Chapter 83

"I'm sorry, Mr. Carter. I... I didn't mean it that way. I thought Miss Smith might enjoy that cup of coffee," Lara said, trying her best to salvage her image. After all, Michael was Jacob's cousin, and Lara couldn't afford to tarnish her reputation in front of him. Ruby noticed Lara's flustered state and smiled slightly. "Miss Lara, how about this? I'll accept your apology, but in return, you can pay me for that cup of coffee. Let's just forget about it," she said calmly. Lara wasn't ready to admit defeat, but Ruby's offer left her no choice. Suppressing her anger, Lara nodded and said, "Fine. I apologize. I'll reimburse you for the coffee." Michael quietly observed the situation. His attention piqued as Ruby took out her phone, opened a QR code for payment, and placed it on the table. Without hesitation, Lara retrieved her phone, scanned the code, and transferred $5000 to Ruby. As she completed the transfer, Lara exhaled deeply and said in a calm tone, "Miss Smith, please forgive my r