At that mont Valentina’s fingers stiffened around the bill even more, her eyes widening as the numbers stared back at her. Her entire body tensed as if she had just been drenched in cold water. $1,000,000?
Her breathing beca uneven.
Then her lips parted slightly, but no words ca out. How? How was this even possible? She had double-checked the prices.
No al on the nu had been remotely close to that figure that would result to this amount.
She had expected, at worst, an $80,000 bill—not this.
Her heart pounded. Her hands, now gripping the bill tightly, were trembling slightly.
’This had to be a mistake.’
At that mont so of the employees exchanged puzzled glances, their expressions unreadable. A few of them, particularly the senior staff, subtly frowned, confused by Valentina’s reaction.
They didn’t understand why she so shocked? It was just a million dollars. Wasn’t she from a wealthy family? They had assud she would simply sign the bill, hand over a black card, and carry on as if it was nothing.
But instead, she looked stunned. Almost... distressed.
A tense silence spread across the table.
One of the managers, Camille, barely concealed the smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Hudson, on the other hand, simply folded his arms, watching.
The waiter, sensing the shift in atmosphere, cleared his throat and stepped forward .
"This is the total amount, ma’am," he said again, his tone neutral.
"Based on the items ordered and the portions requested, this is the final bill."
Imdiately Valentina’s head snapped up, her gaze was sharp.
No. This wasn’t a miscalculation on her part. Sothing was wrong.
Then Valentina’s grip on the bill tightened as she shook her head, her voice firm yet controlled so she would be sounding rude.
"There’s a mistake. This can’t be right."
Her mory darted back to the nu that was given to her earlier. The numbers weren’t adding up. She had already done the ntal calculations, and even with a generous margin, the total shouldn’t have exceeded $60,000—yet here they were, staring at a $1,000,000 bill.
At that mont She inhaled deeply, forcing herself to stay calm. Without being told she couldn’t tell sothing was wrong.
"Are you sure, this wasn’t a mistake or the wrong bill?"
The waiter, standing motionless beside the table, maintained a neutral expression.
"There’s no mistake, ma’am. This is the total based on the orders placed."
Valentina’s eyes darkened as she set the bill down.
"No. I want everything recalculated. I want to see the nu again. This doesn’t make sense."
Her tone was unwavering, but beneath it, a storm was brewing. This wasn’t just an overcharge. This was intentional.
Still the room remained silent, yet she could feel the weight of every gaze.
So of the staff shifted in their seats, exchanging glances. A few Started whispering among themselves.
"She’s really making a fuss over this?" soone muttered under their breath.
"I thought she was wealthy."
"She’s the director of Sterling Design, and she’s reacting like this over a bill?"
Their hushed voices carried a mix of confusion and suspicion. They had expected Valentina to glance at the bill, pull out a platinum card, and pay without blinking. But her response was far from what they had anticipated.
Still Camille and Hudson watched with unreadable expressions.
At that mont Hudson leaned back, crossing his arms, while Camille’s lips curled slightly in amusent.
The waiter hesitated before nodding.
"Of course, ma’am. I’ll have everything checked again."
Valentina exhaled, sitting back in her chair. This wasn’t over.
Valentina didn’t even acknowledge the whispers rippling around the room. She didn’t care.
She knew exactly what was happening. They thought she was rich, so they could just slap any ridiculous amount on the bill, expecting her to pay without question.
But she wasn’t going to be anyone’s fool.
Her jaw tightened as she sat back, arms crossed, her expression calm but unyielding. "Check it again," she repeated, her voice carrying the weight of authority.
The waiter hesitated, glancing at the other staff before shifting uncomfortably.
"Ma’am, the total is correct. This is exactly what was ordered."
Valentina’s eyes darkened.
"Bring the nu."
Again the murmurs around her grew. The employees—her employees—were watching her closely now.
Across the table, Hudson and Camille exchanged glances.
Hudson’s brow lifted slightly, a smirk tugging at his lips. Interesting. The way she was reacting... it wasn’t just irritation. She genuinely didn’t have the money to throw around.
Camille, on the other hand, studied Valentina with sharper eyes. So, the great Valentina Raymond wasn’t as wealthy as they had assud.
The realization made her smirk.
Still, Valentina didn’t flinch. She wasn’t going to let them see any hesitation. She already knew the truth. There was no way this dinner cost a million dollars. Soone was ssing with her.
At that mont the nu given to Valentina.
Then her fingers gripped the nu tightly as her gaze flickered over the outrageous prices. Her pulse pounded, her jaw clenched. They were trying to make a fool out of her.
After giving in a closer look she slowly raised her head, her expression sharp, her voice unwavering.
"This is not the nu I was given."
Her words sliced through the air, making the waiter flinch.
She turned the nu around, jabbing her finger against the prices.
"These numbers weren’t here before. This is at least five tis what I saw."
Murmurs rippled through the staff seated around her. So of them exchanged glances, while others tried to hide their smirks.
Hudson leaned back, amused. Camille folded her arms, watching with interest. They had suspected she wasn’t as wealthy as she appeared, but now? Now, they had confirmation.
However Valentina wasn’t going to let them see a single crack in her composure.
Again She turned to the waiter, her voice controlled but lethal.
"You gave the first nu. Are you seriously standing here and telling this is the sa one?"
At that mont The waiter hesitated, eyes darting around. "Ma’am, this is the only nu we’ve ever had. The prices have always been the sa."
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