Chapter 4 - Small Treat, Big Change
The next day felt surreal to Liam. For the first time in his life, his bank account wasn't empty. Every time he checked, the numbers gleamed back at him: $13,102.34.
All because of Sophia.
Every gift he gave her not only brought her smile — it built his fortune.
But liam wasn't stupid. He knew he couldn't just start showering her with expensive things right away. Sophia wasn't that kind of girl. Too much, too fast, and she would pull away.
He had to be careful. He had to make it natural.
⸻
Friday evening, Liam met Sophia after her classes. She looked tired, strands of hair escaping her ponytail, but her face lit up when she spotted him.
"You've been showing up a lot lately," she said with a teasing smile.
Liam grinned. "Maybe I like seeing you."
Her cheeks pinkened. "You really have changed…"
"I hope it's in a good way." Liam said slyly.
"Yea", Maybe it is." Sophia whispered shyly.
They walked side by side down the bustling street. The scent of jerk chicken wafted through the air, vendors calling out to passersby. Sophia's eyes lingered on a small café window where couples sat sipping milkshakes.
Liam noticed the way she paused.
"Thirsty?" he asked.
Sophia shook her head quickly. "No, no, I should save money. Tuition's already killing me."
Liam stopped. "Come on. It's just one milkshake. My treat."
She hesitated, biting her lip. "Liam…"
"No excuses," he said gently, holding the door open.
Her protest died under his steady gaze. With a small sigh, she stepped inside.
⸻
The café smelled of vanilla and roasted coffee. They found a corner booth. Liam ordered two milkshakes — strawberry for her, chocolate for himself.
When the drinks arrived, Sophia stared at hers for a long moment before picking up the straw. "You didn't have to…" she murmured, almost guilty.
Liam chuckled. "Sophia, you say that every time. Can't I do something nice without you worrying?"
Her lips curved into a small smile. "You're different now. More confident… I don't know, more alive." She sipped her drink, eyes softening. "It suits you."
The system chimed at once:
[Host has spent $15 on Sophia Rivera.]
[Rebate Activated.]
[Congratulations! You have received $1,500.]
Liam's phone buzzed in his pocket. His balance jumped again. He hid the grin tugging at his lips behind his milkshake.
But what made his chest warm wasn't the money. It was the way Sophia laughed softly when a bit of whipped cream smeared her lip, the way her shoulders relaxed as she talked about her classes and dreams.
For years, he had watched her from a distance, too beaten down by life to believe he could reach for her.
Now, with every small gift, she was letting him closer.
⸻
When he walked her home that night, Sophia stopped at the gate of her modest apartment building. She held the book he'd given her earlier that week, tucked safely under her arm.
"Liam," she said quietly, "thank you. For the milkshake. For… being here. I didn't realize how much I missed this."
Liam's smiled softly. Looking at her he wanted to say a hundred things — that he'd always cared, that she was the reason he hadn't given up — but he settled for his soft smile, to show his happiness with her contentment.
"Get some rest, Sophia. I'll see you tomorrow."
She lingered at the gate, watching him walk away, her heart strangely unsettled.
And as Liam disappeared into the night, his phone buzzed once more.
[Bond with Sophia Quinn strengthened. System efficiency increased.]
[Future spending will yield higher multipliers.]
Liam clenched his fist, a fierce determination blazing in his chest.
For Sophia, he would give everything. And with her, he would take everything back.