The persistent ringing of his phone dragged Eric out of a heavy sleep.
He blinked several times, trying to understand where he was, until he realized he had fallen asleep on top of his laptop.
He had nearly crushed it.
The name on the screen—Mr. Foster—made his stomach drop.
His boss.
Furious, no doubt.
And with reason: it was the second day in a row Eric had simply not shown up for work.
At any other point in his life, he would've answered. Apologized. Made up some excuse—an illness, anything—to protect the miserable job that kept him afloat.
But now…
Now he didn't have time.
There was over a million euros in gold hidden inside a crooked wardrobe that barely even closed.
The phone kept ringing.
Eric declined the call.
The silence that followed felt almost liberating.
He sat up slowly, every muscle protesting. He had spent hours biking across the city collecting coins, and even though he had managed a few hours of sleep, his body was exhausted.
And his mind?
A storm.
He looked around.
Cracked walls, stained with mold.
A broken wardrobe—
And inside it, enough gold to buy an entire building.
The contradiction made him laugh.
He walked toward the mirror.
He looked terrible.
Dark circles under his eyes. Messy hair. A drained expression.
"When this is over, I'm spending a week at a resort," he muttered.
He had never had the money for that. Always wondered what it would be like.
And there was a resort near the convenience store where he worked…
He froze.
The idea hit him like lightning.
"That place… that exact place… is perfect."
The resort attracted wealthy people.
Lawyers.
Businessmen.
People with connections.
But that wasn't even the most important part.
It was the kind of environment that demanded respect—
Especially from someone like Foster.
And men like Foster only respected two things:
Money.
And lawyers.
Eric smiled.
A purposeful smile.
"Then I'll hire one."
He grabbed a few gold coins, placed them into a bag, and called a taxi.
The taxi drove several kilometers and dropped him near the store where he used to work.
Eric didn't approach it.
Instead, he sat on a bench facing the beach.
The same tourists who once made him feel miserable now gave him a strange sense of calm.
Maybe he was finally stopping comparing himself to the rest of the world.
That's when someone caught his attention.
A blonde woman, dressed in professional clothes—slightly wrinkled—was walking toward him.
Angelic face.
Golden hair.
Blue eyes.
And clearly nervous.
Eric almost choked.
She looked like she had stepped out of a perfume commercial.
Then he remembered the name from the message:
Lucía Herrera — Lawyer.
Eric lightly slapped his own cheek to avoid staring like an idiot.
"You're Lucía Herrera?" he asked. "I thought you'd be older. Don't tell me you just graduated…"
Her face turned red instantly.
So it was true.
Everything clicked.
That's why she was the only young lawyer without a photo in her listing—probably afraid her age would hurt her credibility.
It also explained why she had agreed to meet a stranger with such a strange request on short notice.
"Do you actually know what you're doing?" Eric asked, testing her.
Lucía crossed her arms, offended.
"And do you have the money to hire a lawyer this urgently?"
Eric smiled.
Without a word, he pulled three gold coins from his pocket and placed them in her hand.
The reaction was immediate.
She froze.
"This is… gold? What does this even mean?" she stammered.
"One is for your work," Eric said calmly.
"The second is for the purchase contract you drafted."
"And the third is a bonus for coming here."
Lucía blinked several times, as if trying to wake up.
"Who are you? Are you insane?"
"Possibly," Eric replied, extending his hand. "My documents?"
She quickly opened her bag—almost dropping everything—and pulled out several neatly stapled pages.
Eric skimmed through them.
Then handed them back.
"The document is perfect."
"I wrote exactly what you asked," she said. "But… payment in gold coins? I still don't understand this bizarre preference."
"That doesn't matter," Eric said. "Now you're going into the store and making the offer to my former boss."
Her eyes widened.
"Me? Why would I do that? I only came to deliver the contract."
Eric reached into his pocket again.
Pulled out seven more gold coins.
And placed them in her hand.
"Because starting today…"
"You're my personal lawyer."
Lucía went pale.
She looked at him.
Then at the coins.
Then back at Eric.
"I'll take that as a yes," Eric said with a smile. "Let's go."
In a near hypnotic state, Lucía followed him to the entrance of the store.
The moment they stepped inside, Mr. Foster jumped up from behind the counter, his face red with anger.
"YOU USELESS BRAT! HOW DARE YOU COME BACK HERE—"
Before he could move toward Eric, Lucía stepped in front of him, raising the folder like a shield.
"My client is here to negotiate," she said firmly. "Not to be insulted."
"Client?!" Foster repeated. "Negotiate what?"
Eric stepped forward, calmly adjusting the collar of his black T-shirt.
"I want to buy your store."
Silence.
Exactly three seconds of silence.
And then—
Foster—
The same arrogant, greedy man who had humiliated him for so long—
Started laughing.
A loud, mocking laugh that echoed through the store.
The poor employee he had despised for years…
Was now saying he wanted to buy his shop?
It was absurd.
Ridiculous.
Hilarious.