Trillionaire in Disguise

Chapter 6

Everyone watched as Leo handed the black card to the saleswoman. She slid it into the payment machine.

The light did not turn green.

“Payment failed,” she said.

“Try it again,” Leo answered.

She tried two more times. Same result.

“It failed again.”

The saleswoman gave a small smile. It looked like Claire was right. This man really could not pay.

Leo frowned. Why was the card not working? Mr. Harris had put ten billion into his Cashless account. He pulled out his phone and his face fell. The battery was dead.

“Please, can I charge my phone for a minute?” Leo asked. “I can pay with the Cashless app.”

Claire burst out laughing.

“I told all of you! He is here to steal. Search him. He must have hidden something in his clothes.”

Mia looked disappointed. She had started to believe Leo really had the money. Now it seemed he was just looking for a way to run. Daniel’s face tightened. He hated when poor people acted like they belonged in places like this.

Daniel turned to the saleswoman. “Call security. He is trying to steal.”

The saleswoman did not argue. She took out her phone and called.

“We have a thief in the store. Please come quickly.”

Leo still did not understand what was happening. The card should have worked. The app would work too if he could just charge his phone.

“At least let me charge my phone,” he said again.

“Shut up, you beggar,” Claire snapped. “This is your usual trick. Good thing we caught you today.”

She wanted Leo gone. She did not care how it happened. As long as he left Mia’s life, she would be happy.

Security arrived fast. One of the guards pointed at Leo right away. It was the same man from the entrance.

“I knew something was wrong with you,” the guard said. “The moment I saw you I knew you were here to steal.”

He stepped closer. “Come with us quietly or we will use force.”

Leo did not move. He was sure this was a mistake. The guards grabbed his arms.

“Get him down,” one of them ordered.

They started to pull him when Leo spoke again.

“Let me try the card one more time.”

Daniel had lost interest. He knew Leo could not pay. He turned to Claire.

“Mother, let’s leave this madman. My poor Mia has suffered enough because of him.”

Claire smiled wide. Finally she had a proper son-in-law who could take care of the family. She took Mia’s hand.

“Come, Mia. This is not the Leo you used to know. He has gone crazy.”

Mia said nothing. She looked at Leo one last time, then turned and followed Daniel and her mother out of the store.

Leo’s face went dark. Everything he had done in his life was for Mia and Lily. He had given the Parker family all his money because he loved her. Now she turned her back and walked away with another man.

He wanted to go after them, but the security guards held him tight. A small crowd had started to gather. Leo did not want his face all over Summerville tomorrow—not when he finally knew who he really was. His phone was dead, so he could not call Mr. Harris. He had no choice but to leave with the guards.

Just then the store manager walked in. Everyone looked surprised. Why was the manager here right now?

“Who used the payment machine?” the manager asked.

The saleswoman raised her hand a little. “Sir, that man tried to pay with a card. It failed every time. We think he has no money. We called security because we believed he was trying to steal.”

The manager walked straight to Leo. He had received a notice that a special black card payment had been declined. He wanted to see who held that card.

“Let me see the card,” he said.

Leo handed it over. The manager looked at it carefully for a long moment. Then he spoke in a clear voice.

“Sir, you can take all the clothes. You do not need to pay. It is on the house.”