"You..."

  Eric looked at Clara, his mouth opening but the words stuck in his throat, unsure how to speak.

  The two had known each other since childhood only because of their elders' relationship, but he had never felt the slightest romantic interest in her—he had always treated her like a younger sister.

  "Clara, listen to me..."

  "I won't listen!" Clara screamed hysterically. "I won't allow you to like someone else, I won't allow you to be with anyone else, I won't allow it, I won't allow it, I won't allow it!"

  She seemed to have gone mad, her sharp, piercing screams drawing numerous strange looks from passersby, and many people recognized Eric.

  "Isn't that Eric? What's going on?"

  "Who is that girl? Crying and screaming at the cafeteria entrance—is she out of her mind?"

  "Probably not a proper relationship. No wonder his girlfriend broke up with him."

  "Are you blind? This girl is nowhere near as good as Grace."

  As the murmurs grew, Eric felt his head spinning. Grace had been refusing to get back together with him, and now Clara was causing even more trouble. If Grace found out about this, she would definitely never forgive him.

  Thinking of this, Eric deliberately raised his voice and said to Clara, "I don't need your permission to find a girlfriend! I like Grace!"

  This declaration of loyalty made the onlookers, who had been secretly watching, widen their eyes in surprise.

  Clara cried even more fiercely, retorting defiantly, "It's just not allowed!"

  Eric couldn't be bothered to deal with her any longer. He left her standing there and walked away.

  Unfortunately, Grace missed this dramatic scene entirely.

  After leaving the university, she took a taxi directly to the property sales center. The salesperson had scheduled an appointment for that day to complete the transfer of the second-hand house.

  She had assumed the other party had fully delegated the transfer process to the sales department, but upon arriving, Grace learned that the homeowner had come in person.

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  "Mr. Jones, this is Miss Dorothy, the one who bought your house."

  As soon as they met, the young salesgirl from that day introduced them. Grace noticed the name tag on her uniform and realized she had successfully become a regular employee.

  Jones was somewhat surprised to see Grace. Her stunning appearance and youthful energy were completely different from the person he had imagined—someone who could buy his house outright in full payment.

  She clearly looked like a university student.

  Noticing the astonishment in his eyes, Grace smiled calmly and extended her hand. "Hello, Mr. Jones."

  "Hello," Jones replied, shaking her hand gently, only holding her fingertips in a gentlemanly manner. He couldn't help but sigh, "I truly didn't expect Miss Dorothy to be so young."

  Although he said this, he felt somewhat disappointed deep down.

  His original purpose in handling the transfer in person was to meet the person who had spent tens of thousands of dollars to buy his house. He had assumed the buyer must be someone of considerable status, especially after learning from the salesperson that this person had spent over twenty thousand dollars to buy two properties at once, and in full payment.

  Anyone with that level of cash flow had to be a notable figure.

  But it turned out to be a young woman around twenty years old. Most likely, her family was wealthy, and it had nothing to do with her personally.

  The salesperson handled most of the procedures, while the buyer and seller only needed to provide identification and sign the necessary documents.

  While waiting, Grace looked at Jones and casually asked, "I heard you reserved this house a year before the launch. Why are you selling it after less than half a year?"

  Jones smiled and explained, "Plans can't keep up with changes. I had my eye on this villa area early on, but our company has taken an interest in a project later this year. This project has tremendous potential, so the company decided to invest heavily. That's why I decided to sell this house."

  Grace nodded. She remembered the salesperson mentioning that the original homeowner's company needed funds, which was why they were selling the property.

  After studying Grace for a moment, Jones suddenly added, "Miss Dorothy, do you usually read novels?"

  This abrupt question caught Grace off guard, but she nodded. "Yes, I read them to pass the time when I'm bored."

  Jones's eyes lit up. "Then, have you read 'Destined to Be Queen'? It's very popular among young people!"

  Destined to Be Queen?

  That bestselling female-centric web novel?

  "I know of it," Grace replied. Then, a thought suddenly struck her, and she biotested out, "Mr. Jones, is your company planning to invest in the film and television adaptation of this novel?"

  Jones nodded. "Yes, this book has a massive online following and an enormous reader base. It's our company's key IP for the second half of the year. We estimate investing nearly twenty thousand dollars to create an epic female-led drama!"

  So, he was the owner of a film and television company.

  Twenty thousand dollars was equivalent to two hundred million in the original context—a massive production budget.

  Moreover, Grace remembered that Destined to Be Queen had been extremely successful after its adaptation. Once aired, it broke multiple records. The lead actress became the top actress of her generation thanks to the series, and all the supporting actors also gained significant recognition and popularity.

  Her mind racing, Grace smiled at Jones and asked, "Mr. Jones, do you still need investment?"

  Jones was visibly startled. "Miss Dorothy, are you... saying you want to invest in our project?"

  As he spoke, his tone grew noticeably excited.

  "Let's exchange contact information. I'll take a closer look at the novel later. If I think it has potential, I'll consider it."

  Grace didn't commit fully because she wanted first to understand the roles in the novel, see which one would suit her younger sister, and ensure she could secure that role. Only then would she decide to invest.

  Jones repeatedly nodded and pulled out his phone. "Miss Dorothy, let me add you on LetsChat."

  His company had invested almost everything in this project. Just competing for the copyright against other companies had taken a year.

  If successful, the company would skyrocket to new heights. However, funding had always been the biggest obstacle.

  The company had been actively seeking investors. With filming about to begin, they were still far from their twenty-thousand-dollar goal. So, when Grace expressed interest in investing, Jones's excitement was genuine.

  "I wonder what your family does, Miss Dorothy," Jones asked casually after adding her LetsChat.

  Grace replied lightly, "I'm an individual investor. I have a good eye, so I've made some money."

  Hearing that Grace was a professional investor, Jones was visibly shocked.

  Having been in the business world for many years, he had met no fewer than a thousand investors and firms. He had even encountered young, talented investment prodigies, but someone as young as Grace was a first for him.

  "Miss Dorothy, this Friday evening, we're holding a cocktail party specifically for the project's investors. Although you haven't decided to invest yet, I'd like to invite you to attend. Would that be possible?"