Chapter 2

My shopping mood, already bruised by Chadwick' s callousness and Isa' s taunts, completely evaporated. I felt a surge of cold determination. I wasn't leaving this mall without that new Nexus prototype smartwatch. It was the only tangible thing I could control right now.

I walked straight to the high-tech electronics store, my gaze fixed on the display. "I' d like to purchase the Nexus Chrono, platinum edition," I told the sales associate, pointing to the sleek device.

The young man, barely out of his teens, looked at me with a hesitant smile. "Of course, ma' am. That' s an excellent choice. However, we have a waiting list for the platinum edition. It' s quite exclusive."

"I understand," I said, my voice unwavering. "But I need it now."

He shifted uncomfortably. "I' m sorry, but we have a strict priority system. Only our top-tier Nexus Platinum Club members receive immediate access to limited stock. There' s a minimum annual spend of five hundred thousand dollars to qualify."

Just then, a familiar, grating voice cut through the air. "Oh, look who it is. Still trying to keep up, Kelsey?"

Isa Jordan breezed past me, a triumphant smirk plastered on her face. She flashed a sleek, black card at the sales associate, emblazoned with a platinum Nexus logo. "Don' t worry, darling, I' m sure they' ll get to you eventually. After all, some of us actually invest in the brand, not just... design it."

She turned back to me, her eyes gleaming with malice. "This little beauty," she said, tapping her Platinum Club card, "is reserved for those who truly appreciate luxury. You wouldn' t understand. It' s not something you just... stumble into. You have to earn it. Or, you know, have a fiancé who' s actually worth something."

Her words were a direct hit, a deliberate attempt to shame me, to remind me of my supposed financial inferiority. My hands clenched at my sides. The heat from earlier returned, but this time, it was a slow, burning rage. She had crossed a line. My personal style, my relationship, my worth. She had attacked it all.

Without a word, I reached into my bag and pulled out my own card. It wasn' t a sleek platinum. It was a simple, understated titanium card, a custom-issued one from Nexus itself, the kind reserved for founders and principal architects. I handed it to the sales associate. "Process my immediate membership for the Platinum Club," I stated, my voice low and steady. "And then ring up the Chrono. I' ll take two."

The associate' s eyes widened, his gaze darting between my card and Isa' s stunned face. Isa' s triumphant expression crumbled, her jaw dropping open.

"What... what is that?" she stammered, pointing at my card.

I ignored her. "Two, please. And expedite the membership. I' m in a bit of a hurry."

Isa, however, wasn' t finished. "You-you can' t do that! This is my purchase! I was here first!" she screeched at the bewildered sales associate. "Do you know who I am? Do you know who my fiancé is? Chadwick Steele will have your job, your entire family' s livelihood, if you dare to disrespect me!"

The sales associate visibly flinched, his face paling. He stammered, pulling his hands back from the register as if it were a live wire. "Ma' am, please... I just follow company policy..."

"Company policy?" Isa' s voice was deafening. "I am company policy! My face is on every major ad campaign! Chadwick' s family is the biggest investor in Nexus! Do you want to find yourself jobless and blacklisted from this entire industry?"

The sales associate looked like he was about to vomit. He turned to me, his eyes pleading. "Ma' am, I' m so sorry, but... it' s a delicate situation. Steele Dynamics has a lot of... influence. I can' t risk offending them."

A hushed whisper drifted from a nearby customer. "That' s Isa Jordan. Chadwick Steele' s mistress. She' s got him wrapped around her finger, and his family is loaded. You really don' t want to cross her."

Another voice chimed in, lower. "Yeah, they say she' s practically royalty here. Whatever she wants, Chadwick gets for her. You just back down, honey. It' s not worth it. Apologize and leave."

A smug smile returned to Isa' s face, wider and more malicious than before. The whispers fueled her arrogance, inflating her ego to grotesque proportions. She looked at me, her eyes filled with triumph.

"See, Kelsey?" she sneered, leaning in close. "You' re out of your league. Now, I suggest you humble yourself. Get on your knees, apologize for trying to compete, and maybe, just maybe, I' ll let you leave without further... consequences."

My blood ran cold. Kneel. Apologize. The words echoed in my head, each one a fresh insult. The suggestion itself was a physical blow, an attempt to crush my spirit. I felt a tremor run through me, but it wasn't fear. It was the precursor to a storm.