"Tony!" he called immediately.

The young man looked up from his tablet. "What is it?"

The receptionist lowered his voice. "Take them upstairs and put the expenses under the VIP account. Mr Julius already sent you the details."

Tony glanced at his phone and nodded. "Got it."

The assistant manager happened to walk past at that moment. His sharp eyes immediately landed on the three ladies.

"We weren’t expecting more guests."

Tony remained calm. "They’re under Mr Julius’s reservation."

The assistant manager frowned. "Julius?"

"Yes."

The assistant manager stared at him suspiciously before sighing. "Be careful. Don’t make this kind of mistake again."

"I understand."

The assistant manager nodded once and then walked away. Only after he disappeared did the receptionist let out a breath.

Tony shook his head. "You’re going to get me fired one day, Julius."

He turned toward the girls. "This way."

Anna immediately lifted her chin proudly before following him. Monica and Sarah exchanged satisfied looks as they followed behind.

The golden elevator doors opened. Even the walls inside were covered in polished gold patterns.

They looked around in disbelief. Inside, everything screamed luxury. This place was far beyond what they had expected.

The elevator stopped several floors higher. When the doors opened, all three girls froze in place.

The entire VIP floor looked like something out of a movie. Crystal chandeliers hung overhead. Expensive artwork decorated the walls.

Soft music floated through the luxurious hallway. Fresh flowers sat inside elegant glass displays. Everything screamed wealth.

The kind of wealth ordinary people only saw online.

Monica stared around. "Who owns this place?"

Tony smiled in amusement. It was obvious they didn’t know the owner of one of the most successful restaurants. Oliver Lancaster. "Our boss..."

"Oliver Lancaster also owns this place?" Anna asked in disbelief. "Sorry, I just saw his signature..." she said, pointing at the small white glass frame with an elegant black signature on it.

Tony only laughed. "Good luck finding that answer. Let me add your names to our customers’ list," he said as he started pressing on his tablet.

The mystery somehow made Monica even more curious. As they continued walking, Anna suddenly noticed another section ahead.

Her footsteps slowed. The area was separated by elegant glass walls and ruby-colored chandeliers.

The atmosphere there felt more private and exclusive. Then her eyes widened. "Abigail?"

She immediately recognised her. Her sister sat comfortably inside, laughing with several people... and the people sitting with Abigail looked relaxed and powerful.

Even from a distance, Anna could tell they weren’t ordinary. One man looked handsome enough to be a celebrity.

Another woman wore a designer watch worth more than some apartments.

The group laughed together as if they had known each other forever.

Anna felt something unpleasant twist inside her chest.

Why was Abigail there? What was going on? How?

Tony noticed where she was looking. "Ohhhh... that."

Anna immediately asked the moment they reached their own table, though she could still see them. "What place is that?"

Tony raised a brow. "It’s not open to everyone."

Anna frowned. "What do you mean?" 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

Tony smiled politely. "It’s reserved for the boss’s family and close friends."

The answer hit her like a slap. Family and close friends?? Anna looked at Abigail in disbelief. She was there laughing as if she owned the place... meanwhile, she had nearly been rejected downstairs. Feelings of jealousy and annoyance settled heavily in her stomach. She should be the one sitting there, and she didn’t believe Abigail was important enough to have that kind of connection. She hated it.

"Can anyone enter there?" she asked.

Tony immediately shook his head. "Not really."

"Why is the door open then?"

"Because everyone here knows each other." Tony glanced at the three other people eating around them.

Monica looked impressed. "That sounds important."

Anna immediately looked away. She didn’t want to hear more.

Tony finally guided them into another private dining area.

The room was beautiful. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city. A long table sat in the centre.

Several waiters immediately appeared. Menus were placed before them. Water was poured for them. The service alone was top-notch.

Sarah stared at the menu, then at Tony. "Are these prices real?"

Tony laughed. "Unfortunately."

Sarah nearly fainted.

Monica quickly closed her menu. "I suddenly don’t feel hungry."

Anna forced a smile. "Order whatever you want."

Inside, she was calculating numbers and silently crying. The meal arrived shortly afterwards.

Beautifully plated dishes covered the table. For a while, the three girls simply enjoyed the experience.

Monica took pictures, and Sarah recorded videos.

Anna went live and talked about how good the restaurant was, praising Oliver Lancaster for his creativity.

The likes immediately started flooding in. That made her mood improve considerably.

Finally.

This was what she wanted!

Attention!

As they ate, the conversation shifted toward celebrities and business gossip.

Monica leaned forward. "I heard HDM Group signed a new collaboration."

Sarah nodded immediately. "Everyone is talking about it."

Anna frowned. "With who?"

"A company called Nik!" Monica sighed dramatically. "Imagine being chosen by Draco himself."

Sarah nodded. "That female CEO must be amazing."

Anna immediately lost interest. Business discussions bored her. Instead, her eyes drifted toward Abigail’s section again.

The more she looked, the more irritated she became.

Why did Abigail seem happier than her? The thought alone annoyed her.

Almost an hour later, their meal finally ended.

Tony returned. "I hope everything was satisfactory."

Monica nodded enthusiastically. "It was amazing."

Tony checked his watch. Then his expression became more professional. "As discussed earlier, there are some additional service charges that need to be settled."

Anna immediately understood, and she smiled. "Don’t worry, Mr Tony. We will never forget about that."

"Julius and the other guy want you to be quick with your food."

Not wanting Abigail to notice her, Anna quickly finished her food and stood up. "Where should we do it?" she whispered.

Tony nodded. "Follow me this way, please."

He began leading them deeper into another hallway.

One is far quieter than the public dining areas. As they walked away, Anna couldn’t help glancing back one final time.

Her eyes landed on Abigail again. This time, Abigail was smiling while listening to something Oliver was saying. The people around her looked like they genuinely cared about her.

For some reason, that sight bothered Anna more than anything else she had seen that day.

The employee stopped in front of a private corridor and opened a door. "Please."

Anna slowly looked ahead and stepped in, and the door closed behind them.