Just as Ballard was about to remove the perfume bottle from Trevor's backpack, he noticed something else nearby—a familiar object. He picked it up and examined it closely. The moment he recognized it, his hands trembled with fear.
It was the Sanderson family crest: a dark gold badge shaped like a redbud flower. Luckily, he had seen it once before and remembered the symbol.
The Sanderson family, dating back to medieval times, was shrouded in mystery. Their wealth and power were unimaginable. Their company, Sanderson Profumeria, already boasted a market value of five hundred billion dollars, making it one of Jork's largest enterprises. However, this represented only a fraction of the family's total assets.
"Is is this young man a Sanderson?" Ballard murmured, his gaze fixed on Trevor.
Trevor's surname was indeed Sanderson, and the family crest was in his possession. He was clearly a member of the family. Every important family member possessed such a badge; one word from Trevor could determine Ballard's fate. Furthermore, the luxury store itself belonged to the Sandersons. Taking something from a family-owned store hardly constituted theft. He had every right to do so.
Dennis, still eager to see Trevor humiliated, saw the change in Ballard's expression and assumed the perfume bottle had been found. "Manager Turner, you found it, right? Like I said, he's a thief" he declared proudly.
"Damn you! How dare you slander Mr. Sanderson? Security, throw him out!" Ballard roared, slapping Dennis across the face.
Tears streamed down Dennis's cheek, his misery evident. "Security! Get this bastard out of here and don't let him back! He's banned from this store!" Ballard shouted hysterically.
The store's occupants were stunned. They expected Trevor's humiliation, not Dennis's. "Manager Turner, why did you hit me?" Dennis asked, bewildered.
Before he could comprehend the situation, security guards dragged him away. Sylvia, seeing this, fled the store.
"Mr. Sanderson, I apologize for the trouble," Ballard said, carefully returning Trevor's belongings to his backpack.
The store assistants were confused. Their usually arrogant manager was suddenly overly polite. Had he forgotten his medication?
While neatly zipping up Trevor's bag, Ballard accidentally broke the zipper, causing him to panic. "Mr. Sanderson, I'm so sorry! I'll compensate you immediately!"
He pulled out ten thousand dollars and offered it to Trevor.
Embarrassed, Trevor protested, "It's fine. It's just an ordinary bag."
"Please accept this. It's my fault. I was careless. Please forgive me." Ballard practically begged, almost kneeling.
Trevor was bewildered. 'Does everyone kneel and beg people to take their money?' he wondered. Finally, he reluctantly accepted the cash.
Exiting the store, his phone rang. It was Bessie, his basketball coach.
"Hello, Trevor! The birthday party's started. When will you arrive?"
"I'll be there soon. I was buying a gift," Trevor replied, hanging up. He rarely attended such parties due to lack of funds. He prioritized saving for school. Now, however, things were different. He had money.
Touching the exquisitely wrapped gift box, he felt a mix of anxiety and anticipation. It was his first expensive gift. 'I wonder if Miss Taylor will like it,' he thought.