Upon arriving at their destination, Rian Sinclair stepped out of the car. Ash Sinclair grabbed their luggage from the trunk, and the two of them stood before the main gates of The Solstice.
Ash stared at the grand letters spelling out *The Solstice* before him, a hint of nervousness creeping in. "Rian, do we really own a place here? Are you sure we won’t get kicked out the moment we walk in?"
Rian composed herself and looked at her goofy younger brother. She patted his back. "Come on, let’s go. Stop staring. You can save your shock for when we get inside."
As Rian walked toward the entrance, Ash followed closely behind. The security guard at the gate recognized the girl who had left not too long ago. He immediately greeted her and respectfully opened the electronic gate.
Rian led Ash inside, but stopped at the security booth as a thought struck her.
"This is my brother. He wasn’t with me earlier. Is it a good time to register his information now?"
"Of course, Miss Sinclair. Please wait a moment, we will register his information right away."
Ash followed the guard through the entire process in a complete daze. Then, they rode a designated golf cart and took the elevator up to the 36th floor. Staring at the front door before him, Ash watched as Rian placed her hand on the sensor. He vaguely remembered placing his own hand on a similar device downstairs earlier.
As the door clicked open, Ash pointed inside with trembling fingers. "Rian, we actually have a house!? And it’s in The Solstice!!"
"That’s right, Ash. Close your mouth before you catch a fly. It’s just The Solstice, isn’t it? Piece of cake!" Looking at her bewildered brother, Rian threw in a casual humblebrag.
Ash rolled his eyes. "Rian, that’s not how you flex. But, honestly? That was a pretty good one! So, does this mean we’re actually homeowners in The Solstice?"
"Yes, exactly. Now shut the door and get in here." Rian glanced back at Ash, who was still rooted to the spot, and ushered him inside.
Hearing this, Ash dragged his suitcase into the apartment, instantly greeted by an incredibly massive living room. He walked through the entire place with trembling legs before returning to the living room. Staring at the surreal luxury around him, he silently pinched his own thigh.
"AHHH! Ow, ow, ow!"
Watching him jump up and down in pain, Rian couldn’t help but laugh. "Ash, calm down. Broaden your horizons!"
Ash turned to her, his face flushed with excitement. "Rian! This is The Solstice! Literally everyone’s dream home! How am I supposed to be calm?!"
After finishing his tour of the first floor, Ash sprinted up to the second floor. Rian sat down on the sofa, listening to his endless string of gasps and exclamations echoing from upstairs. She was thrilled too, of course, but she had already gotten most of it out of her system that morning. She still felt a lingering flutter of excitement, but she managed to keep it suppressed.
Rian knew there was still much more of this kind of wealth to come, so she had to force herself to stay grounded. Becoming filthy rich overnight felt entirely unrealistic, yet the truth was right in front of her. She decided to simply kick back and embrace it! After being dead broke for over a decade, this sudden windfall was absolutely exhilarating.
Eventually, Ash finished his tour and came back down to the first floor.
"Done looking? Pick a room," Rian said, resting her chin on her hand as she looked at him.
"Rian, you take the master bedroom on the second floor. I’ll just take the one on the first floor." Even though the second floor was much nicer, she was a girl and would find it more convenient up there. As a rough-around-the-edges guy who was only enjoying this wealth thanks to his sister, just having a place to sleep was more than enough. He didn’t need to be picky.
Looking at the expression on Ash’s face, Rian got the feeling he would have gladly accepted it even if she told him to sleep in a doghouse.
She glanced at the suitcase in his hands. "Hurry up and put your things away. I’m taking you out for a massive feast."
"Whoa! Long live Rian!" Ash instantly bolted into his room, tossed his suitcase inside, and sprinted right back out.
Rian chuckled, noting that the entire drop-off process had taken less than a minute. "Let’s go. Time for that feast."
"Hell yeah!" Ash cheered.
The two of them left the apartment and headed toward the main gates. Rian mentally calculated the balance in her bank account and decided it was time to buy a car. The distances in this area were just too far to walk. Besides, considering the flashy cars that drove out of places like The Paragon next door, having a nice ride would be a massive status symbol!
Rian already had her driver’s license. She had gotten it early on because she used to work part-time as a designated driver. Ash, however, hadn’t gotten his yet; he wouldn’t have the time until after he finished his college entrance exams.
"Rian, what are we eating?"
Rian scrolled through her phone for a while. It lagged significantly, its old hardware struggling to keep up. Seeing that it was only around half past eleven, she decided they should upgrade their phones first.
"Let’s go to Rivers Mall. I’ll get us both new phones first, we can grab food while we’re there, and then I’ll take you on a shopping spree."
"Rian, maybe we should save our money. I think my current phone is fine. Even though we have a house now, we’re still broke. We need to be frugal, otherwise we won’t even be able to afford the property management fees." Although Ash had listened to her explanations on the way over, he was still highly skeptical of her claim that she had inherited an endless fortune.
Rian smiled at her brother’s furrowed brow. He looked just like a worried little old man. "Don’t worry. The inheritance I received is more than enough for us to wine and dine for the rest of our lives. So, just listen to me and follow my lead. I’m paying for everything today."
Ash beamed at her. Seriously—who wouldn’t love such a generous sister?
Rian hailed a ride on an app, and the car arrived shortly after. She and her brother hopped in, and they headed straight for Rivers Mall.
The trip took only about ten minutes. The closest shopping center to The Solstice happened to be owned by Rivers Corporation. Since Rian hadn’t bought a car yet, taking a taxi was the most convenient option.
After stepping out of the car, the siblings stood gazing up at the massive mall. They had walked through shopping centers before, but that was strictly window-shopping. Things were different now. Today, they were here to spend.
Rian grabbed Ash’s arm and hurried into the building, heading straight for the electronics section on the second floor.
Among the myriad of brands, Rian set her sights on Lumen. Ignoring the Fruit brand store next door, she naturally chose to support a domestic Veridian company.
Watching her charge straight toward the Lumen store, Ash felt a surge of national pride as well. He had a lot of respect for Lumen products, but he also knew nothing in that store came cheap!
Determined to save his sister some money, Ash decided he would pick the cheapest model available. However, Rian stayed right by his side, relentlessly talking him into going for an upgrade.
Soon enough, Ash was completely convinced. She was right! They had money now! They could afford to splurge! If they spent it all, the worst-case scenario was that he’d just get a job and support her! What was the main goal right now? Enjoying the present!
"Let’s go, Rian! Let’s buy!"
Seeing that she had successfully talked him into it, Rian nodded approvingly. As expected of her little brother. Such boldness was no small feat. Not bad at all—he truly had her flair!
Snapping back to reality, Rian pulled Ash straight into the Lumen store. The place was bustling with sales representatives introducing products to customers. Since Lumen was an incredibly popular brand in Veridia, the store was actually a bit short-staffed.
Moreover, because Rian and Ash were decked out entirely in bargain-bin clothes, some of the available sales staff couldn’t be bothered to spare them the time. As a result, the siblings’ entrance caused absolutely no stir.
Rian took in the heavy foot traffic and noticed the slightly disdainful glances from a few of the employees. She understood perfectly well why no one was approaching them. They simply assumed the siblings couldn’t afford anything, so wasting a sales pitch on them was pointless. They would rather just leave the two of them hanging.