Chapter 26
Remy arrived at Lyra's estate and picked all three girls up, then drove uptown to a restaurant.
There was an agreed silence between all of them as he drove them to their destination.
The evening air was cool and crisp as Remy led Lyra, Nyx, and Indigo toward the top-floor terrace of Celestia, the most exclusive restaurant in the city.
A place where reservation waiting lists stretched six months and a single dinner could cost more than most people's monthly rent.
The rooftop space was enclosed in glass and an elegant steel framework, with retractable panels that were currently open to let in the October evening breeze.
String lights created a canopy of stars above white-clothed tables, and the city spread out below them like a glittering carpet of possibility.
The three beauties walked together, an uneasy but fascinated alliance forming between them with each passing day.
They'd spent the past week navigating the strange new territory of their unconventional relationship, study sessions that turned into girl talk, coffee dates where they discovered unexpected common ground, late-night group chats where jealousies were aired and addressed with surprising honesty.
Lyra, with her flowing yellow hair catching the light like spun gold, wore a designer dress in deep sapphire that brought out subtle blue undertones in her silver eyes.
She kept adjusting the neckline nervously, a tell that revealed her uncertainty despite her usual confidence.
"This is beautiful," she murmured, taking in the private terrace with wide eyes.
"Remy, how did you even get a reservation here? I know people who've been trying for...."
"He didn't get a reservation," Nyx interrupted, her analytical mind already putting pieces together as she observed the complete absence of other diners, the staff who seemed to be waiting exclusively on them.
She walked with a newfound grace, her coal-black eyes no longer darting around in social anxiety but instead taking in details with calm precision.
She wore a simple but elegant black dress that Lyra had helped her pick out on their first shopping trip together, surprisingly enjoyable despite the strangeness of the situation.
Indigo moved with her model-like stride, though her gaze remained fixed solely on Remy rather than scanning for cameras or admirers as it once would have.
Her purple hair was styled in soft waves, and she wore a beautiful cream-colored dress without being provocative, a conscious choice, part of her ongoing transformation from performance to authenticity.
"The entire restaurant is empty except for us," she observed quietly. "Remy, what did you do?"
Remy pulled out their chairs one by one, Lyra first, then Nyx, then Indigo, his athletic build moving with refined precision that came from months of disciplined training combined with natural courtesy.
He'd learned somewhere that small gestures of respect mattered, that treating women with genuine care was more impressive than any show of wealth.
"You've been keeping secrets, Remy," Lyra said once they were all seated, her silver eyes scanning the opulent setting with a mixture of appreciation and concern.
The table was set with crystal glasses and silver cutlery that probably cost more than her first car.
Fresh flowers in an elegant arrangement. A bottle of wine chilling that she recognised as a vintage her father had mentioned costing $800.
"Even for a 'rich kid' who pulled up in a sports car on the first day, buying out this entire venue is... extreme. This is beyond college-student wealth. This is..."
"I didn't just buy the dinner, Lyra," Remy said calmly, settling into his own chair across from the three of them. The seating arrangement had been deliberate.
He'd wanted to face them together to emphasise that this was a group conversation rather than individual relationships.
"I bought the building."
The three girls froze. The silence that fell was profound, broken only by the distant sound of traffic from the streets far below and the soft classical music playing from hidden speakers.
Indigo was the first to speak, her voice almost a whisper. "Remy, we know you've been successful. We've seen the car, the apartment, and the way you helped Lyra's family with money that seemed to appear from nowhere.
But the level of wealth you're displaying... It's not just college-kid rich. This building probably cost..." She paused, her model's mind calculating based on location and square footage, "...at least twenty million dollars.
You're twenty years old. How is this possible?"
"It's the Foresight," Remy said simply, and as if to emphasise the point, his eyes glowed with that familiar golden light for a brief moment, bright enough that it reflected off the crystal glasses.
"I've seen the rise and fall of markets before they happen. Cryptocurrency surges, forex fluctuations, stock movements, and real estate values.
It's all a game of knowing what happens in the next twenty-four hours and positioning yourself accordingly."
He leaned forward, his expression serious, his golden eyes moving between the three women who'd somehow become the centre of his world.
"I bought Xintcoin at $3,100 and sold it at $68,000 because I knew exactly when the peak would hit.
I shorted the Euro against the dollar on three separate occasions, making millions each time.
I bought commercial real estate properties the day before major development announcements that sent their values skyrocketing.
It's not luck. It's not genius. It's literally cheating with divine intervention."
"How much?" Nyx asked, her analytical mind needing concrete numbers to process this revelation. "How much are you actually worth?"
Remy was quiet for a moment, considering whether full honesty was wise or just showing off.
He chose honesty. "As of this morning, approximately $127 million in liquid and near-liquid assets.
Another $40 million in real estate holdings, including this building.
Conservative stock positions are worth about $25 million. Total net worth somewhere around $190 million, give or take depending on market fluctuations."
Lyra's mouth fell open. Indigo made a small sound that might have been a gasp or a laugh or both. Nyx's eyes went wide, her brain clearly trying to process numbers that large applied to a college student.
"Jesus Christ, Remy," Lyra whispered. "You're not rich. You're wealthy.
You're....you're in the same tier as my family was before the Parstons tried to destroy us. You could buy and sell most of the people at our school."
"I don't want to buy and sell people," Remy said quietly. "I want to build something meaningful.
And that's why I asked you all here tonight. Not to show off, though I admit this setting is a bit much, but to talk about your futures. Our futures."
He paused as waiters appeared with the first course, some kind of artistic arrangement of scallops and microgreens that probably had a French name Remy couldn't pronounce.
They set the plates down silently and withdrew like ghosts, leaving the four of them alone on the terrace.
"I've been using my wealth selfishly so far," Remy continued once the staff had left.
"For my own comfort, my own security, my own transformation. But wealth is just a tool.
Money is only meaningful if it does something, builds something, or helps someone.
And I want to talk about how I can help the three of you achieve futures that you actually want rather than futures that circumstances are forcing on you."