Don't wear him out

Phoebe was leaning against the doorway, smiling, "Really just missed you, the rest is small potatoes."

"But, there is a bit of business to discuss." She handed Gibson a folder. He took a quick look.

"A launch for the North City project? What's that got to do with me?" he asked, confused.

Phoebe explained, "They've been using your name to lock down some plots in North City, and they've already started looking for business partners. Turns out, your name carries a lot of weight; as soon as they dropped it, a hundred companies jumped on board."

"What? My name?" Gibson's brow furrowed, not happy about it.

All this was done using his name without him lifting a finger—free land deals followed by solicitations for bids. The sale of plots two and three was already underway, and it was all up to Gibson's approval. But really, the top brass only cared about North City's growth, not who was pushing it.

It seemed like they had handed him a sweet deal on paper, but Gibson felt uneasy, like he was being used.

"When did I green-light using my name for business?" Gibson scoffed, "That old man sure knows how to play the game.

 "Ah? They gifted you some land, isn't that good news?" Phoebe asked.

"Sure, it looks like a win for me, but what are those plots actually worth to me? The businesses they attract, the tax money they bring to Starfall City—none of that cash is hitting my pocket! And..." Gibson glanced at the fading twilight and smirked, "If the word gets out that 'Reaper' is in Starfall City, think those enemies of mine would still show up?"

Suddenly, Phoebe got it. On the surface, it seemed Gibson got the better end of the deal, but the small perks came with big risks, way out of proportion. Officially, Gibson owned those plots, but in reality, control was in the hands of the city's high-ups.

"Damn! They think they can play my man like that, they've got another thing coming!" Phoebe said heatedly.

Gibson shrugged, a hint of a smirk on his face, "Let it go. Can't complain about freebies."

"Things tight lately? Heard you're a bit in the hole?" Phoebe asked.

"Got a bit of debt, yeah, working security to chip away at it. If I can't clear it, guess I'll end up as a live-in son-in-law," Gibson chuckled awkwardly.

Phoebe frowned, digging out a credit card from her purse, "Here, use this card, I'll help you clear your debt. If I'm supporting anyone, it's gonna be you!"

"Hold on, you're not even asking how much I owe?" Gibson looked embarrassed.

She waved it off, "This card can go three billion in the red! If that's not enough, I've got others!"

"Er... here are my IOUs." Gibson handed over a stack of papers.

"You questioning my capability? You can call me useless, but don't ever say I'm poor, got it?!" Phoebe snapped back.

Phoebe grabbed a stack of IOUs from Gibson, and as she unfolded them, they cascaded to the floor. Her expression slowly changed, and with a slight twitch of her lips, she said, "Are you... are you joking?!"

"Actually, it's not that much. It totals around a trillion!" Gibson said quietly, spreading his hands.

Phoebe almost couldn't catch her breath and was at a loss for words. A trillion! That number was so huge that even the Grant family couldn't scrape that together if they sold everything they owned

She had once looked down on men who lived off women, but now she hoped she could afford to support the man she loved.

Taking back a bank card from Gibson, she said, "I'll come to buy your freedom once I've scraped together a trillion one day"

"You're kicking me out already? I got all dressed up for today, take a good look! Plus, I have a little surprise that will make you….!" Phoebe said with a mischievous grin.

She pulled out her phone and scrolled to a photo—a bed covered with whips, collar chains, candles, and various exotic costumes stuffed in a wardrobe.

" OHH,I love the surprise." Gibson said with a smirk.

"So, are we on?"

"Shut it, woman. I'm trying to be the leader of the No-Lust Club. Don't try to corrupt me!"

Phoebe sighed, "Fine, looks like I prepared for nothing. I really admire your integrity. I'll just throw all those things out when I get home."

"No!!"

…

As they were talking, Gabrielle came out from inside the house and hurriedly shouted, "Your pot is burning!"

"Oh no, my crab dish!" Gibson turned and ran back into the villa, while Phoebe also put away her playful demeanor and said softly, "By the way, you might be needed at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in North City next week."

"We'll see when the time comes!" He waved his hand and walked into the villa. Gabrielle and Phoebe exchanged glances and nodded to each other as a greeting.

"By the way, I'll pay off his debts. Please go easy on him during this time, don't wear him out," Phoebe said with a light smile.

Gabrielle scoffed, "Don't worry, aside from you treating him like a treasure, no one else cares about him!"

"Heh, you really don't know the blessing you have," Phoebe said, then slowly turned and walked towards the villa's front gate.

"Really a hopeless romantic…" Gabrielle muttered as she closed the door, back in the living room

"Mike, Hey, Have you seen the news? I heard a big shot from outside the province has come to town. Do you know any details? Oh, you don't know either, never mind!"

"Chris, you know, there's buzz that some big shot has shown up in Starfall City, from outside the province. They say he's planning a major investment in the north part of town. Is that true?!"

"Officer, can I ask you something? Any chance you can spill some details about this big shot?"

"..."

After making several calls, hoping to snag some info—ranging from the police chief to the hospital director, even touching base with some contacts within their circles—turns out, nobody had a clue who this supposed big shot really was!

It's like he just popped out of nowhere, and his sudden appearance has got the whole Starfall City on edge!