The Invincible Arthur Gardner

Chapter 10 - Luxury on Wheels

The car store was a Bugatti car exhibit, where the city's wealthiest individuals congregated to indulge their passions with their money. Edna had learned that the car store was offering a limited edition model, the Bugatti EF100 — with only 10 units created globally.

Edna slowly nodded as she followed Arthur to the entrance. She pondered the extravagant pastimes of a wealthy man. He had seemingly purchased a business worth billions of dollars with ease, and now, he wanted to buy yet another car, no matter how many cars he already owned.

The large glass doors of the stately building opened, and Arthur and Edna immediately stepped inside.

A man in a black suit, who looked to be in his forties, greeted them. "Is there anything I can help you with, sir?" he asked.

James, the venue's sales manager, tried to recognize the figure of the man before him, taking in his appearance from head to toe. He felt suspicious towards the man as he had worked there long enough to know many famous people in town who could easily afford to buy whatever they desired.

The price of the cars sold at that place was not insignificant, so only a select few were regular customers. These were not just anyone who wanted to see or touch expensive things - they were the famous people in town.

"I want to buy the most luxurious car available here," Arthur declared, eager to conclude his shopping trip so he could return home and enjoy his newly acquired possessions.

"Sir!" came the sudden and loud response from the person in front of him. 

James noticed a girl following the man with exquisite and flawless beauty. Seeing her in person made his heart skip a beat. 'What a joke,' he thought to himself. He was certain that the man was only trying to impress the girl without actually having the means to buy anything from the store.

"Do you know that the least expensive car here is priced at five million dollars?" 

"Yes, that's why I'm after the most expensive one. I'm prepared to put in a bid against any other potential buyers."

"Don't joke around here!" James eyed the man with disdain.

"You're just wasting my time. Do you really think you can attract the attention of the girl you're with by pretending to bid on something you can't even afford? The car you're talking about costs 50 million dollars; did you hear that correctly? I'm sure you broke into a cold sweat just hearing that price."

"Sir," Edna approached the man. "I'm confident you'll regret that statement. I'd like to introduce you to Mr. Arthur Gardner, the new proprietor of both the Golden Park Restaurant and the Golden Chamber Hotel. I'm sure you'll see the error of your ways and sincerely apologize to him soon."

James was aware that Mr. Charless owned the two places the girl had just mentioned, which only further confirmed his suspicions that the man in front of him was a fraud trying to impress women with false promises of wealth.

"Miss, you are a stunning and wonderful woman. I must caution you not to be taken in by someone like him," James declared, pointing an accusing finger at Arthur's face. 

"Can't you see how desperate he appears? He is only trying to get your attention through deceitful means. Allow me to chase him away and I will give you a respectable job here in his stead, instead of succumbing to his sleazy advances."

Arthur glanced at Edna with a kind expression, inquiring, "What color do you prefer, Edna?" 

"Kuh?!" Edna gasped in shock, unsure of what was expected of her, before finally responding hesitantly, "White, sir."

"Understood." Arthur nodded, then firmly grasped her wrist and proceeded past James.

Edna felt the strength and steadiness of Arthur's grip, and she followed his steps with a pounding heart. She felt her body suddenly weaken, inexplicably soothed by the man's gentle touch. At that moment, Edna found herself unable to utter another word, and, as if her senses had been lost, she fell into a trance-like state.

"Tell me," Arthur said, pointing to a white sports car, "Do you like this one? If you can drive, I'd be happy to buy this car for you as a part of your job as my personal assistant. What do you say?" 

Edna was taken aback and was lost for words. She slowly nodded in agreement, unable to deny the firmness of Arthur's offer.

James strode over to Arthur and stood next to the white sports car. "Are you out of your mind?" he exclaimed. "This is a Bugatti Atlantic 57 - it costs twenty million dollars! Only a select few own this car for the sheer pleasure of it. And you're the first person I've met who's taken it this far. You'd better get out of here and leave that girl alone. I saw you touch her hand - that's a form of abuse!" he warned.

Arthur let go of her hand and turned to Edna, "Are you sure you want to use this car?"

She shook her head slowly. "Mr. Gardner, I can barely believe it. I've only just started working for you, and I feel I haven't demonstrated my worth yet. This price is too extravagant. I've never even had the chance to dream of owning something like this."

"I just need a yes or no answer," Arthur said. "Don't worry about anything else."

Edna smiled sweetly and warmly at Arthur. "If that's what you want, I don't mind accepting your gift, Mr. Gardner," she replied. "I can hardly believe it, but I'm sure you're being genuine. So I have no reason to say no."

"What a load of bullshit!" James exclaimed, pointing angrily at Arthur. "You're going too far. You're acting like an idiot! If you don't heed my warning, I'll call the security guard and get you thrown out of here right now!"

Arthur, however, remained unfazed. "Show me how to pay for it," he said calmly.

James was taken aback, then one of the other employees brought the cash machine, and Arthur quickly paid for the sports car.

"I believe the transaction was successful," he said, his eyes widening with excitement. "Now, show me the most exclusive car you have here!"