Chapter 24: The Calm Before the Storm
Helena and Vincent strolled through the mall like royalty touring their kingdom, leaving a trail of shopping bags and envious stares in their wake. The mall’s VIP service had provided them with a small army of staff members carrying their purchases, creating what looked like a very fashionable parade.
Soon they entered the luxury clothing store hand in hand, their entrance causing the sales staff to practically salivate with commission-hungry anticipation.
Two eager employees, a man and woman who looked like they’d stepped out of a retail training manual, approached with practiced professional smiles.
"Hello sir, ma’am, welcome to Goojji. How may we assist you today?"
Vincent’s eye twitched slightly. Goojji? Really? First Desla, now this knockoff of Gucci. This world’s brand names read like they’d been filtered through a cheap translation app and then mangled by someone who’d never seen the original.
Helena had already begun browsing, listening intently as the staff launched into their well-rehearsed product descriptions. Vincent was just starting to relax when his phone chimed with a message from David: New property registered under Jin Ashera’s name. Location: Your current shopping mall.
Before Vincent could fully process this information, a voice boomed across the store like a foghorn of entitlement.
"Does this establishment just allow any street trash to wander in?"
The speaker was a man who looked like he’d been inflated with hot air and bad decisions—round, red-faced, and radiating the kind of arrogance that only comes from inherited wealth and zero self-awareness. Clinging to his arm like expensive jewelry was a woman whose makeup appeared to have been applied with a trowel.
"Seriously, Jin, you haven’t evolved one bit since college," she sneered, her voice dripping with the particular venom that only comes from shared history. "Still the same pathetic loser we all remember from class."
Helena gasped in recognition. "Wait, is that actually him? What’s he doing here?"
Jin’s eyes immediately locked onto Helena like a heat-seeking missile. "Well, well, beautiful lady, fancy meeting you again," he said with that same infuriating smirk that made Vincent want to introduce his face to the nearest wall.