A scoff escaped her as she complained inwardly. You think you've seen real diamonds out in the countryside?Buying jewelry isn't like picking up potatoes from a street cart. Carolyn quickly added, "That's right. Nancy is the Steffes family's favorite. If you're so broke, just call her 'master.' Maybe she'll feel sorry for you and buy you a nice piece." Doesn't Chloe want money? Well, only if she's willing to swallow her pride to ask for it. Robert was ready to tell them off, but Chloe gave his hand a gentle squeeze, holding him back. "Mommy!" he grumbled, clearly annoyed. Chloe looked at the two women and gave a soft smile. "Are you two my personal accountants? How do you know what I can or can't afford?" Nancy let out a loud, mocking laugh. "Then prove it! Pay for it!""What happens if I do pay?" Chloe's smile faded, and her tone turned sharp and direct. The sudden change caught Nancy off guard. She felt a flicker of nervousness but quickly pushed it down. "Ha! If you can actually pay for it, I'll buy every single item in this jewelry counter!" she declared. Chloe turned to the sales assistant, her smile returning, brighter than before. "Hear that? The entire jewelry counter. That must be worth hundreds of millions. Looks like you're about to have the biggest sales day ever." She then looked back at Nancy, one eyebrow raised. "You sure you won't go back on your word, Ms. Steffes?" Nancy was speechless for a second. Everything Carolyn had told her painted Chloe as completely desperate, scraping by doing odd jobs. The idea of her having millions to spend on a necklace was ridiculous. "Of course I mean it," Nancy snapped, her voice dripping with scorn. "I'd love to see how you plan to pay for a ten-million-dollar piece of jewelry." "In that case, on behalf of the counter owner, thank you for your generous purchase," Chloe said calmly. She smoothly took a card from her purse and handed it to the clerk. "Please, go ahead." The clerk smiled, took the card, and picked up the card reader from the counter, preparing to swipe it right there in front of everyone. ***** Up on the top-floor hallway... "Belle Mall's sales figures are climbing again," Landon remarked as he walked. "At this rate, it'll be the top-selling mall on the continent in three months. You really have a knack for picking winners." He chuckled, then noticed Eugene had stopped behind him. Landon turned and saw Eugene leaning against the railing, his gaze fixed on something below. Curious, Landon walked back and followed his line of sight. He spotted a familiar figure in the jewelry boutique across the atrium. He instantly understood why Eugene had paused. One glance was all it took to see Chloe was dealing with some trouble again. "Looks like Ms. Lewis has run into a problem," Landon noted. "You are the main investor behind Belle Mall. Should I have someone go down and assist her?" Eugene twirled his phone in his hand, a faint, knowing smile on his lips. "Just watch," he said calmly. Landon raised an eyebrow. It seemed someone had already set a plan in motion. ***** Back at the jewelry boutique, the clerk swiped the card. Nancy stared at the machine, still feeling smug. Chloe was putting on a good show, but she was certain the payment would fail. She couldn't wait to see the embarrassment on Chloe's face.Their argument had drawn a small crowd of shoppers, all watching the scene unfold. Perfect. This was exactly what Nancy wanted. In a moment, everyone would see Chloe's card get declined. They'd watch as she had to apologize and admit defeat. Carolyn would finally get to put her shameless sister in her place. Carolyn held onto Nancy's arm, looking even more pleased with herself than her friend. She knew Chloe's financial situation inside and out. She was already imagining all the ways she could humiliate Chloe after the payment failed. Insufficient funds. Card declined. Account frozen. Carolyn ran through all the possible error messages in her head, barely able to contain her smile. But as the clerk swiped the card, the machine processed the transaction. None of the scenarios Carolyn and Nancy imagined came true. On the contrary, with the card machine processing smoothly—payment successful: 9.99 million dollars! The clerk smiled warmly and handed Chloe the receipt to sign. "Payment successful, ma'am. If you could just sign here, we will have your necklace packaged for you right away," the clerk said, already motioning for another assistant to bring the packaging materials.