Like a peacock spreading its feathers, he was ready to go find Natalie.
Just as he reached the door, the heavy wooden panel suddenly burst open from the outside. Someone charged in and slammed right into his injured leg.
"Agh!" William screamed in pain.
His assistant, Megan, turned pale with fright. "I'm so sorry, Second Young Master! It's all my fault. I'll get the doctor immediately!"
As the doctor examined his leg again, William glanced at Megan, who looked hesitant.
He snapped, "Out with it. What's so urgent?"
"Second Young Master… it's the eldest young master. He wants you to vacate this office."
William's face froze.
Logan? He actually wanted his office now?
He wasn't satisfied with competing for their father's attention, a spot on the board, and even Natalie—now he wanted the office too?
"Doesn't he already have one?" William growled.
"The young master said he suddenly realized he likes your office better than his own."
Megan added nervously, "He also said to clean it out quickly. When he returns, he doesn't want to see a single trace of you left in here."
Crash!
William flung a crystal ashtray across the room, shattering it. It had cost tens of thousands—gone in an instant.
Megan watched him with heartache.
William always carried himself with elegance and poise, never losing his temper.
She never expected him to be this enraged—because of Logan.
Logan was too much. That office had clearly been assigned to William. Why compete for even that? Couldn't an older brother show a little grace to his younger sibling?
"Second Young Master, should we inform the chairman?"
Megan believed William was more favored by Garner, having been raised by him personally.
But to her surprise, William shook his head.
"Let it go. It's a small matter. Don't bother Dad."
"Then… do you really want to clear it out?"
"Clear it out!" William sneered. "Give him everything he wants."
Because in the end, Logan would have to return all of it—every last bit.
And when William truly rose to power, Logan would pay the price. He would suffer a fate worse than death.
Completely unaware of what William was planning, Megan wiped away a few tears of sympathy for him. The Second Young Master was truly too kind—always yielding to the Eldest Young Master. But Logan was someone who didn't care about brotherhood at all. It was utterly infuriating!
After the doctor finished treating his injuries, William tried to stand but was immediately hit with a sharp pain in his leg. Megan rushed to support him and asked anxiously, "Young Master, are you okay?"
William shot her an irritated glare. "What do you think? Call someone to bring a wheelchair."
"Yes, right away."
Ten minutes later, a wheelchair arrived, and William ordered two bodyguards to accompany him.
"Young Master, where are we going?" Megan asked.
"Parker's Shopping Plaza."
He had just received word that Natalie was heading there—and more importantly, so was Hailey. That made his plan a whole lot easier.
---
Parker's Shopping Plaza
In front of the private elevator that led to the high-end luxury section, two women threw condescending glances at Natalie.
"What is she even wearing?"
"Doesn't she know this elevator is for the luxury section?"
"These days, people really don't know their place. They need to be humbled before realizing they don't belong here."
Natalie paid them no mind. Their snide remarks were no more annoying than a fly buzzing past her ear.
Her attention was drawn to a promotional flyer displayed beside the elevator. Curious, she picked it up and discovered there was an auction happening today in the plaza's lower-level auction hall.
A small image on the flyer caught her eye—it was a painting which was going for the auction. She hadn't expected to stumble across it here. She clearly remembered that two years later, this painting would sell for a jaw-dropping one billion yuan. But right now, it would likely go for just six million.
If she could get her hands on it...
Natalie touched the card in her purse. Based on her understanding of Thomas, there was probably only about few millions loaded onto it. Not nearly enough.
She sighed just as the elevator arrived. Stepping in, she was followed by the two women who had mocked her earlier. They continued to eye her with thinly veiled contempt, as if their judgment elevated their own worth.
Natalie ignored them and exited the elevator, entering a store at random.
"Welcome~" the salesperson greeted her. Her eyes subtly scanned Natalie's outfit with a trace of judgment, assuming she was just another window shopper. As a result, she led her toward the newest luxury line.
"These are our latest pieces—only one of each item is made, so you won't have to worry about someone else wearing the same thing. Naturally, the prices are a bit higher. For example, this dress here is one of our more affordable new arrivals, priced at 168,000 million."
Natalie's gaze landed on the dress.
It was a rich, starry sky blue—deep, bold, and mysterious. In her previous life, she had worn far too much white and gray. This time, she wanted more color.
"I'd like to try that one," she said calmly.
The salesperson was a little taken aback. "Miss, that dress costs 168,000 million."
"Oh? So I can't try it on then?" Natalie's tone fell, tinged with disappointment.
The two snide women nearby burst into laughter, clearly enjoying the moment.
"It's not that you can't try it on," the salesperson said awkwardly. "It's just that in our store, once you try something on, you must buy it—unless there's a defect, of course."
"In fact, we also have a discount section. The dresses those two ladies chose are all on sale. For instance, this one was originally 120,000 million, but now it's only 100,000 million."
"I'm not interested in discounted items," Natalie said, her voice unwavering. "Give me that blue one, the red one next to it, and the green one beside that."
The salesperson hesitated. He searched for a polite way to refuse, but before he could speak, Natalie handed him a card.
"I'll purchase them first and try them on afterward. Is that acceptable?"
He was stunned. He had completely misjudged her. His cheeks flushed, and he felt immense relief that he hadn't said anything offensive earlier.
"Please, there's no need. You can try before you buy. Right this way!" he said, suddenly brimming with enthusiasm.
After his earlier smug exchange with the other customers, even he now found the discounted clothes unimpressive by comparison.
---
At the plaza's entrance, a small crowd entered.
Hailey stood at the center of it all like a princess, smiling as she whispered to her assistant.
"It's Hailey Roberts!"
A fan shouted excitedly.
"Hailey, are you filming today?"
"Take care of yourself, Hailey!"
"Which store are you promoting today?"