Chapter 19

The air seemed to freeze, and an eerie silence filled the room. "Looking down on people, huh?" Celia finally spoke, breaking the silence. "The truth will be revealed sooner or later." The expressions on the faces of those around her changed instantly, as if they'd just been slapped. Kylie glanced sideways at Iris. "Are you still buying more?" Iris' face burned with humiliation and anger. She wanted nothing more than to tear Kylie apart. With a cold scoff, she stormed out of the jewelry store. She had already purchased plenty today—buying more might send Samuel the wrong message. She might not have won, but she hadn't lost either. Samuel had no interest in Kylie, and now that she'd casually spent over a million dollars, he would only despise her even more. After Iris left, a store associate immediately stepped forward with a respectful smile. "Ms. Clark, we have a few new arrivals. Would you like to take a look?" "It's fine." "Understood. Then I'll go ahead and wrap up that necklace for you." The associate turned to prepare the packaging, but just as she was about to leave, Kylie's voice rang out. "Hold on." The associate stiffened as a bad premonition surfaced. And sure enough, Kylie's words confirmed her worst fears. Kylie looked at her with a faint smile playing on her lips. "I've suddenly realized that necklace doesn't suit me. After all, a bumpkin like me could be wearing designer clothes, and people would still assume they're fakes. "Who knows what people will think if I go out wearing a ten-million-dollar necklace? It's not that I care about their opinions, but it's better to avoid unnecessary drama." The associate froze in place. That was exactly what she had just called her. She had remembered every word. And now, she was throwing it right back at her. "So, I'd like a refund." Kylie smiled. "Well..." The associate felt like crying. A million in sales meant a hefty commission, which would be enough to cover her base salary for more than half a year. Before she could say more, Kylie cut her off. "This necklace wasn't custom-made. Consumer protection laws state that returns are free within three days, and exchanges are valid for seven." The associate had been about to say that all sales were final, but Kylie clearly knew her rights. With no way out, especially since she had paid with Samuel's card, the associate had no choice but to accept the loss in silence. ... Meanwhile, at the headquarters of the Prestige Group, Samuel sat on the couch near the coffee table, casually flipping through a finance magazine. Across from him, Sebastian leaned back. "So, she used curing Mr. Vance Senior's illness as leverage to force you to marry her? And not only did you agree, but you even brought her back to Hythe Villa to… build a relationship?" Samuel frowned. "Not to build a relationship. I want to supervise and monitor her." At that moment, a notification chimed from his black phone on the coffee table. He glanced at it with an unreadable expression. It was a bank alert—a purchase notification. Not long after, there was another chime. Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "You never check your messages. What's with all the alerts today?" "Bank transaction notifications," Samuel said coolly. "Is she out on a shopping spree with your card?" Samuel replied without looking up, "It's Iris." Sebastian had always found Iris suspicious, but with no solid proof and with Samuel treating her like a treasure, he had no choice but to keep his opinions to himself. After all, it wasn't his money. Samuel had plenty to spare. Then the phone chimed again. And again. Sebastian couldn't help but laugh. "I didn't expect your savior to be such a shopaholic." "There's no problem with a man making money for his woman to spend," Samuel said matter-of-factly. "If a man can't even do that, he's useless." Sebastian smirked. "So, what's the plan for your wife?" His tone was full of amusement. Before Samuel could answer, he added, "Honestly, why don't women like that ever force me to marry them? She could've just taken a big payout or cashed in on a favor from the Vance family, but instead, she insisted on marrying you. "She knows you have someone you like, so she won't even be happy marrying you. Sure, you're the richest man in Seaville, but if she just wanted money, she could've picked an easier way. The risks definitely outweigh the rewards." He knew how bad Vincent's health was. Even he couldn't treat him. Kylie, who was years younger, had managed to do it. It made him both curious and a little impressed. Just then, Samuel's phone chimed once more. "Greed knows no bounds," Samuel remarked expressionlessly, glancing at his phone. His thin lips curled into a mocking smirk. "What’s wrong? Has she maxed out your card?" Sebastian leaned lazily against the sofa, gloating. "No." Samuel's voice was calm, but his eyes darkened. The latest message wasn't from the same bank—it was from another card he had given to Kylie. She hadn't held back and had spent over a million dollars in one go. She was greedier than he'd expected. No wonder she'd gone to such lengths to become his wife. A one-time payout could be spent in no time. But being his wife meant a lifetime of luxury. Sebastian leaned in. "If she didn't max out your card, why do you look like that?" "She was at the shopping center as well and had spent over a million dollars." Sebastian burst into laughter. "Hah! What if they were in the same store, competing to see who could max out your card first?" Samuel's face darkened instantly. Moments later, there was another chime. Samuel checked the message and froze. Sebastian peered over. "What now? Another few million spent?" Then, he saw the screen and nearly collapsed laughing. It was a bank refund notification. "Unbelievable!" Sebastian wiped away tears of laughter. "You're in for one hell of a ride! You and Kylie are a perfect match." What was Kylie playing at? Samuel's expression grew unreadable. ... After leaving the shopping center, Kylie and Celia went to a nearby diner for a burger and fries. After lunch, Celia went home to nap. Kylie returned to Hythe Villa with the things Owen had given her. The villa was quiet. She headed straight to her room and buried herself in the materials Jeremiah had sent her for the upcoming Traditional and Modern Medicine Conference. It wasn't until evening, when she heard the rumble of an engine outside, that she finally put her documents down. As soon as Samuel stepped inside, she rushed to place his house slippers by his feet. Looking up, she gave him a soft, obedient smile. "Welcome home." His angry voice sounded from above her. "I heard you had fun at the mall today." Her body stiffened. He looked down at her, and his warm breath brushed against her face as he spoke, sending an uncontrollable ripple through her heart.