Chapter 18: David Villa
Sara, Elen, Jim and Alan also hear clearly the voice from the other side of the call. Elen and Jim who have met the Manager of Top G Bank several times recognize the voice belongs to David Villa.
"Is this about the payment for the custom made Bugatti?" Silvio asks nonchalantly. He purposely turns the phone on a loud speaker so that Karen's family can listen.
"No, Mr Gesell, I have taken care of that Don't worry." David speaks politely.
"Mr Gesell, this is about your request to buy shares in some factories. I have found two factories for you to look at. Their recent revenue is desirable with increasing market share in their respective products. The share prices are quite low this week. I have collected all the information for you."
" Oh, I see." Silvio glances at Karen's family, who are glaring at him, and he knows they are listening intently.
"In that case, since you are already here, can I trouble you to bring the documents to Gold Restaurant in NY Plaza?" He ends the call.
"Is that Mr Villa? Karen asks, she seems very worried. David Villa thought she was sick as she called in sick this morning. If he comes here and sees her in good condition, he will know she had lied.
Silvio nods.
"Then, I have to go. Don't let him see me here." She prepares to leave.
" Where do you think you are going?"Elen asks, pulling her back. " This matter must be resolved today."
"Come one, mom. Mr Villa is coming here! You have to let me go." Karen begs anxiously.
Elen turns to Silvio, "Does this boy know your manager? Who would believe he could afford to buy factories?"
"Karen, stops causing trouble." Sara pleads, moving to stand in front of her. Both of them had prior agreement to use Silvio to provoke Alan's jealousy but now Karen mysteriously changes. Does Karen want to lose Alan for good?
"Behave yourself!" Sara raises her voice. "If you apologize to Alan, then he will forgive you." She tries her best to smooth things over.
"Don't get involved, Sara." Karen says, extremely unhappy with her cousin for constantly ruining her plan. "I made it clear. I love Silvio, not Alan!"
Sara has no idea what's wrong with her cousin.
"Silvio!" Sara turns to Silvio angrily. "How did you do it? Did you hypnotize my cousin? Do you think you are good enough for Karen? Don't you care about her future? Promise me now you will end your relationship with him!"
Sara had no problem ordering Silvio as she usually does.
Usually, Silvio let Sara wins, but this time he couldn't do it. With Karen's parents treating him badly, he has no intention of giving in to them. Karen is a gold digger, and he doesn't care much about fulfilling the promise to her, but her parents' bad treatment had made him determined to avenge them by keeping Karen as his woman. Her physical appearance and brain are just bonus.
He turns deaf ears to Sara's words.
"She is mine. I don't let people take my properties." He says with a strong conviction, making Karen slightly blushed.
She raises her hand to slap his face. She had slapped him in the last and she had no problem doing it now.
But now, Silvio catches himer hand.
"Let me go, you loser!" Sara didn't expect him to go against her. She shakes her hand furiously but she can't dislodge him.
She is very angry that she raises another hand to slap him but he easily catches that too.
"Let go!" She cries hysterically, both embarrassed and angry.
"Help! He is a molester!" While he is distracted, Sara bites his hand. Silvio yells and lets her go. A circle of teeth mark has appeared on his palm where she had bitten him. But his skin is too thick for her harmless teeth.
"Did you enjoy my bite?" She taunts him while breathing hard.
Karen rushes to Silvio's side and examines the bite mark with a pained expression.
"That's Mr Villa!" Her smile fades away as David Villa walks in to the restaurant.
"What? Where? Oh, my god! It's really him!" Elen exclaims in shock.
The whole family begins to panic, as they know how much trouble Karen would be in if she is caught lying about being sick.
"Karen, what are you standing here? Hurry up and hide. Your mnaiis here."
Silvio tries to calm them down, " There's no need for her to hide."
Elen scolds angrily, "No need to hide? My daughter could lose out on her promotion. Not that you care!"
"It's too late. Mr Villa is already here." Sara says with her eyes wide open.
"Mr Gesell." David calls Silvio as he walks over, surprised to see Karen there.
"Ms Swift. Didn't you call in sick this morning?"
Having been caught, Karen doesn't know how to defend herself. She simply nervously lowers her head, and stand silently beside Silvio.
"Forgive me. We have met before, Mr Villa. I am Karen's mother." Elen says with a bit mumbling. "Karen was really sick this morning but I dragged her out to help me do shopping. It's not her idea, and she is still not well."
Jim adds, "Yes, Karen was really sick last night. Sha had a cold, and then she vomited, and she had a fever."
Even Sara adds, "We are actually just back from the hospital with her."
Everyone makes excuse for Karen.
"Oh." David Villa raises his eyebrows, "What a supportive family. So, Karen was sick, your whole family took her to the hospital, then you all decided to go shopping. So, which hospital did you take her to?"
