4. Conned

Liam

"Sorry Sir Liam, I—"

"Hold your sorry to yourself, Dixon. I don't need your help to solve my problems," I hissed out as Dixon approached me outside the guesthouse.

Dixon shifted uncomfortably, his apologetic expression contrasting with my frustration. The last thing I needed was assistance from someone I considered unreliable.

"I was only trying to—"

"I don't care what you were trying to do. Just stay out of my way," I interrupted, not in the mood for explanations or assistance, especially from Dixon.

"You can go on your way."

"What about the accommodation?" I stopped to glare at him.

"Do you think I will stand in front of the road and wait for you? You must be stupid, Dixon. In fact, you're stupid for making me look like a fool seeking help from a stranger," I lamented, recalling the earlier events of finding a place to settle in. At least there are still good people in the world.

I would have to admit she isn't that bad. Her mesmerizing eyes really does the magic that I didn't object when she suggested to give me a tour of the town.

I was about to head inside when I stopped again, finding him a few inches away from me. "Sorry, Sir—"

"Where is the document I asked you to prepare? Or have you also forgotten about it on your way here?" I said.

"Why don't we head inside first," he suggested, his eyes glancing around. There were literally a few people passing by, but I couldn't care less about the eyes of strangers.

My gaze lingered on him for a while before we finally headed inside.

"This looks like a decent place," Dixon commented as we walked past the reception.

"Of course, it has to. For a rent of $5,000, do you expect anything less?" I shot back.

"Wait... Did I hear you say $5,000? For a year?" His voice echoed through my eardrums as I swiped the key to the room.

"No, Dixon, not for a year. For a month. $5,000 for a month."

His eyes widened, and I could almost see the gears turning in his head as he processed the information. "A month? Are you kidding me? What kind of place charges that much for a month?"

I sighed, realizing that explaining the cost to Dixon would only be a waste of time. "It's none of your concern. Just focus on your own matters and don't interfere with mine. I need to prepare for the meeting, and I can't afford any more distractions."

"But, Sir, are you serious about the $5,000? I heard house rents here aren't costly. How did you even get here?" Dixon asked, crashing on the sofa.

"Get your legs down from that table. I'm yet to do house sanitation," I hissed out, my frustration mounting at his casual demeanor.

Dixon seemed unfazed by my irritation, leaving his legs casually sprawled on the table. "Come on, Sir Liam, you can't blame me for being surprised. This town isn't known for such extravagant rents."

I sighed, attempting to maintain my composure. "It's none of your business, Dixon. Just focus on your tasks and stay out of mine."

He raised an eyebrow. "Alright, alright. I won't pry into your mysterious affairs, Sir Liam. But seriously, $5,000? You better be staying in a palace for that price."

"Who was the one supposed to do the job? You literally stood me up on the road. Thank God for a young woman I met who was kind enough to get me down here," I voiced out.

"What are you doing?" I asked, seeing that he sat up.

"I'm coming, Sir Liam. I want to confirm something. I don't believe this apartment can cost $5,000," he said, pressing on his phone.

I didn't fail to let out a hiss. "This is why I said you're stupid. Did I pay from your pocket? Why are you so worried?"

Dixon, still engrossed in his phone, made my words sound like music. "I just find it hard to believe, Sir Liam. It's not like you to spend so recklessly."

"You need to learn when to keep your nose out of things, Dixon. This is my business, not yours."

He finally looked up from his phone, a triumphant smile on his face. "See? I knew it. The average rent here is nowhere near $5,000. You must have been scammed."

"Scammed? You must be kidding me."

"Seriously, Sir Liam, I just confirmed from a trusted source. Isn't this the Roseville District Neighborhood?"

My brows furrowed. I had no idea what the name was; I just followed her lead. "I don't know."

Dixon rubbed his temples and began pacing around the room. I didn't want my curiosity to show, but I found myself asking, "What is going on? How did you know the full details of the house rent?"

"Sir Liam, I might have stumbled upon something unexpected. This Roseville District Neighborhood is known for its affordable rents, and the source I checked with is reliable. It's highly unusual for a place here to charge $5,000."

I frowned. "What are you implying, Dixon?"

He hesitated before answering, "I think you might have been set up. Someone might have taken advantage of your unfamiliarity with the area."

"Explain everything you found, Dixon. I need to understand what's going on."

"So, I cross-checked the details with a local real estate database. The average rent for a place in this neighborhood ranges from $1,000 to $2,000. Now, I don't know who misled you or if there's a misunderstanding, but paying $5,000 for a month here is way beyond the norm."

I listened carefully, a mix of frustration and concern settling in. "Are you certain about this information?"

He nodded emphatically. "I double-checked, Sir Liam. This is not the standard rate for Roseville District. It's possible someone orchestrated this to take advantage of you."

My mind raced as I considered the implications. "But the people earlier..." he trailed off.

"Which people? The young lady that helped you?"

"Yes. Let's head outside. I'm sure he'd be at the reception." I said, reverting back outside.

By the time Dixon and I went outside, we saw a different person. A young man to be precise. "Um... where is the elderly man standing here?" I asked the young man.

His eyes darted from Dixon to me as if he saw a species of humans. "Sorry, Sir, how may I help you?" He finally broke.

"There was this man I met earlier, Mr. Tu...turner. I paid for a rent," I explained.

"Mr. Turner, you said? Mr. Turner hasn't showed up since morning."

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Are you sure? He was here earlier when I paid for the room. He even showed me around. Together with a young lady. Lily Richard."

The young man shook his head. "I've been in contact with Mr. Turner today, and he informed me he wouldn't be showing up today. Had to run some errand which was why I wasn't here earlier. Maybe there's been a misunderstanding. And there's no one named by Lily Richard here."

I exchanged a puzzled look with Dixon. "Can you l check the record of my payment?"

"Your name please." He asked.

"Liam Nero."

The receptionist checked the records. "I'm sorry, Sir, but there's no entry for a payment under the name Liam Nero today."

"This is a freaking joke!" I exclaimed out and headed outside.

"This is absolutely crazy, Dixon. Me, Liam, scammed? No. I'm sure there has to be a mistake somewhere."

Frustration churned within me as I paced back and forth. "This is absolutely insane, Dixon. I can't believe I fell for such a scam."

"Well, I think you were scammed by the young lady that helped you. It is as simple as that," he explained.

At that moment, something struck a chord within my body. Was that why she was hell-bent on helping me? So as to rip me off of my money? I clenched my jaw. "People are crazy in this world, Dixon. It has to be her. She was the only person I interacted with."

"I don't have to think twice about this; she won't get away with it. She and the fake Turner had planned this."

"How are you going to locate her then? Do you know anything about her? Like her physical appearance maybe we could ask the young man."

And that was when realization hit me. I didn't get to see her face. I only asked for her name, which I was sure was also made up. But then again, she told me she lives a few blocks from the house. I spared Dixon a look. "She might think she had gotten a big catch, but I, Liam, will make sure she won't ever try to scam a gentleman. Let's go."