With the situation regarding Cassidy Montgomery temporarily settled, Evangeline Montgomery felt a strange, lingering sense of emptiness.

Lying on her bed, she stared at the ceiling, bored out of her mind. She decided to call Remi Crawford to see if she was up for some retail therapy.

"Hello?"

"Remi, let's go shopping."

"Oh! Perfect. I have so many questions for you."

Evangeline sighed, amused. "You just want the first-hand gossip, don't you?"

"Hehe… I’m heading out now. I'll meet you at the SY Plaza."

When Evangeline arrived, Remi was already waiting by the entrance, waving frantically as soon as she caught sight of her.

"Evangeline! Over here!"

Evangeline walked over and hooked her arm into Remi’s. "Let's go."

The first floor was filled with high-end jewelry boutiques. While neither of them wore much jewelry, there wasn't a woman alive who could resist something that sparkled.

"Evangeline, come look at this! This diamond is huge! It’s blinding!" Remi pointed at a ring behind the glass display case.

Evangeline took a glance. "It's beautiful, but our line of work isn't exactly compatible with wearing diamond rings."

Remi pouted. "You're right. We spend all day in the atelier handling fabric and designs. We’d probably snag it on something in five minutes."

"Hmph! Can't afford it, so you act like it’s beneath you," a shop clerk nearby sneered, eyeing them both with open disdain.

Evangeline frowned, intending to ignore the woman, but Remi was never one to back down. "A clerk should focus on their job instead of being passive-aggressive toward customers. Be careful, or I’ll have you reported."

"I’m a clerk? Aren't you two just shop girls yourselves? This is a luxury boutique. Stop loitering around and affecting my sales!" The clerk had overheard their conversation and assumed they were just employees from a clothing store looking to kill time.

Evangeline felt a surge of annoyance. She had wanted a relaxing day, and now a pathetic loser was ruining her mood. She pulled at Remi’s arm, ready to leave.

But Remi wasn't having it. She pointed a finger at the clerk. "You! Get your manager out here right now. I’m filing a formal complaint!"

The clerk laughed dismissively. "Yeah, right. As if I'd listen to you."

The argument had started to draw a crowd. People were stopping, whispering, and pointing.

"If you're broke, don't come into a luxury store pretending to be a socialite."

"Exactly! Causing such a scene. They’re ruining the shopping experience."

"Where is the manager? Why hasn't he kicked these two out yet?"

In the shadows, Wylder Shaw—who had been observing the situation—quietly pulled out his phone to call Preston Wright.

Remi’s face flushed a deep crimson. She was great at a quick comeback, but she wasn't prepared to be drowned in the malice of a crowd. She panicked, wishing she had just listened to Evangeline and walked away instead of getting into a verbal brawl.

Evangeline reached into her bag, pulled out a black card, and slammed it onto the display counter. She pointed to a young, timid-looking clerk in the corner. "You. Come over here and wrap this up for me."

The girl looked startled but quickly scrambled over. "Yes, ma'am! Right away!"

The rude clerk scoffed, eyes rolling toward the ceiling. "Performative trash." She didn't believe for a second that these two could afford it. That ring cost $270,000. These women could sell their entire wardrobe, and they still wouldn't come close to that price tag.

"The PIN is six zeros. Just swipe it," Evangeline said, her voice indifferent, tapping her fingernails against the glass.

*Beep.*

The sound of the successful transaction caused the rude clerk to stumble back. Her eyes widened, disbelief turning into cold, hard regret. She had misread the situation entirely.

That was a $270,000 sale! Her commission alone would have been thousands of dollars. It had just vanished into thin air. She looked like she was about to burst into tears.

The crowd, realizing the shift in power, immediately changed their tune.

"Typical. Some of these clerks really judge people by their covers."

"Working in luxury retail and acting like they’re the ones who own the stock."

The clerk turned her head away, trying to become invisible.

"Here you go, miss. It’s all wrapped up." The young clerk handed the bag to Evangeline with a respectful bow.

Evangeline took it and handed it to Remi. "Here, it's yours."

Remi’s eyes went saucer-wide. "Evangeline… you’re basically my sugar daddy now!" She leaned in and rubbed her head against Evangeline’s shoulder.

Evangeline nudged her away, laughing. "Get out of here!"

The rude clerk heard the interaction—that a ring of that price was just a casual gift—and felt her stomach drop even further.

Evangeline turned to her, her lips curling into a sharp smile. "Now, are you going to call your manager, or should I?"

The clerk trembled, her voice shaking. "I’m so sorry, miss! I had no idea—please, you have to forgive me!"

"Not going to call him?"

Before the clerk could respond, a middle-aged man rushed in from the back, hurried over to Evangeline, and bowed deeply. "My apologies, Ms. Montgomery! I will handle this personally."

"Manager…!" the clerk gasped.

"Clean out your locker and get out," the manager said, his voice cold and firm.

"No! Manager, please! I made a mistake, I promise it won't happen again!" This store paid the best commissions in the city. She couldn't afford to lose this job. Seeing the manager unmoved, she turned to beg Evangeline. "Miss, please, give me one more chance! I'll never do it again!"

"Someone like you only hurts the reputation of the mall and the brand. Don't you agree, Manager?" Evangeline asked, her gaze fixed on him with a chilling, artificial smile.

"Exactly. You are absolutely right, Ms. Montgomery," the manager groveled. He turned to the clerk, his voice booming. "Didn't you hear her? Get out! If you don't leave this second, I’ll have security drag you out!"

Satisfied, Evangeline grabbed Remi’s hand and walked away.

"Ms. Montgomery, have a wonderful day!" The manager stayed bowed until she was out of sight, then finally straightened up, wiping cold sweat from his forehead.

"Evangeline, you were so cool back there!" Remi stared at her with stars in her eyes.

Evangeline tossed her hair, lifting an eyebrow. "Don't fall in love with me now."

"Wait, why was that manager so terrified of you?"

"Maybe because this mall belongs to Marcellus Alexander."

Evangeline thought to herself that the "大佬" (big boss) certainly had long arms. It felt pretty good to borrow his power for once.

"Wow… SY… is that an abbreviation for Marcellus Alexander or Evangeline Montgomery?"

"It’s definitely not my name. It’s missing half the letters."

Remi ignored her, lost in her own romanticized version of the story. "Oh, woman! This is a mall named after both of us! He built it for you!"

"Pfft!"

Evangeline looked at the giggling Remi and poked her in the side. "What are you rambling about?"

"Nothing! Nothing!"

Remi clamped her hand over her mouth, struggling to contain her laughter, and pulled her toward the next store.

A woman's stamina is truly a force of nature. After walking all day, Evangeline felt like her calves were going to give out.

"I can't do it anymore, Remi. Let's get some food," Evangeline groaned, completely drained.

"The street food vendors are out in the University District now. Let’s go there! I’ve been craving it for ages."

"Deal. I want crispy pork trotters and some pork ribs with rice cakes."

"Yes! Exactly what I was thinking. Let's go!"

The two headed toward the University District. Wylder Shaw, following from a distance, let out a silent, weary sigh. This was way more exhausting than his daily training sessions.