Chapter 7 A Good Wife's Reward

Half an hour later, Caelan drove the Maybach back to his apartment complex—Happy Homes.

It was an older neighborhood from the '90s, with potholed streets and rows of beat-up sedans and rusted cargo vans parked along the curbs.

"Whoa, now that's a ride! Whose relative struck it rich?"

The moment the car stopped, a voice called out from outside. It was Stanley Wilson, who lived on the first floor.

Caelan shut off the engine, pulled out the key, and stepped out with a grin. "Evening, Stanley!"

"C-Caelan?" Stanley's eyes went wide. He circled the car twice, clicking his tongue in amazement. "Bro, what's this? You driving for some big boss now?"

"Stanley, your thinking's too small." Caelan flicked the key in his hand, looking utterly at ease. "Driver? Please. A rich lady gave it to me. Said I'm not cut out for hard work — I'm better off being someone's kept man."

With that, he hummed a tune and headed upstairs.

"Damn…" Stanley scratched his thinning hair and muttered after a long pause, "So being good-looking just makes life that easy, huh?!"

…

The moment Caelan opened the front door, the aroma of home-cooked food greeted him.

"Daddy!"

A small figure rushed forward and wrapped herself around his leg.

Caelan bent down, scooped his daughter up, and spun her in the air. "Mira, were you a good girl at kindergarten today?"

"I was!" Mira Vesper wrapped her arms around his neck, her voice sweet and indignant. "But Tom from the class next door said Superman isn't real. I beat him until he cried. Does that count as being good?"

Caelan burst out laughing and pinched her chubby cheek. "It does. Standing up for the truth deserves praise."

"Caelan, you're going to spoil her!"

Serena's voice drifted from the kitchen, half-scolding, half-amused.

She walked out carrying two dishes, wearing a bear-print apron tied around her waist. Her hair was loosely pinned up, a few strands falling by her ears. Barefaced and natural, she looked far more beautiful in this domestic moment than Naomi ever did, dripping in luxury.

"Wash your hands. Dinner's ready!"

She set the dishes down, her gaze lingering on Caelan, hesitant.

After washing up, Caelan sat at the table and took a bite of ribs. "Not bad. Perfect timing on the heat."

Serena didn't pick up her fork. She wiped her hands on her apron and finally asked, "So… what happened? Is Orion Vesper really your father? Could there be a mistake?"

Even now, she couldn't believe that the powerful Orion Vesper she'd only seen in the news could actually be her husband's father. It felt surreal.

Caelan said nothing. He reached into his pocket, pulled out the Premier Black Card, and casually tossed it onto the table.

The card slid to a stop in front of her.

"What's this?" Serena picked it up, examining it. It was entirely black, with only a single gold-embossed "Vesper" on it—no numbers, nothing else.

"A souvenir?" She turned it over twice, frowning. "Did you get this off Amazon? One of those cheap prop cards?"

"Serena, I may joke around, but can you trust me a little when it comes to something serious?" He pointed at the card. "That's the Vesper Group's Premier Black Card. With that card, all expenses are covered across their properties. It also comes with a ten-million credit limit."

Ten million?!

Serena's fork slipped from her hand as if she'd been burned.

"H-How much?"

"Ten million," Caelan repeated lightly, as if it were nothing more than ten bucks.

"Caelan, return it." Her voice trembled. "We can't take this money. The wealthy world is too complicated—we can't handle it. I just want a peaceful life. I don't want you getting dragged into all that."

She'd seen enough dramas. Power struggles, inheritance wars—none of them ended well. She would rather he remained an ordinary man than risk everything for money.

"Too late."

Caelan pulled out the car key from his other pocket and placed it beside the card.

"I brought a car back too." He nodded toward the window. "It's downstairs. A Maybach S680. It costs over 300 thousand dollars."

Serena shot to her feet and rushed to the balcony. Under the dim streetlight, the sleek black luxury car stood out starkly against the worn surroundings.

She didn't know cars, but she knew one thing—this was not something an ordinary person could afford.

This wasn't a dream. It was real.

Caelan walked over and gently wrapped an arm around her shoulders from behind.

"Serena, I know you're not someone who chases money. Otherwise, you wouldn't have married a poor guy like me back then. But this money… it's not for me."

He took the black card and placed it back into her cold hand, folding her fingers around it tightly.

"This isn't charity. It's compensation. Mira's about to start primary school. Do you really want her growing up in this rundown place with no elevator?"

At the mention of their daughter, Serena's resistance softened.

"But…"

"No 'buts.'" Caelan cut her off, his tone more serious than ever.

"The Vesper family situation is complicated. But since they've come looking for me, I can't just walk away. So why not take what's ours?

"This card is security for you and Mira. She can go to the best schools, learn whatever she wants, and never worry about money again. I'll drive her to school from now on. And you won't have to squeeze onto buses every day."

Every word struck straight at Serena's heart. She could endure hardship herself, but she couldn't bear to let her daughter do the same.

"Are you really sure you can handle this?" she asked quietly.

"Relax." Caelan grinned, slipping back into his usual carefree tone. "Who am I? I'm a professional kept man. Dealing with a few rich folks is a piece of cake!"

"You're impossible!" Serena laughed through tears and lightly punched his chest.

Mira, cheeks stuffed with food, mumbled, "Daddy, are we rich now? Does that make me an heiress?"

"Yes!" Caelan said.

"Yay! Then can I buy that… really expensive Barbie doll?" she asked, eyes shining.

"Yes! In fact, we'll buy the whole store!" Caelan declared grandly.

Serena rolled her eyes and tucked the black card into her wallet. "Just so we're clear—we're not spending recklessly. We still need to live properly."

"Spend when it's needed!" Caelan said, popping a rib into his mouth. "We need to reward mommy for being such a good mommy. Tomorrow's the weekend. Let's go out.

"We'll hit Monte Plaza—get you and Mira some proper clothes.

"And maybe look at a new place. Climbing these stairs every day is exhausting. Time to upgrade to a spacious apartment."

"What?!" Serena had just sat down when she jumped back up again. "Monte Plaza? Clothes there cost thousands! And housing—have you seen prices in Nextum City? A big apartment would cost a fortune!"

She instinctively clutched her wallet. "No, no, no—that's too expensive! Even if we have money, we can't waste it like this!"

Caelan set down his fork, wiped his mouth with a napkin, and leaned back in his chair.

As he looked at his thrifty, soft-hearted wife, a mischievous smile curved his lips.

"What are you worried about?"

He pointed at her wallet.

"We're using my dad's card. If we don't spend it, it's a waste. The more we spend… the happier the old man will be."