Chapter 3

My smile didn't fade. I kept my composure and tilted my head slightly. "What is it?"

Chloe whispered anxiously.

"The one hundred bespoke Swiss gift boxes we ordered for our VIPs... they were supposed to be delivered here to The Pinnacle."

"But the delivery service got the address wrong. Out of habit from previous years, they dropped them off at The Rustic Hearth across the street!"

I frowned. "Go get them back."

"We can't!" Chloe looked like she was about to cry. "Arthur locked them in his storage room!"

"He said... he said..."

"What did he say?" My eyes narrowed.

"He said those gift boxes contain limited-edition Swiss watches worth $5,000 each. The total value is half a million dollars."

"He said if you don't wire him $50,000 immediately to cover his food losses and tonight's bill..."

"He’ll set the entire shipment on fire!"

I let out a cold laugh.

Extorting me? He really picked the wrong person.

"Get a few security guards and follow me down," I said, putting down my wine glass and smoothing my blazer.

The moment we reached the lobby of The Pinnacle Club, we could hear a chaotic uproar coming from outside.

"Everyone, look! This big corporation is bullying a small business owner!"

"They're refusing to pay their bills! They ate and ran!"

I pushed open the heavy glass doors.

Arthur was standing there shirtless, flanked by a dozen prep cooks armed with meat cleavers and metal pipes. They were blocking the entrance of The Pinnacle Club.

Behind them parked a large moving van.

The van's back doors were wide open, revealing one hundred premium gift boxes emblazoned with our company's logo, neatly stacked inside.

A crowd of onlookers had already gathered. A few local influencers were even live-streaming the scene on TikTok.

Seeing me walk out, Arthur let out a wild, arrogant laugh.

"Natalie! You finally decided to show your face!"

He slammed his foot onto one of our custom gift boxes, holding a heavy plastic jerrycan of gasoline in his other hand.

"Since you want to play dirty, don't blame me for getting nasty!"

"You're going to reimburse me for all my losses right here, in front of everyone! Only then do we call it even!"

"Fifty thousand dollars! Not a penny less!"

"Otherwise, these expensive gifts for your VIPs are going up in smoke tonight!"

He unscrewed the cap of the gas can, and the pungent smell of gasoline instantly filled the air.

Chloe took a terrified step back. "Natalie, we can't let him burn them! The clients are going to expect those gifts when they leave. If we don't have them, our company's reputation is ruined!"

The security guards tried to step forward, but they were pushed back by the cooks waving meat cleavers.

Arthur pulled out a windproof lighter, flicking it open with a sharp click. A blue flame danced in the wind.

He stared at me, his face twisted in malice.

"Fifty grand, Natalie. A small price to save your company's face and your own job, right?"

"I'm counting down from three. If the money isn't in my account, I light it up!"

"Three!"

The crowd gasped. Dozens of phone cameras zoomed in on my face, waiting to capture my panic.

I stood at the top of the stairs, looking down at him.

A mocking smile played on my lips.

I didn't pull out my phone to transfer the money. I didn't beg for mercy.

Instead, I took a step down, looking him dead in the eye.

"Light it," I said.

Arthur froze, his hand holding the lighter hovering in the air. "What did you say?"

I pointed at the van.

"I said, light it. Right now."

"If you don't do it, you're a coward."