As Wanda watched Jason Carter's empire expand higher and higher, a restless resentment quietly took root in her heart. Every new acquisition, every new announcement, only widened the gap between them.
Unable to hold it in, she turned to Tara. "Mr Carter's net worth... what do you think it actually is? And what are your plans?"
Tara smiled gently, completely unhurried. "With Mr Carter's status, appearance, and temperament, he must already be surrounded by exceptional women. Just being pretty and offering emotional value isn't enough. You can't use the same methods that work on ordinary wealthy men. You need a unique advantage."
She spoke calmly, like a mentor guiding a junior. "No rush. Take your time. First impressions are critical. If you ruin that, everything ends before it begins."
Wanda frowned slightly. She disliked Tara's slow, composed tone—it felt like she was lecturing from above.
"I overheard a business owner earlier," Wanda said. "He said Mr Carter launched a Cultural Tourism, that the city's economy might revolve around him in the future. That's huge information. Why aren't you investigating deeper?"
Tara laughed softly, unconcerned. "Isn't his known wealth already enough? Not just enough—dozens of times more than what I'm aiming for." She tilted her head slightly. "Does it matter whether he's worth ten billion or fifty? The real question isn't how wealthy he is. It's whether I'm worthy of catching his attention. What I should study is how to make him notice me."
Renee smiled admiringly. "With your looks and temperament, he definitely will, Tara."
Molly nodded vigorously in agreement.
Wanda curled her lip inwardly. Acting humble again.
But Tara sighed softly, serious this time. "I'm not being modest. I genuinely don't have much confidence. If you analyzed the women around him carefully, you'd understand."
She pulled out her phone. On the screen was a meticulously organized list.
Renee, Molly, and Wanda leaned closer and froze.
The document was frighteningly detailed. Every woman around Jason was listed: name, age, height, background, strengths, personality traits, relationship probability, residence locations—villa districts, Lanting West Court, and more.
It looked less like gossip and more like corporate intelligence research.
Tara explained calmly. "First—appearance. None of the women around Mr Carter are anything less than stunning. Beauty is just the baseline. Take Julia, Shenna, and Victoria. Their looks are practically otherworldly. So in comparison, my appearance is merely passable."
She scrolled down. "Second—unique traits. Every woman around him has a distinct identity."
She pointed one by one. "Holly Larson—professional dancer. Cool, stylish image. Megan—deeply understands men, excels at emotional support. She never attended socialite training, yet feels like a top graduate. Mia—top-tier streamer. Gentle, attentive. Charlotte—naturally seductive. Fox-like charm. Julia—stunning yet pure. 'White moonlight' temperament, gentle and virtuous. Grace—elite supercar model. Ava Summers—fashion icon-level beauty."
The more she listed, the quieter the others became. Because this wasn't flattery. It was analysis—cold, strategic, terrifyingly rational.
Tara locked her phone and concluded softly. "Beauty alone isn't competitive. Temperament alone isn't competitive. You need something irreplaceable."
She looked toward the mall atrium where Jason stood surrounded by executives. "To stand beside a man like him, you don't just need charm. You need value."
Her voice remained gentle, but her eyes were sharp with ambition.
Because unlike Wanda, Tara didn't see Jason Carter as prey. She saw him as a summit. And she intended to climb.
Tara continued calmly, her tone still gentle, but every word carried weight. "Not only are the women around Mr Carter beautiful and distinctive, they also understand propriety. They know when to advance and when to retreat."
She paused slightly before adding, "On the contrary, take someone like Emma. Mr Carter pursued her for three years, yet once she crossed his bottom line, he abandoned her without hesitation. And Alice—she probably tried to climb up through him too. But he clearly looks down on low-tier opportunists. There are many similar cases. They're everywhere."
Renee, Wanda, and Molly were stunned. The depth of Tara's research was terrifying. This wasn't casual observation. It was psychological profiling.
Renee recovered first and said encouragingly, "Even so, with your abilities, Tara, you can definitely secure a girlfriend position."
Tara shook her head. "I'm not finished. There's another pattern you haven't noticed."
She pulled up the list again. "Currently, two women live at West Court—Grace and Ava Summers. They're most likely lovers. Five women live in the villa compound: Holly Larson, Mia, Megan, Charlotte, and Julia. Four are probably girlfriends. And Julia is most likely wife-tier."
She explained further. "Holly and Megan are both college students—no public dating history. Mia and Charlotte are livestreamers, but they've never had scandals or private fan meetings. Julia is even more pristine. A clean slate."
She scrolled again. "Meanwhile, Grace and Ava both have past relationship histories."
Her conclusion came softly but struck hard. "The 'cleaner' the background, the more important the position. It's possible Young Master Carter prefers his girlfriends to be untouched."
She exhaled lightly. "Unfortunately, I'm not. Even if I tried to hide it, someone like him would find out. So I've already adjusted my expectations. If I can remain as a lover, I'm satisfied."
Renee and Molly were dumbfounded. To become Jason Carter's girlfriend, that was the standard? Otherwise, at best, lover status?
It sounded absurd. Yet coming from Tara, it felt rational.
After all, Jason was surrounded by elite women. Even someone like Tara—a dream woman pursued by countless wealthy men—barely qualified.
Wanda's face turned ugly. Now she finally understood why she had failed so completely before. It wasn't just technique. It was history. Her past relationships had already disqualified her in Jason's eyes. In his view, she was already "tainted."
Renee spoke again, voice softer. "So you're really content being just a lover?"
As a wealthy man's wife herself, she felt genuine sympathy.
Tara smiled gently. "Don't misunderstand—I'm not belittling your husband. He's excellent. But comparing him to Young Master Carter would be unfair to Carter."
She continued matter-of-factly. "The lovers around Young Master Carter live better than the wives of ordinary tycoons. First—his looks, physique, and temperament alone make being with him worthwhile, even without money. Second—his decisiveness toward women is unmatched."
She began listing examples. "To support Megan, he bought her a restaurant worth ten million. To clear Quinn's name, he spent 280 million acquiring a Tech company. To pave the way for Ava Summers, he spent 700 million acquiring a Piano Group. To resolve Charlotte's contract exploitation, he spent 2.7 billion acquiring a Skincare company."
She paused, then added, "And when the Will heir threatened campus belle Clara, combined with Golden Crown's acquisition, it's reasonable to suspect he spent billions partly for her."
Renee finally understood. Even as a wife, her husband had never spent tens of millions on her, let alone hundreds of millions or billions.
When she factored in Jason's looks and presence, a strange thought surfaced: being the wife of an ordinary tycoon suddenly felt less appealing.
At that moment, Olivia approached Jason to report something. They weren't hiding the conversation, so when Tara and the others drifted closer, they could vaguely overhear.
It seemed a major auto company wanted Grace as their spokesperson to promote a luxury sports car line. But there was one condition: she had to appear in a sexy promotional campaign.
Tara, Renee, Wanda, and Molly instinctively leaned closer, ears straining. They wanted to see with their own eyes how Jason Carter treated a woman under his wing.
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