Chapter 94: The Black Gold Card
Bennett had not only been worried about her bar.
She had been worried about Lucas.
Dealing with men like Carlos was nothing new. Running a high-end bar meant handling arrogant customers, drunken arguments, and oversized egos on a regular basis.
She knew how to manage people like that.
But Lucas was different.
He had stepped in because of her. If he ended up facing legal trouble or retaliation because he chose to help her, it would weigh on her conscience for a long time.
Now that she knew the injuries were not serious, the knot in her chest finally loosened.
This was her bar. Her business. Her territory. And she was not about to let three drunk foreigners decide how the night ended.
Without hesitation, Bennett pulled out her phone and sent a short message.
Less than a minute later, four broad-shouldered security guards emerged from the back hallway.
One lifted Carlos to his feet while the others picked up the two unconscious men from the floor.
The entire process took less than thirty seconds.
"Take them to the hospital," Bennett said calmly.
"I’ll cover all their medical expenses."
The guards nodded and escorted the three men outside.
Dozens of curious eyes remained fixed on Lucas.
He looked around at the tense atmosphere before leaning closer to Bennett.
"I think I ruined the mood."
Before she could respond, Lucas turned and walked toward the DJ booth. The crowd parted instinctively.
He picked up the microphone.
His voice carried clearly throughout the room.
"Sorry for the interruption, everyone."
"To make up for it, every drink and every tab tonight is on me."
He glanced toward Bennett.
"Courtesy of the owner."
Then the entire bar exploded.
Cheers erupted from every direction. People raised their glasses. Someone whistled loudly. Others began chanting Bennett’s name.
The DJ immediately restarted the music, louder than before.
Within seconds, the tension disappeared completely. People rushed back to the dance floor. Bartenders hurried to refill orders. The atmosphere became even more energetic than it had been before the fight.
Bennett stood frozen.
She had seen rich men buy drinks for strangers countless times. But they always made sure everyone knew exactly who was paying.
Meanwhile, Lucas had already walked over to the front desk.
The manager handed him the final bill.
Three million two hundred thousand dollars.
Even Lucas raised an eyebrow. Apparently, an entire bar full of people could drink a truly impressive amount.
Still, he simply pulled out his card and tapped the reader.
No hesitation. No bargaining. No second thoughts.
[Ding!]
[The host has spent $2,100,000 on qualified female targets.]
[10x rebate triggered.]
[Congratulations! The host has received $21,000,000.]
Lucas almost laughed. Twenty-one million dollars. Just like that.
In less than a minute, he had earned back a significant portion of what he spent on the Bugatti. The system really was absurd.
For a brief moment, he considered opening a chain of luxury bars. The profits alone were tempting.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
No business in the world generated returns faster than the system.
His priorities remained unchanged. Increase favorability. Improve his physical abilities. Build enough strength that nobody could threaten him again.
By the time Lucas checked his phone again, it was already past midnight.
Tomorrow was Monday.
Before Lucas could make it to the door, Bennett stepped in front of him.
She held out a card between two slender fingers. Matte black. No logo. No text. Only a thin line of gold running around the edges. Under the warm lighting of the bar, it carried an understated sense of exclusivity.
"Our Black Gold Card."
A small smile played on her lips.
"I’ve already loaded one hundred thousand dollars onto it."
She tilted her head slightly.
"You’ll get thirty percent off everything here. No reservations required. If you want a private room, we’ll always make one available."
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment.
"No matter how busy we are."
Lucas accepted the card without making a fuss.
"Thanks."
Simple. As if receiving one of the rarest membership cards in the city was perfectly normal.
Standing nearby, Mason stared at the card with an expression he was trying very hard to keep neutral. He had been a regular at Hanky Panky for years. It had taken him nearly a decade to climb from Platinum to Diamond status.
Lucas had walked in for the first time tonight and was leaving with a Black Gold Card.
There were only four in existence.
Four.
Mason let out a quiet sigh.
Then again, maybe it made sense. A man who could casually transfer one hundred and thirty million dollars without blinking belonged in a different category entirely.
And money wasn’t even the main reason.
It was everything else. The way Lucas had handled Carlos without losing his temper.
The way he had paid for the entire bar without asking for recognition. The way he gave Bennett all the credit instead of taking it for himself.
People with money were common.
People with money, confidence, restraint, and strength?
Those were rare.
Very rare.
Mason shook his head and laughed softly to himself.
No wonder Bennett had made an exception.
As they walked outside, the cool night air washed over them. The city lights stretched endlessly into the distance.
Before getting into the car, Lucas glanced back.
Bennett was still standing at the entrance.
Her arms were crossed loosely beneath her chest as she watched him leave.
When their eyes met, she raised her hand and gave him a small wave. The smile on her face looked warmer than before.
Lucas nodded in return before sliding into the back seat of the Rolls-Royce.
Mason had drunk enough to become talkative earlier, but now he sat silently, leaning back in his seat and occasionally stealing glances at Lucas.
Every time he thought he had figured this guy out, Lucas did something even more outrageous.
By the time they reached the villa, it was already well past midnight.
After saying goodbye to Mason, Lucas headed inside.
A hot shower washed away the smell of alcohol and cigarette smoke clinging to his clothes.
Twenty minutes later, he finally collapsed onto his bed.
He reached for his phone out of habit. He expected the usual. A few promotional messages. Maybe a reminder from some app he never used. Nothing important.
But the moment the screen lit up, his eyebrows rose.
His notification bar was flooded.
Unread messages. Dozens of them. Missed calls. Friend requests.