They look at each other, not sure what to answer.
In panic, they answer simultaneously,
"New York General Hospital."
"South Rock Hospital."
"Saint Johnson Hospital."
"Glenmarie Private Hospital."
David probes sarcastically, "Amazing. She just had a cold but she needed to go to four different hospitals?"
"Er, well. Mr Villa, actually.." Elen tries to recover from their mistake.
"There is no need to explain. I already know what's going on here." David refuses to listen to their excuses.
Elen's heart sinks, and everyone looks worried.
"Mr Villa." Silvio interjects.
"Yes, Mr Gesell." David's attitude changes totally when he speaks to Silvio.
"I just need some company. And I asked Ms Swift to come for a stroll around the city." " I apologize. I hadn't realize this would violate your rules."
David Villa is dumbstruck. He isn't sure what Silvio meant. Karen has been standing beside Silvio the whole time, and hasn't spoken up.
"Well, if that's the case, then I am sure, that this was just a misunderstanding." David smiles awkwardly. He looks over at the pale Karen and asks, "Ms Swift, are you feeling better? I'm happy to see you taking a good care of our most important client. I hope you will continue to work hard, and I am sure you have a bright future."
Everyone gapes in shock. They don't understand what's going on.
Silvio, the loser, had explained it all away with just a few sentences. Why the most powerful man in Top G Bank being so deferential to a poor student?
"Mr Gesell. Please take a sit. I have details on those two companies with criterias you asked. Why don't you take a look? According to my estimate, their share should cost 80 million each.
Karen's family stares in shock. If Silvio says he wants to buy a company worth 80 million dollar, they would laugh but it had been David Villa who had said it.
Elen gasps when she thinks about it. "Could it be Silvio has a lot of money?"
Silvio carefully flips through the pages of the information David Villa has provided.
"Since these two factories are in New York, then why don't we go and take a look?"
"Absolutely, that's an excellent idea." David says, gesturing towards the main entrance.
Silvio stands up and gives cue to Karen, "We have works to do. You should be healthy enough to follow, right?"
" Understood, Mr Gesell." Karen says, smiling. She has almost forgotten that Silvio was supposed to help her to get rid of Alan.
Silvio walks out of the mall, with David Villa and Karen.
Sara, Jim, Alan and Elen quietly follow them outside. No one is more shocked than Sara who had known Silvio since her first year of university.
Silvio is leaving the main entrance, while chattywith David Villa, while Karen silently walks behind them.
When they reach his car, it is surrounded. Some people are taking pictures with their phones, while others are video chatting. A few are doing live broadcast.
"Mom. Look, it's a Bugatti!" Someone says, "And it's a top model!"
"There's a Bugatti parking at NY Plaza!"
Silvio frowns as he walks towards the crowd. Everyone wants to look at the Bugatti and nobody is willing to let Silvio pass.
"Please move aside." He always loudly. "We are leaving!"
"Then, leave. Who's stopping you?" A woman scolds Silvio, annoyed at him. "If you guys don't move out of the way, how can I drive my car?"
Silvio asks, causing everyone to busrat out laughing.
"What? Are you trying to say the Bugatti is yours?" A man looks at him mockingly.
Then, a woman turns her phone towards Silvio, " Babe, look. This guy actually said that Bugatti is his. Isn't that funny? If he drives that Bugatti, then I fly spaceship!"
" How come that luxurious car belong to him?" Another man says.
"Look at what he is wearing. He'd be lucky to have a bicycle, and he claims to own a Bugatti. It's hilarious!"
Everyone ia pointing at Silvio and sneering at him.
He shakes his head helplessly. "Whirwind, activate!" He shouts.
"That guy is definitely mad. Why did he shout?"
While everyone is mocking him, the Bugatti slowly backs away. A girl has been leaning against the car as she does a Live broadcast, and now she finds herself falling backwards.
"Rotate in the spot." Silvio shouts. Now, the Bugatti engine starts to roar, as it begins to spin rapidly. Everyone is panic, afraid that the car would hit them, so they run away.
Silvio is left standing there, knowing that he has full control. If the Bugatti doesn't respond as it should, the Bugatti company would be in a lot of trouble.
"Stop!" The car stops. "Open the left door." " Open the right door." " Open the back." The doors open. The rear opens also open.
"Back seat ready." The passenger seat is formed at the back as the rear part folds.
To everyone's amazement, Silvio sits at the driver's seat. David enters the other door while Karen sits at the single seat formed at the back.
"Close all doors."
Then, they drive off.
Sara gazes at the Bugatti, recalling every detail of her interaction with him. She closes her eyes, and tears of regret slips down her cheeks. How did she not realize he was very rich?
Meanwhile, Alan stands there with his mouth wide hanging open as he watches the Bugatti disappearing into the distance.
Jim and Elen hold hands, so excited that their bodies are trembling.