Two Coffees, Twenty Thousand Dollars, and a Son I Never Had

But I just smiled faintly and said in a cold, measured tone：

“So you're telling me you let a group of ten-year-olds run up a tab of nearly twenty thousand dollars in your shop, with no adult present?”

“How do you think the consumer protection bureau would handle that?”

The color drained from Laurel's face.

But she steadied herself almost instantly, her expression shifting to one of wounded innocence：

“Mr. Henson, you don't have to go throwing around threats about regulators to intimidate people.”

“We only extended the courtesy because you're a regular and our neighbor upstairs. We gave your son that tab as a favor to you.”

“You think just anyone gets that kind of treatment?”

As she spoke, her eyes reddened：

“We were trying to do something nice, and now somehow we're the ones in the wrong? Mr. Henson, just because you have money doesn't mean you can bully people like us who work for a living.”

Seeing Laurel on the verge of tears, the other customers in the café couldn't hold back：

“The staff went out of their way for you, and you're threatening them with regulators? That's way out of line.”

“Exactly. You can afford a mistress on the side, but you're going to nickel-and-dime over twenty grand?”

“Denying his own kid and threatening people just to dodge a bill. What a disgrace.”

With public opinion firmly on her side, the corner of Laurel's mouth twitched upward. She turned to Gwyneth, feigning concern：

“Miss, woman to woman, let me give you a piece of advice. When you're picking a man, make sure you open your eyes wide.”

“Don't be the other woman and still fool yourself into thinking you're his one true love.”

Gwyneth's expression darkened.

She looked at me, long and steady, then turned to Laurel and spoke with deliberate weight on every word：

“I believe my boyfriend.”

“Until you can produce actual proof, don't you dare slander him.”

Gwyneth's voice was quiet, but every syllable carried force.

I looked at her, and warmth flooded through my chest.

I'd spent years fighting my way through the business world alone. I'd been misunderstood, schemed against, falsely accused.

But never once had someone stood beside me without hesitation when the whole room pointed fingers.

She was the first.

Seeing Gwyneth refuse to waver, Laurel pursed her lips and let her voice drip with spite：

“Well, if you're so shameless that you want to be someone's side piece, suit yourself.”

At those words, Gwyneth's shoulders trembled, just slightly.

I knew. She was furious.

Being humiliated like that in front of a crowd would make anyone's blood boil.

And I'd had enough too.

“Laurel, you withdrew twenty thousand dollars from my payment account without my authorization.”

“Do you know what that's called under the law?”

“That's theft.”

“Whether this story about me having a son is a deliberate lie or a misunderstanding, I will be pressing charges.”

Laurel's face changed：

“You……who are you trying to scare?”

“Over something this petty, you'd actually sue? You think you own the courthouse?”

“Petty?”

I let out a cold laugh：“Under Section 264 of the criminal code, what you did carries a minimum sentence of three years.”

Laurel frowned, but her voice stayed bold：

“Your son owed our shop money. I made a legitimate deduction.”

My tone went ice-cold：

“Whether or not I have a son, the court will tell you.”

“But spreading lies about me in public and dragging my girlfriend's reputation through the mud? That, I will pursue to the very end.”

The words had barely left my mouth when a group of uniformed officers poured through the door：