Megan had been surrounded by flattering voices for several minutes, basking in attention that once would have been unimaginable. When she noticed Jason coming out of the restroom, she instinctively wanted to excuse herself and go to him.
But just then, the fashionable middle-aged woman stopped her gently.
"Miss Megan, right? You just said your middle name was Reynolds?" she asked with a pleasant smile.
Megan tilted her head, puzzled. "Yes… that's right. Why?"
The woman's eyes softened as if she had just made a warm discovery. "I knew you looked familiar. Your relative—David?"
The moment Megan heard the name, her guard shot up.
Her father was just a low-profile software engineer, brilliant but not the kind of person high-level business leaders remembered. What were the odds that a wealthy socialite here, in a private coastal villa, just happened to recognize him?
She wasn't naïve. Megan instantly understood the truth—these women were circling her only because she was standing next to Jason, and they couldn't touch him directly. If they mentioned her relatives, it was just another way of probing.
Still, she stayed calm, her expression smooth. "Yes, that's my Father. How do you know him?"
The woman's smile widened, careful and polished. "Forgive me, I should introduce myself first. I'm Olivia, co-founder of BrightTech Solutions. I met your Father briefly at a tech conference not long ago. Brilliant man. Honestly, he spoke about you nonstop—he's clearly proud of his niece."
Her words were carefully chosen: establishing status, suggesting credibility, but vague enough that Megan had no way to verify them.
Olivia continued, "I actually tried to recruit him into our company, but he turned me down. Is he still with his old firm?"
Megan hesitated, then replied evenly, "Not anymore. He had some conflicts with management."
Olivia's brows lifted in recognition. "Wait… I think I heard something about that. Wasn't there a lawsuit involving a Reynolds—an employee accused of leaking driverless-car tech secrets? Don't tell me that was him?"
Megan's lips pressed together. The woman knew far too much.
Yes. That lawsuit had been haunting her Father for two years. After a falling-out with his boss, he quit without signing a non-compete. Days later, the company accused him of stealing proprietary software.
He denied it, of course, but the case dragged on endlessly. Each time the court delayed, the company produced just enough evidence to keep it alive. Who would dare hire a man accused of intellectual-property theft?
Her Father was brilliant but stubborn—too proud to take a menial job, too inflexible to compromise. Slowly, the family's finances had collapsed. If not for a little savings, they would've been in ruin already.
Olivia noticed Megan's tightened expression and decided not to push further. Instead, she shifted smoothly. "Don't worry, dear. That matter is simpler than it looks. That company? They're one of our contractors. A quick phone call, and the whole thing can disappear."
Before Megan could respond, Olivia pulled out her phone and made a call right there at the party. She exchanged pleasantries, spoke a few decisive words, and hung up. The entire thing lasted less than five minutes.
"It's done," Olivia said with a satisfied smile. "The lawsuit will be dropped, and they'll even issue a statement clearing your Father's name. If he's interested, we'd be happy to bring him into our team at BrightTech."
Megan stared at her, barely believing it. A problem that had plagued her family for years… gone with a single phone call?
She had never told anyone in her circle about this issue. To her, airing such personal troubles felt risky and undignified. Besides, most men in her "pond" of suitors lacked the influence to solve something this serious.
One of her higher-ranked admirers had noticed hints of the problem before and tried to intervene, but even he had failed.
Yet here, in this world of power and connections, something that had nearly destroyed her Father's career was swept aside as if it were nothing at all.
Megan: Favorability +3.
After all, they was a massive corporation. The outcome of lawsuits depended on the wishes, not on law.
So when Megan got a call saying the issue was resolved, she couldn't believe it. She quickly pulled out her phone and called her father.
"Dad, check if your case has been withdrawn."
On the other end of the line, David's voice sounded confused."People don't work at night, sweetheart. They haven't withdrawn anything yet."
"But, the former company director just called me," David said, pacing nervously. "His tone was… respectful. He said the lawsuit would be withdrawn tomorrow, and an official statement clearing our name has already been issued. Megan, what's going on?"
"Don't you go following some old man around, Megan." David's tone sharpened, tinged with worry. "I just can't swallow this injustice. Even if they accuse me of leaking company secrets, fine—worst case, I won't do this line of work anymore. I'll deliver food if I have to. No, no—I'll start tomorrow!"
David's sudden urgency wasn't entirely irrational. After all, only someone with real influence could pressure a major company like them into submission. And his daughter… what if she had relied on some powerful man's "help"?
Megan felt her throat tighten at the sincerity in her father's words. Honest, maybe timid, but he had never once let her fell how bad the world is.
"Dad, don't talk nonsense," she said firmly. "It wasn't like that. One of my friend helped us. He stumbled across the issue and stepped in."
She deliberately credited this to Jason. No way was she naive enough to think Olivia had suddenly grown a conscience.
To ease her father's suspicions, she sent him a photo of herself with Jason.
David looked at the photo and finally let out a long sigh of relief. Even if they were dating, at least Jason was a decent young man—handsome, sharp, and about her age. That was acceptable.
When Megan hung up, Olivia—who had been quietly watching—smiled."So? I wasn't lying to you, was I?"
"Thank you." Megan bowed her head sincerely, though she knew Olivia was simply currying Jason's favor.
Then Megan's gaze drifted across the room, landing on Jason. He was surrounded by a few men, casually chatting, his presence commanding without even trying.
The truth hit her like a wave: the entire mess, the lawsuit, the corporate smear campaign—none of it required Jason to lift a finger. Just his identity and the people eager to please him had been enough to resolve it with a single phone call.
The difference between their worlds was like a canyon.
This man was exactly the kind of perfect figure she had once dared to dream of.
Gratitude, awe, even a dangerous kind of admiration surged in her chest. She looked at Jason with a hunger she could barely hide.
And at that moment, a familiar chime rang in Jason's mind:
[System Notification]Megan – Affection +5.
Current Affection: 84.
Status is now available.
Please check immediately.
Name: Megan
Age: 22
Appearance Score: 8.3/10
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 115 lbs
Affection: 53 → 84
Ex-Boyfriend: None
STD History: None
Jason blinked. From what he'd seen with Grace, affection levels slowed dramatically once past 80. And yet Megan's had surged to 84 in a heartbeat.
Wait… what exactly had she and her father talked about just now?
What shocked him even more was the note: No ex-boyfriend.
Grace's profile had made it clear what that meant. In this world, "ex-boyfriend" wasn't casual—it meant intimacy. And Megan, despite her sharpness and charm… still had none?
Jason sat there, stunned.
Very, very surprised.
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