10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine

45  Lucky Night

I kept whistling to myself as the elevator took me to the ground floor.

Before long, my foot was tapping out a beat and I was snapping my fingers to the rhythm of the song.

"Never gonna give you up. Never gonna let you down."

The... negotiations had gone exactly as I expected. I had Oliver in the palm of my hand and could get anything I wanted from him.

In fact, I could just ask him to finance the whole of Sunset Inn out of his pocket and never spend a dime of my own money.

But that would be me getting too greedy. While I was perfectly okay with blackmailing people, it was generally a good idea not to ask for too much. Ask what the person can give and they'll keep giving it without any thoughts of getting back  at you.

As the elevator doors slid open, I bounced out into the lobby, startling the guests waiting to use the elevator.

I grinned at them, twirling once before strolling away, my body moving along the rhythm of the song I was whistling.

Just as I reached the door and stepped out, I casually let the ID card I'd stolen slip from my hand to the floor.

Then I walked forward and glanced back like I was trying to look into the lobby. Then I waved, catching the attention of the doorman.

"Hey. I think you dropped this." I said, pointing to the card at his feet.

The doorman looked down in confusion before his eyes widened as he saw the ID. He picked it up from the floor.

He glanced at me with a grateful nod. "Thank you, sir."

I gave him a nod of my own, chuckling to myself as I walked away. I kept whistling till I reached the car where the driver was waiting just as I'd asked him to. It hadn't gotten to an hour yet.

He looked up from his phone, surprised. "That was fast, Mr. Voss. Should I take you back to the hotel?"

"The hotel?" I thought about it. "Nah."

Not when my luck was currently burning brighter than the lights of Monaco.

"Drive me to the casino." I told him, a big grin on my face. "I'm in the mood to take advantage of this good luck."

The driver raised his brows and I could see the skepticism in his eyes. But that didn't stop him from nodding.

"Yes, sir. The Grand Casino, then?"

"Why not?"

The car pulled away from the curb and we began the journey. I kept nodding my head to the song playing in my head, looking out my window at the streets of Monaco. Nôv(el)B\\jnn

It was even more beautiful at night than during the day. It was as if the city itself was congratulating me for a job well done.

We finally arrived at the casino. I stepped out of the car, running my fingers over the cuff of my jacket as I looked around.

I grinned at all the cars parked, getting a sense of deja vu.

I turned back to the driver. "Thanks, man. You're dismissed for the night. Go home and enjoy with the missus." I told him.

He gave me a respectful nod before driving off, leaving me at the entrance.

I nodded at the car before I entered the casino.

The place was alive with people, sounds and drinks.

Waitresses moved through the crowd with drinks balanced on trays while the men in tuxedos and women in gowns that could probably buy a house played their games.

The roulette wheels spun, the cards were dealt, the dice rolled and in every corner, there was the promise of quick riches.

I walked deeper into the main hall, taking in the sight. The whole place was like a playground for the rich.

I decided to try roulette first.

It was trivially easy to exchange cash into chips which I took to the roulette table.

I took some of my chips and placed them in black. Let's see if my luck would extend to the roulette table.

I watched as the dealer spun the will, my smile still on my face. The ball bounced around the wheel before finally settling on red.

Some people whooped while others groaned but I kept my smile on my face. It was just a small loss. Doesn't mean anything.

I made a few more bets, hopping from one game to the next. I lost some and won others but I wasn't keeping count.

Tonight wasn't about winning. It was about celebrating.

Before long, I was at the poker table. The dealer dealt the cards and I kept smiling even if my first hands were garbage.

That was how ecstatic I was feeling.

Instead of continuing, I folded, watching the others Duke it out with a big smile. I was sure some of the people around the table thought I was high.

Well, they weren't wrong. I was just high on something different from what they were thinking.

The game went on and I played like a man blessed by heaven itself. Some of the players even had trouble reading me.

Hard to read a man who only had one expression no matter what happens.

The chips in front of me grew, dwindled and grew again.

Unlike what you were expecting, I didn't actually end up winning the pot. It was a woman who looked like she lived at the casino. That was how good she was.

At the end of the game, she gave me a nod of respect. "Good game."

"Indeed." I grinned, tipping an imaginary hat in her direction.

Champions recognise other champions.

I left the table, pocket lighter than when I'd sat around it. I snagged a cocktail from one of the passing waitresses and raised it in a toast.

"To Monaco."

"Hear, hear." Some people around raised their glasses to me and I downed mine with a grin.

At the end of my tour of the casino, I ended up losing fifty grand. Even with that, my smile didn't disappear.

After all, it was a lucky night.

"What a time to be alive."