The prize-draw box in the supermarket was all set.
The plump lady boss and her husband in a white coat stood beside it, looking miserable as they waited for Ethan and Chloe to approach.
As the two walked over, the couple put on forced smiles and bowed politely.
“Such a handsome young man!” the lady boss chimed.
“So charming!” her husband agreed, flashing a grin.
“And what a perfect match with this stunning lady!”
Chloe let out a cold laugh and went straight to the shelves, grabbing a pack of cigarettes.
“Ten draws, Ethan.
That’s all we need!”
“No problem,” Ethan said.
Once Chloe had her receipt, he went over to the box and started fishing around inside, both hands moving like he was scooping up koi in a pond.
All eyes were glued to him—including the couple and the curious crowd hovering nearby.
Could he really pull off ten first prizes again?
Ethan worked with practiced motions.
The box rattled as his hands moved and soon, one by one, he handed Chloe ten ping-pong balls.
Chloe checked each one carefully.
As she saw the prize codes, she couldn’t hold back her excitement.
“A thousand, and another thousand, and—bam—another one!”
She shoved the prize balls back at the stunned couple.
The crowd gasped.
The couple squinted at the numbers, and yep—they were all first prize again.
“Pulling one first prize is crazy enough…
but ten?!”
“This guy’s a freakin’ legend!”
“He’s gotta have superpowers!”
The noise around them grew louder.
“Ten grand, four gets taxed, I want my six thousand, thank you!” Chloe barked, holding out her hand with a smirk.
The lady boss looked like she was going to pass out.
Her husband clenched his fists but dared not say a word.
After all, Ethan had just saved that old man’s grandson earlier—one call, and it could be game over for them.
Grinding her teeth, the boss reluctantly handed over the six grand.
Chloe, riding high, tossed out another thousand and waved a hand.
“Ethan, one more round!”
Without skipping a beat, Ethan stepped up again.
The couple quickly tossed ten more balls into the box.
Ethan reached in.
Ten out.
Another full set of first prizes.
Cheers erupted.
Again!
Third round—still all first prize!
He kept going.
Six rounds total.
Each time?
The lady boss and her husband ended up handing over sixty grand.
Still not enough.
Chloe’s eyes gleamed.
“Ethan, keep it comin’!”
By this point, the couple finally realized—this feisty girl was out for revenge.
She didn’t just want money.
She wanted to bury them.
After exchanging a frantic glance, the couple suddenly dropped to their knees in unison.
“Miss, please! If you keep going, we’ll be ruined. Totally destroyed. We’re begging you! Show mercy…”
Chloe folded her arms, grinning smugly.
“Didn’t look so humble earlier, did you?”
“No, no, we were wrong!” the pair nodded frantically, practically groveling.
“No more trying to strong-arm me?”
“No more!
We swear!
We wouldn’t dare!””Now that’s more like it!” Chloe grinned and glanced at Ethan, “Buddy, anything else you’d like to add?”
The shop owner and his wife immediately turned their pleading eyes to Ethan.
Ethan gave them a hesitant look, sighed, and said, “Before we go, I’ve got one last request.”
“Sure! Anything!” They nodded eagerly, almost bowing.
He nodded slowly.
“I just… want to draw one more prize.”
Thump!
The owner’s wife dropped to her knees and banged her head on the floor.
“Please, handsome, you can touch anything—just not the prize box! Hell, touch me if you want, just not the box!”
Ethan and Chloe burst out laughing, then strolled off, pockets and hands full of cash.
…
Vroom!
With a roar of the sports car’s engine, Chloe hit the gas and once again gave Ethan a taste of speed and adrenaline.
She was all smiles, clearly in a great mood, and suddenly tossed a bag stuffed with cash onto Ethan’s lap.
“Here. Take it!”
Ethan looked down at the bag, then at Chloe.
“What’s this supposed to mean?”
“That’s your cut—those few grand are all yours,” she replied without hesitation.
