News of Jason Carter's entry into the used-car export industry quickly spread through the internal circles of New Vision Media.
Especially among the female Stermer, the reaction was intense.
Girls like Angela, who had briefly intersected with his world before, all paid close attention to how he would handle the situation surrounding Grace's endorsement controversy.
When the final outcome surfaced, they were stunned. Not shocked by the business scale, but by the reason behind it.
Jason hadn't just refused the provocative endorsement. He had directly entered the industry, restructured the market, and secured Grace's position from the root.
To outsiders, it looked like capital expansion. But insiders understood—it was protection. Absolute protection.
In the New Vision Media lounge, several streamers exchanged helpless smiles.
"It must feel incredible to be his woman," Wendy murmured softly.
Angela lowered her gaze. She had once stood near that opportunity. So close she could almost touch it. But once missed, climbing back up was harder than reaching the sky.
Because Jason Carter's world did not recycle opportunities.
Meanwhile, Grace herself was glowing with happiness.
Grace Favorability: +2
She opened her messages. Jason's chat was pinned at the very top. She tapped it gently, then sent a soft voice message.
"I recently learned a new spa technique from a professional therapist. It's very relaxing. If you're tired, come over. I'll take care of you."
Her voice was gentle, warm, almost pampering.
Jason chuckled when he heard it. But recently, he had been rotating his time between Charlotte, Julia, and Holly, so he replied briefly: "I'll come when I have time."
Not long ago, Grace, Sophia, Mia, and Megan had traveled with him to another city. They had just returned. Now it was Charlotte and Julia's phase. Holly, after a period of separation, was enjoying what felt like a second honeymoon.
Jason believed in balance. Every woman around him had her season.
From the outside world's perspective, Jason Carter's return to the city had been earth-shaking—a business titan rising overnight. But few knew the truth. Jason only set directions. Olivia and the executive teams executed everything.
As for himself? He lived freely.
Two days later, Jason visited Grace's penthouse and enjoyed her so-called "full-body spa." Afterward, he spent time separately with Sophia, Mia, and Megan, each receiving a day and a half of his company.
For ordinary men, such a schedule would destroy their health. But Jason felt energized, comfortable, invigorated.
He mused inwardly, "Physical strength is the foundation of everything. Attributes, spirit arrays, enhancement rewards—all need to keep increasing."
His current financial panel showed over sixty billion in simp funds. And the number of women around him would only increase. Without physical enhancement, even he might struggle to keep pace.
That evening, Jason took Julia to the night market near the university. The choice of companion spoke volumes about her status.
They walked hand in hand beneath neon lights. Street vendors shouted. Music drifted through the air. Julia clung to his arm like a little bird—soft, dependent, radiant with happiness.
Not far behind, three figures followed quietly: Tara, Wanda, and Molly.
Tara's usual composure was gone. She had waited patiently, prepared to make her move. But reality crushed her expectations.
Jason was surrounded daily. Different women. Different schedules. Days passed. No opening appeared.
Anxiety crept in. Because when people care, their hearts grow chaotic.
Tara had seen his power, seen him spend billions for a lover. Every time she saw him, her heartbeat accelerated.
She—a goddess in countless men's eyes—felt completely inferior before Jason.
Beside her, Wanda watched Tara's unease with quiet schadenfreude. So the calm queen finally loses composure.
Renee had already lost patience days ago and stopped following. Molly had been busy herself, only returning today.
Tara forced herself to breathe slowly. Calm down. Wait for separation. Opportunities require timing.
But ahead, Jason and Julia were inseparable. Fingers intertwined. Shoulders touching. Leaning into each other beneath the night lights like lovers in a painting.
No gap. No opening.
Tara's nails pressed lightly into her palm. For the first time, this master strategist of social circles didn't know how to advance.
Because before absolute affection, all tactics seemed powerless.
Tara waited. Ten minutes. Twenty. Forty. A full hour passed.
Yet not once did Julia leave Jason's side. They strolled through the neon-lit night market like a couple inside a romance film—fingers intertwined, shoulders brushing, laughter soft and intimate.
Even Tara, who had prepared herself mentally countless times, felt a trace of hesitation seeing Julia's sweet, dependent smile.
Interrupting now would be too shameless.
That thought surfaced, but only for a brief moment. Because in her world, wealth and status stood above sentiment. If a woman chose Jason Carter, then she had already chosen to share him.
What Tara didn't know was that Jason had long noticed the three women following behind. His bodyguards had reported it in detail, even sending their profiles directly to his phone.
Jason glanced at the screen earlier. He recognized Wanda immediately. As for the other woman—Tara. Her recent rise in popularity had been explosive. Elegant. Strategic. A natural social climber.
But why were they following him together? Organized? Planned?
