Chapter 6 Daring to Defy !

The arrogance, the haughty pride, and the sense that the bank belonged to them-all of it evaporated in an instant, shrinking their courage to nothing.

Suddenly, the woman in the black blazer and white shirt shuffled forward and clutched Jackson's foot-his worn-out sandal barely hanging on.

"Forgive me, Sir. I truly was wrong. Please forgive me," the woman who had been so loud earlier now whispered weakly. The way she pleaded instantly reminded Jackson of his mother-in-law, who was always yelling and insulting him.

"What's your name?"

"S-Sintya, Sir."

"Where's the mirror you used earlier to reflect my face and my clothes?" Jackson asked, lowering his voice-not out of calmness, but from holding back his rage.

Hearing Jackson's softened tone, Sintya's heart leapt with joy. Surely this meant he would forgive her-perhaps even take a liking to her. After all, she was the branch's darling. With her striking beauty and voluptuous figure, she took pride in being a prized asset.

Sintya quickly pulled out the compact mirror she always carried to check her flawless appearance. She could not stand even a speck of dust or a stray hair marring her perfect face.

Excitedly, she opened the compact and handed it to Jackson, tilting her face upward hopefully.

"Stand up!"

Sintya shot to her feet instantly, now standing right before Jackson. At his chin's height, she had to lift her face slightly to look into his eyes.

Glukk!

She swallowed hard. Only now did she realize how truly handsome Jackson was. Beneath his shabby clothes, he was a man with strikingly sharp features and an undeniable aura of charisma.

He had a sharp aquiline nose, thick black eyebrows with a bold line, long dark lashes, and eyes that were a shade of deep brownish-black. His jawline was strong and well-defined, and his lips... Jackson's lips could make any woman forget how to breathe when close enough. Those full lips had a natural reddish tint. Unlike most men whose lips turned dark from smoking, Jackson's lips were strikingly different.

"Try turning this mirror toward your own face now."

Sintya obeyed, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Her heart pounded wildly, a feeling she wasn't used to. If every day she acted aloof and hard to get with men, this time she found herself completely captivated by Jackson's striking looks and commanding posture. Unfortunately, this realization came only after she had made the biggest mistake of her life.

Her reflection appeared in the mirror, showing Sintya's own beauty and her sweet smile.

"Do you see that terrifying face of yours?! That heavy makeup and lipstick make you look like an old woman who just chewed betel nut and areca leaves! Is this how you've been serving customers here all this time?! Tch! This is beyond embarrassing!"

Sintya's heart nearly stopped. The insult she had hurled at Jackson had been thrown back at her tenfold. Her self-confidence, which had been fluttering with butterflies, felt as if it had just been drenched in filthy sewer water.

How could this be? Right in front of her was Wijaya Kusuma, who had been pursuing her for a long time and had once confessed his feelings-only to be harshly rejected. And now?! She was being humiliated by the very man she had insulted-right in front of three other men! This would be a lifelong lesson for Sintya, a black mark full of exclamation points in her memory.

"Wijaya Kusuma!"

"Yes, Sir Pres-?"

"Don't just keep upgrading your advanced technology system! If the staff's attitude and service are this terrible, there's no need for tolerance! Give them a strict punishment! These three will replace the cleaning staff and clean every room for the next three months. If they can't...."

Silence.

Everyone waited for Jackson's next words, though they still had no idea who he truly was or how important he was in this branch of the World Bank where they worked.

"Then get out!"

The three men who had confronted Jackson earlier widened their eyes and swallowed hard. How could they possibly refuse? Their company was known for giving overtime pay even for the slightest extra work. Where else could they find such benefits?

"Yes, Sir!"

Wijaya Kusuma didn't dare make another mistake. Twice now, he had almost let slip Jackson's true identity, and both times his words were cut off. Slowly, he began to understand what the only son of the owner of hundreds of World Bank branches across nations wanted.

Jackson walked out of the room calmly and headed toward the teller without further obstacles.

That evening, after returning from his father-in-law's plantation, Jackson saw Jacob's car parked in front of Madam Ester's grand house once again.

Just as Jackson was about to step inside, he heard Jacob's loud voice, clearly intended for him to overhear.

"This is a genuine diamond I ordered from South Africa. The finest diamond, and I present it to you, Brielle. You are the most beautiful woman in the entire country I've ever met."

Jacob's words dripped with flattery as he opened a jewelry box the size of a bowl.

Jackson froze, watching his wife happily accept the blue velvet box, her face glowing with joy.

"Oh my, Jacob! This is gorgeous! You truly are the ideal son-in-law!"

Madam Ester exclaimed excitedly, praising Jacob's generosity. She picked up the diamond necklace and held it out to see it more closely.

"Are you serious about giving this to me, Jacob?" Brielle asked, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Of course, Brielle. Can't you see? I brought this here especially for you," Madam Ester quickly chimed in, putting the necklace back into its box.

"Do you know, Brielle? This cost four hundred thousand dollars-about five billion in rupiah."

Jacob lifted Brielle's chin, making her look directly at him as he spoke loudly.

"Wow! You truly are an incredible man, Jacob!"

Madam Ester gasped when she heard the price of the diamond necklace Jacob Wagendez had brought for her eldest daughter-the daughter she was most proud of.

"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie. Now, let me place it on your graceful, fair neck, Brielle."

Jacob took the necklace and began to fasten it around Brielle's neck.

Jackson stepped forward. Normally, he would have stayed silent. But not this time. He had had enough of watching Jacob get closer to his wife.

Clink!

Jackson snatched the necklace from Jacob's hands and let it fall to the floor.

"Jackson!"

Madam Ester screamed in shock as her eyes fell on the diamond necklace worth billions lying on the ground.

"How dare you?! Do you know how much that diamond necklace costs?!"

This time, Jacob, equally stunned, grabbed the collar of Jackson's simple shirt tightly, ready to throw a punch.

Thud! Thud!

Jacob landed a punch on Jackson's solid shoulder, then swung again toward his handsome face. But while the first blow struck his shoulder, the second was swiftly blocked by Jackson's quick reflexes.