"Within reason," Mom said automatically, trying to maintain control like they werenât already off the rails.
Sarah was already scrolling like her life depended on it. Emma started squealing at handbags. Madison nodded approvingly like a mentor watching her protégés embrace consumerism.
And Peter?
Peter leaned back and smiled.
Emmaâs hand was already twitching toward the tablet like it was a nuclear launch code. "Whatâs
within reason
when the card has no limit and your sonâs basically Tony Stark with better hair?"
Peter smirked behind his mask. "Sheâs not wrong."
Sarah raised an eyebrow, scrolling with deadly precision. "Okay, is it weird that I just found a gold-plated blender that costs more than my tuition?"
"Itâs only weird if you
donât
buy it," Madison said with a wink, tapping through options like a seasoned digital assassin. "If it doesnât whisper to you in French and blend your soul into smoothies, whatâs the point?"
Mom groaned, rubbing her temples like they were summoning migraines on purpose. "You people are unhinged."
"Correction," Charlotte chimed in, sipping from a diamond-encrusted La Cherie water bottle that looked suspiciously like it doubled as a scepter. "Weâre rich
and
unhinged. Thereâs a difference."
"Luxury has no rules," Emma declared, selecting a dress so sparkly it looked like a galaxy had exploded and settled on satin. "Except maybe donât spend more than a small nationâs GDP before lunch."
Peter laughed, finally sinking into one of the plush couches with a sigh that felt like itâd been held in since the whole mad day began. "You know, I expected today to be intense. Maybe a little emotional. But I didnât expect to end it by watching Mom scroll past luxury handbags like sheâs choosing a new kitchen sponge."
"Because your mom has
taste,
" Madison said, not looking up from her tablet. "And now,
budget.
Which is a dangerous combination. Youâve created a monster."
Peter peeked at Mom, whoâdespite her earlier protestsâwas now eyeing a sleek, silver purse with the look of someone debating whether God would forgive a little splurge. Her finger hovered, then tapped.
"Thatâs it," she whispered. "Iâve sold my soul to the shopping demons."
"And it only took half an hour," Sarah said proudly.
Somehow, this momentâhis sisters bickering over silk heels, Madison helping his mom price-check sunglasses, and Charlotte lounging like a Bond villain in stilettosâfelt more surreal than any of it.
Peter leaned back and whispered under his breath, "I think I broke the simulation."
Madison caught the comment and grinned. "Then donât fix it. Just buy it new throw pillows and make it pretty."
While his family dove into shopping with the enthusiasm of kids in a candy store, Peter pulled Madison aside.
"I need you to start looking into real estate options," he said quietly. "Somewhere better than Lincoln Heights, but not so fancy that Mom feels uncomfortable."
Madisonâs eyes brightened with understanding. "You want to move your family soon."
"They deserve better than a four-bedroom rundown house where me, Sarah and Emma have to share a bathroom, and Mom sleeps on the couch half the time because sheâs too tired to make it to her bed after double shifts."
"I know exactly what you need," Madison said, her business family background kicking in. "Something in the mid-range luxury market. Nice enough to show your success, practical enough to feel like home."
"Youâre the heiress to a real estate empire," Peter said with a grin. "If anyone knows properties, itâs you."
"Leave it to me. Iâll have options by tomorrow."
As Madison started making calls, Peter realized he needed to step away for some air.
"Iâm going to step outside for a few minutes," he announced.
"Take your time, sweetheart," Mom called, not looking up from a tablet displaying jewelry that cost more than her annual salary. "Iâm trying to decide between these earrings and... oh my God, are these shoes really eight hundred dollars?"
"Thatâs actually reasonable for designer heels," Charlotte said casually.
"Reasonable," Mom repeated faintly. "Eight hundred dollars is reasonable."
Peter slipped out of the suite, leaving behind the sounds of his family discovering what unlimited shopping budgets actually meant.
Behind him, the conversation continued with the kind of energy that came from people realizing their lives had just changed forever.
"Sarah, look at this dress," Emma was saying. "Itâs perfect for your presentation next month."
"Em... that dress costs more than our whole wardrobes."
"Not anymore it doesnât," Charlotte pointed out. "Your brother just signed a contract that makes money irrelevant."
"I still canât believe this is real," Mom said, holding up a tablet displaying a handbag that probably had a waiting list. "This morning I was worried about Peter working too much. Now heâs a millionaire engineer for Fortune 500 companies."
"Life changes fast when youâre as brilliant as Peter," Madison said with obvious pride. "Iâve watched him solve problems that shouldnât be solvable. Heâs not just smartâheâs operating on a completely different level."
"Speaking of which," Charlotte said, "I should probably warn you that Peterâs new position is going to attract attention. People are going to want to know who âEros Velmior Desiderionâ is."
"Will Peter be safe?" Mom asked, her protective instincts kicking in immediately.
"Safer than if heâd gone public with his real identity. The alias creates separation between his work and his personal life. Plus, with his abilities, I suspect Peter can handle more than most people assume. But we will need a safe place where he will operate from if you do not mind, Ms. Carter."
Sarah looked up from her tablet with a thoughtful expression. "Mom, do you think Peterâs always been this smart, and we just never noticed?"
"No," Mom said quietly. "Something changed. I donât know what or how, but my son is different now. Better, but different."
"Maybe he was always a genius more than he let us know," Emma suggested, "and he just needed the right opportunity to show it."
Madison smiled. "Sometimes people surprise you. Peter definitely surprised me."
"He saved your life too?" Charlotte asked with teasing curiosity.
"He transformed it," Madison said simply. "Before Peter, I was just another rich girl playing games. He made me want to be better."
Outside the suite, Peter leaned against the marble wall and closed his eyes, maintaining his digital grip on the buildingâs security systems while listening to his familyâs voices through the door.
From his vantage point near the exclusive VIP area, he could see the sprawling mall below through the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Thousands of people moved through the marble corridors like a living riverâfamilies with children pointing excitedly at window displays, teenagers clustered around the latest tech stores, elderly couples walking hand in hand past fountains that sparkled under designer lighting.
Most wore expressions of contentment, the particular happiness that came from having money to spend and beautiful things to buy. Children laughed as they ran between their parentsâ legs, couples shared intimate conversations over coffee, friends posed for selfies against Instagram-worthy backdrops.
But Peterâs enhanced perception caught the others too. The woman clutching her purse too tightly while staring at price tags she couldnât afford. The teenager pretending to browse while his friends bought things he couldnât.
The father checking his phone with stress lines around his eyes, probably calculating credit card balances. They moved through the same space as the happy shoppers, but they were ghosts in a world of abundanceâpresent but not really belonging.
âMoney doesnât solve everything,â Peter thought, watching the human drama unfold below. âBut it solves 99% of problems that the rest become manageable.â
His familyâs laughter drifted through the door behind him, and he smiled. At least his people would never have to pretend to belong anywhere again.
His personal phone buzzed against his chestânot the business phone Charlotte had been using, but his regular device. The message notification made his pulse quicken when he saw the sender.
Isabella Rodriguez:
Missing you so much right now. Can we talk? Like, really talk? đ*