"Do you want to see what kind of car I’m driving today?"
Kevin pointed outside, showing a run-down pickup truck loaded with tools that was parked by the roadside.
Jessie relaxed her eyebrows and turned back to Martin. "Think more before you start lying, would you?"
Kevin chuckled."Your eyes are sharp, but I'll have to disappoint you. That car outside is my car, and the Maserati is my boss's car that I park for pocket money. If I really had a lot of money, why would I be doing odd jobs like this?"
"You..." Martin's eyes darted between Kevin and the old pickup truck outside.
After a moment, he decided to give up arguing and put his feet up on the table.
"I don't care if you're rich or not. I won't leave without that fifty thousand today!"
"If that's the case..." Kevin trailed off, rolling up his sleeves and glancing over at Jessie.
Jessie got the hint, waving her hand to permit him.
Seeing her approval, he didn't hold back anymore.
His rolled-up sleeves revealed muscular biceps that made Martin look like a little shrimp in comparison.
"I'm not a fan of violence, but since you're insisting on it, don't complain that I didn't warn you."
Martin didn't believe Kevin would really do anything to him, but his legs turned to jelly as Kevin approached him.
"What are you... W- What do you want to do? I'm warning you..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Kevin grabbed him by the neck like a scrawny dog, hauled him to the door, and tossed him out like a sack of potatoes.
"Get lost! Don't ever let me see you again!"
Martin scrambled to his feet and ran off like a frightened rabbit.
Jessie sighed in relief, looking at Kevin gratefully as she said, "Thank you."
If Kevin hadn’t shown up, she truly would have had no idea what Martin might have done. Hopefully, he was scared enough to stay away for good.
Kevin nodded as he glanced around the shop. The decor was simple yet inviting, and the warm scent of baked goods filled the air.
As if remembering something, Jessie headed to the kitchen and returned with a plate of leftover cupcakes for him.
"If you don't mind, try these. I made a bit too much today; these would usually sell out."
He glanced down at the cupcakes. They were strawberry-flavored, and he found their aroma and appearance satisfying as he took them.
He didn’t usually eat many sweets, but when he took a bite, he was pleasantly surprised—the flavor wasn’t too rich, and the sweetness was perfectly balanced.
Apparently, Jessie never lied about her baking and cooking skills.
"How could you be before seven?" She asked as he glanced at the clock curiously.
After finishing the cupcake and wiping his mouth with a napkin, Kevin explained, "I need to accompany my boss to a party tonight. I happened to be passing by, so I wanted to drop on and inform you about the change."
Jessie nodded, readily agreeing.
She hadn't really expected a lot from Kevin initially. If it weren't for the inconvenience of carrying groceries, she actually enjoyed buying them alone.
Kevin was somewhat surprised by her quick acceptance.
He thought women liked to throw a little fit, which he didn't care for. However, since he had promised her and suddenly had something else to do, he was ready to face a bit of sulking if needed.
"Then, you go ahead. I'll tidy up and pick up a few things on my way home. Will you be back tonight? Do you need me to save you some food for dinner?"
He shook his head. "Don't worry about me. If something's up and I can't get home tonight, I'll let you know in advance. If I don't, I'll be back as usual.
"And remember, no drinking."
Jessie didn't expect him to suddenly mention that, awkwardly acknowledging it.
After seeing him off, she was preparing to clean the tables when her phone suddenly rang.
She checked the caller ID and saw it was from her best friend, Lilian.
What could she want at this hour?
She answered the call while curious, immediately hearing Lilian's cries on the other end.
"Jess, please, come save me!"
Hearing that, Jessie was surprised and urgently asked, "What happened?"
Lilian sobbed for a few moments before explaining, "I think my boss is trying to take advantage of me. He invited me to a party today, claiming he wanted to introduce me to some people. I have a really bad feeling about this… Please, could you come with me? I'm begging you."
Listening to Lilian's pleas, Jessie naturally agreed without hesitation.
However, she had never gone to such a party before and didn't know about the dress code and etiquette.
Expecting this, Lilian immediately replied, "Don't worry; I just asked a guy to send some clothes to your store. Put them on and come to the location I sent you. I'll wait for you at the entrance."
The way Lilian quickly arranged everything made Jessie suspect this was her plan all along.
When Jessie arrived, she saw Lilian grinning as she stood at the entrance.
Realizing she had actually been tricked, she turned to leave, but Lilian quickly grabbed her wrist.
"Jess, don't go! This is a great chance to meet big people who might even invest in your shop. You need networking to succeed."
The moment Jessie arrived and saw the rows of luxury cars parked outside, she knew the people inside were way out of her league. They wouldn't invest in something small like her shop.
Jessie shook her head, doubting her humble shop would attract any bigwigs unless there was a miracle.
Furthermore, she never wanted to go above her social class.
Even if they looked glamorous, she wasn't jealous of them. People should live suitably for who they are.
She was just an ordinary wife to an ordinary mechanic, and she was happy with that.
"Oh, come on. You're already here anyway, so why not take the opportunity? It said that Grace City's richest man will be here today. Take it as a chance to expand your horizons with me, okay?"
Jessie was initially reluctant, but she couldn't resist Lilian's persuasion and finally agreed with a helpless sigh.
"Does Grace City even have a richest man?" she asked curiously since she rarely followed the news.
"Of course! I think it is the Harpers. The Harper family has been running a business for hundreds of years. That goes especially for their current family head, who I've heard is not only super rich but also super handsome."
Despite Lilian's description, Jessie didn't really feel anything special. She didn't care about someone else’s wealth.
Coincidentally, Kevin's surname was also Harper, but she never really associated the two.
She thought she had married a normal repairman and was peaceful with her simple life.
"If only you weren't married, you might have stood a chance to get a rich husband. Moreover, the Harpers don't care about your family background; what they care most about is whether the woman has a good character…"
As Lilian rambled on, Jessie glanced up and saw a familiar figure at the main entrance. How could he resemble Kevin so much?
Scoffing at her imagination, she convinced herself it was just a misunderstanding.
She clearly hadn't been resting well lately. Otherwise, why would she mistake that person for Kevin?
"What are you looking at, Jess?"
Shaking her head, Jessie replied, "I thought I saw someone who resembled my husband. Probably a mistake."
Lilian gleefully responded, "I'm telling you, those billionaire CEO stories often conceal their identities and marry young sweet wives in secret! Your husband is so handsome, and his surname is also Harper. Could it be..."
She looked at Jessie meaningfully, to which Jessie responded by flicking her on the forehead.
"You've been reading too many novels. A lot of people have Harper as their surname; not all of them are billionaires."
Lilian linked arms with Jessie, and they walked inside. "Well, there's only one way to find out. The Harper family's head will be here today."
Kevin did mention earlier that he'd be accompanying his boss at a party tonight. Was he going to the same one?
This party was being held at the largest hotel of Grace City, with mainly wealthy and influential people as its guests.
On the other hand, Jessie was here purely to broaden her horizons.
"These cakes look amazing; I can use them as inspiration for new products," she muttered as she bit into a cake.
Lilian shook her head, exasperated at her lack of ambition. For normal people like them, soaring up the social ranks was a tough job.
As Jessie happily snacked away, someone in the crowd suddenly shouted,
‘"The President Harper is here!"
The noise around the party instantly died down as everyone focused on the hall entrance.
Lilian quickly grabbed Jessie's wrist. "Stop eating! Let's go take a look, too. I want to see what Grace City's richest man looks like."
Jessie was dragged forward against her will. She wasn't interested in this BOSS, but why did this man, who everyone saw as mysterious, look so much like Kevin?
Was President Harper actually Kevin?