158. Account Balance

Chapter One Hundred And Fifty Eight

Vincent, still reeling from the surreal encounter with the quintillion-dollar owner, sought refuge in the simplicity of daily routines. The suburban streets embraced him with a familiarity that seemed almost comforting after the enigmatic detour into opulence.

With a heavy sigh, he approached a local ATM, a mundane device that stood as a stark contrast to the grandeur of the corporate world he had briefly traversed. The hunger gnawed at him, a tangible reminder that, dream or reality, sustenance was a basic need that demanded attention.

As Vincent inserted his card into the machine, he found solace in the routine act of withdrawing cash. The soft hum of the ATM and the whir of machinery offered a reassuring cadence, grounding him in the tangible reality of daily life.

He punched in his PIN, the rhythmic taps on the keypad a deliberate sequence that bridged the gap between the dream's extravagance and the simplicity of survival. The machine processe