Yoda glared at Sylphiette with unmistakable disgust. The mix of perfume she had on her body had a nauseating scent that made his stomach turn.
Sylphiette was shocked by his reaction and glared at him. “What kind of expression is that?”
Nicole sneered. “He’s disgusted by you. Can’t you tell?”
Disgusted, she said? The nerve. To think that someone as ugly as he had the audacity to be disgusted. He needs a proper look in the mirror! Sylphiette clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“The world is full of people who lack self-awareness, it would seem.” Sylphiette rolled her eyes at Yoda, equally revolted by him.
With a huff, she turned around and sashayed back to her seat.
Nicole glanced at her. She knew Sylphiette had no idea that Yoda’s ugly face was a mask.
Without knowing it, Sylphiette admitted to a similar kind of deceit as well. After all, her own beauty was a mask for her ugly personality.
“Alright, let’s cut to the chase. One million per snippet of information you want and nothing less.”
Yoda nodded at Nicole, who agreed as well, albeit painfully.
“Let’s start from the beginning, then,” said Sylphiette.
“Your parents met at a coffee shop. It was raining, and she was already pregnant at the time. She was hungry—”
Sylphiette came to an abrupt stop, cursing herself inwardly.
Damn it! Has the thought of money completely clouded my judgment?
She reconsidered what Nicole said about how much she would pay for each bit of information. Why not make a few hundred million at Nicole’s expense?
Nicole frowned thoughtfully but listened.
Sylphiette made slow work of the entire conversation. But because she did not have enough information, she made some things up. At the end of it, she named her final price.
“We’re done here. You owe me a hundred million, so pay up.”
Nicole balked at her. Was this woman insane?
“You can’t weasel your way out of this one, Nicole. We agreed to this.”
Nicole got up and took out a card from her bag. “There’s a million in here. It’s yours.”
“One million? I gave you exactly a hundred pieces of information, and that’s worth a hundred million! What is the meaning of this?” Sylphiette stood up in a rage.
Nicole frowned. “How was that a hundred? I only heard one. Does that mean it’s a problem with you, or have I been asleep this entire time?”
“Are you deaf? I clearly said there were a hundred messages!”
Nicole turned and looked at Yoda. “Is that true? Did she actually give me a hundred pieces of information?”
Yoda stepped forward and looked at Nicole solemnly. “Mrs. Seet, I heard the same thing you did. I think the lady has problems with her head.”
“Problems with my head? How dare you—”
Sylphiette knew that she had been fooled. Nicole hadn’t bothered to slow her down for verification either. All she had to do to make up for the lack of information was to lie, which seemed simple enough. Or so she thought.
She had not anticipated that Nicole would’ve caught on from the start.
Yoda watched the whole scene unfurl as the anger in his heart surged.
He banged a fist on the table and yelled, “Take your money and f*ck off! Otherwise, don’t expect a penny from us!”
Sylphiette turned around and looked at Yoda, who emanated a terrifying coldness. She knew he meant business.
Even if she could take on Nicole, it would be impossible to beat the fearsome man standing in her way.
Sylphiette knew the odds were against her and thus decided to leave with the amount that she was given. She vowed to settle the score with Nicole in the future.
“Nicole, don’t forget that you owe me. I’ll come and collect my dues soon.”
Sylphiette picked up the ATM card on the table and glared daggers at Nicole before departing angrily.
Yoda sat next to Nicole and watched as her eyes darted towards him furtively with appreciation. He was still concerned, however. “Playing her for a fool is fine and all.”
“I sense a ‘but’.”
Yoda sighed and continued. “But, I’m worried she might do something to you later on.”
“I’m not scared. You heard what she said just now, right?” asked Nicole indignantly. “For f*ck’s sake, she barely gave me anything before announcing that it would cost a hundred million. I’d have to be a blithering idiot to fall for that scheme!”
To Evan, money was only a number.
He couldn’t care less if it were a million or a billion; it was all the same to him. But Evan was worried that Nicole would wind up making enemies over money and get herself in trouble. That was something he hoped to avoid.
