?Chapter 138:


    Darin never dreamed Elliana would actually ept his invitation. He was equal parts stunned and ted. “Elliana, how about dinner at the Ublento Hotel? My treat,” he offered.


    Elliana raised an eyebrow. Now, the Ublento Hotel wasn’t just any ce—it was a gold-ted wallet-drainer. This was the first time Darin had ever splurged like this on her. Her smile grew sharper, edged with irony. “Sure.”


    Conveniently, she was already at the Ublento Hotel. No need to lift a finger—just a trip downstairs.


    “Where are you now? I’ll swing by and pick you up,” Darin added eagerly.


    ncing down coolly, Elliana replied, “No need. I’ll get there myself.” After all, it was just a matter of going downstairs.


    Darin was quick to agree. “Alright, great! I’ll reserve a private room so we can talk in peace.”


    Once the call ended, Elliana turned to Matthew, who lounged beside her. “When Darin gets here, if he asks for a standard private room, tell him they’re all booked. Make him take the most expensive one instead.” That would be the hundred-thousand-per-hour luxury suite. Since Darin had decided to y the generous host, she figured she’d let him go all in.


    “Got it,” Matthew replied with a smirk, already texting the hotel manager to arrange that.


    Meanwhile, Darin strolled into the Ublento, clueless that his bank ount was about to bleed.


    As expected, he asked the front desk for a standard private room—ten thousand per hour.


    The receptionist, polite but firm, broke the bad news: only the hundred-thousand-per-hour room was still avable.


    Darin’s heart clenched. The Jones Group was a sinking ship—hemorrhaging money day by day. Ran’s recent investment had bought them some breathing room, but the outlook was still grim. Every coin mattered now. Still, with no other choice, he swallowed the pain, gritted his teeth, and booked the high-end room.


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    Settling in, he texted Elliana. “Elliana, I’m already at the Ublento Hotel. I booked the most luxurious private suite just for you.” He then sent her the room number.


    Meanwhile, Elliana was still kicking back in a swanky top-floor room, shooting the breeze with Matthew. When she read Darin’s message, a sly smirk crept across her face. She stood, stretched, and sauntered downstairs. Usually, she moved like she was on a mission, but today? She was taking her sweet time. The Ublento Hotel charged by the hour, after all. Every minute she dawdled was another chunk of change out of Darin’s pocket. No need to rush this party!


    Darin, on the other hand, was antsy as a kid on Christmas morning, checking his watch frequently. Every second felt like dor bills fluttering out the window. He was dying to text Elliana to hurry up, but he didn’t dare risk ticking her off.


    Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Elliana breezed in. She needed to pry some information out of Darin today, so she didn’t want to sour the vibe too much. Spotting him, she picked up her pace just enough to look like she cared.


    Darin, all smiles, practically tripped over himself to pull out a chair. “Elliana,e on, take a seat.”


    Elliana slid into the seat across from him, a faint smile ying on her lips. “Sorry for keeping you waiting, Mr. Jones.”


    Darin, mid-pour of her water, froze like a deer in headlights. His face stiffened. “Elliana, you still sore at me? Come on, no bad blood between a dad and his girlsts forever. ‘Mr. Jones’ sounds so cold. Just call me Dad, like old times.”


    Elliana’s smile didn’t budge, but she didn’t bite. She wasn’t about to argue, but she sure wasn’t choking out “Dad” either. After all the times he’d let her down, that word felt like a bad taste in her mouth. Darin handed her the menu. “Elliana, go wild—order whatever catches your eye.”


    She didn’t need to be told twice. Flipping through the menu, she went to town, picking out the priciest dishes like she was born to it. In no time, she’d rung up a tab that topped a million.


    Darin caught a glimpse of the order and felt his heart sink like a stone. But he stered on a grin, not daring to let his pain show.


    Elliana saw right through him, of course, but yed dumb. After wrapping up hervish order, she leaned back and tossed out casually, “So, what’s the big idea inviting me here?”


    “Oh, nothing major. Just wanted to share a meal with my girl and see how you’re holding up,” Darin replied insincerely. Truth was, he was terrified that if he spilled his real motives too soon, Elliana could bolt. His game n was to let her enjoy the food first and then ease into the ask.


    Elliana knew exactly what he was up to. But since he wanted to y the doting dad, she was happy to y along. Anyway, it wasn’t her cash going up in smoke—she was profiting off his dime. She was the owner of the Ublento Hotel, after all.


    When the food arrived, Elliana dug in, savoring every bite while giving Darin’s questions half-hearted, barely-there answers.


    As the meal wound down, Darin finally mustered the nerve to test the waters. “Elliana, did you enjoy the grub?”


    “Loved it,” she said with a nod. The Ublento Hotel’s food was always a home run for her.


    Seeing her in a good mood, Darin tiptoed into his pitch. “Elliana, could I ask you for a little favor?”


    “What’s that?” she asked, cool as a cucumber.


    “Elliana, I never would’ve guessed you’re actually Rosa, the artist whose paintings go for billions! You’re rolling in more dough than the Jones family could ever dream of now!” Darin shed a grin. “Elliana, could you help the Jones Group? After all, part of it is your mom’s legacy.”


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