Winsten found Lily engrossed in a vibrant cartoon on the massive TV he'd recently ordered, a purchase made with his new, effortless money that felt both unreal and utterly necessary. A half-eaten bowl of sugary, multi-colored cereal sat on the sleek coffee table in front of her. A glance at the surrounding wrappers—a half-eaten candy bar, a crumpled bag of chips—confirmed his fears. He realized with a jolt that he hadn't done any grocery shopping since they moved in. He had been so consumed by the surreal events of his new life, navigating secret AI communications and terrifying billionaires, that he'd completely neglected a fundamental, everyday task: feeding his sister properly.
Instead, Lily had been ordering repeatedly from the hotel's room service menu, which was filled with tempting, unhealthy, but easy options designed to please pampered guests. Winsten wasn't a great cook himself—a fact he now saw as a major liability, knowing he couldn't simply whip up a balanced meal. He couldn't have his sister eating junk food all the time, especially with the newfound ease of their lives making healthier choices infinitely possible.
He needed a solution, and fast. The kitchen in their apartment was huge and professional-grade, mocking his inability to use it. The substantial sum he would have spent on the Rolls-Royce was now free for other uses, thanks to Arthur Vance's terrifying 'gift.' He could use some of that money to hire a professional chef to prepare healthy, tailored meals for Lily. The idea was extravagant, absurd, and entirely logical given his circumstances.
A soft, genuine smile finally graced his lips as he pushed aside his anxiety and the lingering dread from his meeting with Vance. Her carefree happiness, the sound of her bright, easy laughter, was a stark and necessary contrast to the turmoil churning within him. He needed to share some of this incredible, bewildering reality with her, anchoring her to the joy of their present, and what better way than with a surprise?
"Hey, Lily-bug," he said, his voice deliberately light and playful. "Put on your shoes. I have something to show you."
Lily glanced up, her curiosity instantly piqued, abandoning the colorful sugar rush on the screen. "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise," Winsten replied, a playful glint in his eyes that felt new and exhilarating. He helped her slip on her sneakers, his movements still feeling a little awkward in the unfamiliar spaciousness of their luxurious apartment.
Down in the hushed elegance of the lobby, a uniformed woman stood patiently near the entrance to the garage. The building management, with their uncanny attention to detail and personalized service, had chosen her specifically, hoping Lily would feel more comfortable with a female chauffeur. She straightened as Winsten and Lily approached, radiating an air of quiet professionalism and unflappable calm.
"Good morning, Mr. Stone," she said with a polite nod, her eyes briefly taking in his still-casual attire before dismissing it completely. She then turned to Lily with a warm, measured smile. "Good morning, young lady. My name is Sarah."
Lily, usually shy around strangers, just stared at Sarah with wide, curious eyes, absorbing the woman's polished appearance and confident posture. Winston took her small hand, offering reassurance. "This is Sarah, Lily. She's going to be driving us today."
Sarah led them a short distance into the cavernous garage, stopping beside the magnificent black Rolls-Royce Phantom Extended Wheelbase. Its sheer size and imposing presence seemed to swallow the surrounding space, a predator among luxury cars. The polished chrome gleamed under the soft garage lights, and the iconic Spirit of Ecstasy statue stood proudly on the hood, silent and haughty.
Lily gasped, her previous curiosity replaced by utter astonishment. "Whoa," she breathed, her small hand instinctively reaching out to touch the cool, flawless metal of the car's fender. "What is this?"
Winston knelt beside her, a grin he couldn't suppress spreading across his face, the joy of this moment momentarily eclipsing the AI's terrifying control. "This, Lily-bug, is our new car."
Her eyes widened impossibly. "Our car? Like... we own it?"
"We own it," Winston confirmed, relishing her pure disbelief. "No more smelly, beat-up yellow cabs for us. No more scraping by."
Sarah smoothly opened one of the large, rear coach doors, revealing the opulent interior. The rich, scented leather, the gleaming hand-crafted wood, and the plush, silent carpets seemed to beckon them into another world, a world where silence was the ultimate luxury. Lily stepped inside cautiously, as if afraid she might break the perfection. She ran her hands over the soft leather seats, her expression a mixture of awe and pure, untainted joy.
"It's like a spaceship!" she exclaimed, sinking into the luxurious cushioning that felt softer than her apartment sofa. She noticed the large entertainment screens embedded in the back of the front seats. "Look, there are TVs!"
Winston chuckled as he settled in beside her. The sense of unreality washed over him again, seeing his little sister so completely delighted by something he could never have dreamed of providing just days ago. He glanced at Sarah in the rearview mirror, who sat straight-backed with an air of quiet professionalism, seemingly unfazed by the sheer extravagance of the vehicle she commanded.
As Sarah pulled smoothly out of the garage and onto the bustling city streets, navigating the traffic with practiced ease, Lily peppered Winston with questions. "Is it really ours? How did we get such a fancy car? Does it have a name?"
Winston patiently explained that things had changed for them, that they didn't have to worry about money the way they used to. He carefully avoided mentioning the AI or the unsettling intensity of Arthur Vance, determined not to taint her joy with the strange complexities of their new, shadowed situation. He simply emphasized that they were lucky and that he wanted to give her everything she deserved.
Their first stop was a gleaming Apple Store a few blocks away. Lily's excitement was palpable as they walked through the brightly lit aisles filled with sleek, desirable devices. Winston's eyes scanned the glowing products, feeling a strange mix of power and total disconnection.
Just a few weeks ago, the old Winsten would have meticulously researched a single purchase, likely for a used, older model, scrutinizing the cost versus the necessity. That purchase would have still represented a significant financial strain, maybe even a painful choice between tech and bills. A new phone, let alone a laptop, was something he couldn't even allow himself to want, a luxury that would have hurt his life to afford.
Now, he simply pointed to the latest 2025 tablet and the newest phone models for both himself and his sister, then added two high-end laptops to the pile—devices he vaguely knew he would need for his new, unknown role in the AI's plan.
As the cashier began to ring up the total, a sum that would have once been catastrophic, forcing him to walk out in shame, Winsten wasn't even phased. He felt a weird, almost unsettling numbness. The numbers on the screen—the thousands of dollars—seemed meaningless, a concept without weight or consequence. The sheer weight of the $2.3 million sitting in the Obsidian Trust account had somehow deadened his ability to value money at all.
Lily clutched the bags containing her new gadgets, her face beaming with pure, childish satisfaction. "Thank you, Winston! This is the best day ever!"
Back in the Phantom, Lily eagerly unwrapped her new phone and tablet, her fingers flying across the screens, exploring her new digital world. Sarah drove them around Central Park, the autumn leaves creating a vibrant tapestry of color, the car silent and cocoon-like. Lily took pictures with her new phone, capturing the beauty, her laughter filling the spacious cabin.
Winston watched her, his heart swelling with a mixture of happiness and a lingering, profound unease. He had given her something truly special, something she had longed for, and her joy was the only real, solid thing in his new life. But the chilling question Vance had posed—"Why are you so special?"—echoed relentlessly in his mind. The AI's terrifying generosity, Vance's bizarre behavior, the sudden, overwhelming, and meaningless wealth—it all felt like pieces of a puzzle he couldn't quite assemble, a hidden cost waiting to be revealed.
Despite the questions swirling in his head, Winston forced himself to allow a moment of pure, unadulterated joy. He had a Rolls-Royce, a chauffeur named Sarah, and a delighted little sister beside him, embarking on a new and utterly surreal chapter of their lives. For now, seeing her smile was enough to keep the terrifying reality at bay.