Chapter Forty-Four
Morning came quietly.
The faint hum of the city bled in through the open window, wrapped in soft sunlight and the gentle clatter of utensils coming from the kitchen. Jason stirred in bed, eyes half-open, feeling the rare comfort of waking to peace instead of alarms or the sound of his own heavy breathing after another late-night routine.
Something smelled different — something good.
He sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, and followed the scent. It wasn't the usual toast or the quick scrambled eggs Sophie would make when she was in a hurry. No, this one was richer — layered with butter, spice, and something that reminded him faintly of cinnamon.
As he reached the kitchen door, he found Sophie standing by the stove, wearing his oversized shirt again — sleeves rolled up, hair tied back messily, humming to herself as she stirred a pan of golden-brown sauce.
Jason leaned against the doorway with his arms crossed, a faint smile curving at the corner of his mouth.
"Well, well," he said quietly. "What's all this?"
Sophie turned, startled for a moment, then grinned proudly. "Breakfast. Don't look so shocked."
"Smells like heaven."
She tilted her head smugly. "You're welcome."
Jason chuckled and walked in, peeking over her shoulder. "You used all the good stuff again, didn't you?"
"Just a little," she said quickly, eyes darting away.
He sighed softly but didn't scold her. "It's fine. Feels nice to wake up to something that doesn't taste like my own cooking for once."
She laughed. "That's because you still don't know how to make proper seasoning."
Jason pulled out a chair and sat at the table, shaking his head. "You talk too much for someone who nearly burned water last week."
"Excuse me," Sophie shot back, "that was an experiment."
He smirked. "Sure it was."
Sophie rolled her eyes and focused back on the pan, pretending not to smile.
Jason watched her for a while, quietly content. For a moment, he forgot about everything else — the system, the missions, even the weight of what lay ahead. This right here, this small kitchen, was peace.
But that peace didn't last long.
His phone buzzed sharply on the table beside him. He ignored it at first, but the vibration came again — longer this time.
He reached for it lazily, unlocking the screen, and then froze.
The notification on his bank app glowed brightly across the screen:
> Credit Alert: +$500,000.00 USD received.
Jason blinked. Once. Twice. He even rubbed his eyes, thinking maybe he'd read it wrong. But no — it was there. Half a million dollars sitting in his account.
"What the—" he muttered under his breath.
Sophie turned instantly. "What's wrong?"
Jason looked at her, eyes wide. "Sophie… check this out."
He held out the phone. Sophie wiped her hands quickly on a napkin and took it. The moment she saw the amount, her eyes widened so much it looked like they might fall out.
"JASON!" she yelled. "Are you—are you kidding me right now?!"
He stood up slowly, still staring at the screen. "That's… half a million. Dollars."
Her jaw dropped. "From who?!"
"I don't know," he said, voice low, "it doesn't even show a name. Just an international transfer code."
Sophie covered her mouth, pacing a little. "Half a million… Jason, you're not in trouble, right? You didn't—"
Before she could finish, the faint chime of the system interrupted his thoughts.
> [Incoming analysis…]
[Source identified: ELENA.]
[Transfer confirmed: Gift transaction. No repayment requested.]
Jason's eyes widened slightly. "Elena…"
Sophie frowned. "What did you say?"
He sighed deeply, setting the phone down. "It's from Elena."
"Elena? As in your girlfriend Elena?"
"Yeah."
Sophie blinked, then burst into disbelief. "She sent you half a million dollars?! Just like that?!"
Jason rubbed the back of his neck. "Apparently."
"What did you do, save her from a dragon or something?"
He couldn't help a small laugh. "Not exactly."
Sophie stared at him for a long moment, then grinned slyly. "I like her already."
Before Jason could respond, his phone buzzed again — this time with a familiar name flashing across the screen.
Incoming Call: Elena.
Jason took a slow breath. "Speak of the devil."
"Answer it!" Sophie whispered, practically bouncing.
He gave her a look but picked up the call anyway.
"Good morning," came Elena's voice — smooth and warm through the speaker. "Did I wake you?"
Jason leaned back in his chair. "No, I was already up. Actually, I was about to call you."
"Oh? Why's that?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You sent me something."
She chuckled softly. "You saw it then."
"I did. Five hundred thousand dollars isn't exactly something you miss."
Sophie snorted quietly in the background, but Jason ignored her.
"Elena," he said calmly, "that's… a lot. You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to," she said gently. "You've been working so hard, Jason. You deserve more than just words."
He paused, trying to find the right words. "It's not that I don't appreciate it — I do. But I never asked for money. And how did you even get my account details?"
She laughed softly. "You forget I have connections, Jason. I only needed your full name. The rest was easy."
"That's not comforting," he replied dryly.
"Don't worry," she said quickly. "It's not something I plan to do often. I just wanted to make sure you're not struggling. Consider it a small… investment in us."
Jason looked away, exhaling. "You really didn't have to—"
Before he could finish, Sophie leaned in and spoke loud enough for Elena to hear. "Hi, Elena!"
There was a small laugh from the other end. "Sophie! Good morning, sweetheart. I was hoping you were there."
Jason sighed, but a faint smile tugged at his lips.
Sophie grinned. "Good morning. Um, quick question — was it you who sent that half a million?"
Elena chuckled. "Guilty."
Jason tried to interject, "Elena—"
But Sophie cut him off. "Can I just say, that's the coolest thing I've ever seen anyone do. You're officially my favorite person."
Elena laughed warmly. "I'm glad to hear that. You must be the sister Jason keeps talking about."
"He talks about me?" Sophie said quickly, her eyes widening.
"All the time," Elena replied. "He makes it sound like you're the heart of his world."
Sophie's smile softened instantly. "Well… he's mine too."
Jason cleared his throat, suddenly uncomfortable with how emotional that sounded. "Alright, enough of that."
Elena giggled. "You're blushing, aren't you?"
He sighed. "No."
"Yes, you are," Sophie teased.
He shot her a glare that only made her laugh harder.
Elena's voice softened again. "Jason, listen. I know you don't like taking money. But I didn't do it to make you feel small. I did it because I care. And because I can."
He stared at the wall quietly, her words echoing deeper than he wanted them to.
"I know," he said finally, "and I appreciate it. Truly. Just… next time, tell me before you do something like that. Alright?"
"I promise," she said softly.
There was a long pause — not awkward, but heavy with unspoken things.
Then Elena broke it with a smile in her voice. "So… are you free today?"
Jason chuckled faintly. "I might be. Why?"
"Because I was thinking of showing you something beautiful. A surprise."
Sophie whispered, "Say yes!"
Jason rolled his eyes. "Alright. I'll let you know when I'm done at work."
"Good," Elena said. "And Jason?"
"Yeah?"
"Don't return the money."
He smiled slightly. "Didn't plan to. Yet."
They both laughed softly, and when the call ended, Jason just sat there for a moment, staring at the phone — half in disbelief, half in quiet gratitude.
Sophie was still looking at him, her expression full of wonder.
"You really found yourself an angel," she said softly.
Jason smiled faintly, standing up. "Maybe. But I still prefer to earn my wings the hard way."
Sophie grinned. "That's the Jason I know."
He reached out, ruffled her hair gently, then went to wash up, the faint hum of the system still in the back of his head, silently recalculating his path forward — one that now, for the first time in a long while, didn't feel so lonely.
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