Chapter 201 Back to Fister

Chapter 201: Chapter 201 Back to Fister

​Mia leaned slightly across the makeshift table, her eyes filled with curiosity.

​"Percy Ashford," Mia repeated the name slowly, tasting the syllables. "Is his family actually wealthy?"

​Jade shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She looked down at the concrete floor, then turned her gaze up toward the unpainted ceiling, doing everything in her power to avoid meeting Mia’s eyes directly.

​"He is... pretty well-off, I suppose," Jade offered, her tone trailing off into an uncertain whisper.

​Mia raised an eyebrow, not letting the matter drop so easily. "Well-off in what sense?"

​Jade gave a casual shrug of her shoulders. "He just has plenty of money to burn."

​"That is not a real answer, Jade."

​Jade let out a long, heavy sigh, realizing she could no longer dodge the question. "Fine. Yes, his family is wealthy. Extremely wealthy, in fact."

​Veyra sat quietly nearby, carefully observing every tiny detail of Jade’s body language.

​She noticed the sudden tightness in Jade’s shoulders, the way her voice dropped several notches, and the persistent way she refused to make eye contact with anyone in the room.

​It was obvious that Jade was deeply reluctant to reveal the full truth about Percy’s elite background. She was clearly worried that if Veyra and the others realized how rich and influential he was, they might feel intimidated, build a wall between themselves and her, or start treating her with awkward distance.

​She was simply afraid of losing the natural, comfortable friendship they had built together.

​Veyra made a quiet mental note right then and there. She would make sure Jade never had a reason to feel that way around them.

​Jade spoke up again, her voice sounding much lighter now, almost as if she were forcing a casual demeanor to break the tension.

​"Percy is... well, he is utterly eccentric," Jade explained, shaking her head in mild exasperation. "He constantly does and says things that make you want to slap him right across the face. He is impulsive, completely immature, and incredibly annoying to deal with."

​Mia frowned, her confusion only deepening. "If he is such a headache, then why on earth are we turning to him for help?"

​"Because his personal knowledge of collectible figurines is absolutely insane," Jade answered honestly. "His private collection is legendary among local enthusiasts. He knows ten times more than the president of the collector club ever could. Honestly, he knows more about rare figures than anyone else in this city."

​She paused, taking a breath before driving the main point home.

​"If there is a single person around who can help us source those rare pieces on short notice, it is definitely him."

​Veyra considered the situation carefully for a few moments.

​She had never heard of Percy Ashford before today. She knew nothing about his powerful family line, nor could she guarantee whether he would prove trustworthy or difficult to manage.

​However, she trusted Jade’s judgment implicitly.

​She turned her head to look directly at Jade. "The final choice rests with you. If you genuinely believe he can help us get what we need, go ahead and contact him. Invite him out to join us for lunch, and we can lay out our layout ideas together."

​Jade’s eyes widened in clear surprise. "Are you serious?"

​"Completely serious."

​"You are not worried about his background or his strange personality?"

​"Not in the slightest," Veyra said, her face softening into a warm smile. "I trust your judgment."

​Jade wasted no time. She reached into her pocket, pulled out her phone, and dialed a number from her contact list.

​She pressed the phone to her ear and waited patiently, her right foot tapping against the floorboards in a restless rhythm.

​"Hello?" a groggy, heavily muffled voice answered from the speaker. It was distinctly male, thick with lingering sleep.

​"Percy," Jade spoke directly into the mic. "It is Jade."

​"Jade?" A long, confused pause followed on the line. "What time is it right now?"

​"It is currently ten thirty in the morning."

​"Ten thirty?" The man groans loudly, the rustle of bedsheets audible over the line. "Why on earth are you calling my phone at ten thirty in the morning?"

​"Because I need you to come out and meet me," Jade commanded, her voice dropping into a firm, non-negotiable tone. "In half an hour."

​"Half an hour? Are you out of your mind? I am fast asleep."

​"Well, you are not sleeping anymore," Jade countered sharply. "Get out of bed, put some clothes on, and meet me over at Fister. If you are not standing outside the doors in thirty minutes flat, I will drive straight over to your apartment and drag you out of bed myself."

​A long, heavy silence stretched over the call.

​"You would not dare do that."

​"Try me and see."

​Another brief silence followed, ended by a tired, defeated sigh from the other end.

​"Fine, fine. Fister. Give me half an hour."

​The line went dead as he hung up.

​Mia and Megan exchanged quick, knowing looks across the room.

​Mia leaned over toward Megan, lowering her voice to a soft whisper. "Do you think he is her ex-boyfriend?"

​Megan shrugged her shoulders lightly. "Honestly, probably."

