After hearing Lucien's words, Tony Will waved his hand and said, "Let them come up."
He was curious.
He wanted to see for himself just what kind of man had managed to capture Master Bertha's attention.
His curiosity was so strong that he didn't even register Jacob's presence.
The manager left briefly and soon returned with two young men.
As they stepped onto the second floor, the manager couldn't help but steal a few more glances at one of them—clearly curious about the man who'd won over Master Bertha.
But Tony snapped impatiently, "You seen enough? Then get the hell out."
The manager's face shifted. "Sorry, Mr. Will. I'll take my leave now."
With that, he quickly retreated.
From the manager's reactions, Tony immediately guessed which of the two was John. He gave him a long, scrutinizing look.
A moment passed.
Then Tony snorted. "I thought Master Bertha was some untouchable goddess… turns out she's just another woman who goes weak at the sight of a pretty face."
That mentality—it was so predictable.
He wasn't good-looking himself. And since he didn't dare to chase after his own goddess, the moment she fell for someone more handsome, he masked his jealousy with mockery. Called her shallow. Painted himself as morally superior.
Typical behavior of a bitter man stuck between envy and insecurity.
Tony was that man.
With a playful smile, John said, "So you're Mr. Will? I've heard a lot about you. You live up to the reputation… ugly as hell."
Tony's face went dark. "You got a death wish?"
What he hated most—more than anything—was being mocked for his looks.
It was his greatest insecurity.
The rest of the Will family had normal features. Even Tony's brother, Bruce Will, looked fine. But Tony? It was like every bad gene in the bloodline had landed squarely on him.
His facial features were completely unbalanced—clustered awkwardly in the center of his face. Like someone had slapped five sesame seeds in the middle of a giant rectangular pancake, leaving huge empty spaces on both sides.
Because of this, Tony had done a lot of cruel things over the years.
There was a story.
Once, a man on the street—who didn't recognize Tony—made a comment about his face. Tony responded by cutting out the man's tongue on the spot.
The incident alarmed the local authorities. They said they'd seek justice.
But a few days later, Tony walked free. The Will Family paid off the victim with a token sum, and that was that.
Ever since then, people in Houston had learned to keep their mouths shut around anyone with a strange-looking face. No one dared to speak carelessly. Hell, most didn't even dare to look.
They were afraid. Afraid of being blinded. Maimed. Or worse.
So when John hit Tony right in that sensitive spot with his first words, the anger in Tony's chest exploded instantly.
But John wasn't done.
He turned to Aria, smiling coldly. "You're pretty… but your taste? Damn near criminal."
Another blade—straight into Tony's chest.
Then John looked at Jacob. "Hey, brat. Got anything to say to your girlfriend?"
When Jacob first walked in and saw Aria, he was furious. But now… not so much.
Maybe he realized she wasn't worth the emotional toll.
Maybe he'd already moved on.
Jacob shook his head. "Not really. Doesn't feel worth it anymore."
But Aria was the first to speak. "Jacob, I'm… I'm sorry…"
She did care about him. At least a little. But care didn't equal commitment.
At the University of Houston, Jacob was a school hunk—tall, well-off, handsome. Even John had once admitted that Jacob might be better-looking than him.
When Aria and Jacob got together, they were seen as the perfect campus couple.
Jacob had taken it seriously. Over the past year, they'd had barely any fights. So it cut deep when he found out she'd cheated.
But Aria's thoughts were different.
Yes, Jacob came from a good family—respectable in New York—but in Houston? That didn't mean much.
Aria didn't want to just date a guy with potential. She wanted status. A place in Houston's elite circles. And the fastest way to get there? Marry into a rich local family.
Like many girls, she believed her beauty gave her that ticket.
Then Tony appeared.
To Aria, Tony's face was a small price to pay for his background. She convinced herself: He's powerful enough that looks don't matter.
She had no idea Tony only approached her because she was young and attractive. He wasn't looking for a wife. He just wanted to play.
But that was a story for another day.
Right now, all Aria wanted was for Jacob to understand. Forgive her, maybe.
But Jacob was done.
"I'm over it," he said. "Brother-in-law, let's bounce."
He tugged John's sleeve.
But Tony snorted coldly. "Leave? Did I say you could go?"
Jacob wasn't the issue here. John was.
Tony couldn't forget those words John said. Each one had sliced him open. Humiliated him.
And now he wanted payback.
The Will Family doesn't just swallow disrespect.
But John didn't move. Instead, he smirked. "You're right. We can't leave yet. There's still a problem that needs to be solved."
He turned slowly, his smile widening.
"This meeting's been way too boring."