The sales associate was friendly and took my measurements before picking out several suits for me to try on. I glanced at the price tags, only for my jaw to drop in shock. “A suit costs hundreds of thousands? It’s too expensive. I’m not trying them on.”

I implied no back-out, but Arlana pushed me into the fitting room. “How could the heir of the Smith family think a few hundred thousand is too pricey for a suit?” She added, “Don’t worry. This is a gift from me; just try it on.” Her insistence left me feeling somewhat helpless.

Everyone knew I was the wealthy son of the Smith family and the company head. Deep down, I understood that some of this was something I was meant to enjoy. My role in the family wasn’t about managing the company or basking in the privileges of being the heir. Rather, my primary responsibility was to ensure that Racquelle stayed well, especially when she needed a blood transfusion during emergencies.

Even though Gerald had given me cards to spend as I pleased, I had never used any of his money. I kept all the cards he gave me without spending a single cent. I’d lived off the company’s monthly paycheck of 10,000 dollars for years. I spent almost all of that on gifts for my sister.

I didn’t care much for material things and usually wore cheap knockoff sportswear that cost only a few bucks. Because of that, Racquelle often berated me for embarrassing her and the Smith family. However, I didn’t think it was anything to be embarrassed about. It was just a piece of clothing; why did she fuss over it?

Aziana said firmly, “From now on, you’re the director of Josh T’aime. You have a different status, so you need to dress accordingly.” I smiled and decided not to decline her offer.

When I stepped out in a suit, her face lit up with joy as she nodded approvingly. “Wow, you look handsome! You look good in anything. Wrap all these suits for me.” She quickly waved her hand and swiped her card.

I planned to change back into my regular clothes, but Ariana grabbed my hand and chirped, “Just keep these on. You’re coming to dinner with me. There’s someone I want you to meet.” Once we arrived at the restaurant, she led me to a private room. We had just settled in when the doors swung open.

A tall man with glasses walked in with a broad smile. When he spotted Ariana, his eyes lit up, and he excitedly rushed over to shake her hand. “Ariana, it’s been a while. You look even more…”

She stepped back subtly while maintaining her smile as she introduced me. “Let me introduce you to my boyfriend, Joshua Smith.” Then, she turned to me. “Josh, this is Cody Lambert. He is my mother’s friend’s son.”

My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t expected that she wanted me to accompany her to this dinner just to serve as a buffer. Since she had already introduced me, I couldn’t exactly say otherwise. I had no choice but to stand up and extend my hand with a forced smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m Joshua Smith.”

Cody’s expression instantly turned sour when he looked at me. He didn’t seem inclined to shake my hand. Instead, he sized me up with a look of disdain. “Ariana, when did you get a boyfriend? Why didn’t I know about this?”

She snickered and shook her head. “This isn’t your concern. Should I report to you when I start dating?”

He chuckled and was unfazed by the fact that I was her boyfriend. “Stop messing around. Our families have always been close, and my dad intends to collaborate with the Meyer Group. You’re not deliberately doing this to get on my nerves, right?”

“Are you upset because I didn’t reply to your message in time? Is my apology not sincere enough?” While saying that, he reached out to grab Ariana’s arm. Seeing that, I immediately stood up and stepped in front of her. “Back off. She’s my girlfriend. What do you think you’re doing?”