Chapter 3

The more humble he acted, the more Judy's craving for revenge swelled inside her.

"Wait, who said you could go?" Judy called out to Adam, who was about to head back to his seat. "This wine is nothing special. You work here, so you must know which ones are any good. Go order us a few bottles of the good stuff. Luther's treating tonight, and money's no object."

Luther's heart lurched, but seeing Judy's adoring gaze (fake though it was), his male vanity instantly surged. "Right! Money's no object! Adam, go grab the wine list and pick the expensive ones! Let everybody try something nice!"

Adam stopped, turned around, and a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.

"You're sure you want the best?" Adam asked.

"Obviously! Who do you think you're looking down on?" Luther slapped his chest. "As long as this hotel's got it, bring it on!"

"All right." Adam's smile deepened. "The Hyatt Regency's cellar does have a few nice bottles put away."

Since you're offering up your faces for me to slap, I won't hold back.

Adam didn't bother with the wine list; he walked straight out of the private room.

A moment later, he came back in with two uniformed sommeliers. Each carried a wooden box in his hands with the utmost care, as if cradling a fragile, priceless treasure.

"What's this?" Luther eyed the exquisite, old-fashioned boxes, feeling a little uneasy. He didn't know anything about wine, but the packaging looked very high-end to him.

Judy's eyes lit up. "Oh, this looks good. Adam, what kind of wine is it?"

Adam signaled the sommelier to open the box, revealing a bottle inside that had been sealed away for ages. The label was slightly yellowed, but the French lettering on it was still clearly legible.

"A 1945 Romanée-Conti," Adam introduced mildly. "The crown jewel of the Hyatt Regency. Since Luther said he wanted the best, I think only this one is worthy of the beautiful Judy."

The whole room fell silent.

Most of them didn't know the exact price of this wine, but everyone had heard the name Romanée-Conti—the king of red wines.

Luther's expression shifted a little. He swallowed hard and asked, forcing himself to stay calm, "How... how much is this wine?"

Adam smiled and said offhandedly, "It's not expensive."

Hearing the words "not expensive," Luther breathed a sigh of relief. The way he figured it, a bottle of wine at this run-down hotel would cost tens of thousands at most, and he'd brought a card with two hundred grand on it just to show off tonight, so he should be able to cover it.

"Fine! Then open it!" Luther waved his hand grandly.

With a soft pop, the cork came out. A rich, complex aroma instantly filled the whole room—the scent of time, and also the scent of money.

Adam poured Judy a glass himself, his movements as elegant as a nobleman's.

Judy picked up her glass, took a small sip, and closed her eyes in bliss. "Mmm, it really is good. Adam, looks like your time at the hotel wasn't wasted after all—you've got some taste."

"Everyone, don't be shy, have some!" Luther called out to the people at the main table. To show off his generosity, he added to Adam, "Since it's this good, send a bottle over to the other table too! Everybody gets a share!"

Adam raised an eyebrow. "You're sure?"

"What? Afraid I can't pay?" Luther fumed. "Open them! Open them all!"

Adam nodded and gestured to the sommelier behind him.

Soon, two more bottles of top-tier red wine were brought out. Of course, they weren't the 1945 Romanée-Conti—that was one of a kind—but they were still pricey bottles of Lafite and Pétrus.

Besides the wine, Adam very "thoughtfully" added dishes according to their requests.

Premium Australian abalone, Alba white truffles, Iranian Almas caviar...

Whenever Judy casually mentioned something she wanted to eat, or Luther rattled off a dish to brag that he'd tried it, Adam would smile and have the waiter jot it down, then quickly bring it to the table.

The entire Imperial Hall seemed to have turned into a gluttonous feast.

The people at the main table ate until their mouths were greasy and drank until their faces were red. While enjoying the top-notch service and food, they didn't miss a chance to sneer at Adam, who stood off to the side "serving" them.

"Adam, look at you, pouring wine so nicely! If you ever lose your job, you can come be my butler, hahaha!"

"That's right, this caviar really is good. Adam, normally you can only look at it, huh? Here, you can have what's left on this plate."

Adam kept up his professional smile the whole time, only the smile never reached his eyes. He looked at this group making fools of themselves like a pack of clowns in the middle of a wild party.

Every so often he picked up his phone and sent a few messages.

Silas watched from the corner, his heart pounding. He didn't know the exact price, but judging by the quality of the ingredients and the drinks, his gut told him this meal had to cost a fortune. He wanted to pull Adam aside, but Adam stopped him with a look.

Well fed and well drunk, the table held nothing now but scraps and a few empty bottles.

Judy leaned back in her chair, cheeks flushed, let out a burp, and pointed at Adam. "All right, the service was good today. Luther, settle the bill—and don't forget to leave Adam a big tip."

Luther, tongue thick with drink, bellowed with sky-high bravado, "Waiter! The check!"