"I need your help," Rudy said to Maria in a calm voice.


    "Yes?"


    Rudy got closer to Maria and whispered, "I don''t have my ID with me, and as you know, we can''t checkout without ID. So do you think you can do something and help me out?"


    "Umm… even though I use my name or my family name, we still have to follow the casino rules…" Maria said with an awkward smile on her face.


    "Oh…" Rudy sighed with a dejected look on his face.


    ''I guess I will have to use mind control, after all,'' Rudy uttered inwardly.


    Maria raised her brow with a judging look on her face and asked, "Can I ask how you entered the casino without an ID? Surely, they had checked your ID when you entered, right? So why don''t you have your ID with you right now?"


    ''Things got more messy than they should have. But I guess this was bound to happen eventually when I had talked this out with the man at the counter.''


    ''I know this sounds like ame and dumb excuse, but it should work.''


    Rudy turned to Maria and said, "It was in my wallet. But when I went to the washroom for the first time, and when I stood up, my wallet fell into the sink, and I flushed it without noticing. When I went there again, I saw the contents of my wallet floating, but everything was a mess. And my ID got flushed with several other things."


    Maria gave Rudy a weird look as though she didn''tpletely believe him, but regardless of what she thought of Rudy''s reasoning. But she knew Rudy wasn''t a bad guy since he gave her his winnings— although he won using her money.


    Especially when they lived in a world where one could kill another for a few bucks.


    However, Rudy''s kind action was enough to gain Maria''s trust and respect.


    Rudy hadnded a hit on a big shot without realizing it.


    "But let me try what I can do." Maria tapped on the counter to get the man''s attention.


    The man was busy with other customers, so he ignored Maria.


    ".."


    Maria was a little frustrated after that, but she understood why he did that.


    The dealers, the man at the counter, and the manager who sits in the back office had the toughest job in casinos. While the dealer had to supervise the games, the man at the counter had to focus on the customers dealing.


    However, the manager who sits in the office had to supervise everything and also keep their eyes on the dealer and the man at the counter.


    Once the man at the counter had dealt with the other customers, he turned to Maria and Rudy.


    "Yes?" he looked at Rudy and said, "Your ID please."


    "Hey, Carry." Maria called out the man and said, "His wallet got flushed by mistake. And his ID was in it."


    "She knows everyone''s name," Angelica remarked


    ''Of course, she would know everyone''s name!''


    "Oh?" Carry looked at Rudy with an amusing look on his face and said, "No problem. We can open up the sewer for you."


    ''I knew it woulde to this.'' Rudy prepared himself to use mind control on Carry, but Angelica stopped him.


    "Wait for a second," she said and pointed her gaze at Maria.


    "I will take the responsibility of this man," Maria said to Carry. "Give him his cash."


    Carry furrowed his brows at Maria and said, "And who are you to take responsibility?"


    "You know me, I am Maria Ross," Maria uttered with a confused and puzzled look on her face.


    "I know that. But who are you?" Carry asked.


    "You don''t hold any power, or you don''t have any base to use your authority. You are nothing but a little girl," Carry said with an arrogant look on his face.


    ''Oh, you shouldn''t have done that…'' Rudy uttered inwardly with a disappointed look on his face.


    One of the things Rudy hated the most was people looking down on someone for no apparent reason.


    ''If they can''t respect someone, then don''t disrespect them either.'' This was a rule of thumb for Rudy, and he followed that.


    Of course, Rudy didn''t force his motto on others; that was ame thing to do. But it wasn''t as though it was wrong.


    Reba had done an excellent job raising Rudy. Even though she was a single mother, she gave Rudy proper guidance and taught him the rights and wrongs in life.


    Of course, Rudy wasn''t a saint, and he did many wrong things in his past life. But getting mature after living his life as an adult, Rudy could differentiate between right and wrong.


    Maria gritted her teeth and clenched her fist in frustration.


    Rudy felt bad after seeing that because Maria was insulted and disrespected only because he asked her for help.


    Rudy was going to open his mouth to back Maria up, but he had no need to.


    "You are right," Maria said. "You are absolutely right."


    Maria frowned her face and said, "That''s why, I will call my brother."


    After hearing that, Carry''s face turned pale.


    ''He is still here? I Thought he left already!'' Carry panicked.


    "What''s wrong?" Maria smirked and said with a smug look on her face: "Did you see a ghost or something?"


    ''Technically, there is a ghost standing with us…'' Rudy uttered inwardly and smiled at Angelica.


    Carry began sweating after hearing that. He realized he had made a big mistake.


    ''Oh, I love this!'' Rudy shouted inwardly. ''He insulted Maria by saying she had no authority or power, but instead of getting angry over it, Maria showed him his ce by showing her authority.''


    ''But still…'' Rudy looked at Carry and thought, ''If he is freaking out like this, her brother must be someone who holds enough power to scare a casino worker. They are trained well for this type of situation, and still…''


    "There is no need to call Master Rusher. I would be d to help this man out," Carry said in an obedient tone.


    "Master…?" Rudy muttered.


    "Yes." Maria turned to Rudy and uttered, "My brother is the owner of this casino."


    "Of… course…" Rudy said with an awkward smile on his face.


    ===


    Author''s Note- Rudy is probably the only person who can get himself into another trouble while getting out of the other one.