After a fifteen-minute drive through the city streets, our car smoothly pulled up to the gates of Grandview Villa No. 1. Stepping into the grand living room, I was met by a chorus of gasps from all four ladies.
Sophia walked over immediately, gently grabbing my collar and pulling me closer with a playful glint in her eyes. "Why are you looking so much like an absolute eye-candy today, darling?" she asked, her gaze sweeping over my newly sharpened features.
I offered a slightly awkward, reassuring smile. "Well... I’ve been feeling pretty tired over the past few days, so I decided it was time to relax a little and treat myself to a nice body massage and skincare session."
Seraphina walked over next, slipping her arms around my waist. A teasing smile spread across her lips as she murmured, "Love, it looks like tonight you’re the one who needs to prepare yourself. It’s going to be a very wild night."
I swallowed softly, offering an awkward grin. "Okay, dear... I’ll be ready." Then, remembering the shopping bags in my guard’s hands, I smiled. "Hey, I actually picked up a gift for each of you."
Clara crossed her arms, looking at me with affectionate amusement. "I don’t think anything other than having you here can make us happier right now... but go ahead, show us."
I motioned for my shadow guard to bring over the jewelry bags, handing one elegant box to each of them. "Go on, open them."
They untied the ribbons and lifted the lids. The moment they saw the glittering Starlight Edition platinum and diamond earrings inside, their faces beamed with pure happiness. They eagerly tried them on, admiring how they caught the light before turning to show each other, and finally, looking back at me.
"How does it look?" Sophia asked softly, tilting her head.
"It looks perfectly gorgeous on all of you," I replied warmly.
One by one, they stepped close, placing soft, affectionate kisses on my lips. After soaking in the warmth of the moment, I excused myself and headed down the hallway to my private study. Locking the door behind me, I sat down in my executive chair and brought up the system panel in my mind to check my current status:
[System Status Overview]
Host: Julian VanceCharm: 100 / 100 | Physique: 100 / 100Skills: Eyes of Insight | World-Class Business Mind | Grandmaster Combat | Grandmaster Driving & RacingPrimary Assets: 100% Equity in Cosmos Group | Grandview Villa No. 1 | 10 Prime Commercial Storefronts (Grand Galleria) | Fleet of 7 Luxury VehiclesLiquid Cash: $553.12 Billion Stardollars | Net Worth: $810.12 Billion Stardollars | Indulgence Points: 70,000
[Inner Circle Panel]
Seraphina Lin: Destiny Confidante (100% Complete Devotion)Clara Carter: Destiny Confidante (100% Complete Devotion)Dr. Sophia Starling: Inner Circle Member (Relationship Status: Complete Devotion)Belle Young: Inner Circle Member (Relationship Status: Complete Devotion)
Seeing the massive surge in my indulgence points, I mentally asked the system where the 7,000 points had come from. A soft chime echoed in my mind:
Host felt relaxed and happy after teaching that arrogant scum a lesson at the mall, combined with the satisfaction of turning heads and catching people’s attention. Total combined emotional indulgence points: 7,000.
"Fair enough," I muttered to myself. The 50 billion Stardollar cash injection from my previous activities had pushed my liquid balance up smoothly. My mind drifted into thought: at this rate of cash-back and system rewards, I would likely never have to worry about money again. Yet, compared to ancient, multi-trillion-dollar empires like the Harrington or Kensington families in the capital, my current wealth still felt like a small pebble. I still had a long journey ahead of me.
A light knock snapped me out of my thoughts. "Come in," I called out.
The door opened to reveal Maya. I looked at her with a gentle gaze. "What happened, Maya? Do you need something?"
"No, sir... but there is something I wanted to ask you," she replied, her voice slightly timid.
"Have a seat and talk to me. What is it?" I motioned to the chair across the desk.
Maya sat down nervously, clasping her hands together. "Sir... I heard from the other staff members that at the end of this month or the beginning of next month, you’re planning to move our primary base to River City."
"Yes, I am," I replied calmly. "I’m expanding the Cosmos Group’s operations to the capital. Why do you ask?"
