Chapter 148: Unwelcomed Customer

The businessman stepped into the bulk shop with a confident smile, barely sparing the other customers a glance. His eyes moved across the crates of fruit before settling on Ethan, who stood behind the counter, finishing an order for a customer.

"Ah, there you are." The man walked closer, straightening his suit jacket. "I’ve come to make another purchase today, and I intend to buy everything you’ve got here. The bulk section, the main shop, all of it."

Ethan placed the customer’s order on the counter and watched the businessman approach. He remembered the previous visit well enough. The man’s unusually large purchase had already caught his attention, and Lucas’s investigation had since revealed a connection between him and Samuel Wayne.

Now, he was back, asking for even more.

Ethan’s lips curved into a faint smile, though there was little warmth in his eyes. "I’m afraid that’s not possible, sir."

The businessman blinked. "Of course, you can start... wait. What did you say?"

"You heard me." Ethan gestured toward the other customers waiting nearby. "These people arrived before you, and we’ve already taken their orders. I can’t simply send them away because you’ve decided to buy everything."

The man glanced at the customers, then returned his attention to Ethan. His smile faltered.

"Surely, you can make an exception. I’m willing to pay a good price for everything."

"That won’t change anything." Ethan folded his arms loosely. "If you need that much fruit, there are other stores in the area. You might have better luck visiting them."

For a moment, the businessman stared at him as though he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. On his previous visit, he had been able to purchase an enormous quantity of fruit without much resistance. He had apparently expected the same treatment this time.

Instead, Ethan was telling him to take his money elsewhere.

"Perhaps you haven’t understood me." The man’s smile returned, but his voice had grown sharper. "I’ll pay double the regular price. Whatever these customers are paying, I’ll pay twice as much. Surely, you won’t turn down an offer like that."

One of the customers waiting nearby glanced at him, then quietly returned to examining the fruit.

Ethan’s expression remained unchanged. "I understand your offer perfectly well. My answer is still no."

The businessman’s jaw tightened. "You’re turning down double the money?"

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea how much you’re losing by refusing me?"

Ethan tilted his head slightly. "Not really. But I know how much fruit I have available, and I know these customers came here expecting to buy something. I’m not going to disappoint them just because someone else is willing to pay more."

The man opened his mouth, but Ethan continued before he could interrupt.

"If you have a problem with that, you’re welcome to shop somewhere else. I’m sure another store will be happy to accommodate you."

A vein near the businessman’s temple twitched. He had come expecting to dictate the terms of the transaction, not stand around arguing with a shop employee. He looked Ethan up and down, apparently searching for something that might make him reconsider.

"You seem to have forgotten who your customers are," He said at last. "People like me keep businesses running. You should be more careful about how you treat someone who’s offering you this kind of money."

Ethan’s smile disappeared.

"People who respect a business don’t walk in and expect everyone else to drop what they’re doing for them." He glanced toward the customers waiting behind the counter. "Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have orders to fulfill."

He turned away and reached for the next customer’s purchase.

The businessman remained rooted to the spot, his face darkening as Ethan dismissed him without another word.

He had never expected such a small business to reject him so openly, especially after he had offered to pay twice the price.

’Who does this guy think he is?’

He took a step forward, ready to continue the argument, but Ethan had already started attending to another customer. The casual dismissal only made his irritation worse.

"Fine!" He snapped. "If that’s how you want to do business, so be it."

Ethan didn’t respond.

The man looked around the shop one last time before turning toward the exit, muttering something under his breath. His eyes lingered on Ethan, then swept across the shelves of fruit with an unmistakable glare.

He left without making a purchase.

Only after the businessman had disappeared through the entrance did Ethan straighten and let out a quiet breath. He had no intention of allowing the man to dictate how his wife’s business was run, regardless of how much money he was willing to spend.

Still, the encounter had raised another question.

Why had the man returned so soon, especially after his previous purchase had already drawn suspicion?

He pondered about it for a while, then continued working as if nothing unusual had happened.

He helped the remaining customers select their fruits, weighed their purchases, and arranged the crates they wanted to take away. The steady flow of business gave him little time to dwell on the encounter, and he was soon occupied with the next order.

A short while later, Evelyn came over from the main shop. She had apparently noticed the businessman leaving with an angry expression, and her eyes moved from the entrance to Ethan.

"Ethan, what happened just now?" She asked, stopping beside him. "That man looked furious when he left."

Ethan finished placing a customer’s purchase on the counter before turning toward her. "He wanted to buy everything in the bulk section and the main shop."

Evelyn’s eyebrows rose. "Everything? Again?"

"Yes. And when I told him that wasn’t possible because other customers had arrived first, he offered to pay double."

She stared at him. "Double the price?"

Ethan nodded.

"Then why did you refuse him?" Evelyn asked, lowering her voice. "I mean, we couldn’t have sold everything to him, of course, but we could have discussed the quantity he wanted to buy."

Shaking his head, Ethan replied.

"Because I don’t trust him."