C11 Fish in Paradise!

After three years of marriage, she was astonished to discover that Duane possessed such insight.

How did he render all these wealthy heirs utterly speechless? Could this really be her good-for-nothing husband?

What she didn't realize was that during Duane's time living in the mountains with Old Dr. Dipper, they had prepared the dish known as Buddhist Dancing Wall eight times a week until they were sick of it.

Darcy was feeling quite downcast, thinking she'd let him savor his moment of triumph for now, but soon enough he'd be the one in tears.

"Come on, let's get on with the ordering," she said, steering the conversation in a new direction.

"How about this one?" Duane suggested, pointing to the menu. "High Heaven's Fish."

What?!

There was a moment of stunned silence.

Then Darcy couldn't contain her laughter.

The "High Heaven's Fish" was Blessing Restaurant's signature—and priciest—dish, costing a whopping 20,000 dollars per serving. Rumor had it that this rare fish was found only in the waters around the Malacca Straits.

Even Darcy, who had been plotting to set up Lavinia, hadn't dared to order it. Yet here was Duane, bypassing the Buddhist Dancing Wall she had recommended, and choosing the most laughably extravagant item on the menu.

"Duane, you, you... Are you trying to kill me with frustration?" Lavinia fumed, feeling like she might literally spit blood.

Any flicker of fondness she had felt for him vanished in an instant.

It would have been better to stick with the Buddhist Dancing Wall!

"Don't worry, sweetheart, this meal's on me," Duane reassured her.

"You're paying?" Maribel snapped, incredulous. "Everyone knows you only get 600 dollars a month for spending money. How can you afford this? Are you just trying to make Lavinia pay in the end? I get that men have their pride, but you can't play the big shot without the cash!"

Duane was left without a comeback.

Darcy and the others were doubled over with laughter. "Lavinia, take it easy," they said, trying to calm her. "Let's not get worked up over something so trivial. We've got more important things to handle today."

With that, she passed the menu to the waiter and instructed him to start bringing out the dishes.

Lavinia hastily handed the menu to the waiter, urging them to bring the dishes quickly.

As Lavinia thought about the day's pressing matters, she suppressed her frustration. If spending this money meant resolving the company's issues, then it was money well spent. She'd deal with Duane later!

The meal arrived swiftly.

Everyone was eating and drinking, creating a lively atmosphere.

Yet, they were all friends of Darcy and company, ignoring Duane, Lavinia, and Maribel as if they were invisible.

Lavinia attempted to raise a toast and broach the subject of the loan with Darcy multiple times.

But Darcy kept deftly steering the conversation away.

This left Lavinia feeling quite disheartened.

What was even more aggravating was Duane, who was blissfully savoring the "Heavenly Fish," much to her chagrin.

In a short time.

One by one, people dabbed at their mouths with napkins, signaling they were finished.

Lavinia still hadn't found the opportunity to speak about the loan.

Just as the meal was winding down and she was about to speak, Darcy, looking thoroughly contented, preempted her, "Oh, by the way, Lavinia, what's next on the agenda? Heading upstairs for tea, or something else?"

"Darcy!"

Maribel couldn't stand it any longer.

Throughout the entire meal, Darcy, fully aware of Lavinia's need to borrow money, showed no inclination to help. Not only had she run up a significant bill for the meal, but now she was suggesting they go upstairs for tea?

The tea at Blessing Restaurant was rumored to be exorbitantly priced!

"Enough is enough. We're all classmates here. Lavinia is facing difficulties, and if I can help, I will. Why all the games?" Maribel asserted.

Darcy's lips curled into a smile as she leaned back in her chair, "Fine! Let's lay our cards on the table! Honestly, I have no intention of helping!"

"What?!" Maribel and Lavinia's brows knitted in dismay.

"Hmph, are you naive?" Darcy scoffed, "Lavinia and I are sworn enemies. Her misfortune is my joy. Why on earth would I help her? It's laughable!"

"You... you..." Maribel was seething, "If you had no desire to help, then why agree to have dinner?"

"It's simple, for payback!" Darcy said with a smug cross of her legs, "She always overshadowed me in school. Now, it's my turn to get even!"

"Of course, it's for revenge!" Darcy said smugly, crossing her legs with a flourish. "Back in school, she was always one step ahead of me. Now, I just want to even the score!"

Next, she pulled an agreement from her purse and tossed it onto Lavinia's desk. "Naturally, if you're willing to sign on the dotted line, my boyfriend will surely lend the money."

Lavinia opened the agreement, her brow immediately furrowing.

The terms were straightforward.

If Darcy loaned out eight million, she would acquire a 51% stake in the company, becoming its largest shareholder. Meanwhile, Lavinia would be demoted from CEO to Darcy's personal assistant.

"In your dreams!" Lavinia exclaimed, seething.

Setting aside the demeaning assistant role, the 51% stake was worth far more than eight million. This was nothing short of daylight robbery!

"Unwilling? But do you really have any other option?" Darcy asked, her tone cool and detached.

Lavinia was inwardly distraught.

The bank had denied her loan, her family had turned their backs, and Grant had been thrashed by Duane. She was the only one left who could help!

If there was any other way, why would she subject herself to such indignity?

Silence fell upon the room.

It was then that Duane spoke up, "Babe, did you come here to borrow money? But didn't I already give you the eight million?"

He had only just realized that his wife had arranged this dinner to secure a loan.

That didn't seem right.

"Would you just be quiet!" Lavinia snapped, frustration boiling over.

If it weren't for him scaring off Grant, maybe Grant could have offered some assistance, and she wouldn't be in this humiliating situation!

"Didn't you open those two boxes?" Duane asked, bewildered.

Lavinia recalled the two boxes Winter had sent earlier.

But eight million inside them? No chance.

She would never believe Duane could come up with eight million dollars!

The only explanation was that he knew she was in a tight spot and claimed the eight million problem was already solved, thwarting Darcy's plot and salvaging some dignity.

The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became. Standing up, she addressed Darcy, "I won't be borrowing the money. We're leaving."

"Hehe, do you think you can just walk out?" Darcy, seated comfortably, smirked.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lavinia asked, her frown deepening.

"When we ordered, I informed the manager that you were the host. If you're planning to leave, you should at least settle the bill."

Darcy remarked.

"..."

Lavinia's heart lurched; she had completely forgotten about this!

The bill was far more than she had anticipated, and the thirty thousand on her card was surely insufficient.

She had hoped that Darcy might agree to lend her some money to settle the bill.

But now that their agreement had crumbled, she was out of funds!

"I've got a hundred thousand on me," Maribel chimed in.

"A hundred thousand?" Darcy scoffed. "Do you have any idea what this meal costs? The ten bottles of limited edition Tequila Leylin alone are over six hundred thousand, not to mention the rest. What's a hundred thousand going to cover?"

"What?!" Lavinia gasped, feeling as though she'd plunged into an icy abyss.

They had ordered the wine, unaware of its staggering cost. Clearly, Darcy and her crew had set a trap for her!

"This is outrageous!" Lavinia exclaimed in anger.

"Hehe, you offered to host us, so naturally, we chose the finest wines," Darcy said nonchalantly, spreading her hands with a smile. "Just a heads-up, Blessing Restaurant is the top hotel in Fayedge. Dine and dash here, and you don't need me to spell out the consequences!"

"..."

Exchanging a glance, Lavinia and Maribel were frantic with worry.

They knew Blessing Restaurant's reputation well. Getting tagged as dine-and-dashers here would mean being blacklisted in Fayedge's business community.

Just then, Duane stood up and declared, "Honey, don't fret. I'll take care of the bill."