All Chapters of My Great Fortune System : Chapter 191
- Chapter 200
219 chapters
Chapter 191: Derek Shaw
Gray managed to enjoy the weekend. Chilling at home with Lily was a much needed distraction.But the beginning of the new week meant one thing.Work."Gray, come on! We're going to be late!"Mara's voice cut through the office as they scrambled to pull everything together. They had gotten so wrapped up in their own tasks that neither of them had noticed the time slipping away.Today, a representative from Jet2 was coming to the store. The visit was to check the setup and collect the inventory data and documentation on Gray's end.He was halfway through stacking folders when his phone rang. He grabbed it hurriedly with one hand. "Hello?""Good morning, Sir Gray. It's Ben." Ben's calm voice came through the line. "I just wanted to check in. What time should we expect the Jet2 rep? The staff and I have everything set up on our end."Gray glanced at the clock. His stomach dropped."Ben, sorry. Give us thirty minutes. We're heading out now.""Copy that, Sir. We'll be ready."By the time th
Chapter 192: Walkthrough
"Mr. Adams."Derek gave a brief nod as he stepped into the office. His eyes moving across the space with quiet precision, taking in each detail without comment. His assistant trailed in behind him, offered a small bow to Gray and the others, then settled to one side with a laptop already open.Gray stepped forward and extended his hand. "Mr. Shaw. Welcome.""Nice to meet you." Derek shook it briefly. "Let's get started. I'd like to see the operations before we sit down and talk numbers.""Of course. Everything's ready for the walkthrough." Gray gestured toward the door.They moved out of the office with Ben walking slightly ahead to clear the path. As the group made their way through the store, staff paused what they were doing and offered polite nods. A few customers slowed their shopping, curious about the suited visitors moving through the aisles with purpose."Good morning, Sir," a cashier said as they passed her station.Derek gave a small nod but kept walking.Gray stayed in ste
Chapter 193: After Hours Treat
The tension finally eased the moment the door clicked shut behind Derek and his assistant.Gray let out a long breath. He dragged a hand down his face, then looked at the two people still in the room with him."Well," he said, his voice dropping back to something normal. "That was exhausting."Mara dropped into the nearest chair, arms flopping over the backrest. "That was intense. He looked so serious the whole time. Even his assistant was typing away right next to me." She stared at the ceiling. "My legs hurt. My soul hurts."Ben set his clipboard down and chuckled. "At least he didn't look disappointed. That's usually a good sign.""He at least didn't look disappointed," Gray said, leaning against the table. Notice how he always asked the right questions and stayed longer than he had to. By the looks of it, he liked what he saw."A short silence followed. Mara and Ben both nodded slowly, letting it settle. The relief came quietly, like a weight being set down rather than dropped.Gr
Chapter 194: Not A Coward
"You're not going to let this night end, are you?" Gray raised an eyebrow at Mara's question, but the corner of his mouth gave him away."Come on," Mara nudged him with her elbow. "Just one drink. We've earned it."Gray pretended to think about it for a second, then sighed. "Fine. But if you pass out, I'm not carrying you home.""No promises," she said brightly.The bar was a short walk away. Dimly lit, low ceilings, neon signs glowing in reds and blues, deep booths, and a playlist of mellow indie rock keeping the whole place at a comfortable hum. The kind of bar where people went to unwind without making a night of it.As soon as they stepped inside, the contrast was easy to notice.Mara glanced down at her white blouse and blazer. Gray was still in his full suit jacket. They looked like they had just come from a board meeting.They exchanged a look. Then both of them laughed."We look like we're about to pitch a startup," Mara said, scanning the room full of people in jeans and crop
Chapter 195: Did You Just—
The dance floor wasn't exactly big, which didn't help with Gray's situation. The crowd shifted naturally as they joined, and Mara slipped into the rhythm almost immediately. Her eyes were half-closed, her head bobbing softly to the beat. She moved her hips, kept her arms loose, and smiled up at him like she didn't give a care in the world.Gray stood still for a moment.Then shifted slightly.Then swayed.Not much, but his pace began to pick up.Mara noticed right away. "See? You can dance."He laughed under his breath. "I'm barely moving."It did turn out easier than he expected. Maybe the drinks helped. Maybe it was just Mara, the way she gave a big smile each time he made a step. Little as it was. With her, little was enough. She just danced, and somehow that made it easy to follow along.After a few minutes, the song shifted to something slower and groovier. The lights dropped another shade. Gray did not notice Mara stepping closer until her shoulder bumped his."You're not so bad
