While Evelyn went to contact the hotel manager to retrieve the surveillance footage, Victoria Sterling took her clothes and walked into the bathroom.
She stood before the full-length mirror, her gaze cold as she surveyed her reflection. Red, passionate marks were scattered across her fair skin. Involuntarily, the memory of that man pressing her down and biting her neck flashed through her mind...
Victoria narrowed her eyes dangerously. It was the first time any man had dared to treat her like this. He certainly had nerve.
By the time Victoria stepped out of the bathroom, Evelyn had already returned to the suite.
"President Sterling," Evelyn reported respectfully, "the hotel’s surveillance system suffered a hardware failure last night and is currently being repaired. If we want to identify the man, it may take a day or two."
"Mhm." Victoria narrowed her eyes.
She could wait. No matter who he was, he wasn’t going to escape her reach.
"Achoo!"
"Achoo!"
Back at the Vance family mansion, Julian sneezed twice in row. He rubbed his nose. Is someone badmouthing me?
It was probably the Vance family, angry that he had demanded three million dollars from them.
Julian headed downstairs. The grand dining table was already laden with an array of gourmet dishes. He sat down without waiting for anyone and began eating heartily.
Not bad, he thought. As expected of a personal chef hired by a wealthy family, the food tasted fantastic. Given how poorly the original host had been living, this felt like a feast.
Five minutes later, the rest of the Vance family strolled into the dining room.
When Eleanor saw Julian already digging in, memories of how he had embarrassed the family with his poor table manners in the past flashed through her mind. Her face darkened instantly.
"Julian! Who gave you permission to sit down and eat?!" Eleanor hissed in disgust. "Get away from the table this instant!"
Julian picked up a piece of glazed pork belly with his chopsticks and raised an eyebrow. "I’m a member of the Vance family too. What, am I not allowed to sit at the table?"
Eleanor didn’t bother arguing. She marched straight up to Julian and slapped his hand away.
Clatter!
The chopsticks clattered onto the hardwood floor.
Julian looked down at the fallen utensils, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Eleanor barked furiously, "Did I give you permission to eat?!"
Beside her, a dark glint flashed across Leo’s eyes as he watched the confrontation unfold with hidden satisfaction.
"Heh..." Julian let out a low, cold laugh.
Without saying a word, he stood up.
CRASH!
Under everyone’s horrified, shell-shocked gazes, Julian grabbed the edge of the heavy mahogany dining table and violently flipped it over. Plates, silver platters, and hot food smashed onto the floor in a massive mess.
"Julian! You—you actually flipped the table?!" Eleanor’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
"I’m full. You guys enjoy the rest," Julian said with a pleasant smile. "By the way, my price just went up. I don’t want three million anymore—I want seven million. Wire it to my account within three days, or the deal is off."
Julian dusted off his hands and sauntered out of the Vance mansion, leaving behind utter chaos.
Julian headed straight for the nearest lottery shop. Because main protagnist Eathan had won lottery ticket.His ticket to overnight wealth was waiting!
Reaching the counter, he handed a slip of paper with pre-written numbers to the owner. "Give me a hundred bets on this sequence."
The two hundred dollars in his pocket was the last bit of savings the original host had left. If he had more cash on hand, he would have bought even more.
The shop owner stared at him, stunned. "Are you sure you want to put all two hundred dollars on a single number?"
"Positive," Julian nodded confidently.
A single winning bet on the top prize was worth five million dollars. A hundred bets meant five hundred million. He was about to become stupidly rich.
[ Host, ] the System’s voice chimed in his mind. [ You can only purchase a maximum of five winning bets. If you buy more than five, the lottery center’s draw algorithm will automatically shift the winning number. ]
Julian’s brows furrowed. Right. The lottery organizers would never allow a single person to sweep five hundred million in one go; they’d alter the draw.
Just as the owner was about to input the purchase, Julian stopped him. "Hold on. On second thought, a hundred is a bit greedy. Let’s make it five bets instead."
After collecting his ticket, Julian grabbed a plastic stool in the corner of the shop and crossed his legs comfortably.
Half an hour passed.
"Sir," the owner asked curiously, "are you waiting for someone?"
"Nope," Julian shook his head. "Just waiting for the draw."
There were only thirty minutes left until the winning numbers were announced. Since he had nowhere pressing to be, he decided to wait right here.
The owner shook his head inwardly. He had seen plenty of dreamers like this—people who convinced themselves today was their lucky day. But winning the lottery was a one-in-a-million shot.
Having only an outdated burner phone with no games, Julian rested his chin on his hand and let his thoughts wander.
By now, Victoria Sterling has probably woken up. Seeing the marks on her body and my note... is she going to fly into a complete rage?
He wasn’t the original male lead protected by plot armor, so he wasn’t entirely sure if Victoria would just track him down and murder him.
Ah well. Julian sighed softly. If he were the actual male lead, he could just sit back and let a rich CEO take care of him. Why stress out like this?
Thirty minutes passed quickly, and the broadcast for the live draw began.
"Holy shit!"
The shop owner, remembering Julian’s specific numbers, stared at the screen, his eyes widening in complete shock. He sprinted over to Julian’s corner.
"Sir! Let me see your ticket! Quick!"
Julian casually held out the slip. "Take a look."
The owner checked the digits against the screen, his voice cracking with excitement. "You won! You actually won the top prize!"
Five million dollars per bet—with five bets, that was a staggering twenty-five million dollars! This was the biggest payout his modest shop had ever produced.
The owner suddenly felt like slapping himself. If he hadn’t questioned the customer earlier, the guy might have stuck to a higher number of bets!
"Mhm." Julian handed the ticket over. "Process the payout for me."
The owner stared at him, bewildered. He won twenty-five million dollars and he’s this calm?! It’s like he knew he was going to win!
"Right away, sir!" The owner processed the claim. "Mr. Vance, would you mind taking a quick photo with me for local promotion?"
"Sure," Julian agreed, "as long as you blur my face."
After taxes, Julian walked away with twenty million dollars wired directly to his brand-new bank account. He immediately treated himself to a high-end smartphone and checked into a luxury hotel suite.
Once the Vance family transferred the seven million he demanded, he would unlock the System’s one-month stock market prediction chart. With twenty million in starting capital, multiplying his wealth would be effortless.
"Twenty million..." Julian stared at his banking app, counting the zeroes on his screen with a wide grin. "Life is good."
Julian spent the entire next day lounging in his hotel room in pure luxury.
By evening, he wandered out to find dinner, completely oblivious to the stealthy black SUV trailing him from a distance.
Inside the vehicle, Victoria’s secretory Evelyn kept her eyes locked onto Julian’s figure.
Julian strolled down a bustling street market, bought a stack of grilled skewers, and happily munched on them as he walked. When he reached a quiet, dimly lit shortcut back toward his hotel, the street emptied out.
"Move in," Evelyn ordered into her earpiece.
Before Julian could even react, a large, gloved hand clamped tightly over his mouth from behind.