The salon was supposed to open in ten minutes. Instead, a small crowd had already gathered outside, drawn by nothing more than a vague flyer that promised "something new from Eversage."
Inside, Daisy and Natalie stood behind the counter, sorting stacks of sleek sample boxes into neat rows. Hendricks was pacing, barking orders into his phone about deliveries and security. Maya sat perched on one of the styling chairs, scrolling through her tablet, already monitoring the chatter online.
Jason walked in like he had all the time in the world.
"Cutting it close," Daisy muttered, but her eyes stayed locked on the rows of samples. "You're lucky this stuff is as good as you say. Otherwise we're about to be eaten alive out there."
Jason glanced at the samples. Each was a carefully packaged mini-kit — cleanser, toner, serum, moisturizer — small enough to give away, powerful enough to hook anyone who touched it.
"What we're giving them today is Version 2.0," Jason said casually, picking one up and turning it in his hand.
Natalie looked up, startled. "Wait — you mean there's a 3.0?"
Hendricks froze mid-call. "You held back another version?"
Jason just shrugged, setting the box down again. "I don't like spoiling surprises. Let's see how they handle this first."
The door unlocked, and the first wave of customers spilled inside.
It was chaos almost instantly.
Natalie greeted them with her usual charm, handing out the sleek packages and explaining how to use them. Daisy managed the counter with razor-sharp precision, ensuring every customer got their gift and nothing went missing. Hendricks coordinated staff to keep order, though even he couldn't stop the flood of murmurs as the first people tried the products on the spot.
A woman rubbed a dab of moisturizer onto the back of her hand. Within seconds her skin smoothed, the roughness fading, leaving a luminous sheen.
"Oh my god—look at this!" she gasped, shoving her hand at her friend. "Feel it! It's like silk!"
Her friend tried it too, and soon the entire corner of the salon was buzzing with disbelief.
"This can't be real."
"Instant results? That's impossible."
"Where do I buy this?"
Jason stood near the back, hands in his pockets, watching the storm spread.
Natalie darted over between customers, eyes wide. "They love it. Like, love it. Jason, they're already asking where to buy the full sizes. What do I tell them?"
"Tell them it's coming," Jason said calmly. "Soon."
Outside, more people pressed against the windows as word spread. Maya lifted her tablet, showing Jason the feed. "It's already trending. People are posting before-and-after shots in real time. Influencers are picking it up without us even paying them."
Jason glanced at the screen. Photos of glowing hands and captions like 'Witchcraft in a jar??' and 'Eversage just broke the skincare market' were already racking up thousands of likes.
By noon, the line outside stretched down the block. Security had to be called in to keep things orderly.
Hendricks approached Jason, sweat beading his forehead. "We're running out. At this rate, the samples won't last the afternoon."
Jason didn't flinch. "Good. Let them run out. Scarcity will do more for us than abundance ever could."
Daisy overheard, narrowing her eyes. "You're insane. People are going to riot if we don't have enough."
Jason smirked faintly. "Then let them riot. Nothing fuels desire like denial."
Word of mouth spread faster than they could track. Customers left the salon clutching their small boxes like treasure, showing them off to anyone who would listen. By the time evening rolled in, other salons were already fielding calls asking if they carried the new Eversage line.
Natalie collapsed into a chair, exhausted but glowing. "Jason… this is going to blow the market apart."
Hendricks leaned on the counter, groaning. "I don't even want to think about tomorrow. We'll have people camping outside."
Jason poured himself a glass of water, his expression unreadable. "Let them. We'll make sure they get a taste, but not too much. Just enough to keep them desperate."
Daisy finally looked up from her tablet, voice quiet but sharp. "And when they find out you've been holding back Version 3.0?"
Jason took a sip, his eyes glinting. "Then the fun really begins."
He left it at that.
As the salon wound down for the night, Maya slid into the chair across from him, tilting her head. "You knew this would happen. The frenzy, the buzz, the chaos. You wanted it."
Jason didn't deny it. "Control the desire, you control the market. And right now, we own both."
Outside, the crowd had finally dispersed, but the street was littered with discarded flyers and glowing screens still flashing with posts. Jason stood by the window, watching.
The launch wasn't just successful. It was a phenomenon.
And he knew exactly what came next.
Where there was frenzy, there would be envy.
Where there was desire, there would be theft.
It was only a matter of time before someone tried to take what was his.
Jason smiled faintly to himself, the reflection of neon lights dancing across the glass.
Let them try.