After settling his younger brother's hospital bill and the rent he owed Mr Peter, and paying for his taxi fares, Elias now had a total of $310,536.
'Fortunately, my date with Emily is tomorrow,' Elias thought, contemplating his plans. The book signing event would occur on Thursday, the same day as his date with Emily, so he needed to find a way to make her more open to allowing him to spend his money on her.
With his current wealth, he also had to learn about startup investments to impress Emily, remove her doubts, and gain more affection. Though he felt a pang of guilt for using her this way, he quickly dismissed it. After all, he intended to use his wealth to give her everything money could buy and then find a way to break up with her in the most efficient manner.
"But first, I need to find a hotel to stay in," Elias muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket to search for the nearest hotel.
Mellow Hill Hotel!
After ensuring that it was the cheapest hotel he could find, he decided to walk there rather than take a taxi towards the location. He wanted to build a habit of living frugally. After that, he would search for an apartment to rent.
….
"Oh, this old thing? It was simply a gift given to me by one of my wealthy friends," Sofia said with a giggle, twirling in her dress before a mirror. She wore a sparkling red off-shoulder gown and star-shaped earrings filled with beautiful milky gemstones - all of which Elias had bought for her earlier today.
After snapping out of realising the enormous wealth Elias now possessed, she immediately tried out each outfit, sometimes walking as a fashion model or celebrity at a glamorous red carpet event. It was an exhilarating moment, even if it was all in her mind.
She swiftly changed into another attire, a white feathered-trimmed gown with puffy sleeve edges and golden Dionysis Embroidered Velvet Sandals. After this, she continuously changed her attire until fatigue settled in.
She sloped down at the side of her bed, surrounded by piles of clothes. She stared at the ceiling as a weighing thought crept into her mind. Even if Elias had assured her that he would always be the same person he was previously, she couldn't help but doubt his words.
It wasn't that she didn't trust him, but it was hard for someone with such an astronomical amount of wealth currently in his possession that would enable him to spend $112,995 in a day without a second thought to remain the same.
'No! He wouldn't change. Elias isn't that kind of man that would simply change over something like this,' Sofia thought, her confidence in Elias growing as she held his words closely to her heart. She felt the need to trust Elias more than doubting him and doing something that might create issues between them in the future.
"Uahh!" Suddenly, Sofia screamed silently, swiftly suppressing it under her pillow. Her heart raced as she continued to think about Elias. Now that he was alone with his junior brother, she was sure he would become lonely, so she needed to make it her task to watch over Elias so he didn't get into trouble.
She also needed time to understand this raging emotion in her heart and ensure it wasn't just a fleeting emotion.
…..
Elias wiped his sweat away before looking around to ensure he arrived at the designated location. Sighing tiredly as he spotted the Millow Hill Hotel sign at the corner of the street, Elias proceeded to cross the street and walk towards it.
"COME BACK, HERE, YOU THIEF!!" a feminine voice resonated in the air, accompanied by the intense sound of a moving vehicle.
Vroom!! Vroom!!
Along with a few passersby around him, Elias turned his head to the side and focused on the source of the sudden commotion.
It was none other than a young woman appearing to be in her early twenties, dressed in ripped jeans, a red blouse, and sneakers to match her attire. A camera hung over her neck, a massive backpack on her back, and a language beside her. It only took Elias a second to understand that the woman wasn't from around here.
However, at this moment, she was running after a taxi, which was slowly gaining momentum with speed until it zoomed off into the other side of the road.
Witnessing this scene, Elias shook his head in pity, understanding that she had just had a terrible experience. He turned around, minding his business, walking towards the hotel before immediately halting his steps.
Wait a minute? Wasn't this a money-making opportunity?
Even if he knew he couldn't get a stranger's affection quickly, it was still better to plant a seed. After all, a one per cent increase was still better than nothing.
After ensuring his attire was appropriate, Elias walked in the woman's direction.
"Hello, you appear to be facing some kind of issue. Is there any way I can help?" Elias asked, approaching her.
The woman, now seated on the bare concrete and thrashing her legs angrily, immediately fell silent and turned to him with a scrutinising gaze before sighing. Standing up, she explained, "That taxi stole my purse. I paid him enough money to tour the city and take me to the cheapest hotel in the area. But just as I was about to pay him, he snatched my purse and drove away. Even when I was screaming, nobody tried to stop him. Ah… I don't know what I'm going to do now."
The money she had planned to use to rent a place was gone, leaving her frantic about what to do next. She had recently become a travel blogger, moving from one place to another and recording her experiences to post online for her fans.
However, her phone had died from taking multiple videos and live streaming throughout the day. With no way to contact anyone, she explained her current dilemma to the unknown man, hoping he would be a good Samaritan.
If he turned out to be a creep, she had already marked the nearest police station and was ready to defend herself if necessary.