When A Date Becomes A Downfall

“My dad, a retired intelligence officer, had an unusual request: come home and meet someone. "This is critical, Ava. His name is Liam Vance. His father is Senator Vance. It's a good match." I sighed; I knew this was a setup, a potential alliance between old money and new power. I agreed, but only if I could bring my "project"-a prototype armored vehicle, Red Flag H-1-a sleek, unassuming black sedan that was also a two-hundred-million-dollar government asset. Driving the most technologically advanced vehicle on the planet to a blind date for marriage felt ironic. As I neared the restaurant, I signaled for a parking spot, but a red Ferrari screamed in, cutting me off. With a sickening crunch, the Ferrari slammed into my fender. Its front end crumpled like a cheap can, while my prototype barely shuddered. A woman in an expensive dress stumbled out, pointing at my car. "Are you blind? Did you not see me coming? What the hell is wrong with you?" She reeked of perfume and alcohol, accusing me of damaging her "one-hundred-thousand-dollar car." She pulled out her phone, hysterically claiming I' d pay for everything, including her emotional distress. Thinking she was Liam Vance's employee, I calmly mentioned meeting him. "You? Meet Mr. Vance?" she sneered, introducing herself as Tiffany Hayes, his executive assistant. "He doesn't meet with trash like you." My patience thin, I called Liam directly, explaining the situation. His tone turned cold, echoing Tiffany' s twisted version of events. "My assistant just told me some woman in a piece of junk sedan crashed into her. Now she\'s trying to scam her way into a dinner with me. Tiff handles these things, pay her what you owe for the damages and get lost." He hung up, the sheer arrogance stunning. Tiffany, victorious, demanded one hundred thousand dollars, then the crowd started whispering, "That's Tiff Hayes, Liam Vance's girl. She's ruthless. That poor woman is screwed." Something inside me shifted. They had no idea who they were dealing with.”