At home, Kate returned still feeling embarrassed from her recent encounter with the boy at the jewelry store. She rushed inside and hurried to speak with Vivi, the family's loyal maid.
Kate sat on one of the chairs angrily.
"Vivi, you won't believe what happened today! I met the most annoying guy, and he thinks he knows more about jewelry than I do!"
Vivi was surprised by her mistress's anger but responded calmly,
"My lady, please lower your voice a bit. We have a guest."
Kate replied, slightly startled,
"A guest? Who is it?"
She walked toward the guest room—only to see the same boy from the market entering through the door. Her surprise grew, and her face turned red with anger.
"You! What are you doing here?! Did you follow me, you scoundrel?!"
The boy stood stunned by her reaction, just as her mother entered the room.
Her mother heard Kate's loud voice and responded with slight anger,
"Kate! How rude! Is that how you speak to your father's apprentice?"
Kate was shocked,
"A-apprentice?!"
The boy bowed politely.
"My apologies, my lady. It seems there's been a misunderstanding. I'm Aaron Simon, the new student of the master. It's an honor to meet you."
He bowed again, then added,
"I'm truly grateful for the chance to become the master's apprentice…"
But he didn't get to finish his sentence, as Kate suddenly stormed out of the room.
Her mother apologized awkwardly,
"I'm sorry. My daughter is still quite reckless."
Kate rushed into her room, flustered.
"Damn you, Amber! This is all your fault! I wanted to show off my knowledge, but I ended up embarrassing myself instead!"
Amber walked into Kate's room.
"Did you see the new apprentice? Are you mad because of what happened? Hahaha."
Kate sighed loudly and threw herself on the bed.
"Yes, because of you, he made me mad, and then Mother embarrassed me in front of him."
Amber laughed, placing her hand over her mouth.
"Hahaha! Even what happened at the market was your fault! You couldn't talk back to him because he was… handsome."
Kate sat up, furious, clutching her pillow.
"Hah?! Handsome?! Your taste must be deteriorating!"
Later, in the living room, the father entered the house with his son Peter, clearly furious. Something serious had happened at work.
He walked in and threw a vase to the ground, its shattering echoing through the mansion.
"What happened today?!"
Peter tried to explain,
"Father, I—"
But his father's angry voice cut him off.
"Why didn't you accept that deal?! I leave you in charge for half a day, and you mess everything up!"
The rest of the family gathered in the inner hall. A serious problem was clearly unfolding.
The father's voice rose.
"Was I wrong to trust you?!"
The mother stood beside him,
"My dear, what's the matter? Why did this happen?"
She signaled to the servant to clean the floor so no one would get hurt, then followed her husband toward the living room.
"Margaret, don't let me see your failure son again! Do you know who closed the deal instead of us?! Our biggest rival in the election—Black Opal!"
The family gathered in the living room. Kate sat beside her father, still embarrassed from her encounter with Aaron.
She gently tried to calm her father,
"Father, please don't be angry. I hate seeing you upset."
She sat beside him, holding his hand.
"And Peter didn't mean any harm."
Her father remained silent, lost in thought.
"Father, did the deal cause us a big loss?"
He looked at his daughter and replied quietly,
"No, Kate, we didn't lose money. What we lost was our reputation. The fools in the press are already spreading rumors that we lost to Black Opal."
Kate tried to ease the tension, pouring him a glass of water.
"But Father, can't we win more deals than he does? This was just one failed opportunity. There are many more if we work harder. I don't think Black Opal is our only competitor."
Her father replied in a serious tone,
"This isn't just about business, Kate. It's about our reputation in the elections. Deals aren't just about money. If we lose to Black Opal, people might think we're weak."
Kate interrupted, angry,
"Father, don't you see? Black Opal isn't the best! He's only benefiting from his reputation. He has no real knowledge of gemstones and jewelry. He just throws money at ads and flashy campaigns. He's nothing but a fraud."
Her mother sighed, trying to calm the situation.
"Kate, now isn't the time for this. Leave these matters to your father."
But Kate insisted,
"But Mother, if we keep working like this, we'll always be in Black Opal's shadow. We have to prove that we're the best in this field, that he can't compete with us, no matter how much money or media attention he gets."
Her father looked at her thoughtfully.
"You're right in some ways, Kate. But things don't always go as we want. We need to be careful in our next steps."
Kate looked at him with determination, her eyes shining.
"I'm sure we can surpass them if we direct our investments wisely. We know more about gemstones and jewelry than anyone else. We don't need to deceive people or use money to convince them. We just need to prove our ability."
Her father leaned back in his chair.
"I think you're right. We'll need a solid plan. But don't forget, competing with Black Opal won't be easy."
Kate hesitated, then sighed softly,
"Father… What if you forgive Peter?"
He looked at her, annoyed,
"I don't want to talk about your brother, and I don't want to see him. He needs to learn from his mistakes."
Kate pleaded,
"Father, please forgive him… for me. I know he made a mistake, but he never meant to upset or disappoint you. Please, Father."
Claudius sighed, prompting Kate to frown and cross her arms,
"If you're mad at my brother, then I'll be mad at you too. Hmph."
Her father sighed at his daughter's childishness, rubbing his forehead.
"Alright, alright. For you, Kate."
Kate beamed with joy and hugged her father.
"You're the best, Father! I know you're always ready to win, and we will succeed!"
She looked proudly at her parents.
Her mother sighed. This girl will never change.
"Kate, enough. Let your father rest."