Chapter 22: The Charity Foundation

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When Link returned home, he found Jessica fast asleep on the couch in the living room, clearly waiting for him. He quietly turned off the television and gently picked her up.

"Mmm... you're back?" Jessica murmured, half asleep.

"Yeah, I'm back. Go back to sleep," Link whispered softly, carrying her to the master bedroom. After laying her down on the bed, he undressed and headed to the bathroom.

The next morning, Jessica suddenly sat up and turned to look at Link. Still groggy, Link opened his eyes and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Did you win?" Jessica asked with wide eyes.

Link chuckled. "Of course I did. Thirty million dollars. How about that?"

"Really?" Jessica gasped in disbelief. "That much?"

"Ha!" Link laughed, pulling Jessica in for a quick kiss. "Alright, time to get up. We've got things to do today. I need to cash the check and invest in some stocks."

"Right, before we get hit with a huge tax bill!" Jessica jumped out of bed, quickly getting ready. "I'll make you some sandwiches."

...

After breakfast, Jessica saw Link off as he headed out. His first stop was the bank to cash the check. Then, he made his way to the accounting firm to instruct Langley to continue purchasing Stark Industries stock.

Langley Osley was surprised but didn't pry, simply assuring Link that they'd acquire as much Stark stock as possible.

Satisfied, Link left the firm and visited several nearby banks. His purpose wasn't to conduct any transactions but to observe people accessing their safety deposit boxes or watch for managers who carried matching keys.

Link had a few criteria in mind. First, the bank needed to be large, with excellent security and a sophisticated vault system. Second, it had to operate anonymously, identifying depositors only by the key, not by personal records—ensuring total privacy.

After considering these factors, Link narrowed down his search. He spent the day visiting two banks, but their safety deposit keys didn't match. Expanding his search radius, Link continued to investigate banks that Langley might use, knowing the financier wouldn't store his secrets anywhere traceable to himself.

Though his search yielded no results that day, Link wasn't in a rush. This task was solely his responsibility, and Coulson wasn't pressing him for results. As long as Link produced solid intel, he knew his efforts would be appreciated—and possibly lead to some impressive revelations.

After a fruitless day of searching, Link picked up Jessica for dinner. This time, it was just the two of them. They enjoyed their meal and capped the night off with a movie date.

Three days passed with no breakthroughs. Finally, on the third day, in the last bank he visited, Link found a match. The time was already late, so he left, planning to return the following day to verify if Langley had a safety deposit box there.

...

Back at home, Jessica was browsing job listings on her laptop. She was deep in thought, contemplating what kind of career would suit her.

Link's advice had struck a chord—finding something she genuinely enjoyed doing was key. But what did she enjoy? Jessica realized she had a strong sense of justice and liked investigating. Should she become a police officer?

After all, Link had been a cop before he resigned. Should she become a special agent? But then, she wondered, would working as an agent mean sacrificing time with Link?

Feeling conflicted, Jessica knew she couldn't match Link's success or income. But would she be happy as a stay-at-home partner?

Frustrated by her uncertainty, Jessica was lost in thought when Link came home. She quickly got up to greet him, helping him remove his jacket. These days, he always left the house wearing one.

"Done for the day?" she asked, biting her lip.

"Yeah, and you?" Link replied. "Bored at home?"

"Not really. I've just been looking for jobs online, but nothing seems to fit me. Policing doesn't feel right, and being an agent seems too time-consuming," she said, clearly conflicted.

Link thought it over. Jessica was right—certain jobs would definitely impact their relationship. While he had considered pulling her into S.H.I.E.L.D., now he wasn't so sure. Perhaps it wasn't the right path for her.

In the back of his mind, Link began thinking about securing her a Vibranium suit—purely for protection, not to send her into battle. As for himself, his goal was to stay discreet. Becoming a top-tier agent was enough; there was no need to reveal his powers.

Link hugged Jessica, and then an idea struck him. "What if we started a charity foundation? A legal aid fund, specifically."

"It'd help with taxes, and at the same time, we'd be supporting a good cause. What do you think?"

"You could manage it, and we could partner with a law firm that's passionate about justice," Link added.

He thought of Daredevil, knowing Jessica wasn't suited for conventional jobs. Managing a charity was a different story, and it would pay her a salary too.

Jessica blinked in surprise. She hadn't considered something like that before. But it was a good idea.

"Do you think I could do that?" she asked, unsure.

"You'd learn. Besides, I just invested in Stark Industries stocks, and managing a foundation isn't something we need to rush. We can take our time."

"We don't need to be famous, just quietly do the work. I'm not some celebrity—just a professional gambler with no need for publicity."

"You can start learning, see if you're up for it," Link suggested.

"Alright, I'll study and see how it goes," Jessica agreed, excited by the prospect.

However, there was still an unresolved issue—Link didn't know about her powers, and the uncertainty of their future weighed on her. For now, she'd take things one step at a time.

...

The next day, Link returned to the bank, hoping to investigate their safety deposit box services. The manager was more than happy to give Link a tour of their vault, which was critical to his plan.

It was a massive vault with rows of small safety deposit boxes. As Link scanned the room with his X-ray vision, he asked, "So, you only require the key for access?"

"Yes, Mr. Link. We don't keep records of the individuals using the boxes. Clients simply pay a one-time fee for three, five, or ten years, depending on their preference," the manager explained. "When they come in with the key, that's all we need."

"We only record the number engraved on the key."

Link hadn't yet seen the full detail of the key he was after, so he hadn't noted the number. But he didn't need it.

With his X-ray vision, he inspected each box's contents. He wasn't looking for cash or jewels—he was searching for documents, hard drives, USB sticks, or disks.

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