The Return of the Cannon Fodder Trillion Heiress - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Chapter 23 Dinner at Golden Dragon Pavilion
“Yeah, those places suit you better,” They echoed Claire’s words.

The commotion at the entrance of Golden Dragon Pavilion had attracted the attention of guests entering and leaving the premises. Some looked annoyed, while others seemed to enjoy the spectacle as if watching a circus animal perform a backflip.

“It’s none of your business where we choose to eat, so just scram,” Athena retorted, her patience wearing thin. She glanced cautiously at Hera, expecting her friend to be in a sour mood after her recent breakup. However, to her surprise, Hera seemed unaffected by the situation, appearing to relish the spectacle unfolding before her, as if she were at a theater performance and only missing a bag of popcorn.

Athena’s lips twitched widely and she could hardly keep her smile.

Instead of feeling relieved, Athena found herself frustrated for worrying needlessly and engaging in a verbal sparring match with these girls just to amuse her friend. ‘Forget it! There’s no point in retaliating. Be patient, Athena! Hera just went through a breakup. Let her enjoy herself. After all, she’s treating you.’ Athena tried to convince herself to remain composed as she watched from the sidelines.

“Miss attendant, what are you waiting for? Call the security if they don’t want to leave on their own!” One of Claire’s friends said.

The attendant hesitated for a moment, wrestling with the decision before ultimately coming to a conclusion. Having navigated the intricate social dynamics of the Golden Dragon Pavilion for years, she understood the importance of catering to powerful clients. Without hesitation, she acquiesced to Claire’s friend’s suggestion and promptly summoned nearby security personnel.

“Guards!”

Within moments, the security personnel arrived at the entrance. As the onlookers discreetly dispersed, Hera maintained her composure and addressed the attendant.

“I have a question,” Hera began, her tone measured.

Observing the attendant’s willingness to engage before taking further action, Hera pressed on. “Given that this establishment is touted as an exclusive members-only restaurant, would we have the option to reserve a room through your website?”

Acknowledging Hera and her friends’ composed demeanor and genuine inquiry, the attendant responded respectfully.

“Miss, to address your question, non-members can indeed view our website, but to book a room, our system requires members to log in to their accounts. Membership information is registered upon issuance of their membership cards, granting exclusive access to room reservations.”

Hera’s smile widened, perplexing the attendant while Claire’s expression soured.

“What’s so amusing?” Claire inquired sharply. “Are you already getting so delusional, knowing you’ll be humiliated once you’re thrown out?”

Ignoring Claire’s taunt, Hera focused on her phone, tapping into her reservation information.

“Why are you kicking out my guests?!” A hoarse voice reverberated from the entrance. The figure strode forward in long, purposeful strides, commanding attention. Hera’s gaze met Rafael’s, his eyes gleaming in the soft glow of the lights. His thick eyebrows furrowed, and his thin, pink lips pressed tightly together, adding to his aura of authority. His jawline, sharp and defined, exuded masculinity, accentuated by the slight triangular shape.

Athena’s sudden, audible gasp jolted Hera back to reality, drawing her attention away from Rafael.

“Isn’t he just delicious?!” Athena’s playful side comment elicited a restrained chuckle from Hera, who, mindful of the circumstance, suppressed a smile and gently nudged Athena, signaling for restraint.

Before long, Rafael’s imposing stature loomed before Hera, his focus entirely on her as if Claire were invisible. “My apologies for the delay. I was tied up in a crucial meeting, causing you to wait,” he stated, his gaze fixed on Hera, silently urging her to follow his lead.

Hera quickly discerned Rafael’s intentions and responded with a warm smile, subtly catching him off guard, though he swiftly regained his composure. “I was just about to inform you of our arrival, but you arrived just in time,” she added, smoothly continuing the conversation.

“Apologies for the inconvenience my oversight has caused,” Rafael apologized earnestly, turning towards the attendant.

In reality, before Rafael intervened, he had instructed his assistant to secure a room immediately. However, it took some time as all rooms were booked. Fortunately, a slot became available through an acquaintance, though it required personal negotiations and favor. This was an exceptional situation, as Rafael rarely sought favors. Only after securing the room did he step in to assist Hera.

“It’s all good.” She looked at Claire and smirked. “Are we good to go now?”

