"Reserved?" Sophia gasped in disbelief. "But it's only six o'clock! There must be some mistake."

"I'm afraid not. I'll have to ask you to leave immediately."

"Why should we?" Amanda snapped, her pride deeply wounded. "We haven't even finished our meals!"

"The reason is simple. You're no longer welcome in this establishment."

"Do you have any idea who I am?" Amanda demanded, her voice dripping with arrogance.

"No, I don't," the waiter replied with icy calm.

"Don't you recognize Amanda Mitchell? She's a top celebrity and the heiress to Mitchell Corp!" Sophia chimed in, trying to assert their importance.

The waiter remained unmoved. "This way, Ms. Mitchell."

Both women were seething with rage as they rose to leave. That's when they spotted Elise at the adjacent table.

What was she doing here?

Their eyes then fell upon the handsome man and young boy accompanying Elise.

Despite her usual composure, Amanda found herself captivated by William's striking appearance. She wondered how such an exceptionally handsome man existed in Crestwood—even the most famous actors couldn't compare!

Sophia recovered first and called out, "Elise?"

Elise pointedly ignored her.

Sophia turned her attention to William, feeling both mesmerized and envious. How could Elise land someone so attractive? Not even Samuel came close to this man's looks!

A sudden realization struck Sophia. "That's the firefighter you were obsessed with, isn't it?"

Beside her, Amanda immediately lost interest. No wonder she'd never seen him before—he was clearly beneath their social standing.

Sophia continued, glancing at James, "And that must be his son? You just broke up with Samuel and you're already rebounding with a single father? Are you trying to get back at him? Really, you shouldn't stoop so low—dating a man with baggage!"

Little James frowned at Sophia's fake concern and subtle insults.

She was clearly trying to drive a wedge between William and Elise by suggesting he was just a rebound. "And you actually brought him here? Do you know how expensive this place is? It costs thousands for a single meal!"

Elise suddenly stood up.

Her cold gaze fixed on Sophia, though she hesitated to respond. She didn't want to cause a scene, especially in front of James, but she couldn't tolerate Sophia's escalating rudeness.

Gently covering James's ears, she said coolly, "Some advice: stop your pathetic behavior. Do you really think everyone shares your taste for second-hand goods like Samuel Mitchell? He can't even keep his pants zipped—why would I waste my emotions on someone like him? The moment I dumped him, he became irrelevant!"

"You b—" Sophia paled at Elise's sharp retort.

Amanda stepped in with a condescending tone. "Oh, you're just bitter!"

Elise turned to face Amanda directly. "That's what you'd like to believe, isn't it? Everyone in Crestwood knows the truth about your family! I suppose it makes sense—your brother dumped me, so I must be desperate enough to settle for someone like him."

She glanced meaningfully at William as she spoke—even if he wasn't from the lower classes, he still had a child! Amanda had completely written him off. She would never degrade herself by becoming some man's sugar mommy!

William's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Someone like me?!"

His deep voice sent chills through both women, making their hearts skip a beat.

Amanda bit her lip, suddenly afraid to speak her mind. Sophia looked equally intimidated.

"Whatever I am isn't for you to judge!" William continued darkly. "You want to know about my relationship with Elise? Fine! I'm pursuing her, and if anyone interferes, they'll regret it. This isn't a statement—it's a warning!"

He gave the waiter a meaningful look, who immediately approached Amanda and Sophia. "This way, please."

The two women stood frozen, stunned by William's outburst. It took them a moment to recover.

When they did, Amanda demanded, "Why aren't they being asked to leave? Why only us?"

"Because only the two of you need to leave."

Furious, Amanda shouted, "I'm engaged to William Levine, CEO of Levine Holdings! How dare you throw me out?!"

The waiter paused for a second, then looked at her as if she were delusional.

"Get out now!" Amanda insisted.

The waiter replied coolly, "If you refuse to leave, I'll have to call security."

"You little—!" Amanda's face flushed with anger.

"Let it go, Amanda," Sophia pulled her arm. "We should leave." Though trying to avoid a scene, she couldn't resist one last jab. "We won't be returning to this establishment."

"I'm afraid that won't be possible. Both of you have been permanently blacklisted."

Amanda bristled with rage.

Seeing Amanda about to lose control, Sophia quickly intervened. "There might be paparazzi nearby. Let's just endure this for now—we'll get our revenge later."

Worried about potential negative publicity damaging her reputation, Amanda reluctantly allowed Sophia to lead her away, though she seethed with fury.

Peace returned to the restaurant after their departure, and the atmosphere at the table normalized.

Noticing James struggling with his knife, Elise carefully cut his steak into small pieces and exchanged plates with him.

"Thank you, Mommy." James happily stood up and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

William looked up to see the affectionate smile on Elise's face.

She lowered her gaze to cut her own steak, but a large hand suddenly took her plate away.

Elise looked up in surprise to see William swapping his perfectly cut steak with hers.

Pursing her lips, she said softly, "Thank you."

"You could show your gratitude more tangibly," William suggested, his eyes lowered as he elegantly cut his steak.

Elise felt a moment of confusion. How could Samuel and Sophia be so mistaken about William? Did they really think he was just an ordinary firefighter?

"Like James did," William added meaningfully.

Elise understood his implication. "I know. I cut James's steak, and you cut mine. But that's just basic courtesy."

William smiled faintly. "If you say so."

After the main course, James eagerly moved on to dessert. "You have to try this parfait, Mommy! It's amazing!"

Unable to refuse his enthusiasm, Elise leaned forward to take a bite.

"Isn't it sweet?"

"Very."

"Really?" William suddenly asked. He had been checking his phone, seemingly occupied with something, but now he looked up. "Let me try some too."

James looked surprised—his father never usually ate sweets—but obediently scooped up a spoonful and fed it to him.

Elise almost suggested using a different spoon but decided against it.

That would mean she and William were indirectly sharing a kiss.

Pretending not to notice, she watched as James asked William, "Isn't it sweet, Daddy?"

"It is." William pursed his lips, his gaze suddenly meeting Elise's as he added, "Very sweet indeed."

For some reason, Elise felt her cheeks grow warm, sensing that William meant something entirely different.