THE DISABLED HEIRESS, MY EX-HUSBAND WOULD PAY DEARLY.

At that moment, Cora let out a quiet breath and gave a small nod, forcing a polite smile.

"No problem," she said softly. "A picture won't be that bad."

The simple words instantly shifted the energy around them. Robert's face lit up with a broad, satisfied smile, visibly relieved that she had finally agreed. Samuel, on the other hand, felt a rush of something sharper, triumph.

A faint smirk tugged at his lips, subtle enough to go unnoticed by the others, but his thoughts betrayed the calm exterior. 'Perfect,' he said to himself silently. 'Finally… I've caught you.'

Moments later, the three of them lined up, standing close enough to fit into the frame. Robert stood on one side, Samuel on the other, with Cora in between them.

Phones came up. The first picture was taken by Samuel personal PA, then a flash here, a shutter click there. Then another, and another. Each snap seemed to pull more attention from the onlookers, who were already whispering and pointing in excitement at the rare trio standing together.

As they posed for one more shot, Robert's phone suddenly vibrated in his hand. The sharp buzz pulled his attention instantly. Glancing down, he caught sight of the caller ID, and his expression shifted from relaxed to serious in a heartbeat.

"Excuse me for a second," Robert muttered quickly. "This is important."

He stepped aside, already answering the call as he moved toward the quieter corner of the restaurant, leaving Cora and Samuel standing alone in the center of the gathering eyes.

The sudden absence of Robert shifted the atmosphere. The playful energy dissolved, replaced with something heavier, more charged.

Before Cora could even take a step away from Samuel eager to reclaim some distance a ripple of noise swept through the nearby crowd. More people had raised their phones now, snapping photos from every angle.

At that moment, Samuel took a slow step toward Cora, closing the distance between them with deliberate ease. His face no longer carried the soft charm he showed the crowd moments ago; instead, there was a quiet intensity in his eyes. He tilted his head slightly, studying her as she instinctively shifted backward, trying to create space without making it obvious.

"Miss Cora," Samuel murmured, his voice low, almost teasing but laced with something sharper, "are you… shy?"

He let the word hang for a beat before continuing, his smirk barely visible.

"Or is it the cameras? The people watching? You don't seem..comfortable."

Then he chuckled softly, but his gaze never left her face, as though he was reading her every expression. Cora, however, kept her composure. She didn't reply, didn't rise to his provocation. Her silence was firm, the kind of silence that refused to give him anything to work with.

Before the tension could stretch further, footsteps approached. Robert returned, sliding his phone into his pocket, his tone casual but cheerful as he broke the heavy atmosphere.

"Well," Robert said lightly, "this was a pleasure. Glad we could do this, Samuel."

The two men exchanged quick handshakes firm but polite the unspoken rivalry between them buried beneath courteous smiles. With that, Robert gestured for Cora to follow him, and the two walked out together, leaving Samuel behind in the lingering hum of whispers from the onlookers.

Minutes later, Samuel entered his VIP room alone, the noise of the main hall shutting out as the door closed behind him. The calm silence of the room gave him space to let his mask slip; his polite smile faded, replaced by the calculating look that revealed his true thoughts.

Without wasting anymore time he reached into his pocket, pulled out his phone, and dialed quickly. The call barely rang once before it connected.

"Did you get it?" Samuel asked immediately, his tone low and direct. "Tell me you got a good picture a very good one."

At that moment, the spy's voice came through the line, almost brimming with excitement.

"Yes, boss," the spy said quickly. "I got it, and not just good, boss… this one is something else. The shot is clear, perfect framing, perfect timing. This one… it's going to tell a whole story on its own."

Samuel leaned back against the velvet seat of the VIP room, his eyes narrowing with satisfaction as he listened. A quiet smirk curved on his lips.

"Good," he muttered. "Very good."

Then he paused for a second, already calculating the next step, his tone turning sharp and deliberate.

"Here's what you're going to do," Samuel instructed. "Release it, but don't make it loud at first. Start small. Let it circulate like a rumor. Make it look… accidental. Natural. People should convince themselves that what they're seeing is real they always do."

However the spy stayed silent, listening carefully. Samuel's voice dropped lower, colder, as his plan unfolded.

"And don't just use tonight's picture," he continued. "Remember that shot from the car park last time? The one you thought wasn't good enough? Add it. Combine them. Make it look like this isn't new, make it look like it's been happening for a while. Like we've been secretly seeing each other all this time, hiding it from everyone."

There was a short pause. Samuel's smile widened as he pictured the chaos that would follow.

"Push it out tonight," he said calmly. "By tomorrow morning, I want it everywhere. Every feed, every trending page. The first thing they see when they wake up is this Cora and me, caught in a 'secret romance.' Let them believe we've been dating for months. By the time she opens her mouth to deny it, it'll already be too late."

On the other end of the line, the spy's voice was steady but eager.

"No problem, boss," the spy replied. "I'll do justice to it."

"Good."

Immediately the line clicked dead. as Samuel slid his phone back into his pocket, rose from his seat, and straightened his jacket with calm precision. Then a satisfied smile spread across his face as he muttered under his breath.

"Perfect."