The Gilded Man With A Thousand Lives

012 Take Me To Ricardo

Yara turned around with a look of disappointment. The stranger had turned out to be a fraud and pretender after all. Why did she have such unreal expectations?

Marv and Pat sniggered and cracked their knuckles. They'd give the homeless man a beating before throwing him out.

"Why don't you try again," Tyler said, ignoring the advancing men. "Sometimes transactions don't go through."

Yara pursed her lips. He wasn't wrong. It was actually her training to swipe up to three times if the customer insisted. She sighed and began the transaction again, entering $3000 as a charge.

Beep! The transaction was successful!

Yara turned around in surprise. Marv and Pat's faces looked like they were made of leather. Did the homeless man really have three thousand dollars? Was he going to dine in the restricted lounge?

"Your table is booked for the night," Yara told Tyler with a charming smile. She was still reeling from the fact that the stranger possessed an active GIB card. How much money did he really have? Was he a billionaire in disguise?

"Don't judge a book by its cover, guys," she told the bouncers, who stepped aside with their jaws hanging in shock.

"I will be your hostess for tonight and wait on your table," Yara said with a twinkle in her eye.

"Take me to Ricardo first," Tyler said coldly, brushing past the tongue-tied bouncers.

Yara led Tyler past the disco and into the restricted section of the club. It had premium tables with spacious partitions, and every cubicle was large enough to host a dozen guests.

Yara scrutinized the young, bearded man following him. He wore simple clothes but had an air of confidence about him. There was no doubt Tyler possessed at least a few thousand dollars. But she wondered why he would squander the entire amount over booking a table at the club. Was meeting Ricardo so crucial that he was willing to part with his life savings?

Ricardo was a balding, obese man in his mid-forties. Even though he decked himself with branded clothes, gold chains, rings, and other jewelry, one could easily tell he lacked sophistication. His smile was lecherous, and his language pedestrian.

The man went to great lengths to make extra money for his spendthrift lifestyle. It included criminal acts like fraud and extortion. Ricardo dealt illicit drugs within the club's restricted section. He would often get young scions of billionaires addicted to drugs and then profit off their compulsions.

Yara feared what would happen if Tyler confronted Ricardo. The latter had stolen his father's business and almost brought it to ruin. If the young man demanded compensation, Ricardo would undoubtedly have him killed by his goons.

"Are you sure you want to meet Mr. Ricardo?" Yara asked Tyler, slowing down to come abreast of him. "He's a dangerous man. Instead, let me find you a corner table for dining. I will myself serve you food and drinks at no charge. I promise you will have a pleasant time."

Tyler regarded Yara in a different light. She was not only beautiful but also kind and considerate. The beauty offered him free services to prevent him from facing Ricardo. "I'm sure you are an excellent hostess," he replied. "But I must fulfill my purpose here first."

Yara pursed her lips anxiously. "I hope you know a dozen paid goons always surround Ricardo. They are savage men for whom brutal violence is normal. I would request you to please reconsider your purpose."

Tyler nodded without emotion. "I appreciate the concern, but I can take care of myself. However, I would ask you to maintain distance when I approach Ricardo. If things go south, I don't want you caught in the crossfire."

Yara felt a pang of anxiety but didn't halt. Her parents had taught her to be brave in the face of trouble. She had already committed to being Tyler's hostess for the night and wouldn't back out now.

Soon, they reached a corner cubicle with a lavish table spread of expensive liquor and finger foods. Cigar smoke almost formed a smoke cloud above.

A balding, rotund man sat behind the table. He wore bright orange clothes with a thick gold chain around his neck. Around him sat a host of young women who looked intoxicated at different levels. Behind his table, six burly men stood in attention.

"Ah! Yara! Just the gal I was looking for!" Ricardo barked, fondling the young woman sitting beside him. "Come forth and let me see that perfect body of yours. These floozies are nothing compared to you. Have you reconsidered the offer to be my mistress? I can definitely get you a job at the Cooper company."

Yara bit her lip and winced at her boss' words. He had intentionally spoken the Cooper surname aloud to impress other guests in the area. The Coopers were the second wealthiest family in Sapphire City and had several gangsters under their thumb. They were both feared and respected.

"I have repeatedly told you I am not interested in such shameful work, sir."

Ricardo guffawed loudly and licked his lips. "You'll come around, eventually. They all do."

The beauty ignored his lecherous behavior and gestured towards Tyler. "This gentleman wanted to meet you."

"Eh? Who is it?"

Tyler stepped forward, observing Ricardo silently. He was the man who usurped his father's business and drove him to work in the sewers.