Chapter 1 Money can buy anything

A deep garnet-purple wine washed down Warren's face before he could drop the platter in his hand on the table.

"This is Chateau Margaux. You should count yourself lucky that it's washing away the poverty in your blood. " Floyd Galen swirled the glass in his hand in the air.

He relaxed his back against the lounge with a woman sitting on his lap, a wide smile spread across her face. Warren looked at them and did not answer them.

"What about it?" The woman, Maeve deliberately inquired.

"It costs $219,000, it's one of the most expensive wines in the world.'' The man in a well-groomed suit that cost an awesome amount chided.

She gaped in extreme shock. Then lifted her gaze at Warren. "Oh my God, you must be extremely rich and hard-working."

"Darling why are you stressing, Warren here doesn't appreciate what that means." She mocked while pouring Floyd Galen another glass.

Warren's heart aches, the woman that is mocking him is Maeve, Maeve is his girlfriend's best friend and knows how he strives to make them happy with the little he has. He never thought she would look him up and say such a thing. The man turns to Maeve.

"Name anything, just anything and I will give to you, there is nothing I want that I won't get. Not even the most loyal girlfriend. Everything has a price." Floyd Galen proudly wore a cocky smile.

Warren clenched his jaw and folded his fist by his side in a fit of annoyance. Warren occasionally meets Floyd in the bar where he works, he changes women often and always gets anything he wants from them. He felt hostility toward Warren for his good looks and yet poor lifestyle, all the women adored him, which gave irritation to curl up his stomach.

"Here is your bill, swipe the card and go to your suite," Warren said nonchalantly.

Floyd flew his card back.

"You wasted the wine, why should I pay for it?" Maeve giggled like a fool.

Warren stood still, he said nothing, his gaze flew to the time on his old wristwatch, it's old but the leather is tough, "Warren do you have a coin on you? Floyd, you're a nutty man and that turns me on." She chuckled softly.

"I don't have all the time in the world. I have somewhere to be. . .sir." He hesitated, Floyd doesn't deserve the crown but every customer that comes to the Baritone Resort is acknowledged in that manner.

"Where does a good-for-nothing have to go?" Floyd laughed at his face. "Will you go on the street and beg?"

Warren still checked the time, he hung his head low, he didn't want to be rude to customers, and he had worked hard to secure a job at the famous Baritone resort, his salary was less than the others but it was enough to provide a three times meal a day for him, but at this rate Floyd is stepping on his tail.

"Floyd–"

He was interrupted thankfully by the blond sitting beside Floyd in a buoyant dress and a fake Birkin bag beside her, with one fake lipstick inside, if Warren judged right.

"He has to prepare a birthday gift for his girlfriend, only God knows what a beggar like Warren can afford. It will cost you your lifetime salary to get a Zara handbag," she giggled.

Warren stared at them, when Maeve relocated with Kaylani to their neighbourhood he provided them with the help he could in installing the house and refurbishing the furniture, he did not expect to hear such a harsh comment from her.

Before Floyd could compose himself into another mocking comment from them he snatched the card and swiped it then turned and left.

Warren stopped when Floyd shouted his name, Floyd produced a hundred-dollar bill and threw it at his back. "Hey, you should get your girlfriend at least a real flower, don't insult the entire manhood at the party."

The entire thunderous laughter from behind him echoed with slanderous talks.

Maeve muttered into Floyd's ear. "We should go to the party with a buoyant entrance and lighten up the place, what do you say babe."

Warren gritted his teeth in annoyance and left Baritone Resort.

When he got to the house, the small house party was already going on, Warren wrinkled his face. He got calm, and despite feeling bad with the small box in his hand, he still went inside.

Kaylani was so busy dancing with her friends that she saw him but did not regard him. Warren smiled, seeing her alone delighted his heart delighted. He walked up to Kaylani but stuck his leg to the ground.

He looked at Kaylani and the man holding Saffaron worth millions overshadowed him. Who is dressed in a rich Armani suit and a luxurious scent emanates from him.

Kaylani hugged him and kissed him on the lips introducing him to everyone gathered as her boyfriend.

Warren looked at Maeve, she smiled and clapped her hand cheerfully. He couldn't breathe, he wanted to puke. Are the two friends having an affair with the same guy? He thought highly of Kaylani.

Still not believing that the two friends were dating the same guy, he walked up to his girlfriend.

"Kaylani, don't tell me you're seeing Floyd."

Kaylani rolled her eyes. "What will I do with you when there is a bigger fish?"

Warren's eyes turned red, everyone laughed at him.