Claire was clearly stunned, she knew the person standing in front of her and was aware of their family’s esteemed status, leaving her with little ground to dispute their authority.

She wanted to throw a snide remark at Hera for seducing a man of Rafael’s caliber, but the fear of provoking his notorious temper held her back. Knowing well the consequences, she opted to bite her tongue and instead shot Hera a venomous glare filled with resentment.

Both Rafael and Hera seemed oblivious to her presence as Rafael advanced to address the attendant. “Is my private room, number 4, prepared?” he inquired.

The attendant was momentarily taken aback by the rapid succession of events, making it difficult for her to react immediately. Nevertheless, maintaining her professionalism, she mustered a smile while swiftly reorganizing her thoughts. Retrieving the reservation details on her tablet for private room 4, she proceeded to confirm the reservation information.

Before proceeding with any other tasks, she offered Hera a profuse apology for her earlier attempt to kick her out. She understood that failing to do so would risk invoking Rafael’s wrath for disrespecting his guest—a situation no one desired to experience. The magnitude of Rafael’s influence in the industry surpassed even that of his father, making it clear that appeasing him took precedence over any potential clash with Claire.

Hera promptly accepted the apology, recognizing that the attendant was likely acting out of necessity as an employee compelled to safeguard her own job. In the hospitality industry, encountering unreasonable customers is all too common, and without intervention from management or the bystander, frontline staff often find themselves in difficult situations.

Observing Hera’s amiable demeanor, the attendant breathed a sigh of relief. Casting a cautious glance at Rafael, who showed no inclination to pursue the issue further, she swiftly gestured for them to follow her inside.

At that moment, their general manager emerged from the outside, perspiring heavily and visibly agitated.

The manager was actually rushing to welcome their sole VVIP member, having been delayed because his assistant had only just noticed the system notification 20 minutes after Hera had completed the reservation process. He hurriedly made his way from a gathering with his friends to attend the VVIP member.

“Were they the ones who reserved Pavilion 1?” he inquired, addressing the attendant who had stepped forward to assist Claire and her group.

Upon hearing this question, everyone, including Hera and her companions who were walking ahead, halted in their tracks and turned around. The regular patrons of the Golden Dragon Pavilion were well aware that Pavilion 1 had never been utilized and had only heard through the grapevine that it was exclusively reserved for the VVIP member.

However, such information had never been disclosed to the public. Speculations ranged from it being the Avery’s Pavilion to rumors suggesting it might belong to the country’s president, but no reliable sources had confirmed the truth thus far.

Without waiting for a response or further investigation, the general manager swiftly intervened, assuming control to assist Claire and her entourage. His excitement got the better of him, causing him to forget to instruct his assistant to verify the reservation details.

Meanwhile, Claire relished the attention drawn to her by this turn of events and made no effort to correct the assumption. Eager to witness Pavilion 1 firsthand, she saw an opportunity to enhance her social standing by boasting about the experience to her circle of friends, perhaps even leveraging it to further advance her status.

You might wonder how Claire could leverage this situation to her advantage. Well, in the Gold Dragon Pavilion, everyone understands the hierarchical status system, where only the apex figure holds the privilege of owning Pavilion 1 and so on, that’s why there are tiers to their memberships.

It’s common knowledge among them, it drives everyone to seek acquaintance with this said individual. Thus, if Claire manages to dine in Pavilion 1, it implies she possesses information about this elusive figure, potentially granting them leverage in social circles.

Athena nudged Hera playfully, and they exchanged a knowing glance, sharing a smile. Cindy trailed behind them, her gaze fixed downward. Despite her eagerness to take the lead earlier, Hera had discreetly held her back and gestured for her to stay behind. The reason for Hera’s actions remained a mystery to Cindy as well.

She could have put those girls into place if she stepped up but Hera refrained her from doing so.

Rafael displayed disinterest in the unfolding events, lacking the motivation to delve into Claire’s affairs even if it meant knowing a great connection. Following Mary, they proceeded to private room 4. After settling in, Hera took a moment to cancel her reservation for Pavilion 1. She made sure to include a note explaining the reason for the cancellation.

[Note: Lost my appetite after Claire White disrespected me. Will not be returning.]

Athena giggled mischievously as she read the note.

They eagerly anticipated witnessing Claire’s embarrassment when the general manager discovered his mistake in serving the wrong person.