CHAPTER 149: LILY’S GOOD NEWS

For the rest of the day, Gray didn’t move from his desk.

The sunlight went from bright to dim across the window of Gray’s office as he spent the rest of the afternoon looking through the supplier documents he’d neglected for the past 2 days.

Fortunately, it was already halfway done when he left it. Still, it took a lot of time, and by the time he finished, his fingers ached from gripping his pen too tightly.

His back felt stiff from leaning forward for hours.

Still, the document was finally in order.

Gray emailed the draft to Joel with a brief note. He slumped back in his chair and let out a breath that had been sitting in his chest since noon.

"Done," he mumbled. "Fucking finally done."

He stayed there for a second longer before dragging himself up from the seat. Marcus had already left for the day. Even the floor of his office was quiet.

Without any choice, he grabbed his bag and just tossed in the last of his things before he finally stepped out of the building.

Just like what he expected, the sky was already dark. Post lights were already turned on, lighting the street. There were also only a number of people walking around, probably those who stayed late just to finish their work.

"Hah... I can’t believe this," Gray shook his head as he waited at the side.

Daniel was already home. Gray had told him to leave on time since he wasn’t sure when he’d finish work. Thankfully, he did that, because it was already 7 in the evening.

Aside from that, he’d received countless messages from Lily for the last hour, asking when he was coming home. He had to reassure her that he was still at work and would be back soon.

He wasn’t sure why, but Lily seemed unusually eager for his return. That little girl must have done something.

’I wonder what it is,’ he thought. He couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Was it a good thing or a bad thing?

He’d soon figure it.

Gray took a cab.

As the cab turned around the corner and approached West Arcadia’s luxury residential zone, Gray caught sight of Rosewood from a distance.

The building rose above the others with dominance. Its sleek glass exterior was lined with soft golden lights that stretched up to its peak. At night, it almost didn’t look real.

Among the other sky-high buildings, towers, and establishments in the area, only Rosewood stood in its full glory at night.

As the cab continued moving forward, the driver gave a low whistle as they turned onto the private access road.

"Wow... this place is somethin’ else."

However, Gray didn’t respond. He was already reaching for his ID in his bag, because he knew what was coming.

Sure enough, the cab barely made it a hundred meters into the drive before they were flagged down.

A pair of security staff in dark uniforms approached the cab from either side. One checked the plates with a scanner while the other tapped lightly on the window. Gray rolled it down and handed over his ID.

"Good evening, sir. Apologies for the inconvenience. Just routine."

"No problem," Gray said flatly. "I live here."

The guard nodded and gave a brief look at the cab driver, then stepped away to run a check.

Two minutes later, they were waved forward, only to be stopped again at the next gate.

"Sir, verification again, please," the next one said politely.

This time, it wasn’t Gray they were after.

A new pair of guards approached. One for the driver’s side, while the other one walked back near the post with a tablet in hand.

"Evening, sir. May I see your license and operator’s permit?" the guard asked, polite but firm.

"Huh? Oh—yeah, sure. Just a second," the driver muttered, already fishing around the glove compartment. "Didn’t know I’d have to go through two checkpoints in one trip."

"It’s for everyone’s safety," the guard replied neutrally, taking the laminated cards as soon as they were handed over. "Rosewood policy requires validation of all non-registered transport services, especially after dark."

Gray watched the whole exchange from the backseat, one brow raised as the driver scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I get it, I get it," the man muttered, trying to laugh it off.

"Still... this is kind of intense, don’t you think?"

The guard didn’t answer. He walked back to the small booth and started scanning the documents under a mounted camera while the second guard casually circled the cab, checking the plates and glancing inside the trunk.

After another minute, the first guard returned and handed the license back.

"All clear, sir. Please proceed."

The driver briefly nodded. He took his papers back and drove off.

"Jesus," he muttered under his breath as they finally pulled through the gate.

Gray sat back again, resting his arm on the window.

"Sorry for the inconvenience, Sir," he said apologetically.

"No problem," the driver muttered.

After a few more minutes of riding, the car finally stopped in front of the drop-off area.

Gray reached for his bag and wallet, then handed the man his fare with a little extra added to the total.

[$66 has been deducted from your Wealth.]

[$35 for tip has been deducted from your wealth.]

[$3.3 has been refunded.]

"Thanks. Sorry about all that."

"No! No! Not at all, Sir!" The driver answered enthusiastically, gladdened by the tip that was given to him. He smiled and dismissively waved his hand.

Gray smiled to him before he stepped out of the cab. He went directly to the entrance and boarded the elevator to his floor.

Gray exhaled, fixing the strap of his bag over his shoulder.

Finally, he was home.

When he stepped into the condo, a familiar voice called out to him immediately.

"Gray!"

Lily popped her head out from the hallway, her hair tied in a loose ponytail. She was already in her pajamas and had a wide grin was plastered on her face.

"Welcome home!" she beamed.

Despite how drained he was, Gray couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

"Hey," he said, his voice automatically softening. He dropped his keys in the bowl by the door and took off his shoes.

"Why are you still up?"

"Of course! I was waiting for you."

Gray narrowed his eyes the moment he saw that mischievous grin tugging at the corner of Lily’s lips. She was bouncing a little too much.

That was never a good sign.

He slipped off his shoes and set his bag down by the couch, all while keeping a suspicious eye on her.

"What did you do?" he asked bluntly, his tone somewhere between tired and playfully.

Lily giggled, clearly unfazed. "Nothing bad!"

"That’s what someone who did something bad would say."

She laughed harder at that. "Just wait!"

Before Gray could ask again, she dashed off to her room and came back a moment later, holding something behind her back. When she returned, she stood in front of him, barely able to contain her excitement.

"Here!" she declared, presenting a glossy, neatly folded paper with both hands.

Gray blinked and took it. The paper had sparkles on the border and cartoon stars scattered all over the design. It was an official school invitation, written in playful oversized fonts with all the details printed clearly in the middle.

His brows lifted as he read the words.

Starlight Elementary Presents: A Night of Lights and Dreams

Featuring performances from our very own students.

October 15, 6:00 PM | Starlight Gymnasium

"...Huh." Gray stared at it. "A school play?"

"Yup!" Lily beamed. "I got selected to sing, brother!"

Gray’s eyes lifted from the invitation and met hers. There was so much pride in her expression that it made something warm and heavy sit in his chest.

"You did?"

She nodded, hands clasped together behind her back. "You remember when I said our teacher asked me to sing for a talent show?"

"Yes..." Gray vaguely remembered it.

"They picked me! I’m going to sing in front of everyone!" Lily excitedly exclaimed. "I want you and Sister Selina to watch me, brother!"