Chapter 52

Chapter52 You Want Me To Pay By Card Or Cash

Marissa sized up Bernie with a clinical eye, barely noticing the chaos around her.

Bernie caught her staring and figured she was interested in him. It set his heart racing like a jackrabbit.

He jutted his chin at her, flaunting what he thought was a killer jawline.

"Bernie!" Rosie hissed, pinching his side with all her might, her voice sharp as a tack.

"Ow, damn it!" Bernie winced and shot her a scowl."You've lost your mind or what?" he snapped, his annoyance with Rosie growing.

Rosie wasn't blind to his sudden attitude shift. He was losing interest in her and had fallen for another woman.

Rosie bit down hard, her jaw tight, then forced a sweet, submissive smile. Her hand slid along Bernie's side, suggestive and sly, as she leaned in and purred, "Honey..."

She knew she still had to wrap him around her finger since she had not yet won the heart of the man she had a crush on.

Bernie's mind flicked back to their steamy moments together, a smirk tugging at his lips.

He shot Marissa a sour look, his tone dripping with contempt. "Who do you think you are, strutting in here demanding to see the security tapes?Someone saw you crash into that display case.You really gonna play dumb?"

"Two peas in a pod," Marissa thought,letting out a sneer.

No wonder Bernie and Rosie were drawn to each other like magnets.

"Miss, you got the cash to cover this?" Rosie asked, her pretty face all doe-eyed concern as she tugged at Bernie's sleeve, faking a plea for Marissa."Bernie, maybe we could..."

"No need to make a fuss," Marissa cut in, brushing off Rosie's crocodile tears.

Rosie's face fell, her mind racing. Had she pegged this woman wrong? Did this woman actually have the money to cover the loss?

Rosie's teeth ground together, her frustration bubbling und er the surface. "I doubt she has the money," a bystander muttered.

"See that jacket she's rocking? If it's legit, a million bucks is chump change for her," another whispered.

"That guy next to her-sugar daddy vibes.He looks familiar. I've seen him somewhere," someone else chimed in.

"That waitress knows her or something? She's trying to help, but this lady's not having it."

"With a sugar daddy, who's sweating a few grand?"

The crowd murmured among themselves, each tossing in their hot take.

Bernie's eyes scanned Marissa's face, lingering a bit too long before he scoffed, "Show some respect, and I might cut you a deal-just the original price, no extra fees."

Extra fees? Marissa's brow twitched.

"Mr. Alvarez, it wasn't her!" the waitress blurted,finally steadying her nerves, sticking up for Marissa and herself. "Someone else bumped into us!"

She wasn't about to take the fall for nothing.

"Zip it!" Bernie snapped, his glare sharp enough to cut glass. "I'll deal with you later." "I..." The waitress opened her mouth to retort, but a sharp signal from the head waiter made her snap it shut.

Her eyes tracked his retreating figure, wondering if he was off to fetch someone superior.

Rosie,meanwhile,wvas frustrated with Bernie.

Why was he offering Marissa not to pay the extra fees?

"You want me to pay by card or cash?" Marissa asked coolly, her gaze darting to another display case. She recalled a plate there that matched the broken one-a perfect set.

She wanted it broken.

Marc was stumped by Marissa's game plan. Still,he did not interfere, ready to step in if her first play failed.

Bernie hadn't expected Marissa to agree to compensate. His face twisted, and he barked at someone to grab the card machine, muttering,"Better hope your card's got enough in it."

Marissa hadn't swung by the Fletcher family villa,so all she had was her phone-no card in sight.

Marc reached for his wallet, ready to whip out his bank card. "Clear the way!" a voice boomed.

A man came rushing over, clearly in a hurry. His round face was flushed, and he was panting so hard that everyone could practically hear his lungs protesting.

Not far off, the head waiter caught the waitress's eye and made a quick hand signal-it meant he'd brought someone important.

The waitress followed his gaze and froze for a moment before her eyes lit up. Jaxton Clarke,the general manager,was here.

He had a reputation for being fair and just-a man who never played favorites.

Bernie also spotted him immediately.

"Mr. Clarke! What are you doing here?" Bernie's expression flipped faster than a coin-gone was his earlier arrogance, replaced with a syrupy smile.

Jaxton wasn't working today, so what brouight him here?

Had someone notified him?

Bernie's eyes darted around the room, scanning every face. One of them must've ratted him out.

If he'd known this would happen, he'd have stayed far away.

It was Rosie's fault.

And then his sharp gaze landed on her.

Rosie caught his glare and felt her temper flare.What was that supposed to mean? Was he really trying to pin this on her?

What a pathetic man! When things went wrong,he pointed the finger at a woman.

"What's that smell on you?" Jaxton waved Bernie away,telling him to stay away.

Jaxton's gesture made Bernie's expression sour.Feeling uneasy, he scented himself. "I don't smell anything out of the ordinary."