James couldn't tear his eyes away from her picture.
That perfect oval face, those luscious red lips, those double-lidded, almond-shaped eyes...
Her eyes were as clear as water, her brows and eyes like a painting, her teeth pearly white, and her lips a striking red...
Such a breathtakingly beautiful face, combined with delicate, fair skin that seemed almost translucent.
And that glossy, smooth, long golden hair cascading down her shoulders.
Like a radiant water lily emerging from a pond, gleaming under the sun.
At first glance, she was undeniably stunning.
But James, worried that the photo might be heavily edited or that her beauty was surgically enhanced, activated the scanning function to verify.
Name: Monroe Anne
Age: 25
Charm: 92
Romantic Relationships: 2
Holy crap, she's a real goddess.
There is no time to lose.
Let's go for it.
[You initiated a transfer, $100,000]
After transferring the money, James boldly messaged her:
"Show me your legs."
Having learned his lesson with Tailsa, he now knew that the wealthy didn't need to mess around with emotions.
Just throw money at the problem.
Skip the flowery stuff.
Just target more girls, and shower them with cash.
With a hundred million at his disposal, surely at least one would fall for him.
He sent the hundred grand to test her appetite for money.
A girl who could afford a Porsche was likely wealthy herself.
If she didn't appreciate his financial advances, then it was best to say goodbye early on.
...
On the other side, Monroe Anne, seeing his continued audacityâdaring to ask to see her legsâfelt her expression darken.
But the glaring $100,000 displayed above made her hesitate to block him.
In the past, if someone offered her a hundred grand for a picture of her legs, she wouldn't even bother to respond.
But things were different now.
After her father's incident, her restaurant's business had taken a sharp downturn.
Negative rumors about the establishment circulated, and long-time customers were demanding refunds on their memberships.
Banks refused to lend, and former friends seemed to have vanished.
She was now losing money, on the verge of being unable to cover rent and wages, teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.
This was the restaurant she had poured her heart and soul into for years.
She couldn't bear to see it fail.
A hundred grand wasn't much, but it could provide some temporary relief.
Just a picture of her legs...
A flicker of resolve crossed Monroe Anne's eyes as she accepted James's money.
She lifted her phone, aimed it at her smooth, flawless legs, and snapped a photo.
Betsy: [Image]
As she sent it, a wave of shame washed over her. Even her face felt hot.
James, upon seeing those full, long, fair legs, grinned lecherously.
At that moment, the system confirmed a successful transaction.
[Goddess Database Updated]
Name: Monroe Anne
Age: 25
Height: 166cm
Weight: 49kg
Charm: 92
Occupation: Restaurant owner
Special Trait: Seductive Figure
Affection: -5 (Cold)
Romantic Relationships: 2
Reward for "Conquering": Ability to Understand Women's Thoughts
Total Spent: $100,000
The reward seems pretty great.
If I could understand women's thoughts, wouldn't it be a piece of cake to win over other girls?
And that "seductive figure"...
His heart was tempted, but career came first. Romance could wait a day.
He'd recharge his batteries first, then investigate just how seductive that figure really was.
But there was a problemâMonroe Anne's affection was in the negative.
This puzzled him.
Did sending her $100,000 actually decrease her affection?
This was getting tricky.
Thinking that his earlier demand for a leg picture might have upset her, James quickly tried to salvage his image.
"Sorry about that earlier, I was being inappropriate."
"It's okay. Thanks for the gift, King."
"You're welcome. Your pictures are really beautiful, Miss Anne."
"Thank you for the compliment."
Monroe Anne was inwardly disgusted by this man who, after seeing her photos, suddenly put on a facade of politeness.
System Alert: [Monroe Anne's Affection -5]
???
James was baffled when he saw the system alert.
I can understand losing affection for being rude, but even when I'm being polite?
Alright, if that's how you want to play it.
Since I'm losing affection regardless, I might as well drop the act.
He initiated another transfer, this time for $200,000, and sent it.
"Miss Anne, I apologize for snatching that car from you. To make up for it, can I take you out to dinner?"
This time, James wanted to talk face-to-face and use his money to win her over.
He'd show her the power of his "money ability."
Monroe Anne stared blankly at the $200,000, hesitant to accept.
James's actions were making her nervous.
To casually offer $300,000 to a strangerâwas this man excessively extravagant?
Was he a fool from a wealthy family or just an incredibly crass nouveau riche?
Either way, he was clearly loaded.
Such people could be easy to deal with when things went their way, but incredibly difficult when crossed.
She really didn't want to get involved with someone like that.
Her initial reason for contacting James was twofold: she felt they shared similar tastes and wanted to make a friend, and she hoped he might lend her some money to get through this rough patch.
But with someone so ostentatiously rich, she feared the money might come with heavy strings attachedâthat she might end up being taken advantage of with no recourse.
Staring at the tempting $200,000, Monroe Anne resisted the urge and declined:
"I'm sorry, I have plans tonight."
"Plans are no problem. Keep the money. You own a restaurant, right? Consider it payment for a meal at your place."
How did he know what I do?
Monroe Anne was startled again.
Knowing her name wasn't surprisingâthe dealership might have leaked it.
But she hadn't told anyone about her job.
Could this man have found out her name and occupation in just a few minutes, with only a photo?
This man was clearly someone of influence.
She put herself on high alert and replied:
"You're too kind, King. A meal doesn't cost $200,000."
"For a beautiful woman like you, I think it's worth it."
"Haha, King, you're such a flatterer."
"I'm just being honest. If you think it's not enough, I can add more."
"No, no, it's enough. Please don't be upset, King. I really do have something to do tonight."
Monroe Anne forced a smile; she was still being pestered.
If she let him keep adding money, who knew if he might give that money to others and have them do something terrible to her?
Many would break the law for $300,000.
With no other options, she typed:
"How about tomorrow night? I'll be waiting for you at The Drunken Immortal."
"Sounds good."
James thought for a moment and added:
"By the way, does your restaurant have rooms upstairs?"
He remembered The Drunken Immortal being a high-end establishment.
As the owner, she should be able to arrange lodging for him, right?
System Alert: [Monroe Anne's Affection -10]
[Current Affection: -20 (Disdain)]
James: ...
He carefully reviewed his message.
It did sound a bit suggestive.
Great, she misunderstood.
He just wanted a place to sleepâhe had no designs on her peachy derriere.
Well, maybe just a little, but not much.
James wanted to explain, but he decided against it.
Let her have her disdain. This girl was losing affection even when he was giving her money.
She was proving to be quite difficult.
He was starting to feel numb and didn't want to overthink it.
If it wasn't his approach that was wrong, then it had to be her.
Monroe Anne held her phone, reading James's suggestive message.
Her chest heaved, she trembled with anger, and her eyes turned red.
She instinctively gripped her phone tighter.
Furious, she wanted to return the money and block him on WhatsApp.
She could just hide at home for a couple of days and pretend she'd never encountered this man.
But then she thought about the crisis at her restaurant.
She frowned deeply.