The following day, Leander decided to explore more parts of the hotel. After a leisurely breakfast, he made his way to the spa facility, curious to experience its offerings.After leaving his room, he headed to the spa area, a calm retreat with soft lighting and a cool ambiance. Leander, looking composed, approached the reception desk, where a friendly staff member welcomed him.Before the receptionist could say anything, Leander said quickly, “I’d like to try out the spas and perhaps get a haircut.”The receptionist smiled and guided him to the spa menu. “Alright, that’s good. I’m glad you’re eager to explore other facilities in our hotel. We have a range of treatments available. For the haircut, we can arrange that in our in-house salon.”Leander nodded in acknowledgment. “Uh, I’m fine with that. So, what is the next step?”“Would you like to book a specific time for each service?” she asked.He agreed, opting for a relaxing massage first, followed by a haircut. He was shown to the
Leander’s heart skipped a beat. Mr. Parker’s call was unexpected, and a sense of urgency and unease swept over him. He quickly answered, “Mr. Parker, what’s going on?”“Nothing much, Master Goldstein. How is everything going?” Mr. Parker replied. The softness in his voice sent a chill down Leander’s spine, making him wonder what could have prompted Mr. Parker to contact him after their past dispute. It seemed impossible.Leander let out a soft sigh, his left shoulder dropping as he held the phone tightly to his ear with his right hand. He exhaled, his words coming out in a rush. “Uh, I’m fine. You know it’s been a long time, right? I never expected your call. Do you have any news?”Mr. Parker’s breath echoed through the phone before he spoke again, this time slower, as if carefully choosing his words. “Of course. It’s nice to hear that you’re doing fine, Leander. I didn’t mean to call you out of nowhere like this, but...”Leander could sense the hesitation in his voice. Something wasn
The silence on the other end of the line was evident, as if Mr. Parker was struggling to understand what had just been said. “A... a cleaner for ten years?” he finally stammered, disbelief thick in his voice.Leander nodded, even though Parker couldn’t see it. “That’s right. You’ll clean offices and every property I own. You’ll scrub floors, wash windows, and take out the trash. You’ll report directly to my assistant, and you will live in one of the staff quarters and none of those fancy homes you're used to.”He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing, his voice steady. “For ten years, Mr. Parker. No fancy suits, no business deals, no respect. Just menial work. And maybe, just maybe, I’ll give you the three million you’re asking for. But here’s the catch: I won’t give it to you upfront. You will earn it, dollar by dollar, working for me.”Mr. Parker’s breath was shaky now, his voice wavering. “Master Goldstein... surely, this is too much. I-I can’t...”“Too
Leander’s stomach tightened, and his mind raced. So that’s why Parker called, he thought. Parker’s desperation and plea for money made the whole picture start to make sense. The man was trying to stay afloat, probably banking on another high-risk investment to recover.Leander remained silent for a moment, careful not to let Eleanor see his reaction. He hadn’t told her about Parker’s call, and now it made perfect sense why the man had been so eager to accept the humiliating job offer.“Parker, huh?” Leander said, his voice calm but thoughtful. “Well, I suppose even the mighty fall eventually.”Eleanor smiled faintly, picking up her glass. “Yes, they do. But some of them never learn because of their greed.”As Eleanor continued, Leander took another sip of his scotch. “You see, Mr. Parker’s situation is dire. He was relying on the funds from your black card, the one that went missing a while back. He thought he could cover the shortfall with bank loans, but when those failed, he ended
Leander’s stomach tightened, and his mind raced. So that’s why Parker called, he thought. Parker’s desperation and plea for money made the whole picture start to make sense. The man was trying to stay afloat, probably banking on another high-risk investment to recover. Leander remained silent for a moment, careful not to let Eleanor see his reaction. He hadn’t told her about Parker’s call, and now it made perfect sense why the man had been so eager to accept the humiliating job offer. “Parker, huh?” Leander said, his voice calm but thoughtful. “Well, I suppose even the mighty fall eventually.” Eleanor smiled faintly, picking up her glass. “Yes, they do. But some of them never learn because of their greed.” As Eleanor continued, Leander took another sip of his scotch. “You see, Mr. Parker’s situation is dire. He was relying on the funds from your black card, the one that went missing a while back. He thought he could cover the shortfall with bank loans, but when those failed, he en
Leander soon walked into the electronics store with a sense of purpose. He had been needing a new laptop for a while, something sleek and powerful to handle both his work and personal needs. The store was fairly busy, with a handful of customers browsing through various gadgets. Leander's eyes scanned the rows of devices as he approached the laptop section.A young cashier stood behind the counter, chatting idly with a colleague. Her name tag read “Jess.” Leander picked out a high-end model, a sleek, black laptop with all the latest features. He made his way over to the counter, setting the box down in front of her."Good afternoon," he said calmly. "I’d like to purchase this laptop."Jess glanced at him, not bothering to hide her disinterest. "Sure. You can pay over here."She punched a few buttons on the register and looked up at him expectantly. Leander reached into his wallet, pulling out his black card, and handed it to her. Jess barely glanced at the card before she slid it into
Leander soon walked into the electronics store with a sense of purpose. He had been needing a new laptop for a while, something sleek and powerful to handle both his work and personal needs. The store was fairly busy, with a handful of customers browsing through various gadgets. Leander's eyes scanned the rows of devices as he approached the laptop section. A young cashier stood behind the counter, chatting idly with a colleague. Her name tag read “Jess.” Leander picked out a high-end model, a sleek, black laptop with all the latest features. He made his way over to the counter, setting the box down in front of her. "Good afternoon," he said calmly. "I’d like to purchase this laptop." Jess glanced at him, not bothering to hide her disinterest. "Sure. You can pay over here." She punched a few buttons on the register and looked up at him expectantly. Leander reached into his wallet, pulling out his black card, and handed it to her. Jess barely glanced at the card before she slid it
Leander strolled through the local market in Greece, enjoying the sunny day. The market was bustling with activity. Vendors shouted out their offers while people wandered from stall to stall. Leander was here to pick up some fresh fruit and snacks.He approached a stall overflowing with fruits. Apples, oranges, peaches, and plums were neatly arranged. The vendor, an older man with a weathered face, smiled as Leander approached.“Good morning! Fresh fruits today,” the vendor said in a warm tone.“Good morning,” Leander replied, looking at the display. “Everything looks great. How much for the peaches?”“The peaches are two euros per kilo,” the vendor answered, pointing to a box of ripe, juicy peaches. “They’re just picked this morning.”Leander picked up a peach, feeling its softness. “They look really good. I’ll take a kilo.”The vendor nodded and began to weigh the peaches. “Anything else you need today?”Leander glanced around and spotted a pile of bright oranges. “Yes, I’d like som