One Pinnacle Pavilion was the most prestigious restaurant in Cloud City.It operated on a tiered membership system — only those who held a valid membership could dine there.
The restaurant had four ranks of private dining rooms: Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow.The lowest, Yellow-class, required a minimum annual spending of 100,000 to qualify.
Black-class required 200,000; Earth-class, 300,000; and Heaven-class, a staggering 400,000.
Moreover, the Heaven-tier card wasn't something one could simply buy — it was personally issued by the Pavilion's managing director, based on one's financial and social status.
When Summer Lin first heard about it, she thought it was absurd.Who in their right mind would spend 400,000 a year just eating in the same place?!
But, unreasonable as it sounded, the food was divine. She'd been there a few times before and never stopped craving it since.
"It's fine, my dad's membership card is with me," Autumn James said calmly.
"Yay!" Summer Lin cheered, bouncing in excitement.
Meanwhile, inside one of the Earth-class private rooms of One Pinnacle Pavilion, a cheerful group sat around a large round table, the atmosphere lively and warm.
"Thanks to you, Ethan," Anna Hawthorne said brightly, "I finally get to eat at One Pinnacle Pavilion! I've always heard the food here was amazing — can't believe I get to try it today!"
Her flattery sent Ethan James floating with pride.
What a pleasant surprise — he hadn't expected that he'd actually get to use a One Pinnacle Pavilion membership today.
If Autumn James knew about this, she'd probably be green with envy.After all, One Pinnacle Pavilion wasn't just a restaurant — its four membership tiers symbolized power and status.
Across the table, William Moore, who was normally so aloof, couldn't help showing a flicker of emotion — an involuntary spark of joy, envy, and something darker.
He knew about One Pinnacle Pavilion. His own family had a membership, but his father never once brought him there.Instead, he always brought Luke Warren.
Even though Luke was mischievous, rebellious, and an underachiever, his father doted on him — introducing him proudly at business banquets and telling his partners to "look after Luke in the future."
William had witnessed it more than once.
His expression twisted. Deep down, a fire of resentment burned — he was smarter, more disciplined, more worthy.So why wasn't he the chosen one?Was it just because Luke wasn't related by blood?
Was bloodline really so important?!
He would prove his father wrong one day. Choosing Luke Warren had been the man's biggest mistake.
Ethan James, for his part, was gleeful. The membership card wasn't even his.It had originally been given to Autumn by their father before his business trip.
But Autumn never used it — she'd tucked it away and forgotten about it.So when Ethan "happened" to pass by her room today and saw the shiny One Pinnacle Pavilion card "sitting right there" on her desk, he "casually" took it.
Why let a good thing go to waste?
Liam Carter slouched lazily in his chair, tapping away on his phone, clearly uninterested in the dinner.
Daniel Grant sat beside Anna, carefully pouring her lemon water — attentive and gentle as always.
Across from them sat Liam White, just returned from his academic competition, his sharp, cold eyes glinting under the light.He looked distant, untouchable — a man carved from frost and silence.
But when he looked at Anna, his expression softened ever so slightly.He kept placing food on her plate, doting on her like a beloved younger sister.
"Ethan, shouldn't we have invited Autumn too?" Anna said softly, guilt threading her voice.
At the mention of the name, Ethan's brows furrowed. His tone turned cold."What for? This is Liam's celebration dinner. I doubt he'd want to see her anyway."
Liam froze for a moment — the chopsticks in his hand still halfway to Anna's plate — before murmuring, "Mm."
Everyone went silent. The memory of Autumn's once-clingy, desperate behavior still lingered.
Anna lowered her eyes, feigning remorse. She tugged lightly on Liam's sleeve and whispered, "Sorry, Liam. I shouldn't have brought her up."
"It's fine," Liam replied quietly, his voice low and magnetic — but as cold as ever.
"Anyway!" Ethan clapped his hands, breaking the tension. "Let's eat. Oh, by the way, Liam — how did that guy, White Miller, do in your biology competition?"
The others perked up immediately.Though they were all top students in the elite Science Class A, there was always an unspoken rivalry between their group and White Miller's.
Ethan in particular couldn't stand him — always calm, polite, never needing to boast, yet somehow managing to outshine everyone.
Whenever he appeared, it felt like the air shifted to his rhythm.
"White Miller took first prize," Liam said finally, his tone steady but his gaze flickering.
"What?! He got first place?!" Ethan slammed his hand against the table, fuming. "Now he'll probably act like he owns the whole class!"
William Moore's eyes dimmed, jealousy flickering beneath the surface.
White Miller was talented, well-liked by teachers, and came from a wealthy family — everything William wanted to be.Meanwhile, he only excelled in Chinese, a subject where everyone was treated the same.
Daniel Grant looked indifferent, stirring his drink absentmindedly. His path in life had already been paved; grades meant little to him.
Liam Carter barely lifted his head. He didn't care about competitions or rankings — his family had enough influence to buy him into any university he wanted.
Only Ethan James was truly riled up — one word and he was ready to explode.
"Whatever. White Miller may have won, but his other subjects are average. He's not that great." Ethan muttered, bitterness dripping from his voice.
The others exchanged tired glances.
Liam Carter sighed, pushing his chair back with a creak. "I'm going to the restroom."
He wasn't, really. He just needed to get out, breathe, and escape the noise.
He'd half-expected Autumn to be here — but when he saw only this crowd and a syrupy-sweet Anna, the dinner lost its appeal entirely.
At that exact moment, outside the entrance of One Pinnacle Pavilion —
"Good evening, miss. One Pinnacle Pavilion is a membership-only establishment. May I see your card, please?"
Autumn James smiled politely and nodded, reaching into her bag for the card she always kept in a specific compartment.
...Empty?
Her brows knit together. She rifled through her purse again, checking each pocket.
Nothing.
Her heart sank. Impossible. Her father had given her that card before leaving on his trip — she'd never once moved it since.
Could it be lost?
She searched again — still no sign of it.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed her face as she met the receptionist's patient smile.
The card was gone. Really gone.
Just as she turned to tell Summer and White that something was wrong—
A familiar voice, sharp with disbelief, called out behind her.
"Autumn James? What are you doing here?"