CHAPTER 4: SHAMELESS ZARA

After Zara was thrown out of the restaurant by security, she was furious and almost had a fallout with Fallon. To calm her down, Fallon took her to another place to eat and bought her the latest pair of LV shoes, which finally appeased her.

Zara declined Fallon's offer to take her to a private cinema and quietly sneaked back home, only to find her parents waiting for her in the living room.

Uh-oh.

She hadn't figured out how to tell them that she hadn't even met Mr. Dexter. It was all Mercy's fault, that little troublemaker!

As Zara was cursing Mercy in her mind, Michelle came over, warmly leading her to sit on the couch.

"My dear daughter, tell me, how did you manage it?"

"What?" Zara was confused by her mom's question.

"This morning, representatives from the Walker family branch came to our company and invested fifty million in one go!" Callan beamed, his smile wide and bright.

"Zara, how did you persuade Mr. Dexter?" Michelle pressed on.

Strange, could it be that Mr. Dexter was really interested in her? 

Zara's eyes darted around and she decided to go along with it. "I just briefly mentioned the Rivers family's interest in collaboration to Mr. Dexter. I didn't expect him to be so straightforward."

She blushed, murmuring softly, "And the way he looked at me was kind of... unusual."

"Oh my, my silly daughter, Mr. Dexter is clearly smitten with you!" Michelle laughed, unable to contain her joy.

As soon as Mercy walked in, she heard something that made her think she misheard. But then Michelle, her mother, continued, "The Walker family is one of the top families in the capital. If you marry into them, our family could walk around Jinjiang City like we own the place!"

"Oh, Mom, I'm still young," Zara replied, a bit embarrassed.

"Haha, you're just being shy," Michelle teased.

Zara, Mercy's sister, was the first to notice her entering the room. Remembering what happened earlier in the day, she said with a hint of mischief, "Oh, by the way, I saw Mercy at the Golden Pavilion today. I wonder who she was with."

Callan, their father, immediately picked up on the insinuation and barked, "Mercy! We provide for you well enough. Don't go out and do anything disgraceful. Our family can't afford that shame!"

Callan actually believed Mercy was out with a wealthy man, which made him question the source of the previous million dollars.

"Our boss is rich and took us there for a team dinner. What's the problem?" Mercy replied, a bit exasperated. Then she changed the subject, "What were you saying about Mr. Dexter?"

"I met Mr. Dexter today, and he invested fifty million in our family. Now, you don't have to marry into the Hunt family. No need to thank me; it's what a sister should do," Zara said, her chin practically in the clouds.

Mercy asked, "Oh, and how tall is Mr. Dexter?"

"At least 6'1". When he stood next to me, I only reached his shoulder," Zara replied after a moment of thought.

Mercy nearly laughed out loud, knowing Zara probably didn't even know Mr. Dexter was in a wheelchair. She kept her amusement to herself, waiting for the day Zara's lies would catch up with her.

Zara's confidence stemmed from her title as the most beautiful woman in Jinjiang City. She believed that once Mr. Dexter saw her, he would be completely smitten.

The next day, Mercy visited the orphanage director, whom she affectionately called "Mom," at the hospital. She paid for a year's worth of medical expenses and also transferred some money to the orphanage.

With her recent article payment just credited to her account, Mercy decided to head to the city's largest department store. She wandered into a men's accessories shop, thinking about how much Dexter had helped her and wanting to repay him in some way.

As she turned, she spotted a deep blue tie with subtle patterns that seemed to perfectly match Dexter's style. Just as she reached out to take a closer look, a hand slapped hers away, leaving a red mark on her pale skin.

"If you can't afford it, don't touch it. This tie is real silk. What if you damage it?" The store clerk, seeing Mercy's simple attire and youthful appearance, assumed she couldn't afford such an item. She didn't want to deal with the hassle of rearranging things if Mercy messed them up, so she interrupted her.

"How do you know I can't afford it?" Mercy thought to herself, maybe she had been too low-key lately. Why did people keep underestimating her?

"Hmph, do I even need to ask? Just look at your shabby appearance. You don't look like someone who can afford branded goods. Little girl, if you can't buy it, don't pretend to be rich here. You'll only make a fool of yourself!" The clerk crossed her arms and rolled her eyes at Mercy, even attempting to push her away.

"Who says my fiancée can't afford anything here?" A deep, magnetic voice came from the entrance. Dexter was being guided over to Mercy's side.

"Uncle, you're here!" The girl greeted him with a bright smile. Dexter had texted her asking where she was and she hadn't expected him to arrive so quickly.

"Yeah, what does Mercy want to buy?" Dexter asked, attempting a smile, which left Gavin, standing nearby, a bit stunned.

Did the CEO just smile? Was that for real?

"I just got my first paycheck and I wanted to buy you a tie," Mercy replied, pointing to a tie on the shelf, hoping Dexter would like it.

However, the man's gaze fell on Mercy's hand. He lifted it and gently rubbed her hand with his thumb, making her feel a little embarrassed as it tickled her skin.

"Mercy, did she just hit you?" Dexter asked, his eyes sharp like a blade as he looked at the store clerk.

The clerk was startled and quickly explained, "I didn't hit her. I just accidentally bumped into her."

Dexter ignored her and instructed another male clerk, "Go get your manager."

The male clerk, sensing Dexter's imposing presence, hurried to call the manager. The female clerk, still in shock, stood there dumbfounded.

Mercy picked up the tie and examined it closely. She really liked it, so she scanned it and paid, asking the male clerk to wrap it up for her.

"No need," Dexter interrupted, turning to Mercy. "Mercy, would you mind putting it on for me?"

"Sure," Mercy replied. She had actually learned how to tie a tie before.

They moved to a mirror and Mercy leaned in to lift Dexter's shirt collar, draping the tie over it. Her nimble fingers weaved through the tie, forming a perfect Windsor knot.

But as it had been a while, she forgot the final steps.

Seeing this, Dexter took her hands, guiding them through the remaining steps, his touch gentle, as if wanting her to remember each step.

Their proximity was almost too close and Mercy found herself enveloped in the intoxicating scent of ebony wood from Dexter, leaving her inexplicably captivated.