QT: Against My Will-Chapter 553 - 8.70 - Not Exactly What She Was Looking For - Monster Heist

Chapter 553: 8.70 - Not Exactly What She Was Looking For - Monster Heist

Inwardly, Liam revealed in the knowledge that his intention to annoy Victor appeared to be going splendidly. The proof was apparent in Stephanie’s attitude towards their maids. Something must have gone wrong in Victor’s room.

Stephanie’s emerald eyes sparkled with tears, "Today was a crucial day for me, and look at what you’ve done! No alphas noticed me. It’s all because of this dress! It’s too plain!"

"But, Miss Stephanie," one of the maids pleaded, "We don’t think the dress was the problem..."

"Silence!" Stephanie’s voice rose an octave. "You’re just maids. What would you know about the preferences of Alphas? If you had done your job right, I wouldn’t be in this position!"

As the maids cowered under Stephanie’s wrath, Liam couldn’t help but compare Stephanie to Silvia. This kind of behavior seemed almost expected from omegas born into wealthy families; he hadn’t initially seen any fault in Silvia.

But then Riley singled him, and suddenly, he found himself at the bottom, seemingly overnight. The adulation turned to scorn, the respect to pity. Doors closed, and opportunities disappeared. It felt like free-falling into an abyss, his world turning upside down.

If he never listened to Silvia’s manipulations and provoked Riley, he would have probably never ended up as he did. So why would he still desire to be part of her world?

When you find yourself at rock bottom, the luxury of choice often becomes a rare commodity, extending even to friendships. Her own situation was so tangled up in the chaos that he found himself in the weird position of feeling a tad superior.

It was like being in a race where everyone was stumbling, and she took an extra tumble but then turned it into a leap toward the clouds.

With each leap, she would take her whole gang with them - improving their situation bit by bit. For example, promoting Juliet’s quirky products and scoring connections for Liam’s sister that even Sherlock Holmes would envy.

It got to a stage where nobody believed she could sink any lower, and yet she managed to surprise everyone by doing just that. At this point, they were pretty convinced that she was trolling around.

"Stephanie," Liam called out to his sister, "Prepare to give us a private performance after dinner. You need to impress Shina Night no matter what."

"Perform? Before that monkey face?" Stephanie scoffed, tossing another furniture aside. She pointed at Liam with a disdainful expression. "Why should I waste my voice on someone like her?"

"That’s an order, Stephanie," Liam stated, his tone leaving no room for argument. Stephanie had free rein to bother Victor as much as she pleased; Liam had no qualms about that. But when it came to Silvia, he was drawing a thick, hard line.

· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·

After a big dinner, Stephanie treated the guests to a mesmerizing performance, singing and playing the piano with grace and skill.

As Stephanie began her performance, Bing Shi noticed a hint of reluctance. She decided to give it a gentle nudge and sent a warm surge of power across the room to fully enjoy the music.

The room was entranced as Stephanie’s reserved performance transformed into a heartfelt expression of raw emotion. Each lyric was delivered with fervor, leaving a profound impact on the captivated audience.

Clap, clap, clap

Shina applauded enthusiastically with a few whistles, thoroughly enjoying the heartfelt performance. Following her lead, few other members began to clap as well.

Stephanie remained seated at the piano, her eyes fixed on the keys. Tears welled up and began to fall. Her chest heaved up and down. The intensity of her emotions lingered, refusing to subside even after the music had ceased. She looked up at her brother who gave her a satisfied nod.

Victor was pleasantly surprised, not expecting his expectations to be surpassed.

Ru Quan on the other hand was drawn to Shina’s intense response to the performance and the depth of emotion it evoked in her — enjoying something he didn’t know how through his wife. (music)

Liam came to Bing Shi, whispering a question, "What do you think?"

Bing Shi rubbed the chin of her monkey mask, "She is great, but still not the type of musician I’m looking for in my team."

"..." When Victor and her team overheard her words, they ceased their clapping, "..."

They were unsure whether to feel relieved that they had avoided a potential disaster by Stephanie not joining their team or worried about Shina’s seemingly low expectations for team members.

{This is your chance, Victor! It looks like she is looking for a musician.} Nora exclaimed. She should have sent her videos of Victor singing and playing on the instruments instead.

Victor’s eyes widened slightly before stopping Nora, {Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet.} It might just be her trap to get at him again.

