Her Regret Came Too Late

I'm Ethan Roscente, the heir to New York's wealthiest family, but I've never cared for the sycophantic lifestyle that comes with it. All I've ever wanted was to live like an ordinary man.

Now, at twenty-eight and still single, my mother gave me an ultimatum—go on a blind date or be disowned.

I arrived at the arranged meeting spot, but on the way, a luxury watch in a boutique caught my eye. Just as I was about to pay, a man suddenly shoved past me and slammed a Black Card on the counter.

"This watch is mine. Wrap it up."

I kept my tone polite. "Sir, I was here first."

But instead of reason, he sneered at me. "A broke loser like you can only afford to look. Get lost!"

"I'm Liam Lopez, personal assistant to Sophia Evans, CEO of Winston Group! In New York, no one dares take what I want!"

Sophia Evans? Wasn’t that the woman I was supposed to meet?

I pulled out my phone and dialed her number. "Sophia, your assistant is throwing his weight around. You aware of that?"

...

My mother had sung Sophia’s praises endlessly. Now was my chance to see how she handled things.

If she let her assistant act like this unchecked, it would only invite trouble.

But the voice on the other end was ice-cold. "How my assistant behaves is none of your concern. Stay in your lane."

Before I could respond, she hung up.

Birds of a feather, indeed. No wonder this nobody acted so brazenly—he had her backing.

Liam, witnessing my call, burst into mocking laughter.

"Pathetic! Look at yourself, dressed like trash, trying to name-drop the CEO? Know your place!"

I prefer understated elegance, but that didn’t mean I’d tolerate his insults.

"Judging by appearances is the lowest form of intellect. Watch your mouth, or you’ll regret it."

A petty man drunk on borrowed power wasn’t worth my time.

I handed my card to the sales associate to finalize the purchase.

She hesitated, glancing nervously between Liam and me.

His grin turned vicious. "You think flashing some card makes you hot shit? This entire mall belongs to Winston Group! Without my say-so, you couldn’t buy a damn screw here!"

He snatched my card and hurled it toward the entrance. "Take your fake rich act somewhere else. Get out!"

In all my years, no one had dared disrespect me like this. Liam had awakened a fury I didn’t know I possessed.