He picked up the bag and dropped it back onto Chloe’s lap, taking the chance to admire her flawless, fair skin.
“You fronted the cash. Naturally, it’s all yours.”
Chloe rolled her eyes.
“Don’t argue.
I said it’s yours, so take it.
Today’s win?
All thanks to you.
Heck, without you, I might not even be alive right now.”
“That’s not the same.” Ethan’s tone was serious.
“Chloe, sure, I need money, but I’m not about to lose my head over it.”
Chloe could already tell Ethan wasn’t the greedy type, and she smiled appreciatively.
“That’s what I like about you. You’re not in it for the money. The prize draws? All you. So of course the money belongs to you.”
She had originally wanted to say she didn’t care about the money, but thought better of it—not wanting to hurt his pride.
So instead, she kept the focus on the draw.
Ethan still shook his head.
“But it was your money to begin with.”
“And without you, would I have made this much?”
“Nope.”
“Then it’s ours, right?”
“Suppose so.”
“Then let’s split it.” Chloe picked up the bag again and dumped it back on Ethan’s lap.
“We drew seven times.
The first time, you got ten first prizes and one second prize.
Total haul: 42,500 bucks.
Fair?”
“Works for me!” Ethan nodded.
Turning her down now would just look pretentious.
He unzipped the bag, pulled out twenty grand, and dropped the rest back on her lap with the bag.
Man, making money felt good.
Holding those stacks of crisp cash, there was this satisfying weight in his hands—it was the most he’d ever made in one go, and it felt amazing.
“So, Ethan—got any plans next?” Chloe tossed the bag into the back seat space and looked over at him with a grin.Ethan glanced toward Cloudshore.
“I still gotta get to work at Carewell Pharmacy.
If it’s on your way, can you drop me off?”
“No problem.” Chloe nodded.
“You’re working part-time there?”
“Yeah. Still a student, so I’m stuck doing the grunt work.” Ethan figured things would change soon enough with his new X-ray Vision.
“How much do they pay?”
“About 2,400 a month.”
“What?” Chloe’s eyes went wide.
“That’s it? In Cloudshore, really?”
That wasn’t even enough to cover her daily expenses.
“I’m not on contract. For a part-time gig, it’s not bad.” Ethan shrugged.
“No way!” Chloe frowned.
“Ethan, let me hook you up with a job at the real Carewell office.
It pays at least 20k a month, comes with benefits, plus an Audi Q5 after three months!”
“Thanks, but I’m good where I am.” Ethan smiled, sounding casual.
Chloe stared at him.
“I seriously don’t get it.
Why settle for 2.4k when you can make 20k?”
“I just like the vibe at my Carewell branch.” The real reason, though, was something he kept to himself—his branch was owned by Donna’s mom.
Rumor had it that Donna would be taking over as CEO after graduation.
No way he was leaving that spot.
He was banking on being in the right place at the right time.
Working alongside his dream girl?
Maybe something even more?
That was the kind of scenario that played on repeat in Ethan’s head.
“Ugh.” Chloe let out a dramatic sigh.
“I don’t get you, Ethan.
Whatever, we’ll talk about it later.
Hey, can you come with me to visit a friend at the hospital?”
“Sure thing,” Ethan agreed right away.
He still needed that ride to Carewell.
“Who are we seeing?”
“Just a neighbor from back in the day. We grew up together in the same villa complex,” Chloe said with a smile.
That made Ethan laugh.
“Ah, one of those grew-up-naked-together type besties?”
Chloe shot him a look.
“Come on, you really think two girls ran around butt-naked all the time?”
“I didn’t mean it like that—just saying you two were super close, probably did everything together…”
“What now?”
“I mean…
you were basically inseparable, like sisters…
or maybe even closer.”
“What?!”
Ethan was digging himself deeper.
He looked at Chloe’s increasingly annoyed face and finally gave up.
“Okay, forget it. I messed up. Just hit me already, get it over with.”