Chapter 105: And Luck Struck Thrice!

"Let’s find out," I said, nudging the fresh issue closer to her.

She shook her head, laughing in utter disbelief, but the thrill of the hunt was already back in her eyes. "Ethan, I’m telling you, it’s impossible—"

She paused. Her words died in her throat as her fingers caught the corner of another thick, metallic insert. She slowly pulled it out, her eyes widening as she read the sleek print.

Without saying a word, she neatly cut out the voucher and held it in her hand, staring at it like it was written in gold.

"No way..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

It was a 99.9% off voucher for an all-inclusive, high-end stress relief and wellness retreat at one of the city’s most exclusive luxury spas. We were talking a full week of complete pampering—deep tissue therapy, pedicures, manicures, full body grooming, private hot tub access, and personalized recovery treatments.

"Isn’t... isn’t a full package at a place like this usually around a hundred thousand dollars?" she gasped, looking up at me in absolute shock. "Ethan, this is crazy! Woah!"

I leaned in slightly, looking at the voucher in her shaking hands with a satisfied smirk. "Told you. Lightning just struck twice."

She flipped the spa voucher over, her eyes catching the tiny, elegant emblem stamped on the bottom corner.

"Wait..." She squinted, pointing at the fine print. "This is sponsored by Zenith too!"

She set both vouchers side by side on the table, staring between them as her mind worked through the bizarre coincidence.

"Ethan, hear me out," she said, her voice dropping into a dramatic whisper like she had just uncovered a massive corporate secret. "Do you think Zenith is running some kind of secret, hidden giveaway? Like... a stealth marketing experiment where they drop life-changing rewards in random print issues just to see who finds them?"

I widened my eyes slightly, feigning a look of genuine shock and curiosity.

"You know what? That... actually sounds plausible," I said smoothly, rubbing my chin as if processing the mind-blowing theory. "A huge sport brand running a low-key social experiment? Maybe Zenith is doing a hidden giveaway and you just happened to buy the golden issue."

Patricia stared at the vouchers, completely buying into her own theory, a bright, radiant smile finally breaking across her face. "I can’t believe this... This is literally unbelievable."

"Hey, check this one out," I said smoothly, sliding a fresh issue toward her after casually flipping through it.

I handed her a thick, pristine golden card I had "happened" to spot near the back pages.

Patricia took it from my hand, her jaw dropping open yet again as she read the sleek, embossed text aloud. "A $200,000 voucher for a complete luxury kitchen overhaul... including commercial-grade appliances, custom premium cookware, and an unlimited, nationwide supply of rare spices and gourmet ingredients?!"

She looked at the card, then up at me, completely speechless. Her eyes were practically glistening with pure excitement. For a passionate chef trapped in a dead-end job, having access to every high-end tool and exotic spice on the market was the ultimate dream.

"Ethan..." she breathed out, her voice trembling as she clutched the voucher against her chest. "This isn’t just luck anymore. This is... my entire life changing in a single morning."

"Looks like your ’hidden giveaway’ theory was spot on," I chuckled softly, leaning back with a satisfied grin. "You’ve got the golden touch today, Patricia."

Patricia went completely still.

For a long, heavy silence, she just sat there at the small wooden table, staring down at the three life-changing vouchers laid out in front of her. Her breathing slowed down, and the initial wave of high-energy excitement gave way to a sharp, intense realization.

Slowly, she lifted her head and turned her eyes toward me. The confusion in her gaze had vanished, replaced by a deep, searching look.

"Did you do all this?" she asked softly, her voice carrying a heavy mix of suspicion and vulnerability. "Ethan... be honest with me. Did you set this up?"

She knew I was wealthy. She had seen my supercar, my attitude, and the way I carried myself without a single worry about money. To someone like her, who had fought for every single dollar her entire life, three massive, life-altering vouchers sitting in a pile of random magazines was simply too good to be true. Her defensive instincts were kicking back in.

I didn’t answer right away. I kept my face completely unreadable, letting the quiet stretch out between us as I met her gaze head-on.

"I mean..." I finally said, letting out a relaxed, amused exhale and leaning back against my chair. "How could I possibly rig a nationwide magazine distribution from Zenith? I’m just sitting here flipping pages with you."

She searched my face, trying to catch a crack in my story, but I gave her absolutely nothing to confirm her fears, keeping my posture calm and unbothered.

She held my gaze, her eyes narrowing slightly as she let out a soft, exasperated sigh. "I’m not stupid, Ethan."

I held my hands up slightly, dropping the casual act and letting out a quiet exhale. "Okay. Fine. I did."

Silence fell over the room again. She sat completely still, staring at the vouchers on the table, not saying a single word. For a second, I actually thought she was mad—that her fierce independence had kicked in and she felt insulted by the elaborate setup.

I didn’t try to make up excuses or defend myself. I just sat there, quiet, waiting for her reaction and letting her process it in her own time.

Then, she looked back up at me.

"Thank you," she said softly. "A lot."

A faint, genuinely warm smile broke through her tired face as she looked down at the pile again. "You really chose the absolute best and most fun way to change my life."

She let out a quiet chuckle, shaking her head.

I raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a light grin. "Wait... so you’re not mad that I lied to you?"

"Mad?" She picked up the luxury spa voucher and gave it a small, playful flourish. "Let’s just call it a surprise."