​Jade’s sharp ears picked up the whisper instantly. She spun around on her heel, her cheeks turning bright red with annoyance.

​"He is definitely not my ex-boyfriend!" Jade declared loudly.

​Mia blinked in mild surprise. "He is not?"

​"No, absolutely not!"

​"Then why do you talk to him with so much authority?"

​Jade rolled her eyes up toward the ceiling. "Because he is utterly obnoxious and childish, and he constantly needs someone to tell him what to do so he does not ruin his own life."

​She paused for a brief second, clearing her throat before adding another detail.

​"Besides, I have a strict rule against dating men who are younger than me."

​With their construction plans settled for the morning, the four women wrapped up their meeting.

​Jade carefully rolled her architectural sketches back into a neat tube, Mia gathered her notes into her tote bag, and Megan grabbed her jacket from the crate.

​"We should grab something proper to eat," Veyra suggested, rubbing her temples slightly. "We have been standing around in this dusty space all morning."

​Mia hesitated, looking a bit uncertain. "Where were you thinking of going?"

​"Fister," Veyra replied smoothly.

​Mia’s face instantly dropped in alarm. "Fister? But that place is wildly expensive!"

​"I am aware."

​"Veyra, we are trying to run this business on a strict, sensible budget."

​"I know we are," Veyra said, a small, knowing smile playing on her lips. "However, Jade’s brilliant interior designs are worth far more than a simple lunch. On top of that, we are hosting a wealthy heir to ask for a major favor. We can hardly invite him to sit down at a cheap fast-food joint."

​Mia let out a soft, resigned breath. "Alright, fine. You have a point."

​The atmosphere inside Fister was as grand and polished as ever.

​Veyra was already familiar with the venue. It was the exact same high-end establishment where she had recently dealt with Naya Whitmore’s arrogant behavior and presented the Ravenwood VIP card to settle the score.

​She pushed open the double doors and stepped into the main lobby, with Leon following quietly a few paces behind her.

​Victor Grant, the head manager, was standing near the front reservation desk. The second his eyes landed on Veyra’s face, every bit of color drained from his skin, and his posture straightened up instantly.

​He quickly walked over to meet her, keeping his head bowed slightly and his voice low and respectful.

​"Mrs. Solenne," Victor greeted her warmly, taking care to use the name she had requested during her last visit. "Welcome back to Fister."

​Veyra gave a polite nod. "Thank you, Manager Grant."

​He cast a quick, discreet glance at the three women standing beside her before returning his focus to Veyra. He made sure not to address her by any official family titles, strictly adhering to her previous instructions.

​"Please, allow me to show you to a table," Victor offered smoothly. "I have our finest private dining room prepared for you right away."

​He led the group down a quiet, carpeted hallway toward the quiet back section of the venue.

​The private dining room was spacious, beautifully decorated, and flooded with natural light. A large round mahogany table sat in the center, surrounded by soft leather chairs, with a delicate crystal chandelier hanging overhead and a floor-to-ceiling window offering a clear view of the bustling street outside.

​Veyra took a seat near the window, with Mia sitting down to her right and Megan settling in across from them.

​Jade, however, remained standing near the open door.

​"I will go down and wait for Percy right by the main entrance," Jade mentioned, checking the time on her wrist. "He should be arriving any minute now."

​Veyra nodded in agreement. "Go ahead. We will be right here."

​Jade offered a quick wave and walked back down the quiet hallway.

​Veyra settled back into her chair, quietly waiting for their guest to arrive.

​She looked out through the clean windowpane, watching the steady flow of city traffic and pedestrians passing by on the sidewalk below.

​Her mind briefly centered on the thought of Percy Ashford. What kind of person was he truly behind all of Jade’s colorful descriptions? Would he actually prove helpful to their store project, or would his wealthy background make him difficult to deal with?

​She did not have to wait long for her answer.

​A loud, aggressive roar of an engine suddenly echoed down the street, cutting through the ambient noise of the afternoon traffic.

​A sleek, eye-catching convertible sports car painted in a blinding shade of cherry red came sliding around the corner, its tuned exhaust popping loudly before pulling up directly against the curb in front of the restaurant entrance.

​The engine revved once more with dramatic flair before finally shutting off, and the low scissor door swung upward with a smooth hiss.

​A young man stepped out onto the pavement.

​He was tall, lean, and dressed in head-to-toe high-end designer streetwear that practically screamed money. His dark hair was styled into an artfully messy look, expensive dark sunglasses covered his eyes, and a broad, utterly fearless grin rested on his face.

​He spotted Jade standing near the entrance steps, lifted a gloved hand to wave at her with dramatic flair, and strutted forward with an over-the-top, dashing swagger that was almost comical to witness.

​Percy Ashford had officially made his grand arrival.