ra stood there, frozen like a deer in headlights, absolutely blindsided by Jack''s lightning-fast move.


    Before she could even blink, he''d snatched the wooden box right out of her grip and shoved it into Kelly''s hands.


    "You slimy piece of trash!" ra exploded, ripping the box back with a furious yank.


    "Steal my shot at a promotion, will you? Sister Florence, would you control your idiot son before I wrap this box around his neck?"


    Florence glowered at Jack, pinching his car so hard he yelped. "You little thief, when did you decide it was okay to rob your own aunt?"


    Jack rolled his eyes, whining like a spoiled brat. “Mom, I was trying to turn a profit for us. Why blow money on something that won''t ever pay us back?"


    "Who said I won''t pay it back?" ra snapped, holding the Verdantheart Root''s box to her chest like it was her baby. "I''ll double the money and throw it in your face if I feel like it!"


    Alex finally cleared his throat, attempting some sort of ceasefire.


    "Miss, what exactly are you gonna use the Verdantheart Root for?" he asked, voice cautious.


    "Not that it''s any of your business."


    Alex exhaled sharply, frustration evident. "Miss, we just need a few pieces for-" ra raised her voice, making sure the entire room heard every syble.


    "Let me break it down for you all: The Verdantheart Root is not for sale. Not an inch, not a crumb, not a single spec of dust. You try to get it from me, I''ll make sure you regret it."


    Alex hadn''t expected her to be this stubborn-this borderline spiteful. "Miss..." "Shut it! I said I don''t like you, and that''s all there is to it. Whether it ends up in the trash or rots in a corner, it''s never gonna be yours, got it?"


    ra snatched the bank''s card right out of Florance hand, mming it onto the counter. "Finish the transaction, right now!"


    The shop owner handled the payment, all too eager to secure the sweet five- million-dor deal.


    Florence looked like she might pass out, every bit of color draining from her face.


    "ra...five million is insane," she whispered, legs trembling. "That''s my entire savings!"


    "Sister Florence," ra said with a wave of her hand, acting like a big shot. “It''s just five million. Drop in the bucket. I''ll pay you back double. Don''t stress.”


    Florence''s mouth fell open.


    She did not buy that load of bull for one second. But maybe maybe ra was different now.


    Maybe she''d actually hold up her end of the bargain. Yeah, right.


    Money exchanged, the credit slip finalized.


    ra practically skipped over to Kelly and Alex, unting the wooden box like it was a diamond-studded trophy.


    w, never seen something this precious, have you?" she teased, voiceced with mock sympathy.


    "Let me do you a favor and show you a real masterpiece."


    She flipped thetch, opening the box with an exaggerated flourish.


    Everyone crowded around, eyes glued to the so-called "treasure." Insidey the Verdantheart Root, palm-sized, looking about as majestic as a dried-up cactus on a hot day


    ra''s grin copsed in an instant.


    The root was dark gray and wrinkled, barely clinging to any semnce of life.


    A piece of it crumbled off the side, turning to dust like ancient papyrus.


    "What the hell?" ra''s stomach lurched.


    "Boss, are you sure this is the Verdantheart Root? Because it looks like a piece of moldy garlic someone forgot in the fridge for a decade."


    The shop owner-Mr. Walter-didn''t miss a beat. "Of course it is!" he dered with


    a confidence that bordered on arrogance. "Got it from the king of Mysteri Land himself Swear on my life it''s genuine."


    ra cocked an eyebrow, her lips pulled tight in frustration. "Then why does it look dead as roadkill?"


    Florence snapped out of her shock. "You gotta be kidding me! You scammed us? We''re not idiots. This can''t be real Verdantheart Root!"


    Mr. Walter put up his hands, ying innocent. "Hey, hey, calm down, folks. It''s definitely the real deal. The king said it''d been passed down for generations. Maybe it''s just..uh...not as pretty as you expected."


    Sophia, who''d been quietly assessing the root, spoke up, her tone as sharp as a scalpel.


    "It is a Verdantheart Root, sure. But it''s obviously been dead for decades. It''s just dried-out junk now. How dare you sell it for such a high price?"


    Florence''s eyes nearly popped out of her head. "Dead for decades? Holy crap...... This is worthless!"


    "That''s right!" ra hissed, snapping her gaze back to the shop owner. "You conned us, you bastard! Five million for this hunk of garbage? Refund. Now."


    Mr. Walter merely shrugged, folding his arms in disinterest "The terms were clear,dies and gentlemen-no refunds on purchased items. You wanted them; I didn''t force you."


    ra''s fury exploded. She grabbed him by the cor, her voice like nails on a chalkboard.


    "How about I make this real simple? Give me my money back, or I''ll show you how we handle scammers in court."


    That''s when Mr. Walter snapped his fingers.


    Within seconds, the floor rumbled with heavy footsteps.


    His staff appeared, each one with the posture of someone who wouldn''t hesitate to bust heads,


    "Listen up," Mr. Walter said, his tone eerily calm. "If these lovely people decide to get violent, kindly show them


    out. Hard."


    "Bunch of idiots," one of the staff sneered, weapon in hand "Starting drama over something they didn''t bother to inspect first."


    Yeah, they have no clue who they''re messing with," another scoffed. "What a joke."


    Florence tried to keep the adrenaline from making her knees buckle.


    "You think I''m scared because you''ve got a bunch of hired muscle?" she spat, chin tilted defiantly.


    "You jerk. Refund me, or I''ll file awsuit for fraud!"


    Mr. Walter''s expression remained infuriatingly calm. "Go ahead," he said with a smirk, daring them to try.


    "No one forced you to buy it. My conscience is spotless. In fact, I still have the CCTV footage-I''d be more than happy to bring it to court or even upload it to social media if you''d like."


    Florence''s fists clenched at her sides, trembling with rage. But she didn''t move, too intimidated by the mountain of security closing in.


    "You lying sack of crap," ra snarled, her eyes shooting daggers. "If it''s so real, why is it dried up like a month-old pancake? Why didn''t you bother mentioning that it was pretty much useless?"


    Mr. Walter raised an eyebrow. "I gave you the chance to inspect it before you handed over the payment, darling That''s standard procedure. You were too busy running your mouth and throwing money around to notice. Don''t me me."


    ra could practically feel her blood pressure skyrocket.


    She nced back at Florence, her anger mingling with guilt They''d been robbed blind, and it was all on her. "The fish sees the bait, not the hook; the man sees the profit, not the danger.'' 1