Chapter 6

To Leo's surprise, Chloe was waiting for him at the door.

"A few days from now is my grandma's birthday. There's 500 grand in this card. Use it to buy a gift, just don't get anything too cheap!" Chloe handed him a card.

Susan had been going on about this nonstop, which annoyed Chloe, and she had been too busy lately to deal with it herself.

"You're not worried I'll take the money and run?" Leo asked with a grin. If Susan found out, she'd probably be furious.

"Do whatever you want," Chloe said casually before getting into her car.

Leo was about to head to his scooter when the window suddenly rolled down. Chloe's voice came through. "Be careful. Don't go wandering off. Martin's a really petty guy!"

Before Leo could respond, the window rolled up and the engine roared to life.

Although Chloe's tone was cold and she hadn't given him a chance to speak, Leo felt warm on the inside. Chloe clearly cared about him.

"Do I even need to buy a gift…?" He slipped the card into his pocket and hopped onto his electric scooter.

He didn't see anything wrong with the scooter. Sure, it wasn't fast, but in city traffic, it was more than enough to outrun even luxury cars.

Last year, he attended Teresa Yates' birthday party. It was a typical family show-off affair. He had been humiliated, and Chloe had suffered embarrassment by association.

Leo recalled that Teresa liked antique paintings. He knew a little about them and had even collected quite a few when he traveled the world with Jerry back in the day. Any piece he owned now would easily be priceless.

He had bought a high-end villa to store his collection. It came with top-notch security.

But when he arrived, he was stunned. The entire collection was gone. There was a sign at the door.

"The owner is bankrupt. Everything is for sale at low prices."

"Vampire! You wiped me out!" Leo was furious and rushed to check his other properties. Every one of them had been emptied. Some had even been sold. The few left were unsold units.

Finally, staring at the garages that once housed his luxury cars, which were now completely empty, Leo could only throw his head back and groan.

"My limited-edition sports cars! You didn't buy an island. You bought a whole country!"

He had assumed it was just the money in the card that was gone, but now he realized he was completely penniless.

Still, he shook off the disappointment. These things were from his reckless youth, and after years as a mercenary, he didn't care much for material possessions anymore.

The main concern now was to get a proper gift. Although Chloe had given him 500 grand, he didn't want to spend a woman's money.

In fact, in the past two years, Leo hadn't spent a dime of his family's money. He even donated his allowance to children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

'I've still got a conscience!' Leo thought proudly. Who else could manage hardship and still support others?

As for his own spending, Jerry sent him a few grand each month. At first, Leo had been grateful, but now he knew it was just a tiny fraction of what he had earned.

"I got it!"

Leo recalled one more property Jerry didn't know about. It was a four-bedroom apartment downtown, where he had stored some of his prized possessions.

He hadn't bought it in his own name, but in the name of a female college student he had once sponsored. It was a precaution in case Jerry tried to seize his assets.

Good things happened to good people. That was probably the best decision he ever made.

After charging his scooter, Leo headed straight for what might be his last remaining estate.

His heart raced. He hadn't checked on this place in years. If it had been sold, he'd be devastated. There were many of his favorite collectibles inside.

The apartment was in a prime downtown location, a four-bedroom luxury unit. The prices of real estate there had skyrocketed.

There was a saying that rich people only grew richer. Simply owning such a property had made him rich. It was a testament to his foresight.

"Come on, you can't sell off my last property after I helped pay for your college!" Leo muttered as he reached the door.

Luckily, he had installed a fingerprint lock himself. Otherwise, finding the keys would have been impossible.

Just as he was about to open it, he heard faint sounds from inside.

'Oh no!' Leo instinctively pulled his hand back, but the lock responded quickly and the door opened.

"Who's there?" A sweet voice came from inside.

'Thank goodness she's a girl!' Leo thought, relieved. If it had been some rough guy, he'd have to figure out a way to reclaim his collectibles.

"I think I was at the wrong door," he called out and prepared to leave. The girl hadn't even updated the fingerprints.

"Leo, is that you?" Suddenly, an excited voice came from inside. The door opened, revealing a tall, stunning woman in professional attire. She looked around twenty-five or twenty-six.

Leo froze. She looked somewhat familiar.

"Leo, it really is you! I knew you'd come back, so I kept your fingerprint registered!" The tall woman threw her arms around him warmly.

"Miss, this is way too much enthusiasm for a first meeting!" Leo blushed. Girls really were bold nowadays.

"It's me, Linda!" Linda Hamilton said. She looked slightly annoyed as she shook Leo's arms.

"Linda…?"

Leo slapped his forehead. Of course, she was the college girl he had sponsored. Years later, she had grown up beautifully.

"Wow, girls really change after college. You look so much more mature now!" he said.

"This is the Leo you've been talking about? He's so different from the way you described him. He even blushes!"

A few ladies peeked from behind the doorway. They were mostly young women who were all very attractive.

Leo felt dizzy. He couldn't believe supporting someone could bring such results, but now he was married, so those thoughts were strictly off-limits.

"Leo, why are you blushing? Didn't you say back then that I should marry you to repay the money you gave me for school after graduation?" Linda teased.

"Uh, I was young and foolish back then. I'm a grown man now, and I'm married!" Leo laughed.

"You're married?" Linda was clearly shocked.

"Yeah. So is this a dorm now?" Leo asked while nodding.

"No, I wanted to start a business. The place was empty, so I turned it into an office. I hope you don't mind!" Linda said.

"No worries. I just came to pick up a few things. My collection should still be here, right?" Leo asked.

"Of course. I didn't dare touch the study," Linda replied before immediately letting him in.

The exterior had changed a lot, but the study still smelled familiar and was spotless. The walls were lined with antique paintings.

Seeing his collection again felt nostalgic.

"Are all these real?" the women asked curiously.

"Of course! Do you think I'd collect fakes?" Leo casually chatted while admiring the pieces. The atmosphere was surprisingly relaxed.

He trusted Linda's character completely, so he wasn't worried about losing anything.

She introduced him to the other women. They were either her classmates or juniors.

Leo had sponsored her so much that she had used part of it to help them in his name. After graduation, many struggled with jobs, so they started their own business.

Leo picked out a couple of pieces he wasn't too attached to and prepared to leave.

Suddenly, there was a loud knock at the door. It was accompanied by brazen laughter.

"Hey, sweethearts, hurry up and open the door!"