On the wide, softly lit bed, Ava lay sprawled across Jason, her cheeks flushed, her expression a mixture of contentment and shy satisfaction.
Ava: Favorability +1
She looked up at him, then lightly bit his shoulder, half-teasing, half-complaining."You're such a little scoundrel," she murmured. "I don't even know how I fell for you. Before this… I never imagined I'd be willing to share a man with anyone."
Jason smiled and gently nipped her cheek in return. "But right now," he said calmly, "don't you belong to me?"
"Hmph. Right now, right?" Ava glared at him, annoyed yet amused at the same time.
Jason had never hidden anything from her from the very beginning. This path—every step of it—had been her own choice.
And truthfully, Jason had given her everything she needed. He cleared obstacles from her dreams, supported her ambitions, and offered her a place that felt warm and safe. Being with him was sweet, secure, and fulfilling. She hadn't lost anything—on the contrary, she had gained far more than she'd ever expected.
As for the other women in his life… she chose not to think too deeply about them.
Ava leaned closer, her breath brushing against Jason's ear, her voice soft and coaxing."The Pacific Coast Piano Open is coming up soon. If you're free… could you come support me?"
It was the kind of quiet, intimate request that made refusal nearly impossible.
The request itself wasn't difficult. A piano competition by the coast sounded pleasant enough—and more importantly, Ava had just entrusted him with something deeply precious.
Jason didn't hesitate."Of course," he said. "Unless there's an emergency, I'll be there."
Ava's eyes lit up. She leaned in and kissed his cheek, happiness clear in her expression.
She'd been nervous about the competition, but knowing Jason would be there steadied her heart. Even though he was a year younger, she'd already begun to rely on him without realizing it.
Curled against him, Ava soon drifted off to sleep with a faint smile.
Jason, however, was still wide awake.
Careful not to disturb her, he picked up his phone and casually scrolled.
Messages flooded in.
Holly, Megan, Mia, Grace were all asking when he planned to return. He didn't even bother opening the messages from others.
Then another message caught his attention.
From Lewis.
Mr Carter, our California Coastline Model Invitational is about to begin. Our company received official VIP invitations. Would you like to attend? There'll be top-tier supermodels—and a full swimsuit showcase.
Jason's eyes gleamed faintly.
He'd only ever seen model competitions on television. Experiencing one in person had always been something he'd secretly wanted to do. Even with plenty of beautiful women around him now, curiosity was still curiosity.
More importantly…
A new system task had just activated.
A model competition—by definition—would be full of women rated above eight.
Jason locked his phone, glanced down at Ava sleeping peacefully against him, and smiled faintly.
Looks like the next opportunity is already lining itself up.
Jason replied without hesitation:
"Yeah, let's go have some fun. Doesn't New Vision Media already have a few models? Arrange for them to compete. It'll be good training—and good exposure."
Lewis responded almost instantly.
"Already handled. Zanehas signed up. As for Alice, I'm not sure what illness she has, but she's taken sick leave. Regarding Grace and Agela, I didn't dare arrange anything without your approval."
Jason's expression turned slightly strange when he saw Alice's name.
It seemed that her condition had finally flared up.
After a moment of thought, Jason typed back:
"Sign up Agela as well. From now on, she has nothing to do with me."
Lewis didn't ask any follow-up questions.
"Understood. I'll arrange Agela's registration immediately."
Jason then opened another chat window and sent a message to Olivia.
"Notify Agela to move out. She hasn't been living there recently anyway—there's no need for her to stay."
"She can keep the Porsche 911 I gave her. Her S-class contract will remain valid for its duration. From now on, we're strictly in a boss-employee relationship."
Olivia was sharp. She immediately understood what had happened.
The last time Jason told her not to suppress the fake bankruptcy news, Agela stopped living at Lanting West Court shortly afterward. Her thoughts were obvious.
A woman with wavering loyalty and insufficient judgment wasn't worth keeping around.
Olivia contacted Agela and calmly relayed Jason's instructions.
Jason didn't even bother messaging Agela himself anymore. At this point, she was only worth communicating with through a secretary.
Inside a rented apartment, Agela stared at Olivia's message for a long time before fully processing it.
Her gaze flickered.
So… this is him cutting ties with me?
She hadn't moved back because her heart had already begun to waver—but she hadn't expected Jason to act first.
She had been caught completely off guard.
After calming down, however, she realized something.
This… might actually be a good thing.
If she had been the one to bring it up, Jason might have reclaimed the Porsche—or worse, quietly sidelined her within the company.
Now?
She kept the Porsche 911.
Her S-class contract remained intact for the rest of its term.
Even if it was only one year, one year was more than enough for her to solidify her status.
A clean break.
Maximum benefit.
As for whether Jason might go bankrupt someday—that had nothing to do with her. Right now, she could fully focus on becoming a top-tier influencer.
It was, in every sense, killing two birds with one stone.
Agela opened Jason's chat window, typing and deleting several lines—expressions of regret, hesitation, half-truths.
In the end, she sent nothing.
She was afraid saying too much might make Jason reconsider.
Afraid saying the wrong thing might anger him.
Even if Jason might fall someday, he was still the boss now. She didn't dare overstep.
The fact that he hadn't contacted her personally—but sent his secretary instead—made his attitude perfectly clear.
Sometimes, adults didn't need long conversations to end things.
Silence was answer enough.
Agela then opened another chat and sent a message to her top supporter.
"Would you accompany me to the model competition?"
At the same time, Olivia contacted Caleb Lv through her network.
The moment Caleb heard that Jason had mentioned him, he practically jumped out of bed.
His chance had finally come.
As for the rumors about Jason's bankruptcy?
Caleb didn't believe a single word. Anyone who did, in his opinion, had questionable judgment.
Following Olivia's instructions.
His first task was simple.
Move Agela's belongings out.
How he handled it… was left entirely to his discretion.
Not long after, Agela received a call.
"Hello, Ms. Agela," Caleb said politely. "This is Caleb Lv, Assistant to Secretary Olivia. Your belongings Building 12, have been moved to the corridor outside your current residence. Please collect them at your convenience."
Agela froze.
So direct?
So clean?
Was she really so insignificant in Jason's eyes?
Even though she had already accepted the breakup, the finality of it still stung.
But she didn't dare argue.
Didn't dare complain.
All she could do was silently call a moving service—her expression dark and heavy as the reality finally settled in.
There are 150 chapters ahead in my Patreon. If you are interested can check it out.
patreon.com/B_A_3439