"We'll love to see you around again sir. Whatever and however little your concern is, you are totally and absolutely welcomed."

The manager said to Alves. He had just walked Alves out of the office and was bidding him a goodbye.

"Is there any other thing you would love for us to do? I mean, we could have a car take you home if you don't mind. And even if you so wish, you could take my own car home."

Alves wasn't sure how to respond to the generosity of the manager. Though the manager really appeared kind to him, but he knew too well that it was an offshoot of professionalism. The manager was just working for the money. If Alves had not received such amount of money, he wouldn't have been pampered.

"No, I got it covered. You don't have to worry."

He said and the manager nodded. He turned away from the manager. If he kept looking, the man might keep on the idle talk which Alves was already getting tired of.

As soon as he noticed that the manager had left, he walked away from the vicinity of the bank. He needed a place that was peaceful and quite. He needed solitude.

The discussion he had with the manager after reading the letter did him no good. It didn't help the situation. The fact remained that the huge and ridiculous amount of money still remained in his bank. And he had no idea where it came from!!!

"Come hail and storm, it wouldn't be moved to anywhere. So, you can start taking out of your rightful wealth."

He recalled the words of the manager. He heaved a sigh. He had heard a lot of stories about how lucky men became rich from getting strange money dropped in their accounts. But in all the stories, he had never read that the men were given the right to spend all the money. They usually got rich from percentages they got grom whoever made the mistake.

Though everything around him pointed at the same direction, yet Alves wasn't convinced.

"This feels like a ticking bomb. It could explode any time. I don't want to be a vessel of trouble."

He said to himself. But suddenly, the content of the letter zoomed past his mental ken. He remembered the letter word for word. He had such a photographic memory. RUMOR had it that, his vibrant memory was one of the reasons that Grandpa took him in.

Alves was a stranger in the family. Decades ago, he was brought back from business by Grandpa and was declared as a member of the family. No one knew neither his real family or where he came from.

Ever since then has he been treated like a trash by the madam of the house. But the madam knew too well to hide her odd ways from the eyes of the Grandpa.

When madam gave birth to the only girl in the family, Laura, Grandpa was so overjoyed because he had seen a potential wife for Alves. And truth be told, Alves had grown to like the girl and vice versa.

Only recently did Laura begin to act so coldly towards him. Ever since she returned from college. Alves didn't want to put her sudden change to heart. He allowed himself to believe that her mind was poisoned by the madam, her mother.

Point in time, amidst all those thoughts, something interesting popped up in his mind.

"I know what to do. I'll see. Before going to Charles, I should do one or two things. For her. Perhaps she would change her mind."

He promised himself. Alves was a practical man. He knew too well that people would love to be associated to important figures. But he loathed the idea of 'looking down on others' while trying to push your way to relevance.

"It will harm no one if I take out a few thousands from the account."

He brought out his phone which was in a very bad shape. He punched on an icon and a recording started to play. It was the voice note of the manager assuring him to spend the money to the fullest.

"If any thing ever goes wrong with this money, it will be on the manager. It's a great thing that I have a proof. He can't pretend not to have said these words."

He took a pause.

"If the worst case scenario comes to life, I'll be compensated for keeping such huge amount of money. Wait a minute, what did he call the range...?"

He skipped through the recording until he got to that part.

"Yes! A quintillion. Woah! A quintillion dollars! Is there any figure as such!"

He looked interestingly at a lady passing by.

"If by any chance this money is mine... I'll be the stupendously richest man that has and will ever walk the surface of the earth. Like bruh..."

He quit fantasising and stopped a cab. He got in.

"Vailen Squares."

The cab drove off and got to his destination. He stepped out. He pushed his head up in the direction of the jewellery store. It was one of the top ten jewellery stores in Grimming Hills.

He looked at the card in his hand. The Diamond card which the manager gave to him for shopping.

"What if it doesn't work?"

He thought for a while.

"The worst thing that would happen is getting thrown out."

it was nothing new to him. If there was any sort of humiliation in this world, madam was the first person to try it on him. If there was a channel that updates humiliation, madam would be the top sunscriber.

He walked into the store and straight to one of the attending ladies. When the lady saw how elegantly he was dressed, she called in a sweet voice,

"Welcome to Vailen store. What would you like to get for your beautiful wife?"

Alves shot her an interesting look.

"How did you know that she's beautiful?"

"You are such a handsome and hot man. It's only natural to attract gorgeous ladies."

Alves found it funny but he knew he was running out time.

"Give me the costliest jewellery. I mean the Diana Jadeite. The one displayed on the Grimming Entertainment Hall all night."

"I'm sorry sir. Please do not take this as a disrespect, but this is reserved for the wife of Astrock Villa. It would ---"

"How much is she paying?"

She was stunned by his sudden question. Though he was well dressed, to think that he could afford such a jewel was a contendable fact. Not even the wives of the most reputable CEO's could afford it.

"Fifteen million dollars sir."

At the price, Alves' heart thumped violently. The highest amount of money he had been able to count was fifty thousand dollars. But fifteen million for a necklace?

"I'll pay double."

He boasted. The lady's eyes widened. He could swear that he didn't want to say those words. His ego must be robust.

"What!... sir... you'll do what? Pay doub---"

"Here."

He handed the card to her.

GOD PLEASE LET IT WORK.

He was praying so desperately in his mind.

"Successful, sir. We'll pack it now."

IT WORKED! OH SHIT, IT DID!

He was so elated, but then remembered that he might be making a big mistake. He pushed aside the negative thoughts.

"Thank you sir for patronising us. Here is an exclusive card to our all-night pool party tonight. You didn't only exceed the ten million single purchase requirement, but took on three rows. You more than deserved it."

Alves didn't want to take the card. He was eager to do what he had in mind. He hurried out of the building and hopped into a cab.

When he got to Casper's Mansion, the mansion of his nightmares. Where he was humiliated earlier today, he heaved a sigh.

"What are you doing here again you fool?"

He scolded himself. He knew he couldn't take the main gate. He walked to a hidden entrance known only to himself and his potential woman. In fact, she was the one who told him about the entrance;

Long ago, Madam would seek every means to throw him out, but Laura would always find a way to let him in into their own quarters of the large acres of land.

That was why Alves felt like he needed to do something to win her back to himself. She had once been good to him, there must be a reason for her sudden change.

He made his way successfully to the door of the apartment and pushed the door open as carefully as he could. As he walked into the living room, he called her name in whispers.

When he got to the door of the room they used to share, he began to hear some funny noise. He gulped in anxiousness.

When he pushed the door opened, he found the face of a man between her thighs.

"Laura!"

That was the only thing he could think of at that moment; calling her name!

She took a pause from moaning and looked at the intruder. Her eyes widened and then she pushed the man away. He watched her climb down the bed and walked towards him.

She got to him and slammed the door in his face.