Nathan's face paled.
"What do you mean it's declined? That can't possibly be!" he uttered, his voice a little bit louder than he intended to. His jaw tightened as he leaned slightly over the table.
People from nearby tables who had heard the small commotion turned to take a look at what was happening. Some of them whispered among themselves.
The waitress stood still, clearly uncomfortable. "I'm really sorry, sir… maybe you have another card that we can use?"
Nathan's face reddened with embarrassment. It was his first time to experience this. His hands gripped the edge of the table ready to lash out.
"Bro… people are watching. Calm yourself," One of his friends leaned in, whispering,
That's when Nathan realized that they weren't alone at the table. He slowly turned his head to the side, and sure enough, Emily and Chloe were staring at him.
'Fuck…' Nathan lightly cursed.
Emily had a curious look on her face, but it wasn't mocking. Rather, she looked surprised. Chloe, on the other hand, looked slightly concerned as if she wasn't expecting Nathan to act like that.
Nathan quickly forced a laugh, trying to take what he had just said. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned back casually as if nothing happened.
"Ah, it must be a limit thing," he said, followed by a fake laughter. "You know how banks are with big transactions. Sometimes they flag it as suspicious. Well, it happens all the time."
Emily and Chloe didn't say anything at first. They just simply exchanged another glance.
"No big deal." Nathan smiled, trying to keep his voice steady. He looked through his wallet and grabbed another one. "Here, you can try this other card."
"Please wait for a moment, Sir." The waitress took it, walked to the register, and came back a moment later.
"I'm sorry, sir. This one is also declined."
"What?" Nathan's voice cracked once again. He pulled out a third card, then a fourth. His hands were slightly shaking by now.
The waitress took each card and returned with the same response every time.
"Declined."
"Declined…"
By the fifth card, Nathan's forehead had started to sweat. His friends were looking at him in confusion. Emily and Chloe also exchanged surprised glances.
Gray, who had been quietly watching from the side, raised an eyebrow. He was enjoying what was happening that he forgot that he and his sister had been staying longer that expected.
'Hmm… this wasn't part of the plan…' he thought as he fought the urge to smile. 'Well, I guess this works even better.'
Gray leaned back and tapped his fingers on the table.
"Hey, how much was the bill again?" He asked, as a new plan formed in his head.
The waitress turned toward him, looking unsure.
"It was $7,618.45, sir."
Gray opened his system panel in his head.
[Available Balance: $8,100.06]
'I still have money left…' He nodded to himself. Maybe he can use this since he and Lily had already spent a lot for the day.
It also wouldn't be a problem since he'd gain money once he completed his mission.
"I see…"
Gray casually reached into his pocket and pulled out the sleek black card that the system had given him. Without hesitation, he handed it to the waitress.
"We're taking a lot of your time so just put my bill on my card," he said casually and smiled.
Everyone at the table turned to look at Gray. Their eyes widened, and their jaws wide open.
Nathan's eyes were filled with disbelief the moment he saw the card.
"Wait… is that—?" Chloe blinked as she stared at it.
Emily also leaned forward.
"That's an ABC Universal Bank card… but the black one…"
Gray didn't say anything. He just smiled politely. The truth was, he didn't know anything about the card. He was so happy yesterday that he didn't give that much thought to it. He thought that it was just a regular card from a good bank.
When the waitress saw the card, she immediately became more attentive to Gray. She took the card carefully, as if she had just been handed a treasure. She nodded and hurried off to the register.
'ABC Universal… that's not just any card. That's one of the top global banks… and that card—' Nathan stared at the back of the waitress, then looked at Gray again.
It was a premium card issued only to high-level clients like millionaires, worldwide stars, corporate moguls, and people with absurd net worths.
And Gray?
Gray had that?
How come?
What the fuck?
"Gray… where did you get that card?" Chloe tilted her head slightly, curious about it.
Emily's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Yup. Yup. That's not something just anyone carries."
Gray just smiled at them. "Let's just say… I got a little lucky." He answered, keeping it mysterious.
Well, he didn't really know what to answer so that's the only thing he could say.
However, Nathan's hands clenched under the table.
'Lucky?'
This guy shows up out of nowhere, makes him spend more than 7 grand, and then pulls out one of the most powerful bank cards in the world.
Nathan felt like he was choking on his own breath.
The waitress returned a moment later. Now, she was smiling.
"Thank you for your payment, sir." She handed the black card back with both hands and a small bow.
With it, Nathan and the others became even more shocked.
"Thank you," Gray took it and slipped it back into his pocket as if it was nothing.
"Yay! My brother paid for everything!" Lily clapped her hands softly, clueless at what was happening.
Emily and Chloe both smiled at Gray. Their eyes were now completely on him. Their small curiosity from earlier had turned into interest.
Nathan, on the other hand, sat frozen in his seat.
And Gray?
Gray leaned back completely relaxed.
"We'll get going then. Thank you for your time." Gray stood up calmly before he reached out and gently held Lily's hand.
"Come on, Lily," he said with a soft smile. "Let's go."
"Okay!" Lily grinned, still unaware of the tense atmosphere around her. She waved at the others. "Bye, everyone!"
Just as Gray was about to turn, Emily stood up from her chair.
"Wait," she said, holding out a small card. "Here's my number. You know… in case you ever want to talk or maybe meet again."
Gray raised an eyebrow slightly but still reached out to take it.
"Thanks," he answered simply.
Chloe also stepped forward. She was smiling so wide as she handed him a similar card with her name printed neatly on it.
"Same for me," she said. "You can text or call me. Whichever you prefer."
"I'll keep that in mind." Gray gave a light chuckle.
Emily and Chloe both nodded, the look on their face immediately showed that they were interested in Gray.
[$7619.45 has been deducted from your balance.]
[Available Balance: $418.61]
'System,' Gray thought, smirking internally. 'Thank you.'