Chapter 13

Leonardo's invitation gave Samantha a way out, sparing her from standing there awkwardly like a fool. She quickly took a seat beside him. He didn't give her any instructions, but Samantha wasn't completely oblivious. After glancing around, she grabbed the most expensive wine and poured a drink into the empty glass in front of him. Technically, they had been here for a while. Yet, to her surprise, Leonardo's glass had remained untouched. His glass never filled in the first place. There wasn't even a trace of liquor on the glass walls. Once she finished pouring, Leonardo picked up the glass and took a sip, accepting her gesture without hesitation. "So that's how it is, huh? If she's not the one pouring, you won't even drink, right?" Wesley teased. "What, does the wine taste better when she pours it?" Amused by the thought, he couldn't help but grow curious. "How about you pour one for me too?" As a waitress, Samantha had no reason to refuse. She was just about to get up and pour when Leonardo stopped her. "Don't bother with him." Samantha pursed her lips together, feeling awkward. Was it really okay to ignore Wesley like that? He was an important guest too. Fortunately, Wesley didn't seem offended. He just laughed and waved it off. "Fine, fine. As long as you take care of Leonardo, a nobody like me can handle myself. You don't have to serve me." His tone had a hint of sarcasm, but there was no malice behind it. Leaning back, Wesley remarked, "That woman's done for. Of all the things she could've done, she had to play petty tricks. Now that she's offended Leonardo, no club will dare hire her. She'll be lucky if she can scrape by doing temp work at some rundown factory." Samantha needed to be even more careful from now on because she knew she would face serious consequences if she messed up with Leonardo. The room soon returned to its relaxed, carefree atmosphere. At least, that was the case until Leonardo spoke. "Samantha?" "Yes," Samantha answered as she nodded obediently. "To be honest, that was the first time a woman has ever bought me food." "What?" Samantha glanced down, thinking about yesterday's events. He couldn't possibly know she was the one who sent that supper, could he? "That supper… Thanks for that." "Wait, what?" Her entire body stiffened, but she forced herself to feign confusion. Still, the way her fingers tightened around the bottle in her hand gave her away. Catching every detail, Leonardo said, "That was you who took me out supper, wasn't it? We just met, and now you're pretending we didn't. You're good at acting." Samantha kept her head down, silent. She had no idea how Leonardo had figured it out. She had kept her mask on the entire time and never once removed it. As if reading her thoughts, Leonardo spoke again. "When you came to the villa last time, I heard her call you 'Samantha'." He must have meant Layla. So, it was her name that had given her away. Ignoring it any longer would be rude, so Samantha quickly replied, "I didn't say anything back then. Besides, I'm on the job, and professionalism means keeping a proper distance from customers…" Leonardo chuckled. Now she was bringing up professionalism? Thinking back, they hadn't actually talked about anything related to the club that night. Technically, she hadn't lied. She had just chosen to keep her mouth shut. "Alright, I must have misunderstood." Leonardo was more than happy to let her off the hook. Samantha had been worried that once the truth came out, Leonardo would be upset. After all, with Xenia as a cautionary tale, she knew that losing this job would leave her with no way to support herself. However, to her surprise, Leonardo didn't seem to care. In fact, he looked like he was in a pretty good mood, as if something had made him happy. Was there really something worth being happy about? Probably. Suddenly, Samantha asked, "How did you figure out that person wasn't me?" "Instinct." Samantha was speechless. Instinct, huh? If Leonardo's instincts were really that sharp, how could he not have realized that she was the one that night? He was obviously just talking nonsense. Still, she had no intention of pressing the issue. Nothing was more practical than pouring him more of that ridiculously expensive liquor and securing herself a bigger bonus. … Xenia had been kicked out in disgrace, looking completely miserable. Standing at the entrance of the club, she stared at the grand, glittering lobby. She was unwilling to accept this outcome, but right now, getting the money was her top priority. Without it, she had no way to explain herself to her boyfriend. Taking out her phone, she dialed Layla. The moment the call connected, Xenia cut straight to the point before Layla could even speak. "I want two million dollars in my account by tomorrow. If I don't receive the money, I'll tell Mr. Garrett the truth. I mean it." "Are you insane? You think two million is that easy to come by?" "That's not my problem. I've already offended Mr. Garrett, and there's no turning back for me. At worst, I'll just go down with the ship. But you? You've barely begun to enjoy your luxurious life. If you suddenly lost everything and went from living in luxury to having nothing, do you think you could handle it?" "You—" Layla was so furious she wanted to curse her out, but in the end, she held back. If she wanted to keep living comfortably, she had to keep Xenia under control. "Fine, I get it," she said. "I'll get you the money as soon as possible." "Oh, and one more thing. Let me give you a friendly reminder. If you don't keep a close eye on your sugar daddy, he's going to end up in Samantha's hands. Who would've thought? That woman looks so innocent, but she's got some serious tricks up her sleeve." She was purposely trying to rile Layla up, eager to watch the so-called best friends turn on each other. To her surprise, Layla's response was completely unexpected. "You're just bitter because you're a nobody. The only thing you're good at is hanging onto that loser you call a boyfriend." "Layla, do you really think I won't go straight to Mr. Garrett and tell him everything right now?" Xenia warned. "You should keep your mouth shut if you want the money!" Layla retorted. Xenia never expected Layla to stand her ground so firmly. She desperately needed the money, and no matter how angry she was, she couldn't risk telling Leonardo the truth. This was the last bargaining chip she had. In the end, all she could do was spit out one last parting shot. "Just wait until your sugar daddy gets snatched. I can't wait to see you cry about it!" … Samantha earned another 2,000 in tips that night, along with nearly 10,000 in liquor sales commission. If she could make this much every day, she would already be rich. She never realized selling alcohol could be so lucrative. After handing her the bonus, Juliet couldn't help but tease her. "You've got a real talent for liquor sales. Have you ever thought about making a career out of it?" Since Samantha could get Leonardo to spend more than anyone else and make it seem like he would only buy from her, Juliet wondered if she might end up replacing Xenia. Samantha smiled, shaking her head. "I'm sorry, Juliet. I'm only working part-time. Once class starts, I don't think I'll have the time to come here as often." "Look at you now. You're making ten grand a day. Do you really think your degree is going to pay better than this?" "Maybe not, but I still want to finish my degree." "What a waste…" With a sigh, Juliet walked away, not pushing any further. Just as Samantha finished packing up to leave, her phone buzzed with a message from Layla. Layla: "Did you scam Mr. Garrett out of money today?"