Jason only gave it a passing thought. Women who could raise their own status without relying on him were not urgent priorities. So he ignored them and continued shopping with Julia as if nothing was happening.
After wandering through food stalls and boutique shops, two college boys suddenly walked toward them. One froze mid-step when he saw Jason, eyes widening.
Jason looked at him carefully, then remembered. Ethan. A fellow university student. And once, a romantic rival.
Back then, both Ethan and Jason had pursued Emma. But Ethan lacked Jason's looks and Jason's relentless devotion. Emma never even considered him.
In hindsight, being eliminated early was probably fortunate. He hadn't wasted years.
But now, their situations were worlds apart.
Ethan's gaze swept between Jason and Julia, back and forth, as if trying to process reality. After several seconds he finally stammered, "Weren't you with Holly and Megan? How are you also dating Julia? Those rumors... they're actually true?"
He had heard whispers before but never believed them. Now, seeing Julia cling to Jason's arm so affectionately, he had no choice but to accept it.
Inside, Ethan's emotions churned violently. They had both been Emma's pursuers, both rejected. Yet Jason now had women on both sides. And not just any women—Holly, Megan, all more beautiful than Emma. And Julia, the true campus goddess.
If Holly or Megan were with Jason, Ethan could comfort himself: they're playgirls, gold diggers, they want money. But Julia? Everyone who knew her understood she was pure, gentle, unvain.
He couldn't comprehend how Jason had won her over, let alone how she accepted sharing him. Jealousy burned through his chest.
Julia heard the conversation but didn't get angry. Instead she smiled gently, giving them space to talk. Coincidentally, she needed the restroom, so she excused herself and walked toward the nearby facilities.
Silence fell. Jason and Ethan had nothing to reminisce about.
After a moment Jason said calmly, "Don't believe the rumors. I just give women someone to rely on."
"Rely on?" Ethan's face twisted with jealousy. If not for Jason's wealth and power, he might have lashed out already.
His friend, sensing the tension, tugged at his sleeve. "Come on, let's go. We're supposed to meet the others."
But Ethan couldn't move. He stood rooted, staring at Jason with a mixture of envy, resentment, and disbelief. How had everything changed so drastically? They'd started from the same place—both rejected by Emma, both ordinary students. Yet now Jason lived in a different stratosphere entirely.
"You know what's funny?" Ethan said bitterly. "I used to think Emma was crazy for rejecting you. Now I realize she was just too stupid to see what was coming."
Jason's expression remained neutral. "Emma made her choice. Everyone does."
"And what about you? What choice did you make to end up like this?" The words came out harsher than Ethan intended, but he couldn't stop himself.
Jason met his gaze evenly. "I chose to stop chasing people who didn't want me. I chose to build something worth having. And I chose to treat the people who matter with respect."
The simple answer hit Ethan harder than any boast would have. Because it was true. While Ethan had spent months wallowing in rejection, nursing his wounded pride, Jason had transformed completely.
And right then, Tara moved.
She had waited an entire hour for this opening. Now she stepped forward gracefully, a gentle smile on her lips, voice soft as silk.
"Hi, I really like your outfit and your style. Could we add each other?" She paused politely. "If you have a girlfriend, I'm sorry for bothering you."
No tricks. No schemes. Just direct, elegant, meticulous. A textbook high-EQ approach.
Wanda, hiding nearby, gritted her teeth. She should have listened to the group leader and stayed back. But seeing Tara act first, she couldn't endure it.
She stepped forward too, voice sweet enough to melt bones. "Hello, Mr Carter. We've met before. I'm sorry about the clumsy way I tried to flirt with you last time. I was overwhelmed by your charm and couldn't help myself."
She abandoned all tactics, choosing sincerity.
Ethan stood there watching this unfold, his eyes widening further and further. First Julia, now two more top-tier beauties approaching voluntarily?
His mind screamed internally: Holy crap. Holy crap. HOLY CRAP.
His friend whispered urgently, "Dude, we seriously need to leave. This is getting embarrassing."
But Ethan couldn't tear his eyes away. This was beyond comprehension. It wasn't just that Jason had one girlfriend, or even two. It was that women were actively competing for his attention, approaching him in public, completely unashamed.
The contrast between his own reality and Jason's was so vast it felt surreal.
Jason looked at the two women calmly. No surprise. No excitement. As if such scenes were routine.
Behind his composed gaze, evaluation had already begun.
Tara was polished. Professional. Her approach was smooth, her body language perfect. She knew exactly how to present herself—not desperate, not aggressive, just interested.
Wanda, on the other hand, had shifted strategies. Gone was the calculated seductress from their first encounter. Now she played the role of sincere admirer, acknowledging her previous mistakes.
Both approaches had merit. Both showed intelligence.
But Jason had learned long ago that the most important quality wasn't beauty or even intelligence. It was timing. And authenticity.
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