At that mont Laughter, small and sharp, echoed around the table. Sha froze, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"She’s still... seeking investors, isn’t she?" Darren continued. "Not exactly new information."
Sha remained standing, swallowing her pride.
She couldn’t believe this was their plan from the beginning trying to humiliate her, right in front of Valentina.
She looked over at Valentina for just a mont—silent but supportive. And then she sat down slowly, saying nothing, though her eyes spoke volus.
At that mont Sha’s fingers curled into fists beneath the table, her face tense as she looked at Avery. The words had cut deep—too deep. Her voice trembled for a second, but she steadied it.
"Is that supposed to be an insult?" she asked, lifting her chin.
"Since when did needing investnt beco a cri? Are you trying to say none of your families ever needed help before? Or is it that you’ve forgotten what it feels like to start from scratch?"
Avery didn’t flinch. Instead, she let out a slow, amused laugh.
"You’re brave, I’ll give you that," Avery said mockingly.
"But Sha, please. Don’t compare yourself to . We’re not in the sa class. The investnt my family seeks is to grow our legacy. Yours? It’s for survival."
Imdiately Murmurs spread across the table. So lowered their eyes, not wanting to be caught in the tension. Sha stared at Avery in silence, biting the inside of her cheek to hold herself together.
"Let’s not waste our ti," he said. "Sha, you ca to begging for investnt not too long ago. You rember, don’t you? You kept sending emails, texts, like soone desperate for air. Honestly, it was embarrassing. I didn’t snub you because I hated you—I just couldn’t watch you disgrace yourself."
His voice was cold, and arrogant.
"And now you’re here trying to speak like you belong at this table?" He let out a short, dry laugh. "You don’t. Just sit down. Keep quiet. That would be best."
Then his finger pointed across the table, straight at Valentina.
"And her too," he added with a scoff.
"No need to introduce yourselves. Everyone already knows what you two do. Nothing."
At that mont, Valentina stood tall, her voice calm but firm as she gently held Sha’s arm. "Sha, let’s go," she said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "This isn’t a get-together anymore. This is a setup to humiliate others and boost their fragile egos."
Upon hearing what Valentina just said, the room went quiet.
"I thought we ca here to reconnect," Valentina continued, eyes sweeping across the table, "not to belittle people or throw cheap insults. But since that’s clearly what so of you are here for, then let say this—if it’s humiliation you’re looking for, you’ll get it. Just not the kind you expect."
Imdiately Everyone’s expression shifted. So turned away. Others kept their eyes on her as she continued.
"I won’t stand here and watch you mock Sha," she said, pointing calmly. "She’s one of the hardest working people I know. Just because soone is rebuilding doesn’t an they’re beneath you."
Sha looked down, her lips pressed together, her eyes stinging. But Valentina wasn’t finished.
"She has more experience than all of you combined. And if you were smart, you’d ask how she’s still standing instead of laughing at where she fell."
At that mont Sha’s chest tightened. She didn’t know what to say. But deep in her heart, she felt seen—for the first ti in a long ti.
After putting his phone aside that was when Raymond stood up.
"Also," he said, adjusting his suit with a slow smirk, "who told you Sha is still looking for an investnt?"
He turned toward the two n who’d mocked her earlier, Edward and Darren.
"She got her investnt not long ago. From GSK."
Imdiately gasps echoed around the room.
"You didn’t know?" Raymond smiled. "Maybe you should keep up."
Upon hearing what Raymond just said, the whole room fell silent for a second—then the whispers began. People exchanged surprised glances, blinking in disbelief. Even Sha’s lips parted slightly. She hadn’t told anyone that she applied for an investnt, not even Valentina, because she wasn’t expecting anything from it.
Imdiately Valentina turned to look at her husband, stunned. "Raymond... what did you just say?"
Raymond didn’t blink. "I said Sha got an investnt from GSK. And it’s official."
At that mont Avery’s laughter burst through the quiet air, sharp and mocking. She clapped her hands once, slowly, like it was all a big joke.
"Wow," she said with a smirk. "You actually said that with a straight face." She leaned forward on the table. "Do you think this is a movie? You think GSK is just so walk-in-and-pick-a-deal kind of place?"
Then her eyes narrowed.
"Do you know what it takes to even sit at the table with GSK lowest rank worker? You don’t even understand the system, Raymond. Sit down and respect yourself."
The two n beside her chuckled in agreent.
The military guy—tall, sharp-jawed, arms folded—just stared at Raymond like he was an insult to everything respectable. In his mind, this was the man Valentina married? He couldn’t wrap his head around it.
at that mont, the rest of the guys—Edward and Liam—burst out laughing even harder. Their chuckles were loud, exaggerated, and filled with disbelief, as if Raymond had just told the biggest joke of the year.
"Wait, wait..." Edward wiped a tear from his eye. "This is who Valentina married? This... clown?"
Darren leaned back in his chair, smirking. "He probably thinks GSK is a supermarket. Walk in, pick a deal, walk out with a smile."
Liam didn’t even try to hide his laughter anymore.
Darren voice echoed across the table. "And to think we actually thought Valentina had so taste."
Valentina didn’t say a word. She just sat there, lips pressed tightly together. Her eyes slowly shifted toward Raymond. Deep inside, her thoughts were already racing.
Why did he have to say that? Why bring Sha into it? It’s hard enough for soone like her... does he not understand how serious these people are?
She didn’t doubt Raymond. She trusted him. If he said sothing, it was rarely baseless. But still—GSK? That was a tall mountain. And adding Sha to the claim? That made things heavier.
Even Sha glanced at Raymond, her expression unreadable.
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