Chapter 2

A crowd of onlookers had already begun to form. A mix of corporate employees and passing pedestrians.

"Wait, isn't that Vivian? The heir's right-hand woman."

"Who the hell is that girl? Messing with Vivian? She must have a death wish in this town."

"Driving a beat-up Chevy... probably some out-of-town hick. She's screwed. She could sell her sou and still not afford those damages."

Whispers rippled through the crowd. Not a single ounce of sympathy. They were all just waiting for the show to drop, ready to watch me burn.

I pulled a tissue from my pocket and methodically wiped the coffee from my face. 

My movements were slow and elegant, yet they carried a chilling, suffocating authority.

"You said you wanted half a million?" I asked mildly, tossing the soiled tissue into a nearby trash can.

"What? Can't cough it up?" Vivian crossed her arms, tilting her chin up like a preening hen. 

"Well, you're gonna have to! Let me spell it out for you: in Dallas, even a penny dropping from the sky belongs to the Hamiltons!" 

"In this town, the Hamilton family's word is the law!"

A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. 

Everyone knew the Hamiltons practically owned the city, but saying it out loud with such blatant arrogance was on another level.

The corner of my mouth twitched, and I let out a cold chuckle.

"The Hamilton family's word is the law? How fascinating." 

I gave her a loaded look. "I certainly hope your boss—this 'CEO Kyle Hamilton' of yours—shares that exact sentiment."

"Who the hell are you to say our CEO's name?!" Vivian shrieked like a cat whose tail had just been stomped on.

I ignored her yapping and pulled my phone out of my pocket. 

Since I was here for a blind date, I naturally had my so-called fiancé's number. 

I had originally planned to end this farce of an arrangement elegantly in a high-end restaurant upstairs. 

But looking at things now, that wouldn't be necessary.

I dialed the number and put it on speaker.

It rang for a long time before someone finally picked up.

"Who is this? Don't you know I'm busy?!" 

An incredibly impatient male voice barked through the speaker. In the background, I could hear the giggles of multiple women.

Clearly, the "busy" schedule of this golden boy didn't involve any important board meetings.

"It's Gloria," I said coldly. "I'm currently at the plaza right outside your headquarters."

The voice on the other end paused, seemingly trying to recall the name.

"Gloria? Oh... right, the one from D.C.?" 

Kyle's tone dripped with contempt. "What? You arrive and don't even give a heads-up? Don't you know how things work around here?"

Before I could even speak, Vivian lunged forward like she was eager to claim a prize, screaming at the phone:

"Sir! It's me, Vivian! This crazy bitch with a death wish stole your parking spot and crashed into your Lamborghini!"

"Not only is she refusing to pay, but she also insulted the Hamilton family!"

Vivian was practically in tears. Her performance was worthy of an Oscar.

On the other end of the line, Kyle instantly exploded.

"What?! She hit my car?!"

"Gloria, I don't care what kind of arranged marriage prospect the old man dug up. On my turf, you play by my rules!"

"Apologize to Vivian right now! Whatever she's asking for, you pay it down to the last cent! Then get the hell out of there and stop embarrassing yourself. You're ruining my buzz!"

Listening to the sheer arrogance radiating from the phone, the cold smile on my lips deepened.

"You want me to just pay up and leave?" I asked back.

"No shit! Did you expect me to come down there and personally invite you in? Who the hell do you think you are?!" Kyle roared through the speaker.

"Fine," I spat out a single, calm word.

"But I strongly suggest you come down here yourself. Because I'm afraid your secretary isn't equipped to handle this."

"If I don't see you in exactly five minutes, I guarantee you... you'll regret it for the rest of your life."

With that, I hung up the phone.

Beep... beep... beep...

The busy signal of the disconnected call echoed through the underground parking garage.

Vivian’s eyes widened, staring at me like I was a total psychopath.

"You... you actually hung up on Kyle? Where the hell did you get the nerve?! You're dead! You are so dead!"

The surrounding crowd of onlookers gasped collectively.

"Is this chick out of her mind? Nobody in all of Dallas dares to talk to Kyle like that!"

"Seriously. The last person who crossed him got their entire life ruined overnight. She is so screwed. There is no way this ends well today."

I tuned out their background noise, leaning casually against the door of my car, and lifted my wrist to check my watch.

The seconds ticked by.

Less than three minutes later, a chaotic rush of hurried footsteps echoed from the direction of the elevators.

"Kyle! You're finally here!"