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    While Brian was sharing the amusingments with Jessica, the brands mentioned in thements were

    buzzing with excitement.

    The president of one such brand immediately issued orders, “Tell production to ramp up output. I want

    restocks by tomorrow.

    “And have marketing reach out to Mr. Atkinson with our best wishes to capitalize on the hype. Oh, by the

    way, send them our new releases for free testing going forward.”

    “Got it,” the secretary reported. Then, she handed him a file. “Sir, marketing also asked if we could sign Mr. Atkinson and Ms. Grant as brand ambassadors. Here’s the proposal.”

    The president skimmed the report and set it aside. “That’s not happening. Remember that livestream fiasco with that CEO? If we push for a deal now, we’ll just annoy them, or worse, ruin our brand’s image in their eyes.”

    Brian and Jessica had been trending almost dailytely. Their undeniable influence had every brand itching

    to sign them, yet none dared make the first move.

    Why? Because they weren’t celebrities to be bought. They were the capital. The endorsement fee wouldn’t

    even register as pocket change for them.

    The president stared at the trending topic, fists clenched with restraint. “Hold all actions for now. Notify

    every gship store. If Ms. Grant visits, pull out all the stops to keep her there. Whatever she buys, gift her

    the bestplimentary items possible.”

    The president’s strategy was simple–build a connection with Jessica instead. After analyzing the data, he had noticed Brian’s devotion to her. Rather than risk Brian’s wrath with a clumsy pitch, he’d bet everything

    on Jessica’s satisfaction.

    “If Ms. Grant asionally uses our products, this quarter’s sales are secured,” the president said.

    His secretary nodded and ryed the orders. Such a scene was mirrored in boardrooms acrosspeting

    brands.

    During the short holiday break, Jessica and Brian took Jacob on a trip. Along the way, Jessica’s bag got dirty. Brian took her to a reputable boutique nearby to pick up a couple of new ones.

    What they didn’t expect was how overly enthusiastic the sales staff would be toward Jessica.

    “You have such exquisite taste, ma’am. This is thetest limited–edition piece. Only a thousand worldwide. Just for you, 20% off.” The salesgirl practically glowed, offering Jessica juice, asking if she was tired, even

    12:53 Mon, 1 Sept bA /b

    suggesting a massage.

    Jessica just wanted to buy bags. “No thanks.” She declined tly.

    “Decided?” Brian walked over.

    “These two.” Jessica pointed.

    “Wrap them up.” Brian nodded, heading to the checkout.

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    15

    Jessica waited on the sofa. When the packages arrived, they came with a mountain of freebies dwarfing her

    actual purchase.

    “You sure this isn’t a mistake?” Jessica frowned at the absurd haul.

    “Ms. Grant, you’re a valued client. These are just loyalty gifts,” the salesgirl beamed. “If there’s anything else you like, please do visit again.”

    Jessica forced a polite smile and epted them.

    The pattern repeated at every boutique afterward. The most extreme case was when they simply walked

    into a store to browse, only to be handed a gift package by the manager as they left, along with a humble request for feedback about the brand.

    Jessica eventually couldn’t take it anymore. Mumbling vague praise, she dragged Brian out.

    Back in the car, Jessica turned to Brian with a frown. “What the hell was that?” She wasn’t overreacting. Those salespeople had looked at her less like a customer and more like a lucky charm.

    Brian chuckled at her bewildered expression.

    “Why are youughing?” Jessica shot him a re.

    “Dad, don’tugh at Mom.” Jacob immediately defended her.

    “Alright, alright.” Brian handed her his phone. “Look.”

    Jessica eyed him suspiciously. “At what?”

    “Brands sending us blessings,” Brian said, unable to hide his amusement.

    “Blessings?” Confused, Jessica scrolled through thements, then groaned. “So we’re unpaid influencers now?” She hadn’t realizedizens tracked their every purchase.

    She clicked on links and visited the online stores of various brands, only to find that every single item they had ever used was sold out.

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    “Yeah,” Brian said with a chuckle. “We’re the inte’s top trendsetters.”

    Jessica punched his shoulder. “Shut up. I’m not doing this with you.”

    She thought, ‘It’s all his fault. I never wanted to be a trendsetter.’

    6 x 356%

    “My bad.” Brian raised his hands in surrender, grinning as he leaned closer. “Still mad? Hit me again?”

    Jessica shoved his face away. “Have some dignity.”

    Brian pouted but quickly leaned back over to her side, watching the phone with her. “Still mad? Want me to

    take down the hashtags?”

    Jessica rolled her eyes. “Toote now. Whatever. I didn’t lose anything anyway.”

    She thought, ‘Plus, I even got a bunch of freebies. Well, not exactly free. It’s fair trade. After all, I helped promote their brands.‘

    With that, she decided not to overthink it anymore. “Whatever. I’m hungry.”

    “Let’s go,” Brian said with a grin, immediately pulling the car toward a local specialty restaurant he had

    researched beforehand.