Beyond Riches: The Inexplainable Trillionaire

Chapter 7: The Slap

Ms. Gwen stared at the card like it was a live snake, her manicured fingers trembling as she turned it over. The engraved name read Ethan Silvercrest. "You're a Silvercrest?" she whispered.

"I need you to process the payment. And never speak a word of this to anyone. Defiling the most powerful family on earth comes with consequences." Ethan said with a stern face.

Her face went pale and she quickly bowed, almost hitting her head on the marble floor. "I swear on my life, sir. This secret goes to my grave."

She swiped the card with shaking hands. The machine beeped green, $10,552,800, processed. She handed the card back with both hands, like a holy relic. Ethan pocketed it. "The card really does work, Donald was telling the truth," he thought to himself. Now he needed to call Donald, agree to meet his father, and deal with the Golden Five.

Trevor and Amelia watched from across the lobby. "Why is Ms. Gwen bowing? She looks terrified," Amelia whispered.

"I don't know. But Ethan can be persuasive when he wants to," Trevor muttered.

Ethan returned, hands in his pockets. "All settled, we can leave."

Trevor's jaw dropped. "How? Did you pay ten million dollars? You don't have ten grand."

Ethan smiled "Just trust me."

Amelia grabbed his arm. "Ethan, tell us what's happening."

But Ethan was already walking toward the exit. Trevor called back, "What did he do?"

Ms. Gwen bowed toward Ethan's retreating back. "Your wonderful friend settled everything, Young Master Trevor. Please enjoy your day."

They rushed outside, catching Ethan on the sunlit sidewalk. "Okay," Trevor stepped in front of him. "How did you do that?"

Ethan looked at his two friends, the only people who'd ever stood by him, defended him, called in hated favors to free him, gotten their accounts frozen and families threatened because they wouldn't abandon him. "You've stood by me for years. Now let me return the favor. I'm going to take care of everything, you, your families and the Golden Five. But I need you to trust me. The way I've always trusted you."

The words hung in the air. Nothing about Ethan had made sense since jail. But he was still their friend.

"Fine," Amelia said. "We trust you."

"Fine," Trevor echoed. "But you owe us an explanation."

"Eventually. Now go, I will see you at the banquet tonight." He hailed a taxi and left them staring after him.

The taxi pulled up to Spirit Bank headquarters thirty minutes later. Sixty-seven floors of glass and steel. Years ago, Ethan had opened his account on his phone, depositing just fifty dollars, a number too small to justify stepping inside. Now he was here by invitation from the president himself.

The lobby was filled with marble, gold and hushed voices. Men in suits worth more than cars, women with handbags that could pay for houses. They looked at Ethan like a stain that had wandered in from the street. He ignored them and approached the customer service counter.

The man behind it was tall, broad-shouldered, early thirties, with an expensive haircut and a face that had never smiled. His name tag read Brian Cameron, Head of Customer Relations.

"Excuse me," Ethan said.

Brian's eyes traveled slowly from Ethan's scuffed shoes to his wrinkled uniform to his bruised cheek. His lip curled. "How did you get in here?"

"I came to address an issue with my account. I was invited by Austin Ross himself."

Brian burst out laughing. "Austin Ross? The president called you personally?"

"That's right." Ethan responded.

"Listen carefully." Brian leaned forward. "Walk out now, or face the consequences." His voice rose as heads turned and conversations stopped.

The elite clients began murmuring. "Is this what Spirit Bank has reduced itself to?" a heavyset man in a navy suit called. "Letting lowlifes wander in?"

A woman dripping with diamonds wrinkled her nose. "Do you just allow anyone to stink up the place?"

An older, gray-haired client stepped forward. "If you keep embarrassing your elite clients, we will boycott this establishment. I don't pay premium fees to stand next to street trash."

Ethan said nothing. If only they knew he was richer than all of them combined. Let them dig their own graves.

Brian's face reddened. He couldn't afford to lose elite clients. "Security! Get this trash out of my lobby. Now."

Two guards grabbed Ethan and dragged him toward the exit. "Should have thrown him out the moment he walked in," the heavyset man added.

The guards shoved Ethan through the revolving doors. He stumbled, tripped, and crashed directly into someone walking into the bank. Before he could register what was happening, three swift slaps cracked across his face. His vision blurred, ears ringing as he hit the glass wall.

When his sight cleared, he saw a young man walking past him into the bank, he was around Ethan's age, expensive clothes, moving with an atmosphere of power that made the air feel heavier. Ethan pushed himself up, fist clenched, but the guards blocked him. "I wouldn't do that. You have no idea who that is."

Through the glass, Ethan watched the scene inside. The young man strode in and everyone bowed. Brian folded himself in half. The diamond woman curtsied like she was meeting royalty.

Then Ethan heard familiar laughter behind him. Brad and Jason stood on the sidewalk, Celia tucked under Brad's arm. All three were laughing so hard Brad had to wipe his eyes.

"Please tell me you got that on video," Jason said.

"I got it," Celia confirmed, still giggling. "All of it."

Of all the people who could have witnessed that, it had to be them. "Oh man," Brad managed. "This is too good. Best morning I've had in years."

Celia stepped forward, shaking her head with contempt. "Why are you so pathetic, Ethan? Why are you stalking us?"

"Stalking you? I was here before you." Ethan retorted.

"It doesn't matter," Jason said. "Stalkers show up early to make it look like they weren't following."

Brad scoffed. "What are you even doing at Spirit Bank? What business could a janitor have here?"

Ethan frowned his brow, "That's none of your business."

"Fair enough." Brad shrugged, still grinning. "But hey, at least you got slapped by Ray Steflon himself. That's an achievement most nobodies never get close enough to someone that important to get hit."

Ethan's blood went cold. "What?"

"That was Ray Steflon," Brad said slowly, savoring every word. "The guy who just slapped you three times. The guy who got you out of jail, according to Amelia."

Celia shook her head. "You don't even know the face of the man who saved your worthless life? The same man you banked all your confidence on?" She laughed, high and cruel. "What a disappointment."

"Absolutely pathetic," Jason agreed. "All that big talk last night. And now look at you standing outside a bank you can't enter, holding your face where your supposed connection just slapped you. By the way, we heard about Mayfair Gardens. Daddy Stevens and Daddy Freeman are not happy. Sucks to be them, but that's what happens choosing the wrong side."

Ethan's mind was stuck on Ray, he was Donald's son, the same Ray who demanded Amelia be his date.

"Nothing to say?" Brad asked. "No big threats?"

"I thought so," Celia said. "All bark and no bite."

She tugged Brad's arm. "Come on babe, we have a meeting. Let's not waste more time."

They walked past Ethan into the bank. Through the glass, he watched the staff greet them with bows. Brian himself escorted them toward the private meeting rooms.

Ethan stood alone on the sidewalk with his cheek red and swollen, uniform wrinkled, stomach empty. But his eyes were cold as he pulled out his phone.

Austin Ross picked up on the first ring. "Young Master Ethan! I've been waiting for your call. What time should I expect..."

"I'm standing outside your bank right now," Ethan cut in. "I was just thrown out by your security and harassed by your staff and clients."

"You were… what? Young Master, I am so sorry. Who dares to lay hands on a distinguish client like yourself?"

"I'm still outside. Standing on the sidewalk like a beggar."

"One moment, please. I'm sending my personal assistant down immediately. Everyone involved will face the consequences. I swear it on my position."