“`html

Sabrina quickly donned a charming smile and addressed Charlie in a sweet tone, “Class rep, welcome to Shangri-La! It’s a true honor to have you here, and as your former college mate, I’m delighted to see you. Please, come in…”

She thought her flattery and gentle demeanor would make Charlie overlook her earlier rudeness. However, Charlie was not as forgiving as she had hoped.

Isaac was taken aback by Sabrina’s words, promptly asking, “Lee, you’re Mr. Wade’s college mate?”

“Yes! Absolutely!” Sabrina responded with urgency. “Mr. Wade was my class representative in college, and we were quite close!”

Isaac declared without hesitation, “Head to the president’s office tomorrow. You’re going to be the HR manager of Shangri-La!”

In Shangri-La, moving from team leader to HR manager represented a significant leap in hierarchy. This promotion would not only boost her salary and benefits tenfold but also give her authority over a majority of the hotel’s employees. Being an HR manager was considered a prestigious managerial position. Sabrina was so excited by this news that she nearly fainted.

Charlie replied coldly, “Mr. Cameron, do you have any idea what my relationship with Sabrina Lee is?”

Isaac assumed Charlie was unhappy with the promotion and quickly offered, “Mr. Wade, I can make Miss Lee the vice president if that would make you happy!”

Charlie interjected, “I reached out to Sabrina Lee for help because I didn’t possess a membership card, and out of the blue, she insulted me and even urged the guards to harm me. And now, you want to promote her to vice president? What’s the intention behind this? Are you trying to provoke me?”

Isaac felt a wave of panic wash over him; he had miscalculated his flattery! He shot a furious glare at Sabrina, his voice filled with anger as he exclaimed, “How dare you offend Mr. Wade? Did you borrow courage from a lion? Are you seeking trouble?”

Sabrina, terrified, fell to her knees, trembling as she cried out, “Mr. Cameron, I’m so sorry!”

Isaac kicked her harshly, sending her sprawling away, shouting, “You foolish girl! I’ll make sure you understand the consequences of offending Mr. Wade!”

He then turned to the security guards, barking, “Give her a severe beating! Show no mercy; ruin that plastic face of hers and send a message throughout Aurous Hill that anyone who hires her will be opposing me, Isaac Cameron!”

Sabrina was filled with dread, pleading desperately, “Mr. Cameron, please forgive me!”

Isaac’s face flushed with anger as he yelled, “Now you realize your mistake, huh? What were you thinking earlier? How dare you provoke Mr. Wade? If it weren’t for him, I’d end you right now!”

Tears streamed down Sabrina’s face as she crawled before Charlie, bowing deeply. “Mr. Wade, I’m so sorry! Please, for the sake of our past friendship…”

Charlie looked at her with a frosty stare and replied, “Sabrina Lee, we may be friends, but why did you insult me and my wife just now?”

“Class rep, I was completely out of line! It was my big mouth, please forgive me…”

“I don’t retaliate unless provoked. You’ve crossed the line, so I won’t let this slide! You’ve brought this upon yourself!” Charlie then scoffed. “Now, experience the consequences of your own actions, you ignorant woman!”

Isaac growled, “You wretched girl! Don’t you dare bother Mr. Wade again, or I’ll tear your mouth off your plastic face!”

Sabrina didn’t dare utter another word, remaining on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Charlie ignored her completely and turned to Isaac, stating flatly, “I need to discuss the Sky Garden with you. Let’s go to your office.”

Isaac eagerly agreed, leading the way. “Of course, Mr. Wade, right this way!”

Before they exited, he shouted to the guards, “Teach her a lesson, and don’t stop until I say so!”

“Yes, Mr. Cameron!” the guards replied nervously. They rushed toward Sabrina, forcing her down and giving her a harsh beating. Behind Charlie, Sabrina’s cries echoed, but he paid no mind as Isaac guided him into Shangri-La.

Once inside Isaac’s office, Charlie got straight to the point, saying, “My wife and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary in a few days. Can I book the entire Sky Garden?”

Isaac responded without hesitation, “Young Master, to maintain fairness to all premium members, we don’t allow the chartering of the Sky Garden, not even for prominent politicians in the city. However, I assure you, it will be reserved exclusively for you in the future!”

Charlie replied coolly, “That’s not necessary. I just need it for my anniversary, and I would appreciate your help in arranging a surprise for my wife.”

“Absolutely! You can count on all of us at Shangri-La to fulfill your requests!”

***

After taking care of the arrangements at Shangri-La, Charlie boarded the bus home. He noticed that nearly all the passengers were engrossed in videos on their phones. To his astonishment, everyone was watching the same clip! It was the video of him flaunting thirteen million dollars in cash at Emerald Court just days prior!

The video began with Stephen and the security team stepping out of their black Rolls-Royces. Then, it shifted to the guards unloading numerous black suitcases into Emerald Court, humiliating the arrogant sales manager. The entire incident had been filmed and uploaded online, but the video unfortunately did not clearly show Charlie’s face.

The footage spread rapidly throughout Aurous Hill, igniting curiosity as people speculated about the identity of the wealthy individual. Many young women began to fantasize about their own rags-to-riches stories, hoping to encounter their own Prince Charming soon.

Charlie breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that his face was too blurry in the video to be recognized. When he finally arrived home, the atmosphere was filled with joy and excitement. Claire had secured the Emgrand Group contract and was on the verge of being appointed as the director of the Wilson Group. Her parents were overwhelmed with tears of happiness.

After years of being mocked and belittled, they could finally bask in the glory of their daughter’s success! With his in-laws in such a good mood, they no longer viewed him as despicable or bothersome.

Elaine exclaimed joyfully, “I’m just so thrilled today! My daughter is amazing!”

Turning to Charlie, she smiled—a rare sight indeed—and said, “Charlie, despite your shortcomings, I must give credit where it’s due; Claire’s success is thanks to your encouragement. You won’t need to cook dinner tonight. We’ll celebrate out!”

Claire giggled. “Let’s go to Kempinski!”

“That’s too pricey!” Elaine gasped. “Isn’t it at least a thousand dollars per person?”

Claire laughed, “Mom, the director’s salary is substantial, with an annual income of one million.”

“Wow!” Elaine clapped her hands in delight. “That’s incredible! My dear Claire has finally achieved something remarkable!”

After a moment of thought, she added, “But you’ll need to give me 70% of your salary. You young people don’t know how to handle money. Hand it over, and I’ll manage it for you. I promise I’ll handle it better than you ever could!”

Claire agreed, “Alright, Mom. I’ll give you that every month, but let’s set some boundaries: Please don’t insult Charlie again; he’s your son-in-law!”

“Okay, okay! For your sake, I promise to ease up on my criticisms of him!”

“`