Suddenly, I Am Rich

”So how’s the food?”

Dinner passed slower than they expected. However, it was not in a bad way.

After the whole money thing earlier, Gray figured things would be awkward if he continued to bring it up. He also didn’t want to send it back after the threat. He knew for sure that Selina wasn’t kidding when she said that.

She not only has the confidence, but she also has the money for it. So he better keep this.

Surprisingly, though, once the food came, things softened for them.

”Oh well, this is really good,” he finally muttered, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

The mushroom truffle pasta was good. Like, surprisingly good. And despite all his previous doubts, Gray found himself halfway through the dish before he even realized he hadn’t said anything in five minutes.

Selina raised a brow like she expected that praise all along.

”I told you.” The corner of her lips rose to the side.

”Alright, you deserve that credit,” Gray said with a small smile.

Across from them, Lily was munching happily on her shrimp risotto. Her lips were now messy from the sauce. She was also quiet, focused entirely on getting every grain of rice off the plate.

Gray’s phone sat beside her plate. It was playing a video at a low volume that wouldn’t distract the other customers.

”So,” Selina leaned on her elbows, twirling a bit of steak on her fork. ”Is Lily always this fun to shop with?”

Gray gave her a look. ”That was fun to you?” he made a face as if he couldn’t believe it.

Lily was his sister, but he got to be honest. It wasn’t fun. Sometimes, it was really boring.

”Well, yeah. She has taste. And she’s decisive. That’s rare in girls her age,” Selina smirked, her tone playful.

”She’s decisive when you’re around,” Gray muttered as he shook his head. ”When it’s just me, she changes her mind every two minutes.”

”Because you don’t know how to hype her up,” Selina replied, stabbing a piece of steak with her fork. ”I told her she looked great in that white cardigan. You just kind of blink and go, ’Yeah, sure.’”

”That’s because everything looks the same to me,” Gray said, exasperated at it. ”You girls argue over whether it’s cream, ivory, or eggshell. It’s white. It’s the same.”

”It’s not just white,” Selina gasped lightly as if she was offended by it. ”You’re impossible.”

”Alright, alright. I’ll just agree to that,” he said as he raised his glass.

Selina smiled sheepishly before also getting her glass.

”Good thing you know.” She took a sip of her water with a small smile.

On the other hand, Lily wiped her mouth with a napkin, her eyes still fixed on the screen. She giggled at something the video played, then looked up and announced, ”This shrimp is really good. Sister Selina, you should try next time.”

”I will,” Selina softly smiled at her.

Gray glanced at them both. Lily had sauce smeared on the sides of her cheeks while Selina was leaning comfortably into the table, clearly enjoying herself.

’Maybe this was a rest after all...’ the thought slipped into his mind as they continued to eat.

- - -

In the same mall, a woman wearing designer clothes was mindlessly walking around. She was looking for restaurants to eat dinner at when her eyes caught the familiar silhouette by the window of a well-known Italian restaurant.

At first, she thought she was imagining it. But then she saw the silhouette of a girl in front of him.

The woman’s stomach twisted—not out of anger, but something else.

It was Gray.

He was sitting in a nice restaurant. Laughing...

With a girl.

Chloe stood by the railing of the second floor of the mall, clutching a small paper bag in one hand. She hadn’t planned on being here long. Just a quick stop before heading home. But seeing that image made her freeze in place.

She squinted her eyes, trying to convince herself it wasn’t what it looked like. Maybe it was just a simple dinner. Maybe it was a business dinner.

Then she saw Lily.

And her stomach sank just a little bit more.

He brought her.

The girl must’ve meant something if he brought his little sister.

Chloe looked away, suddenly feeling awkward. She wasn’t supposed to care this much. They kissed, but there was nothing between them. She didn’t have the right to be upset.

But still... she couldn’t help it.

With a heavy heart, she turned and walked the other way.

- - -

The ride home was quiet, but comfortable.

Gray sat up in front, next to the driver. Selina and Lily, on the other hand, sat in the backseat. Lily was already half-asleep with her head resting on Selina’s shoulder.

The city lights passed by slowly, casting shadows inside the car. No one spoke much. The hum of the engine and the soft music playing from the dashboard were enough.

They pulled into the Rosewood Residences parking lot twenty minutes later.

Selina carefully nudged Lily awake. The girl stirred, then mumbled something about her risotto and blinked herself back to the world.

When Selina’s driver parked the car, the man turned to them.

”We’re here, Miss.”

”Thank you.”

”Thank you, Sir.” Gray thankfully looked at the man before turning around to see that Lily was already awake.

They quickly stepped out of the car, took the elevator, and walked to the familiar hallway to their units.

”Thanks for today,” Selina said, hugging Lily lightly as they reached her door. ”You’re the best shopping partner I’ve had in years.”

Lily beamed. ”You too, Sister Selina!”

Selina’s heart warmed as she saw Lily’s wide smile. How she wished that she wasn’t alone in her family.

For the first time in many years, Selina was able to feel the warmth of being around people. It was different when she was with her friends.

For some reason, she liked this more than that.

Growing up, it was always maids and guards who were with her.

She had her grandfather, but she knew that he was also busy. Still, she was thankful. She had all the things in the world that she could wish for because of him.

The only thing she didn’t have was the simple things. She had no siblings to bicker with, no one to share a meal with at the end of a tiring day. No one to laugh with in the car, just because someone said something silly.

And because of that, she had to grow up fast.

Selina realized early on that she had no one else to rely on but herself. So in a young age, she kept her chin high, learned how to answer adults with grace, and smiled when people praised how ”composed” and ”independent” she was.

They thought it was a good thing.

But it wasn’t.

Sometimes she wondered what it would’ve felt like to be a little less put-together. To be able to cry out of frustration or whine about silly and useless things.

Sometimes, she just wanted to laugh over dinner.

To sit beside someone and not feel like she needed to impress them.

So she was really thankful to Gray and Lily for today.

Today would be a day she wouldn’t forget.

And deep down, she hoped this wouldn’t be the last time.