Suddenly, I Am Rich

It wasn't as bad as Gray had initially thought.

After a few hours with the two, the atmosphere around them had lightened so much. The early awkwardness wasn't there anymore.

For Gray, it was weird… but oddly good.

Lily and Mara got along right away.

The moment they started talking more after breakfast, the room was suddenly filled with laughter and loud stories from years ago. They were teasing each other, joking around, and laughing like they had never been apart for years.

It didn't even take long before Selina, who couldn't seem to join the conversation at first, was pulled into their little circle.

In just a short time, it was like all three of them had known each other for years. They were sharing stories, talking over each other, and sometimes teaming up to tease Gray.

Gray could only sit there and watch them with a helpless face. It was strange, but at the same time, it was nice to see.

It was already past one in the afternoon when their stomachs started growling out of hunger again.

Normally, Gray would suggest ordering food, but before he could even open his mouth, Mara was already in the kitchen. She had changed into a new set of clothes. She was now wearing a designer shirt and shorts that Selina lent her.

Her clothes from last night were already crumpled somewhere, but she didn't seem to care.

Selina, on the other hand, had brought a whole bag of baking supplies with her. She even asked her Nanny to help her carry things from her unit to Gray's unit. She said that she wanted to bake something, so she also joined Mara in the kitchen.

Soon, the good smell of vanilla and sugar started to mix with the smell of aromatics from what Mara was cooking.

"I wonder what they were cooking." Gray raised his brows. Filled with curiosity, he walked into the kitchen and rolled up the sleeves of his sweater.

"Alright, what do you want me to do?" Gray looked at the two women. They seemed busy, so he thought that it was not bad to lend them a hand.

However, as he asked the question, both women looked at him like he had just said the dumbest thing in the world.

"No," Mara said right away.

"Absolutely not," Selina also added as she lightly pushed him back toward the doorway.

"What? Come on, I can chop something—" Gray tried again.

"Nope."

"Go out."

Gray was speechless. They didn't just reject him. They actually kicked him out. Mara even waved a spatula at him like she was chasing away some stray animal. Selina stood in front of the counter like she was guarding a treasure.

"This is my condo!" Gray protested, though he had to admit it. He didn't sound that convincing.

"Not anymore," Mara shot back without even looking at him.

Gray could only groan in defeat as he dragged his feet back to the living room. He sat on the couch and turned on a movie, muttering to himself about being treated like a guest in his own home.

At first, Lily sat beside him. She was supposed to watch the movie with him, but after just a few minutes, she got up and went to the kitchen too. And just like that, her giggles joined the noise from inside.

Unlike him, who was kicked out, Lily was able to join them. They were even laughing, talking, and joking around without him.

Now Gray was all alone in the living room with only the TV for company. He could still hear them laughing and chatting in the kitchen. He leaned back on the couch and let out a sigh.

"Guess I'm officially useless here…"

Gray stared at the TV more, but he wasn't really watching it. The sound of their laughter from the kitchen kept breaking through the movie's dialogue.

No matter how much he tried to focus on the screen, the sound of pots clanging and their cheerful voices completely took over his attention.

He slouched further into the couch and ran a hand through his hair.

"Unbelievable," he muttered.

Just a while ago, he was the one planning to help make lunch, and now here he was—banished from his own kitchen.

He let the thought sit for a moment before a small and reluctant smile started to form on his lips.

"But I guess… this isn't that bad," he said under his breath.

The more he thought about it, the more the situation began to feel strange in a good way.

For years, Gray had been used to doing almost everything himself.

Cooking, cleaning, running errands. He never waited for someone else to do it for him, since no one would be able to do it anyway. Lily also helped by washing the dishes and sometimes reheating food. However, he knew that she was still too young to do the more serious housework.

That was why for Gray, it was simply part of his routine.

But right now?

He didn't have to lift a single finger. No chopping vegetables, no washing dishes, no stirring pots. He could just… relax.

It was an unfamiliar feeling, but it was also oddly comfortable.

He stretched out his legs, sinking deeper into the couch. He let the quiet luxury of not having to work wash over him. It wasn't like he was lazy, he just realized how nice it felt to be taken care of.

A soft chuckle escaped his lips as another thought hit him.

"And it's not even just one person," he murmured, shaking his head.

No, this wasn't just one person cooking for him. It was two.

Mara was handling lunch, and Selina was working on dessert.

It was like he had his own little kitchen team working just for him.

The smells drifting into the living room made it even more surreal. Garlic, onions, savory, and then there's also the smell of vanilla and sugar. They all blended together into something that promised an amazing meal.

If anyone walked in right now, they'd probably think he was living the dream. Sitting comfortably, doing nothing, while two women prepared food just for him.

Gray smirked to himself, his eyes drifting toward the kitchen.

"Yeah," he thought, leaning back with a satisfied sigh, "I could get used to this."