· · ────────── · ⊱❈⊰· ────────── · ·

Later that night, Laura let out a scream that echoed through Liam’s mansion, her voice filled with shock and dismay.

"What happened?" Aria looked up from her phone, covering her ear.

Laura, still stunned by the expenses, hastily dialed Felicia’s number. "We need more funds." She stressed the urgency, hoping Felicia could arrange for an immediate transfer of funds.

On the other end of the line, Felicia responded with a chuckle, "I’ll arrange for the transfer immediately."

The staggering cost of fuel, maintenance, the various expenses associated with keeping their large group on the road and mainly, Shina’s ability to burn money like it was paper! It was beyond what Laura had ever anticipated.

The team had a collective account, which was primarily funded by the sale of resources and items they gathered from their expeditions outside the barrier.

Since Laura was the one with a spatial ability, it made sense that she took charge of the management of the resources.

She meticulously cataloged everything, made sure the items were in good condition for selling, and handled the distribution of the funds.

Her adept money management skills helped the team maintain a tight budget, ensuring they were well-prepared without overspending.

Laura marched straight to Victor’s room. ’It’s true? He really never locks his doors.’ Without even knocking, she barged in with a piece of paper in hand and a fiery look in her eyes.

"Victor, you are not an official member of our team, but you’re consuming our resources," she said pointedly, holding up the piece of paper. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

It was a detailed list of all the items he had used or consumed, right down to the last biscuit. "You’re not entitled to all this. So, either pay for what you use, or we’ll have to reconsider your privileges around here."

"..." Victor stared speechlessly at the list of items, "Fifty bucks for using a toilet?" It was not that he was short of money, but the way he was being scammed out of it.

Laura lifted her chin, "It’s a luxury toilet with a high-end system. Those don’t come cheap, you know?"

Victor took in the audacity of Laura’s breakdown of charges, "And this... use of blanket, 20 bucks? Is it made of gold threads?"

Laura crossed her arms, "No, but it is washed, cleaned, and maintained regularly. So yes, you have to pay for that too."

"Wait, are you charging Leon the same ridiculous prices?" Victor asked, a bit of annoyance and amusement creeping into his tone.

Laura laughed and replied confidently, "Oh, don’t worry. I’m planning on charging him even more. Being the spouse of the boss doesn’t give him a free pass. He gets the husband’s tax."

Victor couldn’t help but chuckle at her audacity, impressed by her tenacity in managing the team’s funds. It was clear that Laura took her responsibilities very seriously, no matter how unorthodox her methods might be.

Victor finally gave in, "Fine, I’ll pay the fees. But tell me, is there a discount for charming prisoners?" His tone was light, a teasing smirk playing on his lips as he met Laura’s eyes.

Laura narrowed her eyes at him, she extended her phone as she waited for his payment. "Sorry, no discounts," she replied, not missing a beat. "But there’s a penalty for flirting with Laura Shan. That’ll be another hundred bucks."

Laura walked away after she got what she wanted, leaving Victor in his room with a smile playing on his lips.

While walking towards Leon’s room, Laura scrutinized the additional figures on their team’s account, a slight smirk appeared on her face, ’Rich men and their pride... always an easy prey.’

Having second thoughts about Leon’s location, Laura rerouted her path towards Shina’s room. With a quick knock on the door, it opened to reveal Leon, just as she had expected.

Leon took the list from her hands, his eyes scanning the numbers and the ridiculous entries. Raising an eyebrow at Laura, he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle, "An additional 10% husband tax on all expenses?"

"It’s exactly as it sounds. Privileges come with a cost," with a wink and a playful salute, Laura assured, "Don’t worry, every cent goes to the team’s fund. Nobody will starve on my watch."

"You really are something," Leon handed her the payment with a resigned sigh, "Be sure to buy me a few signs that say ’do not disturb’. I should at least get this as part of the privilege, shouldn’t I?"

"...Of...f...course," With a final nod, Laura turned to leave, satisfied with the day’s collection.

Ru Quan waited for a few seconds before stopping Laura on her tracks, "Oh right, about that tattoo you wanted, have you decided on a design yet?"

’Fuck! I almost forgot!’ Laura’s eyes narrowed momentarily, but her playful demeanor quickly returned. "Oh, that? I changed my mind, I don’t want any tattoos yet, maybe in the future?"

She responded, her tone light yet firm, but inside, she was crying, ’Fuuuck meeee. He is going to charge me a fortune for a tattoo now! Aargh!"