"Sir, I—"
Before she could finish, I interrupted gently, "Oh, don’t worry about your position. Your monthly salary, your living expenses, and even your university tuition fees will continue without interruption. And it’s not just you—all the other staff members are staying right here at the villa. They will all retain their jobs and salaries. Since Mr. Lin is staying back to recover comfortably, he didn’t want to make the move either."
Maya shook her head quickly, stopping me mid-sentence. "Sir, that’s not what I meant at all."
I looked at her, completely confused. "Then what is it?"
"Sir, I want to come with you to River City," she declared, her eyes earnest and determined. "I want to repay your kindness, learn how you manage things, and work properly by your side."
I blinked, studying the young student. "What about your college?"
"I’ve already talked to the administration at Radel University," Maya explained eagerly. "I managed to secure an official transfer to complete my final semester at River City’s Kensington University. They even accepted my application, and I’m scheduled to report there on the 5th of next month right after the new semester starts."
I leaned back, resting my chin on my hand. "You’ve already gone ahead and arranged all of that? What if I had declined your request? What would you have done? Where would you live, and how would you find a new job?"
Maya’s shoulders dropped, and she looked down at the floor in profound disappointment.
I let out a soft chuckle. "Be ready with your bags at the end of the month."
Her head shot up, her face lighting up with brilliant, radiant relief. "Thank you so much, sir!" she beamed, before standing up and scurrying happily out of the ground-floor study.
Checking the clock, I saw it was nearly dinner time. I walked out to the kitchen, but finding it empty, I asked a passing maid to round everyone up for the evening meal.
Within minutes, everyone gathered in the grand dining room. We all took our seats, and I settled into the head chair.
As we began eating, Belle looked across the table. "Julian... what was inside those other two shopping bags you brought home earlier?"
I offered her a warm smile. "Love, those were gifts for two of my closest middle-school friends and their wives, since I couldn’t attend their weddings back then."
Clara nodded thoughtfully. "Giving gifts is a wonderful gesture, Julian, but you should really call and talk to them first. Sometimes, just hearing from an old friend is the greatest gift they could want."
I smiled, my heart softening. "You’re right. To be honest, I’m actually quite excited to catch up with both of them tomorrow."
As we continued passing dishes and enjoying the meal, Daisy looked up with a curious tilt of her head. "Papa... why haven’t you seen your friends for so many years?"
My fork paused midway, and my mind instantly went blank. What on earth was I supposed to tell her? How could I explain why I hadn’t attended their weddings, or why I hadn’t answered a single phone call from them for the past eight years?
Right on cue, a quiet system chime echoed in my mind, feeding me the perfect cover story:
Host simply needs to explain that his hair started turning gray early on, meaning he couldn’t waste any time and had to take on strict, grueling tasks to prove his competency for a high family position.
I repeated the exact explanation word-for-word to Daisy and the four ladies around the table. "Well, princess... being born into a powerful family isn’t always easy. I had to undergo strict training and handle heavy responsibilities. But don’t worry—Papa would never force you to go through something like that."
"Yay! Papa is the best!" Daisy cheered, pumping her small fist in the air.
Sophia smiled gently, standing up from her seat. "Come along, Daisy, it’s time to sleep. You have school tomorrow morning, so you need to rest early."
Belle also stood up, walking around the table to press a passionate, lingering kiss onto my lips. "Julian, I have a busy workday at the Young Group tomorrow morning too, so I’m heading off to bed as well."
Clara followed suit, offering a warm kiss before leaning over to Sera with a playful wink. "Enjoy your night tonight, Sera—tomorrow is my turn."
I chuckled, gently picking Sera up into my arms. I carried her all the way upstairs to the master bedroom, locking the heavy wooden door behind us and drawing the blackout curtains tight.
I placed her gently down on the edge of the mattress. Before I could even straighten up, Sera reached out, playfully pinning me down against the pillows.
"Love," she purred softly, her eyes dancing with affection, "you’re looking far too good for me to be patient tonight."
She leaned in close, and our lips met. The rest of the night melted away into a sweet blur of warmth, love, and passion that stretched on for hours.
The next morning, I woke up to find Sera sleeping peacefully beside me. Checking my phone, I saw an urgent text message from my shadow chief: Boss, please come down to the study right away. There is an urgent matter we need to discuss.