Game Over No Second Chances

The store manager and several sales associates quickly cleared a path for Serena.

All the mocking chatter around them vanished instantly.

Sarah shot up from her seat, furious, her eyes wide with rage.

"What is the meaning of this? She's holding some useless black card, and she gets to take Nebula Design's limited edition? Are you all doing this on purpose to humiliate me?"

A male voice suddenly rang out from outside the store. "Didn't you come here to shop? What's with all the yelling?"

Everyone turned in unison.

Then, a gasp came from the crowd. "Oh! Mr. Cole is here. He must've come to back up his fiancée."noveldrama

Sarah's lips trembled as she quickly latched onto Cole's arm.

"Cole! Look at this. Nebula Design is completely out of line! They won't accept the gold card you gave me, but they're accepting that black card Serena has, which no one's even seen before. I think Nebula Design just looks down on you!"

The store manager was getting a massive headache. She hadn't even properly served a big client like Serena, yet another powerful figure had arrived.

She turned respectfully toward Cole and gave a slight nod. "We're simply following store policy. I hope you'll understand, Mr. Cole."

"Store policy? You all call him Mr. Cole, but there's not a shred of respect in your actions. If you truly respect him, you should bring me the spring jewelry collection too. After all, you've shown Serena the watches collection!"

If she hadn't been clinging to Cole's arm, Sarah might've jumped in anger.

The manager was clearly caught in a dilemma.

Serena, meanwhile, was getting a headache just listening. "There's no need to go to the VIP lounge, and don't bother bringing me anything else," she said.

"I already know all of Nebula Design's collections from each year. For now, I only want the men's dark green and gold model. Just bring out the strap customization options for me to see. I've got a meeting this afternoon."

She casually sat down on the couch, glanced at the time, then turned to the tie clips on the wall and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"If you have stock of last fall's gold-and-silver tie clip series, I'll take one each of the gold-thread version and the indigo gemstone one."

Though her voice wasn't loud, Serena's knowledge of Nebula Design's catalogue was impeccable.

The sales associates nearby were visibly impressed, even humbled.

She was clearly a connoisseur.

The surrounding socialites all felt a bit ashamed. Without a sales associate's help, they couldn't even tell which pieces were the most valuable.

Cole observed all of this, and once Serena had finished speaking, he calmly pulled out his tablet to handle company matters. His expression was focused and serious, as if he neither saw nor heard Sarah's whiny protests. sŵnovel

The more Serena stayed confidently in her own world, the more Cole found himself irresistibly drawn to her.

Sarah, seeing Cole remain silent, eventually ran out of steam.

She leaned against his shoulder and asked, "Cole, why won't you speak up for me? You're the future heir of the Larson family too. Why should you be beneath Hugh?"

"And you're a daughter of the Jansen family. Why are you so loud and annoying?" Cole coldly pulled his arm out of her grasp without a hint of hesitation.

The nearby socialites looked on cautiously, whispering in surprise. It really didn't seem like Cole liked his fiancée very much.

Sarah was utterly stunned. She watched, wide-eyed, as Cole walked toward Serena.

He asked, "Uncle Hugh usually doesn't care much about

appearances. Giving him Nebula Design's top-tier products might be a waste. But I'm about to marry Sarah. Why don't you pick something for me too, Aunt Serena?"

Serena subtly sidestepped his approach without looking up.

"How could a gift I'm giving to Hugh ever be a waste? But you... Instead of letting your fiancée choose something for you, you're here trying to get your aunt to pick something out? Or are you just making conversation so that you can help your fiancée snag some limited editions?"