"What are you even holding there? You can't get me a real flower for once, what about vacation? I don't want to give anything to a loser that has nothing to offer."

"Check it don't let the poor man keep his hand waiting, darling." Floyd urged.

She snatched the box from his hand, opened it and clung her nails to the ring, with a disgusting facial expression.

"This looks like it's carved out of the ashes. It's not glittering. Oh my. You wanted to propose." Kaylani threw the ring at his face, "to whom? I can't suffer twice in my life."

Her attitude was rather shocking to Warren, he had saved up half of his salary to get the best Albion sterling silver ring worth $159. "Get out!"

Warren looked at her. "Kaylani, is this true? I can't believe you have to stoop so low for money, both of you."

"Watch your mouth Warren, I can put up with your broken ass but not that mouth of yours criticizing me."

Warren bites back his words, swallowing the lump in his throat.

"You don't deserve Kaylani or her loyalty." A woman's voice cried from the background as the music stopped. "She can't afford to be eating starches all her life,"

Kaylani totally agreed with what the woman said, she lived in the same neighbourhood with them and every day she would see her dragging her husband. She couldn't attend parties or clubs because they were living on the end means.

Warren couldn't take much of the humiliation again, he turned his back and walked shamefully heartbroken towards the door.

His heart is shattered, for the first time in his life living as an orphan he had thought of building a home and growing together with Kaylani.

"Warren, you're forgetting something." Floyd walks towards him.

"I told you there is nothing. No woman I can not lay my hand on. I get what I set my mind to. A broke man doesn't deserve pussy, Kaylani was just using you. Do you want to know how I got to know all this? She told me herself." Floyd gets closer to Warren, Warren is some inches taller than him, which makes him outstanding despite his shabby clothes.

Floyd said with a smiling face, Kaylani threw Floyd a smiling gaze digging her face into the flower banquet in her hand, Floyd continued.

"Just like all women, Kaylani wants money; she doesn't want to be with a lost cause, fallen lord."

Warren doesn't want to believe this but Kaylani smiling at Floyd thinking she had made the right choice proved his trust in her futile.

"You have gotten what you want. You should be excited, I'm a loser."

Warren was called lord of Atlantis when he had little cash to spare, but after his foster parent died, everyone changed the latter to the fallen lord of Atlantis. He wasn't fond of the name but he knew there was an iota of truth in everything said.

"Not enough, despite everything your handsome face is adored by everyone, it irks me. Kaylani is of no use to me, not anymore you can have her. I used her, to prove if she'd fall for my trap she gleefully did and it was fun."

"Loser! There is nothing money cannot buy! Even your pitiful soul." a woman swore from the side.

Floyd raises his shoulder digging his hand into his pocket. He is sour in annoyance, Floyd notices the face looking up at them, his sharp ears are awakened and he listens to the background echoes of the ladies.

"He is handsome, and has nice skin for someone that earns a piece of cake."

"I wish he had money, he's no use with such an appearance, ewwww, I wouldn't date him, Kaylani tried by putting up with a baby face like him."

"According to myth, broke guys always know your G-spot, she stayed with him because of that. Nothing more." She dismissed her hand in the air.

Floyd chuckled, the reviews were funny when they even went as far as to feed on what Warren had to offer, but what was under his pants.

"Let's say for your the sake of Kaylani's birthday I will help you. " Floyd starts with cockiness. "Let me butter your bread. But before that, I want to see you fall to your feet and worship me three times."

Maeve shrieked. "Warren, Floyd is a generous man of his word, swallow your pride and get down, loser."

Warren watches the smirk on Floyd's face, he gets close to Warren with the same smirk. He spit on his face. "Feed that to your whores!"

Floyd reeled back his designer coat covered up in the froth, everyone gasped, he got angry and ordered his defences, they snatched Warren and dragged him to the corner,

"Serves him right, how dare you spit on the suit, master Floyd Italian suit can feed you and your entire generation." Maeve hugged him, He pushed her away and went straight to Kaylani for Warren to see. Warren watched all this, with his heart shredded to pieces, the security showed him no sympathy.

He was held by two bodyguards arms spread wide apart he was forced back up yet another kick landed in his stomach by the time he got up to six blows he coughed out blood.

"Loser! know your class! How dare you open your filthy mouth at our boss." A strong blow lands in his stomach, sending his stomach into upheaval.

When the two bodily men figured he was weak they stared at their leader. "Let's leave him like this, this is enough hell of a torture for a loser like him."

Warren curled up in a fist coughing out blood, he stayed like that for hours welling in pain, crying and retching out in frustration.