Chapter 157
The Consortium’s Heir by Benjamin_Jnr
Chapter 157 The manager cautiously shot a sideways smirk at Darius before lowering her head. âMy apologies, but I canât recognize the brand of his clothes as it doesnât seem well known. However, his clothes do look expensive.â
Darius could tell the formerâs tone was full of mockery. That was when a confident voice said on the other end of the call, âIf an article of clothing has no brand, it must be a custom piece. I doubt someone that capable would show up at our casino. Likewise, thereâs no way this poor little boy would ever be acquainted with someone so wealthy.â
The situation seemed like a joke to Darius, who kept silent the entire time and kept his hands in his pockets. Even so, his frosty eyes sent chills down everyoneâs spines. Darius eventually reached out to knock on the table twice before retorting, âArenât I supposed to grant your business more wealth through my patronage? Why did no one welcome me? Instead, you left me out here alone. Is this how your fancy casino treats its customers?â
Upon hearing his words, the person on the call flew into a rage and thundered, âListen here, you little punk! Our casino would never allow you, someone impersonating a member of the Reid family, through our doors! As for your friend, you can only save him after putting the five million dollars on this table.â
Dariusâ hands returned to his pockets as his eyes narrowed. âWhat are you talking about?â
He did not believe the words of the person on the phone. After all, he knew Rudd had excellent control over things, so it did not make sense that the latter would have such a massive funding gap.
Dariusâ rage was growing at that point. Even so, he could not do anything since he had yet to see Rudd in person. Thus, he flashed them a blank look while asking, âHow did he end up owing you this amount?â
Roaring laughter came from the phone right then. Even the manager was chuckling.
Meanwhile, Darius was the only one whose expression did not change.
Moments passed before the manager placed the handset back onto the telephone, ending the call.
Only then did Darius raise his head to meet the managerâs gaze.
The latter smirked. âYouâre already at our casino. Why else do you think your friend owes us money?â
As Darius had expected, the other partyâs reason was the first thing he ruled out. He was unfazed since he knew such an excuse was a lie-Rudd would never garnble. With that in mind, his eyes narrowed to slits as he slammed the table. âIf what you said is true, you should accept my patronage, not refuse it!â
The manager acted against what she truly felt, chuckling at Darius. âIndeed. Unfortunately, we donât believe you. We think youâre lying and pretending to be rich. While speaking, her eyes pierced Darius like blades, revealing her disdain toward him.
âSo that means you guys are after a life today, not money, huh?â Darius asked plainly before raising three fingers. âIâll give you till the count of three to reconsider.â
His declaration rang out. It was so loud that everyone within nine feet of the casino entrance heard his words, causing the scene to plummet into silence.
Never had the manager witnessed this before. The utter stillness around them meant she needed to handle the matter well.
Otherwise, there was no way she could bear the consequences. Thus, she looked over at Darius, her gaze hardening with determination. âWe run a casino. All we want is money.â â
Seconds of silence passed, and she added firmly, âThe portion that is owed to us, of course.â Darius nodded, âTimeâs up. Thatâs the final count, and Iâve already been very patient with you.â
That was when the managerâs gaze settled onto Dariusâ wrist, and her eyes instantly lit up. She knew the watch on his wrist was a limited-edition piece. It was worth 50 million dollars, and only ten existed worldwide. Those facts alone indicated Dariusâ wealth and status.
Panic overtook the managerâs senses at that instant. She began to fear the consequences of her actions earlier. After all, a man like Darius was not someone she could afford to cross.
Sadly, her behavior had utterly pissed off the young and handsome magnate before her.
Her phone then rang.
When the manager heard who was on the other end of the line, her every muscle trembled with fear. Saliva pooled in her mouth, causing her to purse her lips and frequently gulp. hoping to drain all the fluids. All she could do was stay on the phone call.
The voice from the other end communicated clearly as before. âIâve seen the manâs watch. Check his bank card now. If he has enough funds to gamble here, let him in and get someone to keep him company all night. Should he refuse to let you check it, or if he doesnât have enough funds, kick him out at once.â
With that, the caller abruptly hung up.
Darius had overheard the entire exchange and spoke up before the manager could. âI heard your superiorâs request, but I still have a question.â
The manager began questioning the truth behind Dariusâ words after seeing how cooperative he was. Still, she could not do anything about her doubts, so she maintained her usual smile.
Contrarily, there was something more menacing in Dariusâ expression. âIâm curious. What will happen after you verify my identity? Whatâs the price youâll pay if I turn out to be who I say I am?â
By that point, the manager was dumbfounded. No one had ever spoken this rudely toward her, much less threatened her.
Regardless of how she felt, she knew there was only one option, as all eyes were on her.
The manager looked up at Darius, certainty filling her gaze. âIâll remove your friendâs debt entirely on behalf of the casino. Also, Iâll give you five million dollarsâ worth of betting chips as a gift to use in the casino.â
âI want five million in cash.â Not a trace of hesitation came from Darius, whose hands were still in his pockets. âYour demands are going a little too far,â said the manager, her face contorting with rage. âI donât think Iâm going out of line compared to my friend, who managed to rack up a debt worth five million dollars at a casino, despite never gambling in his life and having great discipline.â The manager noticed how much Darius was praising Rudd. Given the onlooking crowd that seemed to believe Darius, the manager had no choice but to nod. âI accept your demands.â
Moments of silence passed. The manager became insecure, thinking her response did not have the frightening effect she wanted. Hence, she added, âOur casino has operated for a hundred years! Weâve never been wrong at evaluating othersâ
wealth!â
Subsequently, she reached out to Darius. The fear she felt earlier vanished as she stated loudly, âPlease hand me your bank card at once. Iâm a very busy person.â
The onlookers around them then snapped to their senses and realized where they were. A few of them even began discussing the matter at hand.
âDoes this guy even have a bank card to hand over?â
âI think I saw him taking out a black toy card -â
Dariusâ piercing gaze suddenly snapped over to the last person that spoke. That made the person choke on his words. It was as though an invisible rope had tightened around his neck.