"Are you sure you don’t want us to co with you, Ross?" the girls asked, their curiosity piqued by his insistence on going alone.
"Yes," Ross replied with a grin. He couldn’t do his plans with all his won coming along with him for the ride.
"My parents are old school. I don’t want to give them a heart attack by bringing you all there at once."
The explanation brought a few giggles, but Ross knew it was only half true.
His parents had likely heard the rumors about his unconventional lifestyle, but they wouldn’t fully believe it until he introduced the girls to them in person.
Still, he wanted to ease into that conversation gradually.
"Hmmm… why do I feel like you’re hiding sothing from us?" Maya asked, her sharp intuition sparking again.
"That’s because he is hiding sothing," Althea teased with a playful smirk. "But what can we do? We love him anyway, even if he’s a total horndog all day long."
Her quip drew laughter from the group, lightening the mood.
"It’s probably better this way," Ross convinced with a sly grin.
"When we see each other next, it’ll be our wedding. That’ll be exciting. And imagine how hot the honeymoon will be... we’ll go soplace nice, and I’ll f—"
"Alright, alright," the girls interrupted, chuckling as they laughed even harder.
After so convincing, they finally agreed to let Ross make the trip on his own, though their curiosity about his motives lingered.
***
The next day, Ross stepped off the plane at Northpass City Airport, the salty breeze from the nearby sea greeting him. He chuckled to himself, his lips curling into a smile.
"The last ti I traveled to Parkland City, I took a boat and spent an entire night crossing the water," Ross muttered, recalling the journey with a mix of nostalgia and amusent.
"Now I can get here in an hour by plane. But the journey’s not over yet."
Normally, the next leg of his trip would involve a bus ride over 50 kiloters of winding roads, taking at least an hour.
But this ti, Ross had arranged for a helicopter, which would whisk him ho in just 20 minutes.
"Money really does buy convenience," Ross mused as he boarded the sleek helicopter. "It’s like saving ti is the ultimate luxury."
He could have teleported directly to his hotown, but where was the fun in that?
Skipping every step of the journey felt like using cheat codes in a ga—efficient, sure, but it took away the thrill of the experience.
As the helicopter lifted off, Ross leaned back, watching the familiar landscape unfold beneath him. The final stretch of his journey ho had begun, and he couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitent.
Twenty-five minutes later, Ross finally arrived in his hotown, Mirfield. Nestled among sprawling rice fields, this small farming town of about 15,000 people had always been a haven of tranquility.
Unlike the bustling, fast-paced cities Ross had recently beco accustod to, Mirfield moved at its own leisurely rhythm, where everyone knew each other, and ti seed to stretch endlessly.
Ti stood nearly still here, and change was almost imperceptible.
As the van pulled up in front of his family ho, familiar sights and sounds greeted him—the chatter of children playing in the distance, the faint aroma of fresh-cooked rice wafting from a neighbor’s kitchen, and the hum of crickets signaling the approach of night.
It didn’t take long for word to spread that Ross was back in town.
"Isn’t that Ross?"
"I heard he beca a big boss after winning the lottery." Discover more content at .Côm
"Are you sure it’s him? You can’t believe everything you hear on the news these days."
"No, I think it’s true. Look at his parents. Ever since that news broke, they’ve been walking around like they don’t have a care in the world!"
"You’re right. They even seem a little happier, and I noticed their relatives look a lot more content too."
"Well, let’s not just stand here gossiping. If the news is true, maybe Ross has sothing for us too!"
The streets buzzed with excitent as curious neighbors began making their way toward the family ho.
Ross’s parents’ house sat in the heart of a tight-knit community, where rows of houses stood close together, making it easy for neighbors to lend a hand when needed—or share the latest rumors.
"Ross! You’re back!"
"Co inside!"
"We missed you!"
"You’ve grown so much!"
His parents greeted him warmly, their smiles a testant to their pride and joy. Though Ross had only been away for less than a year, the reunion felt like a hocoming long overdue.
True to their expectations, Ross hadn’t co empty-handed. He distributed sacks of rice to the neighbors who showed up, ensuring no one left empty-handed.
For those who didn’t receive rice, he handed out cash instead, instructing them to buy what they needed.
The astonished looks on their faces confird what Ross suspected—his parents had been discreet about the 10 million usd he’d given them. It was a wise move.
In a small town like Mirfield, flaunting wealth could quickly attract trouble. His relatives, however, were another story. They knew about his winnings, and many had been shalessly ssaging him for gifts.
Ross didn’t mind; he was generous with his fortune, knowing it cost him little to share. He could practically make moneys out of thin air.
As for security, Ross had long ensured his family and the entire community were well-protected. Unbeknownst to the townsfolk, he had stationed protective puppets throughout Mirfield.
These sentinels would neutralize any threat before it could reach his loved ones, ensuring peace of mind for everyone.
The afternoon passed in joyous celebration. Over a hearty lunch, Ross and his parents caught up on everything—from changes in the town to family gossip.
His parents shared stories of local events, and Ross listened with genuine interest, feeling a sense of grounding he hadn’t realized he missed. For now, he kept quiet about his upcoming wedding.
He had five days to ease them into the idea, and he wanted to savor every mont of this visit before broaching such life-changing news.
As evening descended and the household quieted, Ross finally broached a question that had been lingering in his mind.
"How is Mrs. Lawrence, by the way?" he asked, feigning nonchalance.
His parents exchanged knowing looks before his mother teased him with a playful smile. "If we didn’t know any better, your father and I would think you ca back just to check on your childhood crush."
Ross chuckled, feeling the tips of his ears warm. "Co on, Mom. It’s just a question."
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