Chapter 196: Not The First Time
It happened in a flash.One moment they were swaying. The next, Gray found his lips pressed softly against Mara's.He was not entirely sure which one of them had moved first. Maybe it was the drinks. Maybe it was the music, low and slow and pulling them closer without either of them noticing. But there it was. A kiss, quiet and warm, right in the middle of the dance floor.He felt her body go still for a moment. A small tension running through her before it released.Mara's lips felt soft. There was a faint taste of cherry, something from her lip balm or the cocktail she'd been nursing all night. Her mouth was warm against his, and she let out a quiet hum that he felt more than heard.Encouraged, he stayed with it. Neither of them pulled back. nstead, Mara's lips moved against his, slow and unhurried, like she was in no rush to be anywhere else. Her free hand lifted and her fingers grazed lightly along his jaw. She had been single long enough that the warmth of it caught her off guar
Chapter 197: Problem Solved
Brother?" Gray's eyes snapped open.His brain was still clouded from last night's alcohol, but the sound of Lily's voice cut through it fast. He turned his head and there she was, standing at the foot of his bed, eyes wide, staring at the space beside him. "Lily—" He followed her gaze.Mara was still asleep beside him. Curled under the sheets, hair loose and tangled, face completely relaxed. Like she had not a single worry in the world. Gray's stomach dropped. "Wait. Lily, it's not what it looks like." He sat up fast enough that his head throbbed.But Lily had already gone red. She threw both hands over her eyes. "Ahhh! I didn't see anything! I didn't see anything!" She spun around and bolted from the room, still shouting as her footsteps hammered down the hall. "Lily, wait!" Her door slammed shut.Gray sat there for a second, heart still pounding. He dragged a hand down his face and let out a slow breath. The slam from the far end of the condo still echoed in his head.Then h
Chapter 198: Same Idea
"Uhh..."It was awkward.So awkward."Sorry for the sudden intrusion. I didn't know you had a visitor." Selina pressed her lips together, her eyes moving briefly between Gray and Mara before settling somewhere neutral."It's fine, Sister Selina! I missed you already!"Only Lily could smile that wide at a moment like this. She was completely unbothered, seated at the dining table with the easy happiness of someone who saw two of her favorite people in the same room and found that entirely wonderful. For her, that was the whole story."Sister Mara, you have to tell me everything you've been doing for years! You didn't visit me even once!" Lily leaned forward and grabbed Mara's hands, eyes sparkling."Alright, alright," Mara laughed. "I'll tell you everything, but I can assure you, it's not as interesting as you think.""I don't care! I want to know!" Lily declared, then turned immediately to the other side of the table. "Sister Selina, I missed playing with you too!" She pouted for emph
Chapter 199: Not That Bad
Thankfully it wasn't as bad as Gray had expected.After a few hours, the atmosphere had shifted completely. The early stiffness was gone. The careful politeness was gone. What was left was something looser and warmer, and for Gray, strange in a way that was oddly good. Lily and Mara fell into step with each other almost immediately after breakfast. The moment they properly started talking, the living room filled with laughter and loud stories pulled from years ago. They teased each other, interrupted each other, and laughed at things that made no sense to anyone outside of their shared history. It was as if the years between their last meeting had simply been folded up and set aside. Selina, who had been hovering slightly at the edge of it all at first, got pulled in before long. And once she was in, she fit. Within an hour, all three of them were talking over each other, sharing stories, and occasionally turning to aim a well-timed joke at Gray.He could only sit there with a face
Chapter 200: Limited-Time Offer
The kitchen went quiet.Gray turned his head just in time to see Mara and Selina walking toward him, each carrying something.Mara had a steaming plate of pasta in one hand and a small basket of garlic bread in the other. Selina followed with a tray of cookies, still warm from the oven. Behind both of them, Lily came through the doorway carefully balancing a pitcher of iced tea with the focused expression of someone carrying something fragile."Lunch is served!" Mara announced, setting the pasta down on the dining table.Gray stood and raised an eyebrow at the spread. Mara noticed his expression and shifted the plate slightly so it was angled toward him properly.Selina set the cookie tray down beside it. "Be careful. it's still hot""This is the juice I made, Brother!" Lily held up the pitcher proudly, as if the iced tea represented the most technically demanding contribution to the meal."Thanks, Lily," Gray said, chuckling. Then he looked at the two women, his mouth pulling into a