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Chapter 3

Andrew, with a dark look, put his hands behind his back and paced around the podium, still steaming.

"Mr. Wilson, don't be mad. I'll memorize it before class ends!" Agnes shrank her neck. Andrew had been Leopold's teacher, so she didn't dare push his buttons any further.

Hearing that, Andrew's anger cooled off a bit. Agnes was smart but just hated studying. Even if she flunked all her other subjects, it wouldn't matter. But Andrew didn't allow her to fail in finance!

"If you sleep in my class again, Justin, Clara, and Bella will all stand under the flagpole!" Andrew declared, making the three named students silently groan.

Why did they have to get punished because Agnes dozed off?

Andrew knew Agnes was loyal and wouldn't let her friends suffer because of her. That was one of her good traits.

Sure enough, Agnes shot Andrew a furious glare. Nobody messed with her friends!

"Got it, Mr. Wilson! No more naps." She plopped back into her chair, picked up a pen, and pretended to write, but her mind was already miles away.

The bell rang.

The whole campus buzzed as Andrew left the finance classroom with his textbook.

A few people gathered around Agnes, starting to gripe.

"Agnes, what's Mr. Wilson's deal? What's his game?" Justin, in his brown jacket, was full of complaints. Was Andrew punishing them because he couldn't punish Agnes?

He stood up, towering at 6 feet 10 inches, the tallest guy in the class. He was a good friend of Agnes, known for his loyalty and straightforwardness!

"Agnes, please don't sleep again, I beg you." Clara, with her long wavy hair, half-jokingly clung to Agnes's arm.

Bella chimed in, "Agnes, you can't make me get punished!"

Agnes was already stressed out because of her impending divorce and the kiss with Leopold. With all the noise around her, she irritably packed up her textbooks and glanced at the people in front of her, as well as some classmates watching the drama.

Agnes didn't want to talk about it!

Bella noticed her impatience and quickly changed the subject. "Guys, Sunrise International Shopping Mall is having a big sale today. Anyone interested?"

"Of course!" Thinking of the lipstick shade she had been eyeing, Agnes's mood instantly brightened. She stood up from her chair and boldly put her arm around Bella's neck.

Bella knew exactly what got Agnes excited!

Agnes was a bit of an oddball. She usually dressed casually and didn't wear makeup when she went out, maybe just some cushion foundation. But she loved collecting lipsticks.

Sunrise International Shopping Mall was Agnes's favorite hangout. Unlike other shopping centers, it was special.

Everyone in Lumina City knew the mall was made up of seven main buildings, named after the stars of the Big Dipper.

The seven buildings were called Dubhe, Merak, Phecda, Megrez, Alioth, Mizar, and Alkaid.

What made it special was the seven main buildings had seven bright lights, which, when lit at night, formed the shape of the Big Dipper, mirroring the night sky.

Sunrise International Shopping Mall had hired the most famous lighting designer in the country to craft its one-of-a-kind illumination. When the lights were fully on at night, being in the shopping center felt like wandering in a sea of stars. So, it had become the top spot for young people to go on dates.

Agnes, Bella, and Clara strutted ahead, arms linked like they owned the place. Trailing behind were Justin and Jeremy, practically leaning on each other, weighed down by shopping bags and exhaustion.

Justin finally had enough and tapped one of the girls on the shoulder. "Ladies, I've never seen you hustle this hard for a marathon. How come you don't need a break when you're shopping?"

Clara snatched one of the bags from his hand, smirking. "With your stamina, that tall frame is wasted on you."

Agnes pointed ahead. "See that? Last store on the list."

Justin let out a dramatic sigh of relief, clasping his hands together. "Thank you, ladies."

Bella waved her new handbag like a trophy. "No problem, dinner's on me later!"

Justin perked up instantly. "You said it!"

The Alioth building was all about food, and the fifth floor was the crème de la crème—super fancy and high-end.

"Anywhere but the fifth floor of Alioth," Bella crushed Justin's dreams with a single sentence.

The fifth floor was VIP territory, with a minimum spend requirement. Personalized service, professional chefs, and if you were lucky, a Michelin three-star chef might whip up your meal.

However, in Lumina City, there were still very few who could afford such luxury meals.

Justin rolled his eyes and stuck out his tongue, playing dead. "Fine, anything below the fifth floor, my treat."

Everyone laughed. Agnes patted his shoulder. "We're here. There's a sofa over there; you guys can chill."

The girls swarmed the counter, chatting away. The sales assistant noticed the lipstick set in Agnes's hand and smiled. "Hello, ma'am. This set is our best-seller, and it's the last one. If you like it, you should grab it."

Agnes eyed the price tag with a heavy heart: $26,000. Should she go for it?

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