?Chapter 1687:


    Brenna chuckled. “You should line up more things like that for her. Retirees need something to keep their hands and minds busy.”


    Ethan nodded. “Exactly. If she’s got nothing to do, she’ll start meddling in our lives.”


    They shared a knowing smile.


    “I’ll have Rex look into other projects she can join,” Ethan added.


    After dinner, as they were about to leave the restaurant, they spotted Jalen stepping out of the private dining room. He had just seen off his guest, and a server was waiting with the bill in hand. She turned to Jalen and said politely, “Sir, your total is one hundred and twenty-eight thousand. How would you like to pay?”


    The server’s polite smile didn’t hide the way her gaze lingered on Jalen with judgment. She could tell at a nce that his clothes weren’t designer—not that she meant to judge, but it was hard to imagine he could foot a bill like that. Jalen’s whole outfit probably cost less than a thousand.


    Sure enough, Jalen stared at her, ck-jawed. “Hold up—how much?”


    The server repeated, “One hundred and twenty-eight thousand dors.”


    Jalen felt like his world had just copsed. “No way! I did the math—eight dishes, maybe eight thousand, plus two mains for about a hundred each. That’s barely ten grand! How the hell did it jump to such a price? You trying to rip me off?”


    Unfazed, the server calmly exined, “We run an honest business, sir. You ordered a premium bottle of wine—it’s priced at more than one hundred thousand dors. How would you like to pay?”


    She could tell he was t-out broke, and she was ready to call security if things went south.


    Jalen’s legs nearly gave out. He had thought the wine was just a few thousand dors. Now, he felt like the ground had dropped out from under him. What the hell was he supposed to do? He didn’t have enough money to pay for the meal.


    Then, like a miracle, he spotted Brenna. Perfect. She might not like him much, but they were still family. Surely, she would help him.


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    He strode over to her. “Hey, Brenna! You guys are having a meal here, too? Is this your boyfriend?”


    Brenna nced at him coolly. “Yeah. What are you doing in a ce like this? It’s pretty high-end.”


    Her implication was unmistakable—this ce was way out of his price range.


    She had zero intention of covering his bill.


    Jalen wasn’t blind to the fact that the Harpers thought little of him. Still, he kept trying to get closer to them. After all, their power and prestige were gxies beyond his league. One nod of approval from them could change everything for him.


    “I was treating a friend here,” he said quickly. “Trying to pull a few strings. Gotta pick a nice ce for that, right? I swear, I ordered simple stuff—had no clue that a bottle of wine would cost a fortune. I’m a little short on cash right now. Mind lending me some?”


    He said “lend,” but he had no intention of paying it back. To the Harpers, a hundred grand was pocket change. Like they would even notice if he never paid it back.


    Jalen’s eyes lit up with a flicker of hope, and he waited for Brenna’s response. To her, the meal wouldn’t be expensive. To him, though, it was half a year’s sry.


    Brenna’s expression stayed nk as she looked at Jalen. “I’m not lending you money,” she said tly.


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