Chapter 174

Chapter 174

“Ugh!” Joy rolled her eyes gratuitously at him. “You want to buy it? What right do your have?”

Curtis was in a foul mood, not much for small talk, and just spat out a number, “Ten grand?”

Joy’s firm resolve almost crumbled under the weight of the cash onslaught.

A starting bid of ten grand for a single photo? Did the guy have any numbers in his world that were less than five figures? Did he count from ten thousand when he was learning math as a kid?

What in the world did this jerk want with Anne’s photo?

Joy squared her shoulders, pride ringing out clear, “Not for sale!”

Curtis gave her a glance, his eyes cold and dismissive, “Twenty grand.”

Rich kids with silver spoons really did live in a different universe, huh? Their currency were galaxies away from us mere mortals.

units

“You think twenty grand can buy me? As if!” To show her resolve, she locked her phone. and pocketed it.

Selina clapped, eyes wide with admiration, “You’ve genuinely been Leanne’s ride or die all these years. She got it right about you!”

Curtis’ mouth twitched into a half-smile, upping the ante, “An Hermès.”

Joy’s words were squeezed through clenched teeth, “No…”

“Birkin.”

Joy bit down on the inside of her cheek.

A Birkin, for crying out loud! And not just any, but one with rare leather! Damn these rich folks, making her want to go all in!

She pinched Selina hard, who let out a yowl of pain and then, fueled by rage, barked at Curtis, “It

“It’s just a purse! Who do you think you’re bribing here? Her spine’s tougher than diamond; you could put that bag right in front of her, and she wouldn’t bat an eyelid!”

Curtis seemed to be losing patience, probably not used to dealing with such ‘petty’ transactions and unwilling to waste more time on her grand declarations of incorruptibility.

“A purse for a photo, take it or leave it. You have three seconds to decide, or the deal’s off.” He glanced at his watch, his eyelids drooping with disinterest, as he counted down,

1/2

“Three-two-one…

“Deal!” Joy shoved Selina aside, fished out her phone, and asked, “When is it due? I’ll airdrop you the original photo.”

Selina stood there, her face the picture of betrayal.

Just then, Leanne emerged, dragging her suitcase behind her.

Curtis swiftly accepted the airdropped photo on his phone. He hadn’t actually seen anything earlier, but the moment he heard they were going to sell it to Jeremy, he was on high alert and made the worst value-for-money deal of his life.

Now, looking at the photo he had traded with a six-figure bag, he thought that not. everything could be measured in terms of cost-effectiveness.

“Three days,” Curtis pocketed his phone, “exclusive rights. Delete the photo from your phone.”

Joy was all too happy to agree, “No problem!”

Leanne approached, looking from one to the other, puzzled by their sudden peaceful coexistence, “What’s going on here?”

Curtis, reminded of her cold, merciless “no”, felt a pang of something sour in his chest.

He didn’t want her to know he was bothered, stuffed his phone into his pocket, and snorted, “Why do you care?”

Leanne paid him no mind, loading her suitcase into the trunk.

Curtis followed, reaching to take her luggage, “Ride back with me.”

“No thanks.” Leanne slammed the trunk shut. Curtis withdrew his hand just in tim avoid injury.

He stared at Leanne’s cold profile, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “What, my car too for you? Doesn’t ride as smooth as some other guy’s new wheels?”

Leanne’s glance was laden with disdain, her brows slightly furrowing, “This is Joy’s car.”

Technically, it was the car Joy had borrowed from her boss.

Curtis joked, “You’d dare ride in her car? With her reckless driving, she could turn a four-wheeled sedan into a tank.”

“Well, I like tanks, alright?” Leanne got in the car, and the door slammed shut in his face.

The bag wasn’t even in her hands yet, but Joy was unusually civil to her new business partner, her harsh words accompanied by a smile, “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re the first one I take out with my tank.”