Tremendous Gains

Sofia seemed to want to find a way to disagree with Elias's suggestion but hearing that he wasn't spending his money lavishly and had already thought things through allowed her to sigh in relief.

"Alright, I'll allow it. But don't push yourself. If we reach a point where you can no longer handle the expenses, just let me know, and I'll take care of it. I've saved enough to afford them," Sofia responded, her expression stern as she pointed a finger at him like a strict teacher.

She had heard enough about trust funds to worry about reckless spending. She didn't want it to go to his head and change everything about him.

Elias, sensing Sofia's unspoken worries, nodded in understanding. "I'll wait for you to get ready, and then we can start shopping," he responded reassuringly.

Sofia nodded and headed back upstairs to prepare herself.

…....

Thirty minutes later

Elias and Sofia stepped down from the taxi after he had paid for the fare.

┏━━━━━━༻✾༺━━━━━━┓

Amount Spent: [ $28 ]

Cashback Reward: [ $112]

Affection Multiplier: [ x4 ]

┗━━━━━━༻✾༺━━━━━━┛

Upon hearing the system's alert sound in his mind, Elias couldn't help but feel inwardly thrilled because the difference between a [x2] multiplier and a [x4] multiplier was incredibly apparent.

However, he quickly recovered his composure. He didn't take it to heart, as he was here to simply help Sofia out and repay some of the gratitude she had shown him in the past.

Sofia wore high-waisted jeans paired with a fitted, off-the-shoulder blouse, matched black ankle boots, a leather crossbody bag, and hoop earrings. While Elias wore a plain black shirt and blue jeans that Sofia had given him. He couldn't wear his former clothes as they were worn out and stained during the accident.

Nonetheless, standing side by side, they appeared like a couple with contrasting tastes in fashion.

"Let's go," Sofia said, holding Elias's hand. I'll take you to the kitchenware store where I get my kitchenware," she continued, pulling him into Luxe Haven Mall.

After ten minutes, they quickly reached the second floor and arrived at the store.

As they entered, an employee approached them.

"Welcome to our store, Ma'am, Sir. Can I help you find what you are looking for?" she asked curiously.

"Don't worry; I know my way around. I'll take a look and decide what I want," Sofia responded, pulling Elias inside as she walked towards the rows of shelves.

The employee nodded and continued to look at them curiously. She assumed they were a young couple about to begin their lives together.

As Sofia and Elias explored the store, Sofia carefully selected the items she wanted one by one. Elias walked beside her, mentally calculating the cost of each item. His intent was not to worry about the expenses but to ensure that each piece of kitchenware was several times costlier than the one she had picked.

It was on that day that Elias knew that branded kitchenware existed.

"Are you sure about this?" Sofia asked, furrowing her brows as she looked at Elias. In her hands were a Limited-Edition Japanese Chef's Knife Set, which costs about $1,200, and an Exclusive Cast Iron Dutch Oven, which costs about $700.

She had already chosen a Damascus Steel Chef's Knife Set, which cost about $400 and was what she had initially intended to buy, so she felt hesitant about selecting it.

Elias nodded, saying, "Yes. The best Chef I know needs to utilize the best kitchenware there is. Is this all you need?" He looked at the Quality Cutting Boards, which cost about $100; the High-end Blender, about $400; the KitchenAid Stand Mixer for $400; and the Cast Iron Dutch Oven, $300.

The only reason he had chosen items priced at $400 was so his plan would work. He didn't want to embarrass himself before Sofia, after all.

"Okay, I'm done then. Let's go to the cashier and pay for them," Sofia said, sighing.

She was utterly shocked that Elias was willing to spend $3,500 on kitchenware, and a wave of guilt washed over her. She couldn't help but feel like a lousy friend for agreeing to let him buy the things she needed for herself.

Even if the wealth his parents had left for him was immense, it couldn't be that Elias was willing to spend on her to cope with his unfortunate circumstances, right?

Sofia's expression morphed into a frown as she held her card, ready to pay if anything went wrong. Although she could feel her heart sinking from such expenses, she didn't want something like this to ruin their relationship.

They arrived at the cashier and handed the product to her to calculate the price.

"That would be $3,500," the cashier said with a smile.

"I'll send the payment to your account," Elias said, bringing out his phone and scanning the QR Code on the desk before him to make the payment. He planned to pay for the items, one by one, from the cheapest to the most expensive.

Sofia glanced at Elias, wondering why paying for all the items took him some time.

Sofia sighed inwardly.

[ Update! Sofia's affection for you has decreased by 1% ]

Just as she was about to hand over her credit card to the cashier, Elias's voice abruptly sounded, "I'm done; you can confirm it," he said, staring at the cashier.

Sofia halted her actions and stared at Elias curiously, wondering if he had paid the enormous bill. Sure, he had already told her that his parents had left a considerable amount of money for him beforehand; however, witnessing it herself as he handled the bill was different.

As she examined him intently, she couldn't help but notice Elias's confidence. Previously, he had appeared closed off and cautious, as though each step he took and each word he uttered would decide his fate.

However, although he still seemed somewhat reserved, his cautiousness had dissipated, revealing a confidence she had never witnessed before. Somehow, she liked this change in him.