Everyone lowered their heads and responded earnestly, “Got it, Miss Warren. Don’t worry. We’ll all keep ourselves in check.”
Seeing how obedient they were, the manager gave a satisfied nod. “That’s more like it. As long as you do your job well, your pay won't be shorted.”
Hearing that, everyone was visibly relieved. That was how it worked at this restaurant. As long as there was a chance for promotion, they didn’t need to worry about money later on.
“Don’t worry, Miss Warren. We understand. From now on, we’ll keep our mouths shut. If it’s something we shouldn’t say, we won’t say a word.”
“Exactly, today was just a misunderstanding. It won’t happen again.”
The manager smiled, clearly pleased. After giving them a final glance, she turned and left to check on the other rooms and how the staff were doing with their tasks.
Once she was gone, the group exchanged looks before lowering their heads and quietly going back to work. She was right. People like them at the bottom shouldn’t be dreaming about shortcuts to the top. Everything had to be done step by step. Someone like Nicholas? Just getting a glimpse of him was already a privilege. Besides, the job itself was the most important thing. And that schoolgirl—clearly, Nicholas had a particular taste. She wasn’t someone they could even begin to compare with. The girl was naturally fair-skinned and pretty. Women like them, worn down by long hours and difficult customers, couldn’t possibly compete. They were already exhausted just making it through the day. There was no energy left to think about anything else. Besides, women like them who barely took care of themselves—how could they possibly compare to a girl like that? It was better to just focus on their work.
With that thought, everyone suddenly felt more motivated. After all, if something didn’t concern them, there was no point dwelling on it. There was no need to stir up trouble and end up out of a job. No one wanted to lose a watermelon just to pick up a sesame seed. The manager’s warning earlier had been a timely reminder. Still, that didn’t mean everyone had given up on their own ambitions. Some just knew how to hide it better than others.
When Tessa and Nicholas finally came out, they found the area outside spotless. Seeing that, Tessa felt a wave of satisfaction. She knew perfectly well that most of these servers didn’t like her. But so, what if they didn’t? They still had to swallow it and keep it to themselves. Those at the bottom would always be at the bottom. People like them could never be compared to those at the top.
Nicholas looked around at the tidy surroundings and felt quite pleased. He casually handed a tip to the server nearby. “Well done.” The server was overjoyed, clutching a few hundred-dollar bills and thanking him repeatedly.
A flicker of mockery flashed in Tessa’s eyes. See? Just a little bit of cash, and they were already so grateful and smiling so widely. What really mattered was clinging to the source behind all this. And right now, Tessa saw that clearer than ever. It wasn’t just about the money—it was about holding onto the real power. Wealth alone wasn’t enough; status and influence were equally important. Only then could her position be truly secured. And if she ever needed to go up against Aurora in the future, having someone like Nicholas on her side would be a powerful advantage.
Tessa slipped back into her school uniform and walked out of the restaurant with Nicholas, heading toward the mall. To her surprise, she ran into Emma —the same girl who had falsely accused Aurora when they were younger.
The next moment, Emma spotted Tessa walking through the mall with Nicholas.