Chapter 4: Money makes the world move II
"Well, I think I've got everything I need." Damien nodded to himself, eyeing the overflowing cart with satisfaction. After spending a while browsing the store and picking out whatever caught his eye, he was ready to head to the billing counter.
Aria was still walking alongside him, and things seemed to be going well between them. They chatted casually as they strolled through the aisles, and Damien, using his natural charm, kept her laughing and blushing with a few well-placed jokes.
'Heh,' Damien scoffed internally as they reached the counter, spotting Rachel glued to her phone.
"Well, hello there," Damien greeted sarcastically, pushing the cart loaded with clothes, shoes, belts, and accessories toward her.
Rachel, noticing him, sneered. "Hah, you really went all out. Eager for your punishment, aren't you?" She eyed the cart, her disdain clear.
"Just ring it up and get on your knees already. I'm busy," Damien shot back, smirking, though he noticed Aria standing a little ways off with a conflicted expression. She hadn't wanted this bet to happen in the first place. Despite her fondness for Damien, Rachel was still her employee, and Aria didn't believe humiliation was the right answer, no matter who won.
Damien caught the emotions on her face but didn't address them. His attention shifted back to Rachel, who had started scanning the items with a growing smirk, her confidence building with every dollar added to the total.
"The total is—ha!—$97,700. You ever even seen that much in your life?" Rachel announced the number loudly, her tone full of ridicule.
Curious staff and customers began to gather, intrigued by the unfolding scene. Aria's frown deepened as the crowd grew.
"Bank transfer, please," Damien responded calmly, ignoring her taunts.
Rachel's laughter faltered. "Drop the act. Everyone knows you can't afford this," she scoffed, shaking her head.
"Just do your job. Bank transfer," Damien repeated, his voice flat, his dark eyes locked onto hers with unwavering confidence.
"Hmph, fine. Keep pretending," Rachel huffed, though her certainty wavered as she reluctantly provided the account number.
*******
The electronic confirmation beeped, silencing the room. Damien said nothing, his smirk speaking volumes as he continued to stare down Rachel, whose expression shifted from disbelief to unease.
"You remember the bet, don't you, Ms. Rachel?" Damien's voice turned cold.
"I-I…" Rachel stammered, her mind scrambling for excuses—maybe he'd borrowed the money or drained his life savings. But the intensity of Damien's gaze shut her down. She grit her teeth and muttered, "I'm sorry for my earlier actions. I was wrong."
"Hmm? I seem to recall something about kneeling. Just saying," Damien added, placing a hand on his chin, his smile widening.
Rachel cursed internally, feeling utterly humiliated. She didn't want to kneel, but she knew Damien wouldn't let it go. Or would he?
"…Fine," she muttered, her face full of reluctance as she slowly rose from her chair, her eyes pleading.
Rachel, though unpleasant in her demeanor, was undeniably attractive. She tried one last time, casting a sultry, submissive look at Damien, hoping to sway him. But it didn't work.
Resigned, she was about to kneel when Damien stopped her.
"Wait, wait, I didn't ask you to kneel. I just mentioned that it came up," he said, grinning.
Though Damien had initially planned to make her kneel, he decided against it, knowing it would earn him points with Aria. And sure enough, it did.
The aftermath stuck with him. Suddenly, everyone treated him differently, offering unsolicited favors and attention—Rachel included.
But that wasn't the only reason for the shift in atmosphere.
As Damien's thoughts drifted, a robotic voice chimed in.
'Master, it's almost time.'
Shaken from his memories, Damien hurried through his shower, thinking, We can always do this later.
*******
Several minutes later.
DING!
[System Online]
Hearing the male mechanical voice, Damien smiled. Finally, it was time to play.
"Start mechanical check," he commanded smoothly.
[DING]
[Mechanical check in progress…]
[1%... 2%...3%...7%...10%...15%...21%...30%...50%...80%...90%...95%...96%...97%...98%...99%...100%]
[Mechanical check completed. No abnormalities detected.]
After running a few more checks, Damien activated the machine.
With a satisfied grin, he stepped into the pod, glanced around, and said, "Take care, Claudia," as the pod door closed.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone