Chapter 3

They shook their heads. I gritted my teeth against the pain and pushed myself up to sit on the bed.

“It’s simple. You two just need to be Golden Flowers, and you can bring in investors for me.

“That fatso wouldn’t dare cross the local big shot.”

Shannon bit her lower lip. “All we have to do is become Golden Flowers?”

As the older sister, she was clearly the sharper one.

I patted her head, looked her in the eye, and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear.

“Trust me.”

She blushed and got shy until she could not look me in the eye anymore.

Meanwhile, Jadine agreed to do her part right away out of guilt.

At midnight, I brought them to the venue. All they had to do was sit up on the round platform.

The more Golden Flowers people threw at them, the higher their value climbed.

I hid in a dark corner, and Shannon instinctively looked around for me. The moment she found me, she broke into a smile.

However, my eyes stung.

They kept receiving more and more Golden Flowers. With no idea what it meant, they just laughed happily.

After it was over, I gathered up all the Golden Flowers and made them into bouquets for the two of them.

“This is all real gold. Keep it somewhere safe.”

The girls panicked a little, and Jadine kept shaking her head. “Th-This is way too much!”

I smiled and said, “Rich people don’t care about pocket change like this.”

I looked at Shannon, who still had not moved, and joked, “What? Do you want me to get down on one knee or something?”

Only then did she take the flowers. Her ears turned bright red, and her eyes were full of shy affection.

My heart pounded as I looked at her.

Then, Jadine threw her arms around me and sobbed uncontrollably, breaking my train of thought.

“Shannon and I thought we weren’t going to make the cut. Sir, is that enough gold flowers?”

I nodded and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. “That’s enough.”

Then, I brought over two cocktails, with something to help them sleep mixed in. It was there to make things easy for certain big shots, and it doubled as the leash that would keep them tied to me from then on.

As I mixed the drinks, I said casually, “You helped me out this time, so I’ll give you ten thousand dollars each.

“So, what are you going to do with the money?”

Shannon said gently, “I’m going to use it to fix up the guesthouse for you. Last time I stood up for Jadine, the terrace and the door got wrecked.”

My hand trembled, and I could barely keep the glass steady.

Jadine chimed in without hesitation, saying, “Then, I’ll figure out a way to help you get the word out about this place!

“Oh, it’s New Year’s. Let’s have a New Year’s Eve dinner together tonight.”

Shannon smiled. “I’ll do the cooking. What do you feel like eating?”

My throat tightened a little. I paused for a few seconds before saying, “I could really go for some pot roast. My mom hasn’t made it for me in ages.”

She looked at me gently. “Okay, let’s have a drink first, then. Call it a little celebration for getting through today in one piece.”

I slipped the necklace off her. “That color doesn’t suit you. Let me get you a new one.”

She blushed, lowered her head, and murmured in assent.

I watched them walk off, discussing which groceries to buy.

The electric current in my wrist grew stronger. I slammed the watch onto the floor. It landed with a sharp crack.

I knew I had made a terrible mistake.