The moment Rowan felt the firm grip of Jayton's hand on his shoulder, he couldn't ignore the stark reality of their situation. He was well aware of the vast difference in strength between them. There were eight of them and only two of them—himself and Seraphina. And with Seraphina being a woman, their chances of escaping without harm were slim at best. The only thing Rowan could cling to was the faint hope that some kind-hearted passerby might notice their predicament and call the police. Meanwhile, Seraphina remained eerily calm. She leisurely picked up a skewer of beef from the plate in front of her and took a bite, completely unfazed by the threats and provocation coming from the group. It was as if they were invisible to her, unworthy of any response. Eat when it's time to eat, drink when it's time to drink, she thought to herself as she continued to enjoy the meal without haste. She didn't forget to be polite, however. Turning to Rowan, she smiled and said, "Rowan, this lamb skewer is grilled quite nicely. You should try it." Rowan hesitated, his eyes darting nervously from the skewer she offered to the men who were surrounding their table. His hands trembled slightly as he reached out and took the skewer, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything. He had wanted to speak, but when he saw the unwavering calm on Seraphina's face, he swallowed his words. Jayton, the leader of the thugs, was not pleased. His smile faltered as he observed how the two of them ignored him entirely. A dark cloud appeared in his eyes, his anger bubbling to the surface. Without warning, Jayton waved his hand, and the contents of the table were sent crashing to the ground. "Hey! Do you think I'm invisible?" Jayton barked. He stomped on the skewers with his booted foot. His face twisted into a snarl, and it was as though he wasn't trampling on food at all but on Seraphina herself. Seraphina, without so much as a change in her expression, casually reached for a napkin from the table next to her and wiped her mouth. Her gaze flicked to the ruined food on the ground, and she clicked her tongue in mock pity. "What a shame. Such delicious food wasted by a dog." Jayton's face contorted with rage at her words. His eyes narrowed, and he hissed, "Who are you calling a dog? You're asking for trouble." Rowan froze, the heat of fear spreading through him as Jayton's glare bore down on him. "What do you want, buddy?" Rowan finally managed to speak. Jayton gave Rowan a brief, disdainful glance before turning his attention back to Seraphina. "I'm here to borrow some money from this young lady for an emergency. As an old friend, now that you're rich, surely you can help out your brothers who are barely scraping by." "How much do you need?" Seraphina asked. A problem that could be solved with money wasn't really a problem at all.Rowan patted himself for his wallet, looking ready to resolve the situation peacefully. "Not much, just 100 thousand," Jayton said. Rowan's face fell. He froze, his hand still gripping the wallet, but the sudden demand caused him great embarrassment. "100 thousand? That's too much!" Jayton gave him a sideways glance, his eyes narrowing with amusement. "Too much? I'm kind not to have asked for 200 thousand. Seraphina, come on. Be generous. Otherwise, your neighbors might not be so lucky." "Oh," she said indifferently, as though the matter had no importance to her. Jayton paused, confusion flashing across his face. "What do you mean? Aren't you planning on giving it? Aren't you afraid I'll pay your neighbors a visit?" Everyone knew that she cared about her neighbors and that she would bow down whenever her neighbors were involved. "Whatever," she replied.Jayton's face twisted in disbelief. Then, the mocking expression returned to his face. "How different you are now," he sneered. "Ever since you entered the wealthy family, you've turned your nose up at the neighbors around you." Seraphina didn't respond to his taunts. To her, he was just a clown making noise in the background. Why should she care about his words? Her patience was wearing thin, and she was growing tired of his incessant buzzing. "Jayton, if you have nothing else to say, then get lost." Her words were sharp, and the command was clear. "If you want me to leave, it's not that simple. You'll have to ask my brothers here if they agree first." He stood his ground, refusing to budge until he got what he wanted.