Jason leaned back on the worn leather couch of the club''s VIP room, his phone vibrating in his hand. He glanced at the screen, eyes lighting up when he saw the transaction confirmation. $100,000.

    A smug grin curled his lips as he leaned forward, running a hand through his hair. Iraya, as always, had caved. She must still be hooked on him—why else would she send such a hefty amount?

    What she said about breaking up with him was her wanting attention from him and he would give her that, after he was done with Kylie and needed money again. Jason laughed inside.

    "Everything good, babe?" Kylie''s voice broke his thoughts. She was perched beside him, her long legs crossed, one hand lazily twirling a strand of her hair while the other held a cocktail. Her lips curved into a flirtatious smile, but there was a glint of expectation in her eyes.

    Jason pocketed his phone, turning toward her with a smirk. "Yeah, everything''s more than good." He leaned in, resting his arm behind her, his voice dropping into what he thought was a charming tone. "Iraya is finally out of the picture. Now we could be together. And we''re all set for tomorrow, babe. Shopping spree, just like you wanted."@@@@

    Kylie''s eyes lit up, and she giggled, leaning closer. "I knew you''d come through, Jason. That''s why I stick with you—you know how to treat a girl right." She gave him a playful nudge. "So, where are we going first? The mall? Or that new designer boutique everyone''s raving about?"

    Kylie was thrilled—Jason was finally free of Iraya! She didn''t understand why he hadn''t broken things off with her sooner, but now that it was official, everything was falling into place.

    With Iraya out of the picture, Kylie could finally introduce Jason to her parents. They would be so proud—after all, she was dating a guy who was a wealthy, successful man.

    With Jason by her side, her future was secured. She could already picture the approval in her parents'' eyes, the way her friends would envy her.

    Jason''s mind wandered back to Iraya. He didn''t give her a second thought beyond her usefulness. Sure, she''d acted tough on the phone, but that money transfer said it all—she was still into him.

    No woman would send that much cash if she didn''t love him anymore. He chuckled inwardly. She probably wanted to meet up and "talk things out." Typical.

    He''d handle her tomorrow, smooth-talk her like he always did, and she''d fall right back into line. Maybe he''d even throw her a bone and suggest a lunch date—keep her hopes up.

    But tonight? Tonight was for Kylie. He deserved to celebrate after all the stress Iraya had put him through. He''d play along with Kylie''s fantasies of luxury and promise her the world. It didn''t matter if he couldn''t deliver—all that mattered was keeping her happy for now.

    "Let''s finish our drinks," Jason said, pulling her closer. "Tomorrow we have a big day."

    Kylie beamed, blissfully unaware of Jason''s shallow intentions. "Can''t wait, Jason. I''m already thinking about what I''ll buy!"

    Jason grinned, but it didn''t reach his eyes. To him, people were tools—Kylie, Iraya, everyone. As long as they gave him what he wanted, they were worth keeping around. He was already thinking about what excuse he''d give Iraya when she inevitably tried to cut him off again.

    After all, he thought smugly, it wasn''t like she could really walk away from him. Not when she still cared so much. He was sure of it.

    After a while of partying, Jason, Kylie, and the rest of the crowd began to feel strangely uncomfortable, their bodies heating up as if they were on fire. It didn''t take long before everyone started leaving in a hurry, too uneasy to stay any longer.

    Jason and Kylie, however, decided to head to the nearest hotel, driven by a sudden, overwhelming desire, ready to share a night of unrestrained passion.