Chapter 85: Finally, the top
"So this is your new place…" Fay whispered, failing to shake her amazement.
Today was a day full of surprises for her.
From her first ride in a nice car, or rather any car at all, through visiting places far nicer-looking than the rundown shed we lived up until now, all the way to step through the reception of the massive housing unit project… And to the moment right now, when we stepped inside the house that Makary organized.
Fay was already amazed by the architecture of the buildings located near the edge of the territory controlled by Makary, already outside of the bounds of the officially unrecognized parts of the town. And yet, when we left the elevator and stepped directly into the main hall of the penthouse…
The meter of her shock shot through the roof.
"It is not my place," I spoke out, reaching out and grabbing Fay's waist before pulling her slightly to my side. "It's our place," I corrected her.
Fay looked to the side, giving me an intense look… Only to pull me inside the place, too eager to check it all out to waste time on pleasantries.
And quite honestly, I didn't really mind. After living in that damned shed, stepping into a penthouse located at the very top two floors of the housing unit… It felt extremely rewarding.
As if all the pain and sadness I went through up until this point were finally about to end. A concrete proof that I've successfully managed to change my life.
Sure, it would take several more deliveries of the miraculous herb as Makary hailed it before I could pay this place off… But with just the first batch of what I've left for the man to use as he wished I've received one of his personal cards…
Cards that had absolutely no spending limit on them, as long as I wasn't trying to invest millions, buy massive yachts, or invest in real estate all on my own.
According to Makary's words, those kinds of transactions could potentially draw the eyes of the state treasury, making it absolutely necessary to inform him about them in advance.
'Well, I've made it to the top, now what?' I've asked myself, suddenly all confused about what should be my next logical step.
'Should I go around and flex on those who used to bully me?' I asked myself, easily picturing out quite a lot of different scenarios in my mind. Rather than struggling to come up with the details from scratch, I only needed to bring out any of the dreams I used to have back in my sorry days.
In the end, though, Fay didn't give me the time and peace of mind necessary to wallow in the low parts of my soul. Quite honestly, now that playing those scenarios out turned into something well within my newfound financial prowess…
I couldn't really see the point of doing so. Even imagining how I would slap the face of those who mocked my poverty with a fat stack of cash or flaunt the beauty of my woman to those who claimed I would never find a girl…
All of those felt like something only a mere child would do. And, in the case of speaking about adults, a manchild who would be too set on their personal feelings of ill-conceived justice to care about serious matters.
And with all of my heart, I refused to act like such a simple-minded person.
'If they try to fuck with me ever again, I won't hold back. But trying to flex on them just for the sake of my own self-satisfaction… What's the real worth of doing so? Because the cost of doing it…'
I've still had my aunt to deal with, currently calling all the favors she could and roping in as many influential people as she could to deal with me. And by flaunting my newfound money and status around I would simply invite trouble by exposing a potential flaw for that bitch to exploit.
And ultimately…
My eyes turned to the side, feasting on the look of amazement on Fay's face as she rushed all over the place, enjoying every last moment of her adventure to discover the uses of all the furniture this penthouse came equipped with.
In essence, it was a two-story palace for those who wanted to move in without any unnecessary hassle. A unit in the housing project was overpriced in the way that kept such a luxurious place only for those whom the owner of the unit felt worthy enough to rent it out for.
The penthouse consisted of the lower, living floor, with rooms ranging from a small, private cinema, through an inbuilt pool and gym, all the way to a massive open space with kitchen and lounge.
And that was all just the first floor!
To reach the second, we couldn't use the lift that carried us to the penthouse. Instead, we had to climb the elegant stairs, only to see the entrances to five different bedrooms all facing west… And a massive gate to an open-air patio, where its high, reinforced-glass walls ended with nothing but air for the roof.
'There's even a massive balcony that we can use to circle around the entire second floor, save for the part where the bedroom windows are,' I noticed, while Fay already rushed out to inspect every last part of the lush garden that we found at the very top of the entire building.
'To think a day would come I could step foot in a place that nice, not to speak living here on a permanent basis…'
I shook my head, no longer bothering to hide the satisfied smile from my lips.
This was the peak of what I've ever wanted. A beautiful place to live, an intoxicating and faithful woman to enjoy it together with, all the way to the absolute lack of financial worries.
Three things that I've lacked the most in my life were now all fulfilled in one go.
But there was still one missing element to complete the picture of pure perfection and bliss.
"Fay, would you like to come down?" I suggested, already smiling at my thoughts. "There's something I would like you to see."
In all of her excitement, Fay ended up missing what I've considered the absolute best perk of this place.
And Fay quickly obliged my request, I started to count out in my head.
'It's not the open kitchen or the massive bar beside it. It's not even the gym or pool,' I thought, grabbing Fay's hand and leading her to a very specific point of the penthouse.
"Woah…" Fay only managed to utter a small moan of surprise as her eyes went wide when graced with the perfect view of the entire city that we had our massive window facing east to thank for.
It was the same look we could enjoy in any of the five bedrooms upstairs… But the look that was designed to accompany all those who enjoyed their leisure time on the simple set of luxurious sofas located at the very center of the entire lower floor and facing, quite obviously, the wall of glass that some madman called a window.
"Quite the view, isn't it?" I whispered, taken aback by the sight myself.
Never before in my life have I felt so directly just how massive the Academy City was. A project of the vanity of the times before the economic downturn that properly drove a knife into the beating heart of the global economy.
And now, a sight that would accompany me and Fay in our lazy life we could finally enjoy. A sight…
Or rather, as I took several steps to the back, a backdrop that finally befitted the mind-numbing figure of my girl. An environment finally befitting her beauty.
And also the place where I hoped to rectify the mistake of my hastiness from back in Fay's world, where all sorts of sticks, stones, and other discomforts disturbed us from fully focusing on each other.
So, with Fay gently placing her hands on the glass of the window as she kept looking outside, I slowly approached her from the back before wrapping my hands around her waist and pulling her towards me.
"This moment is exactly why I managed to hold myself back in the morning," I whispered right into Fay's ear, only to have it turn stark red a mere moment later. "But now, there's nothing more holding us back."
The delivery of all the stuff that I've deemed necessary would only arrive tomorrow. For today, we had to make do with what the thoughtful people behind managing this penthouse left behind for us to enjoy.
And quite frankly, whatever nice stuff was awaiting our attention, I've already held in a close embrace the only thing in the entire penthouse that could harness my full and undivided attention.