "If you walk away now, your family will never be welcomed back! This mess is all your fault. If it weren't for you, she wouldn't have done this!"

"This has nothing to do with me!" Emily protested, shaking him off.

"You wretched woman! Stand still!" Bob shouted, raising his hand to strike her.

A sharp slap echoed, but it wasn't Emily who was hit. Bob's face swelled up, and he was sent flying, landing on the floor in a heap. The onlookers gasped, their eyes now on Jack. This man, who had remained silent throughout, had struck with ruthless efficiency, earning admiration for his decisiveness. Jack ignored the stunned crowd, taking Emily's hand and leading her away.

"That guy is infuriating! Who does he think he is?" Emily fumed as they walked.

"There's no need to bother with him," Jack said calmly. Tonight was their first anniversary in eight years, and he didn't want anything to spoil it.

"Jack, where are we going next?" Emily asked.

Jack, sensing it was time, said, "Let's head to the rooftop. We're having dinner there."

"The rooftop?" Emily was puzzled. "Isn't that the Falling Star Night restaurant? When did you book a table there?"

"It wasn't me. The restaurant owner knows Drake, so I had him reserve a spot for us," Jack explained casually, having planned this excuse.

As expected, Emily didn't doubt him, though she seemed slightly displeased.

"Jack, you shouldn't always trouble Drake. We don't need to dine at such fancy places, especially since there haven't been any meteor showers recently. It would be expensive and boring," Emily said.

Jack smiled, remaining silent. He knew this was Emily's way of showing love. He had noticed her secretly checking high-end restaurant promotions. It was clear she wanted to experience fine dining but didn't want Jack to waste his connections and money on her.

Leading the reluctant Emily to the rooftop, they were warmly welcomed by the restaurant staff.

"Welcome, please come in!" The waiter greeted them enthusiastically.

Upon seeing the empty restaurant, Emily was stunned. The waiter quickly explained, "Ma'am, there are no meteor showers tonight, so business is slow."

"That can't be..." Emily shook her head. "Falling Star Night is always Wyndcrest's most popular couple's restaurant. Watching the meteors is just one of its draws. The panoramic city view through the floor-to-ceiling windows is a dream for couples. Reservations need to be made well in advance. You expect me to believe business is slow tonight?"

Hearing this, the waiter's smile faltered. He hadn't anticipated Emily knowing so much about the restaurant, rendering his prepared excuse useless.

Jack intervened, "Dear, whether the restaurant's business is good or not has nothing to do with us. We're just customers here to spend money, not the owners of this place. You must be so busy with company matters that you overthink whenever you see anything related to business. Let's go inside. There are no other customers tonight, so we can relax a bit."

"Alright," Emily nodded, sitting at a window-side table with Jack.

Shortly, waiters brought in various exquisite dishes. Emily's eyes sparkled at the sight of all her favorite foods. They clinked glasses, sipping wine and just beginning their meal when a commotion arose outside the restaurant.

Turning, they saw Bob and his girlfriend arguing at the entrance.

"He's sticking around like a bad penny!" Jack's expression darkened, a flash of anger in his eyes.

"There are so many empty seats inside. Why can't we go in?" Bob shouted at the doorman.

"Sorry, sir, the restaurant is closed for the night," the doorman replied coldly. The owner had specifically instructed that the restaurant be cleared for Mr. Steele and his wife tonight. All previous reservations had been canceled with apologies.

But now, Bob had seen Jack and Emily dining at the best window seat.

"You're lying! If the restaurant is closed, why are they dining inside? Why can they be served but not us?" Bob yelled, pointing at Jack and Emily.