Thorne doubled over, struggling to catch his breath. "Stay put! When Lilith gets here, I want to see you say this ridiculous lie to her face!"

Looked like I wasn’t going anywhere.

Fine. If they wanted to make fools of themselves, I’d let them. There was no point in arguing; they wouldn’t believe me anyway.

But I couldn’t help myself. I glanced down at my attire and asked, "Looking at the way I’m dressed, don’t I seem like someone who works for the city government?"

"Are you kidding?”

"What, just because you threw on an administrative jacket and slicked your hair to the side, you think you’re part of the system now?"

"If that’s the case, I’ll buy a dragon robe and declare myself emperor!"

Rowan was the first to crack up, his laughter echoing around us.

See? They wouldn’t believe me.

I smiled helplessly, too tired to argue.

Just then, someone piped up, "Boss Bennett, when are we heading in? Why are we still standing out here?"

"You really have no idea where we are, do you?"

"This is Evergreen Pavilion. Even with Boss Bennett’s status, we still have to make a reservation and wait in line."

"Just bringing us here is already proof of his connections."

Rowan scoffed. "Evergreen Pavilion? What’s so special about it?"

"I’ve been away for a while and just got back. I don’t know much about these places," the person pressed on.

It was the perfect moment for Thorne to show off, so Rowan wisely shut his mouth.

Thorne took a slow drag from his cigarette, his lips curling into a smug smile as he leaned against his Bugatti Veyron.

"Evergreen Pavilion isn’t exactly open to the public," he drawled.

"It was built to entertain important guests of the owner. Sometimes, when the city government is handling major investment deals, they hold their meetings here."

"Forget about me, even my father isn’t qualified to get a membership card for this place."

As he spoke, he cast me a knowing glance, the smirk never leaving his face.

"The only reason I could come today is that Lilith lent me her membership card. Otherwise, even with my father’s status, we wouldn’t have stood a chance of getting in."

"What?!"

"Lilith actually lent you something that important?"

"Boss, if you put in just a little more effort, I swear, you and Lilith might really have a shot!"

Rowan exaggerated his reaction, his voice full of mock enthusiasm.