After dropping Briar off at the upscale neighborhood, Ashton said from the back seat, “Start looking into houses for sale near Shoneport University
tomorrow.”
Brandon was caught off guard but nodded. “Got it.”
He figured Ashton was only interested because Briar mentioned wanting to buy a place there. Brandon thought, ‘Wherever she moves, Mr. Wade is probably planning to buy the house right next door!
Briar, of course, had no clue about this. The next morning, she rode her motorcycle to Ellen’s place. When Ellen came down, Briar tossed her a helmet. “Come on,” she said. “Let’s go have some fun.”
Ellen hadn’t slept well the night before. She kept worrying that everything had just been a dream.
It wasn’t until Briar called her that morning that she felt a little more grounded. Her brother really had found her, and he really did send someone kind and cool to look after her. Now that person was right in front of her.
Ellen fumbled with the helmet and climbed on the back of the bike. She didn’t know how to sit properly and wobbled a bit, but Briar didn’t laugh at her or say anything mean.
They rode to a small diner near Shoneport University for breakfast. They had pasta and waffles, and Ellen swore it was the best pasta she’d ever tasted.
At 8 AM, right after they finished eating, Briar got a call from a real estate agent. After confirming the meeting point, she drove Ellen to their first choice- Moonspring Estate, a small, upscale villa neighborhood near Shoneport University.
The agent was already waiting at the entrance, but when he saw that the potential buyers were two teenage girls, his enthusiasm noticeably cooled.
The cheapest home in the neighborhood started at 6 million dollars, and the one Briar had asked about was 18 million dollars. She might’ve looked put together, but the agent seriously doubted a girl her age could afford something like that.
Still, he stayed professional and showed them around, explaining the details of the house.
Briar wasn’t paying much attention to him. She already liked the house and was busy imagining how she’d design a hidden room to store her more “sensitive” belongings.
“So, what do you think, Miss Jennings?” the agent asked, pulling her back to the moment.
“I like it,” Briar said. “I’ll take it. I’ll pay in full.”
“In full?” The agent blinked, stunned.
“Yep. I want to wrap up the paperwork today, if possible.” Briar pulled out a bank card and handed it over. “Go call your manager.”
The agent was buzzing with excitement and was about to dial when Briar suddenly stopped him. “Wait.”
“Yes, Miss Jennings?” His voice was practically trembling–this would be his biggest sale in months.
“Are there any other houses for sale in the neighborhood?” Briar asked.
The agent perked up even more. “Are you looking to buy another one?” He could barely hold his phone steady from excitement. “There’s a smaller place to the southwest–around 2,000 square feet, listed at 6 million dollars.”
He felt like he’d just hit the jackpot–two villas in one deal. The commission alone would cover half a year’s salary.
“Good,” Briar said. “I’ll take that one too.”
“Of course! Please wait here for a moment–I’ll call our manager right away to assist you with the paperwork,” the agent said, already pulling out his
Chapter 18
phone.
As the largest real estate agency in Shoneport, they prided themselves on handling everything for clients as long as the money was there
The moment the manager got the call, he sounded thrilled. He said he’d be there right away to help Briar close the deat
In less than two hours, Briar had dropped 24 million dollars on two homes in Moonspring Estate–one for herself and one for Ellen
Ellen was stunned the entire time. Now with the deed in her hands, her head felt light, her steps unsteady, like she was walking in a dream.
She had a house–a 6–million–dollar house–in her name. Just yesterday, something like that would’ve felt impossible even dreaming about it would’ve
felt like a stretch.
She wanted to turn it down, but Briar told her the money was from her brother. That firially convinced her. Ellen remembered Sam once saying he’d get them a place to live together when he came back.
What amazed her even more was how calm Briar seemed while spending 24 million dollars, like it was nothing. Ellen tried to hide how shocked she was as they rode away on Briar’s motorcycle.
The real estate agent bowed as they left, saying goodbye with extra respect.
‘So this is what being rich feels like,‘ Ellen thought.
After that, Briar took Ellen to an amusement park. Ellen had never really had fun like this before. She lit up the moment she saw the rides, dragging Briar from one to the next with a smile so wide it barely fit her face.
She especially loved the roller coaster. She was terrified, but kept begging to ride it again and again. They went three times, and she screamed louder each time–half fear, half joy.
Briar stayed pretty chill the whole time. On the third ride, while they were at the highest point, she even took a photo of Ellen mid–scream and sent it to
Sam.
Her message was clear–Sam’s 600 thousand dollars wasn’t wasted. After all, it wasn’t easy to get Briar to do anything playful, let alone ride a roller coaster three times in a row.
While the two girls were off enjoying themselves, the real estate manager was busy closing another sale at Moonspring Estate–the house right next to
Briar’s.
This time, Brandon came in person to handle it. The manager respectfully handed him the documents. “Here are the papers for Mr. Wade. Please make sure he gets them.”
Brandon nodded and waved him off. Once he was alone, he pulled out his phone and called Ashton. “It’s done, Mr. Wade,” he said.
