10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine

61  A Complete Waste Of Time

I parked my car, gripping the steering wheel tightly as I stared at the entrance of the upscale restaurant.

This was the fifth place I'd driven to today and I still hadn't found the stamp holder.

I'd managed to meet two of the women at two of the locations, ruling them out and at the other two locations, the women I'd been searching for were long gone.

This time, I hoped my luck would change.

I'd used their social media account to find out where they were and the fifth woman had posted about being at this restaurant thirty minutes earlier. If she was still here, maybe, just maybe, I'd find her.

I stepped out of the car and made my way to the restaurant. A valet offered to take my keys but I declined, heading straight for the entrance. The moment I entered the lobby, there was a hostess there who greeted me with a warm yet practiced smile fixed on her face.

"Welcome, sir. Do you have a reservation?"

"Yes." I said, giving her my name. I'd called ahead to reserve it and somehow, I'd been able to get a reservation.

This had made me wonder if this was the system rooting for me or coincidence. Or was the universe dangling hope in front of me only to rip it away? After all, the universe was actively gunning against me. Or it would in five years.

And with the way things are going, if I didn't clear this debt now, it would be a miracle if I lasted five years.

The hostess checked her list, nodded, and gestured for me to follow. "Right this way, sir."

I followed her to a table where anywhere I sit, I'd only have half the restaurant in my view.

I sat down and the waiter arrived at my table.

"Can I get you started with anything to drink?" He asked after taking my order.

"Just water for now," I replied.

I scanned the room as she left, my eyes darting from table to table.

The system hadn't given me any message and this meant that if she was here, she wasn't the stamp holder. But even with that, I had to confirm it with my own two eyes.

After a few minutes of craning my neck, I saw her. She was seated with a group of friends, laughing and sipping wine. This confirms it. She wasn't the one.

I leaned back in my chair, sighing. Well, at least I could cross her off the list.

Three women confirmed, two to be confirmed at a later date and one I could still get to today.

The waiter returned with my food and I didn't bother touching it. Instead, I signaled for the bill and paid. I had no reason to still be here. Time waits for no man.

As I stood and grabbed my jacket, a shrill voice from the table behind me stopped me in my tracks.

"Excuse me! Excuse me, sir!"

I turned to see a woman glaring at me, her chair pushed back slightly. She looked livid.

"Yes?" I asked cautiously. What was the matter now?

"You stole my handbag!" She accused me.

"What?" I blinked in surprise. What was she talking about?

"My handbag! It was hanging on my chair, and now it's gone! You must've taken it when you walked past!"

"I didn't take anything." I said calmly. This was just a misunderstanding.

Unfortunately, the woman wasn't listening. She stood, turning to the other diners. "This man is a thief! He stole my handbag!"

The other diners stopped eating, murmuring to themselves. Some of them even pulled out their phones, recording the scene.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. This couldn't be happening.

The restaurant staff rushed over, including the manager, who stepped in between us.

"Ma'am, please calm down." He said with the kind of soothing tone reserved for cats. "Let's not cause a scene."

"This is a reputable establishment!" She snapped. "How could you let someone like him in? He's a thief!"

I crossed my arms, my patience quickly running out. "Check your chair again," I said to her.

"I already did!" She shrieked. "It's not there!"

The manager turned to me. "Sir, do you mind if we check the surveillance footage? It will help clear this up."

"Of course! What are we waiting for?" I replied. Let's clear this up once and for all. I had places to be.

We were escorted to a back office where the manager pulled up the footage. The woman hovered behind him, muttering under her breath about justice and thieves.

As the footage played, we all watched as her handbag slipped off the back of her chair, landing on the floor. Moments later, an oblivious passerby accidentally kicked it under the table.

The room was silent.

The woman's face turned red. "I... I didn't realize..."

The manager turned to me with an apologetic look. "I'm terribly sorry for the misunderstanding, sir. Please allow me to offer you a complimentary meal as an apology."

"No thank you." I declined with a disapproving frown. "I'm leaving."

I left the office without another word, heading back to the dining area. The diners who had been recording lowered their phones, some looking sheepish.

I pushed open the restaurant doors and walked out with a sigh. That had been a complete waste of time.

Back in the parking lot, I checked my phone, scrolling through social media updates from the remaining candidates and my heart skipped a beat when I saw it.

The sixth woman had posted a photo of herself at a nearby sky lounge less than ten minutes ago.

Finally, a break!

I started the car and began driving to the sky lounge, hope rising in my chest. This had to be it.

The universe had a flair for the dramatic, so it had to be saving the best for the last.

The sun had set by the time I arrived at the building. I parked quickly and took the elevator up to the lounge.

The moment the doors opened, the system dinged with a message.

[Stamp Holder Detected.]

I couldn't help the grin that spread across my face.

Jackpot.

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