Chapter 16: The French Restaurant
"Mr. Sanderson, I was wrong. I shouldn't have looked down on you," the receptionist said, gritting her teeth and slapping herself repeatedly across the face. "I was blind! I didn't recognize you. I deserve this." The sound of the slaps echoed across the vast golf course.
Everyone stared, their faces devoid of sympathy. Trevor thought, "What? Can I really do something like that?" He looked confused, but more shocked than anything. He looked at his palm, wondering, "Is this because of my newfound power?"
Moments later, the receptionist's face was red and swollen; blood oozed from her mouth, yet she continued. Trevor's heart sank. He didn't want to push her further, so he intervened. "Forget it. Let bygones be bygones. Just don't make the same mistake again."
"Thank you, Mr. Sanderson. I assure you, that won't happen again," she replied, profusely apologizing until she was breathless and collapsed onto her knees, gasping for air.
Evie nodded, satisfied with Trevor's handling of the situation. Even if he spared the receptionist, she would punish her later.
As a boss, Trevor needed to learn how to assert his authority over his subordinates. With the receptionist punished, the crowd dispersed, returning to their duties.
It was lunchtime. Evie invited Trevor to the manor's finest restaurant. They took a yacht to a lake island on the manor's property. Along the way, Trevor saw two dolphins leap from the water and follow them. Evie, standing on deck, pointed out various attractions he hadn't seen before: sharks in the aquarium, leopards in the zoo, penguins and polar bears in the Arctic club. Trevor was awestruck.
Thirty minutes later, they arrived at the island's French restaurant. Each floor tile cost over a hundred dollars; the restaurant's exquisite décor was undeniable. All the chefs were Michelin three-star rated, using only the freshest ingredients. Even the Charollais beef was air-freighted from France, with only the most tender cuts served. It was arguably the best restaurant in Willard Villa.
Access was restricted to Diamond VIP members. Willard Villa offered four membership levels: Silver, Gold, Diamond, and Supreme. Higher levels granted more perks; only Diamond members could dine at the French restaurant. Even the Silver card, the most basic level, was valuable—worth hundreds of millions of dollars, requiring an annual expenditure of over five million dollars. Gold and Diamond cards required tens of billions in annual spending. The Supreme card was almost mythical; few had ever seen it, with rumors suggesting only one existed.
A single meal cost at least ten thousand dollars, unaffordable to the average person.
"Trevor, when you were struggling, family rules prevented me from treating you well. But today, I'll treat you to a proper lunch!" Evie exclaimed, pulling him to a chair.
Less than ten minutes after ordering, the waiters began serving their elaborate French dishes. Each course was superb, including the famous Charollais steak, presented as a small cut of meat in the center of a large plate, with a rose carved from a carrot.
Trevor was stunned. "Evie, isn't this a bit excessive? The plate is huge, but there's only a tiny piece of meat. I'm sorry, but this won't be enough."
"It's alright. Just order another," Evie replied, smiling as she showed him how to use a knife and fork.
After finishing the first plate, another similarly portioned dish arrived. This pattern continued for over ten courses, leaving Trevor unsatisfied. Finally, he asked, "Evie, do they serve rice? I think only rice will fill me up."