Chapter 3: The Debt

A woman with an oval face and thick eyebrows stepped out of the SUV. She stared in absolute shock at the man she had just run over. He was still standing perfectly solid, as if nothing had happened.

What the hell did I just hit? Are his bones made of steel?

Seeing that Lucas was completely unscathed while the front of her SUV was caved in, Magdalena quickly decided she wasn't going to take the blame.

"Watch where you're going! Are you blind? Couldn't you see a car coming?!" Magdalena shrieked.

"You're the blind one! You were clearly driving like a maniac!" Lucas shot back, his lip curling into a smirk.

Magdalena pointed at her crumpled hood. "Look at my car! It's ruined because of you. It's going to cost at least three thousand dollars to fix this. Hand over the money, right now!"

"What? Three thousand dollars?" Lucas let out a dry laugh.

It was an obvious shakedown.

"Yes. Honestly, it'll probably cost more. But since you look like some low-class peasant, I'll generously cover the rest," Magdalena sneered, looking at him with utter disgust.

Lucas knew a scam when he saw one. He wasn't going to play her game.

"Forget it. Go find some other idiot to extort," Lucas brushed her off.

"If you don't pay up, I'm calling the cops! My dad is a police officer!" she threatened.

"What's going on here?"

Magdalena spun around and nearly had a heart attack when she saw who had just spoken.

It was Angeline. She was practically royalty in Verdansk. Her flawless beauty, combined with her cold, mysterious aura, made her the constant talk of the town, especially among the high society elite.

"Angeline? You're Angeline Jordan, right?" Magdalena stammered, her arrogance instantly replaced by awe.

Angeline gave a curt nod. "What is all this commotion? Do you know him? What did he do?"

Seeing a golden opportunity, Magdalena wasted no time twisting the narrative to frame Lucas. "I just wanted him to pay for the damages, but he's trying to run away. So, I was about to report him to my father at the precinct."

Angeline let out a long sigh. "Fine. I will pay for it."

Magdalena's eyes widened. She hadn't expected the famous heiress to be so generous. A pang of regret hit her; she should have asked for a higher number. She could have made a fortune.

"You are so generous, Angeline. I was right to idolize you," Magdalena fawned.

"Ms. Angeline! Don't. She's just trying to hustle you. Fixing that dent won't cost anywhere near three thousand dollars," Lucas interjected.

"Shut up!" Angeline snapped.

She quickly transferred the money to Magdalena's account. The woman drove off with a smug, triumphant smile.

"I haven't even been with you for a full day, and you're already causing trouble. Is your entire life just one big walking disaster?" Angeline glared at him, visibly annoyed.

Lucas shrugged. "I didn't even do anything."

"I didn't see a mirror in your house last night. Maybe that's why you can't take a good look at yourself," she retorted.

A terrifyingly cold aura radiated from her.

"Listen closely. I have bailed you out twice now, and you still have to take responsibility for what you did to me last night. So, to pay off your debt, you will follow my every order without question," Angeline stated, her tone leaving no room for argument.

"But I saved your life too. Why can't we just call it even?" Lucas tried to negotiate.

"Call it even? Absolutely not. Maybe the three thousand dollars can cover my medical f*e. But for what you did to my body last night? That is unforgivable. You still owe me one massive debt."

"I refuse!" Lucas shot back firmly.

"Is that so? Fine. Then I'll just go to the police. And maybe I'll have a little chat with your mother," Angeline threatened, a sly, wicked glint in her eyes. "I'm quite curious to see how she'd react."

That vicious witch!

Lucas lost all his leverage. His mother's peace of mind was his top priority; he couldn't risk anything triggering a relapse. Left with no choice, he had to play along.

"Come to the Jordan family estate tonight. I'll be waiting for you," she ordered.

With that, she got into a car and left.

"That wicked witch! Unbelievable!" Lucas grumbled in frustration.

He resumed his original plan and pushed open the door to the antique shop. Maybe looking at some old relics would take his mind off things.

As soon as he walked in, his attention was drawn to three older men huddled together, intensely discussing a piece of porcelain.

"Right here, in this carving, there is a swan with its head facing upwards. This is the emblem of the Lynx Empire from the 8th century," said a round-headed man named Mario.

"Even with the swan, look over here. The black etchings on the upper and lower rims depict dark winds. This is identical to the horrific 10th-century plague known as the Black Bird Virus," argued John, a senior politician and the Chairman of the Verdansk City Council.

"Or perhaps it's even older," chimed in Giorgio Moratta, known as Gigio, the Vice Chairman of the Trade Union. "In the 8th century, or even the 10th, there's no way a carving motif would be this rough. You can see the fraying at the edges of these lines. Tools that produce this kind of finish were last used during the Moniyan Empire in the 5th century," Gigio explained with absolute confidence.

The entire discussion was laughable to Lucas. He could tell what the porcelain really was from miles away.

"You're overthinking it and wasting your breath on a fake made about fifty years ago," Lucas said casually, strolling up to the trio.

Unsurprisingly, his blunt comment caught them completely off guard. The three men snapped their heads toward him.

"You arrogant brat! What do you know about antiques? Don't just spout nonsense!" John bristled indignantly.

"This shop doesn't sell fakes. Its credibility has been flawless for decades. Watch your mouth, boy! Young people like you need to learn some respect," Mario scolded.

Lucas simply shrugged. "I'm just stating facts. Besides, if experts like you can't even tell the difference, do you think the shop owner cares about the truth? If fools are willing to shell out a fortune for cheap junk, wouldn't they just take the profit?"

John, Mario, and Gigio were seething.

"Are you calling us fools? Do you have any idea who we are? How dare you!" John growled, his face flushed with rage. "I could make a nobody like you disappear with a snap of my fingers.”