From Rags to God of War

The Secret Game

Inside the luxurious showroom, the cold AC air contrasted with the sparkle of expensive cars all around. A few staff members turned their heads, but no one immediately approached. Until a young woman in a neat uniform and a nervous smile came closer.

"Good morning, Sir, Madam," the staff member greeted warmly. "I'm Mia. Welcome to the Porsche Center." She looked at Nicholas for a moment, then turned to Isabella. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Isabella offered a faint smile. "Morning, Mia. I'm Isabella Krause. We're just looking around for now." She emphasized her last name.

Mia nodded, her smile dimming slightly. "Of course, Mrs. Krause. Allow me to show you around." She directed them to the main display area. "Here we have our latest collection. Perhaps something might catch your eye."

Mia began explaining enthusiastically, pointing to each beautifully parked car. Isabella just nodded, her eyes occasionally glancing at Nicholas.

"Bella, just pick whichever car you like," Nicholas whispered.

Isabella snorted softly. "Nick, are you serious?"

Mia, who overheard briefly, brightened again. "Oh, that's wonderful, Madam. The cars here are truly designed for maximum comfort and performance." She stopped in front of a fiery red Porsche 911 Carrera S. "This is one of our favorites. Sporty and elegant design. The interior is very luxurious and it has the latest safety features."

Isabella glanced at the car, her eyes fixed on it. It had been her dream car for a long time, but she never dared to hope she could own one.

"How much does a car like this cost, Mia?" Isabella asked, her voice slightly hesitant.

Mia mentioned a figure that almost made Isabella choke. "Not too expensive, Madam. Only about USD 400,000. Not including personalization and additional features, of course."

Isabella felt her eyes widen. USD 400,000! That was a huge amount of money. She glanced at Nicholas, whose face remained calm. He did own this luxurious house, but for a car at that price?

"Tell you what, Mia," Isabella said, trying to hide her astonishment. "It seems we came at the wrong time. We should probably come back another time, when we're really ready to buy." She didn't want Mia to get her hopes up, and she also didn't want to be embarrassed.

Mia's face immediately turned pale. "Oh, Madam, please don't say that! Please, at least just look around. This is my first day working as a salesperson here. If I could just sell one unit today, it would really help my career." Her tone was full of pleading.

Isabella felt bad. She knew Mia was sincere. Nicholas just offered a faint smile, enjoying the situation.

"Buy it?" Isabella asked, her tone showing genuine doubt.

Mia was still holding her breath. "At least, would you like to try a test drive, Madam? So you can experience the car's performance firsthand."

Nicholas, without waiting for Isabella to answer, immediately took the car keys from Mia's hand. "Of course. We shouldn't refuse a good offer, right? Come on, Bella." He immediately headed for the driver's seat of the red Porsche.

Isabella was surprised. "Nicholas! You're going for a test drive?"

"Why not?" Nicholas smiled. "But if you want a test drive, you should be the one driving." He turned to Isabella. "Which car do you want? This red one, or another one?"

Isabella shook her head. "No, not that one." Her eyes shifted to another row of cars. "I want to try *that*." A red Ferrari 488 Pista.

Mia's jaw dropped. A Ferrari 488 Pista? That was one of the most exclusive and expensive units in their showroom! Isabella wanted to test drive *that* car?

Nicholas nodded to Mia. "The keys, please."

Mia, still in shock, handed over the Ferrari keys with a slightly trembling hand.

Isabella walked towards the Ferrari 488 Pista. She couldn't hide her smile. "This has been my dream since forever," she whispered to Nicholas. She got into the driver's seat, feeling the luxurious leather and modern buttons. The engine purred softly as it started. She felt adrenaline coursing through her.

Isabella sped the Ferrari out of the showroom. Her old car was nothing compared to this. Performance, acceleration, handling, everything was perfect. The advanced features she had always dreamed of were in this car. For twenty minutes, Isabella felt pure happiness. All the problems and chaos at Weber Group, all the family intrigues, vanished for a moment.

They returned to the showroom. Mia greeted them with a hopeful expression. "So, Madam? Isn't it amazing?"

Isabella got out of the car, her face radiant. "Incredible. I've never experienced anything like it."

"So...?" Mia asked, trying to contain her nervousness.

Nicholas didn't wait for Isabella's answer. "Mia, please prepare the administrative paperwork for this car. I'm buying it now."

Mia's eyes widened, then she shrieked with joy. "Yes, Sir! Right away!" She hurried off.

Isabella turned to Nicholas, her eyes full of questions. "Nick! What did you use to pay for it?"

Nicholas winked, then gestured to one of the passing staff members.

"Madam, please let me show you our other collections, and I'll prepare the best espresso for you."

"But..." Isabella was still confused. She had no choice but to follow the staff, though her mind was filled with huge question marks. Nicholas was left alone to finalize the payment.

Two hours later, Isabella was starting to feel genuinely anxious. She'd already had three cups of espresso, looked at all the cars, but Nicholas hadn't returned. Just as she was about to go find Mia, Nicholas appeared, casually smiling, a folder in his hand.

"Here you go, darling," Nicholas said, handing a purchase receipt to Isabella. "Your car. It can be picked up this afternoon."

Isabella read the amount on the receipt, her eyes widening in disbelief. "Nick... how did you... how could you do it?" She didn't know what to say. Her husband had just bought a Ferrari 488 Pista, it must have been incredibly expensive.

Mia, who returned with a cheerful face, immediately approached them. "Madam, Sir! Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this means to me! Thank you, thank you very much!" Mia bowed repeatedly. "My first day, and I got to sell an exclusive unit right away! It's all thanks to you!"

Isabella now looked at Nicholas with a different gaze. The questions swirling in her mind grew even more numerous. "Nick, what kind of work do you actually do to have this much money?"

Nicholas just smiled faintly, shrugging. "A secret. Now, I'm hungry. Since all my money went to this car, I want you to treat me to pizza."

Isabella burst out laughing. This was her husband. Able to buy a luxury car, but pretending he couldn't afford a slice of pizza. A sweet irony. "Alright, my puppy. I'll treat you."

As they walked towards the exit, Isabella's phone vibrated. A message came in from Elsa. Isabella opened it.

'OMG, Bella! I can't believe what you've done to regain your position in the company. I thought you had changed.'

Isabella froze. She re-read the message, not understanding what Elsa meant. What had she done?