While My Husband Cheated I Married His Powerful Brother novel Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Chapter 76 A Favor for a Favor

The leather folder sat on the table like a judge delivering a verdict.

Eighteen thousand eight hundred and eighty-eight.

Veyra stared at the numbers. Her eyes refused to accept them. She blinked. She looked again. The numbers did not change.

Her hands were shaking under the table. She pressed them flat against her thighs. The fabric of her skirt was damp with sweat.

She thought about the envelope in her bag. Six thousand and forty-three yuan. All the money she had scraped together. Every coin. Every crumpled bill. Every bit of her emergency fund.

It was not enough. It was not even close.

She looked at the waiter, who stood patiently nearby, his face professionally neutral.

"Madam?" he said. "Is everything all right?"

"Yes," Veyra said. Her voice came out thin. She cleared her throat. "Yes. I just... I need a moment."

The waiter nodded and stepped back.

Veyra’s mind raced.

She tried to calculate. The soup. The sea bass. The sparkling water. None of those could cost eighteen thousand.

Then she remembered.

The wine.

Dr. Harrison had ordered a bottle of red wine. She had not paid attention to the label. She had assumed it was house wine. Moderate. Reasonable.

But this was Bordeaux 101. Nothing here was moderate or reasonable.

She thought back to years ago when she had dined at a restaurant like this with Caspian. They had ordered almost the same dishes. The bill had come to just over five thousand.

She had been shocked then. Five thousand for a meal. But Caspian had laughed. He had said it was nothing. He had paid with a black card and not looked at the total.

Now she understood.

The wine. It must have been the wine.

She looked at the empty bottle on the table. The label was in French. She did not recognize it. But she knew enough to know that French wine in a restaurant like this could cost ten thousand. Fifteen thousand. More.

She closed her eyes.

She had offered to pay. She had insisted. She had been so proud.

And now she could not.

Her first thought was Dr. Harrison.

He would pay. He had already offered. He had his credit card out. He would settle the bill and never mention it again.

But she could not let him.

She had invited him. She had insisted on treating him. She had made a big deal about it. If she let him pay now, she would look foolish. Worse, she would look like she had offered something she could not deliver.

She thought about Li Wei. He was standing by the wall, pretending not to watch. He had money. He could pay. But then Dorian would find out. Dorian would ask questions. Dorian would think she was reckless. Irresponsible.

She could not call Dorian.

She thought about her father. Peter Solenne. She had blocked his number. She would rather starve than ask him for money.

Her stepmother, Margaret. Her half-sister, Yvette. They would laugh at her. They would tell everyone how she had failed.

No.

She thought about Wesley Wen. The owner of the restaurant. He had been friendly. Too friendly. He had leaned close to her. He had made her uneasy.

She did not want to owe him anything.

She was trapped.

The waiter cleared his throat softly.

Veyra looked up.

Wesley Wen was standing at the edge of the table.

He was wearing a tailored gray suit. His hair was immaculate. His smile was pleasant. But his eyes were sharp. Calculating.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said. "Is there a problem?"

Veyra’s stomach clenched. "No problem, Mr. Wen."

The waiter straightened. "Boss," he said, nodding at Wesley.

Wesley acknowledged him with a slight tilt of his head. Then he turned back to Veyra.

"I couldn’t help but notice you’ve been sitting here for some time," he said. "The waiter mentioned you asked for the bill." His eyes flicked to the leather folder. "Is everything satisfactory?"

"Everything is fine," Veyra said. "I was just... calculating."

Wesley smiled. "Calculating?"

"The tip," Veyra said. It was a lie. A thin lie. She did not care.

Wesley’s smile did not waver. But his eyes grew sharper.

"Mrs. Thorne," he said, "if you have run into any difficulty, I would be happy to assist. Consider it a gesture of goodwill between friends."

"We’re not friends," Veyra said.

Wesley laughed. "No. Not yet. But I hope we will be."

He reached into his jacket pocket. He pulled out a black card. His own.

"Please," he said. "Let me."

Veyra shook her head. "No."

"Mrs. Thorne—"

"No." Her voice was firm. "I don’t need your help."

Wesley studied her for a moment. Then he tucked the card back into his pocket.

"As you wish," he said. "But the offer stands. If you change your mind, I am at your service."

He bowed slightly. Then he turned and walked away.

Veyra watched him go.

Her heart was pounding. Her palms were sweaty.

She did not trust Wesley Wen. There was something behind his eyes. Something hidden. Something dangerous.

She would not borrow money from him. She would not owe him anything.

But that left her with no options.

Except one.

She looked at Li Wei. He was standing by the wall, his arms crossed, his face calm. He was watching her. Waiting.

She stood up. She walked toward him.

"Li Wei," she said. "I need you to call Mr. Thorne."

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