Chapter 110

Gilmore entered the office and closed the door.

"Didn't you say you'd be back tomorrow?" Claire approached him, carrying two cups of coffee. She handed him one.

He took a sip. "I finished everything in half a day, so I came back early."

They sat down on the sofa. Claire's eyes shone with joy. "You've solved the food supply and chef recruitment, haven't you?"

He nodded. "Yes."

He set down his coffee, opened his briefcase, and handed her the signed contract with Dave. "Take a look."

She read it, her face lighting up. "Where did you get so much money?" she asked curiously.

He sighed and joked, "I wanted to keep a low profile, but my success wouldn't let me. To be honest, I'm a billionaire."

She nearly burst out laughing. Gilmore's $20 million payment to Dave proved he wasn't exaggerating, but she remained baffled by his wealth. "Did you rob a bank? Commit a crime?" she asked nervously.

"Do you think I'm a bad guy? I'm your boyfriend; you should trust me," he quickly explained.

"I'm sorry, but I can't understand where you got all that money," she apologized.

"I won the lottery. I got the money legally," he answered seriously.

"What?" she exclaimed inwardly. "He won twenty million dollars in the lottery?" His answer was unbelievable, but his eyes told her he was telling the truth. Only then did she accept his explanation, marveling at his luck.

She regained her composure. "You invested in the food company on behalf of Evermore Group. I'll transfer the money to you later."

"No need. I can afford it," he refused casually.

She was stunned. Even with her family's wealth and influence, she couldn't casually spend $20 million. She needed her grandfather and parents' permission for such a sum; for Evermore Group funds, she would need to use company capital. She remembered that Gilmore had sold 50% of Evermore Diner shares to Benjamin for $100 million—the entirety of Evermore Group's capital.

"How much money do you have besides the $20 million?" she asked.

He replied lightly, "Not much, about $600 million." That was his current total. After earning $300 million from Harvester International Group stocks, he'd continued investing in several other stocks using his "God's Eye" insights, all of which had risen significantly.

Claire's jaw dropped. She couldn't believe he'd earned $600 million. That was a vast sum! Her Newhaven Commercial Plaza was worth around $200 million, and the Carter Semiconductors, her family's company, was worth $2 billion, with a maximum cash withdrawal of $1 billion. Yet Gilmore possessed $600 million.

She was astonished, taking a long time to recover. "How did you make so much money?" she asked in surprise.

He replied calmly, "I've been very lucky ever since I won the lottery. I invested in several stocks and made $600 million."

"Incredible!" she thought. She realized she needed to reassess him; this wasn't just luck. An ordinary person making $600 million in the stock market was exceptionally rare; only large financial institutions typically achieved such returns. In her eyes, Gilmore was a stock market genius.

"Can you tell me which stock you're going to buy next time before you buy it?" she pleaded softly, looking at him with admiration.

He understood her envy and her desire to profit from his expertise, much like Gerald had. Such a direct plea was rare, so he wouldn't miss this opportunity.

"I can tell you, but it's a secret. I won't tell anyone easily. If everyone knows my secret, I won't be able to make a fortune anymore," he said, feigning contemplation.

Claire shook his arm. "I'm your girlfriend. Can't you tell me? Even if you tell me, I won't tell anyone else."

He looked at her with mock grievance. "You're my girlfriend, but you rarely kiss me. How about you kiss me and show me your love?"

His words made Claire want to punch him. She remembered that morning, when he had formally declared her his girlfriend to his family. How could he say that? she thought. Although I rarely kiss him, that doesn't mean I don't love him.

After a moment's hesitation, she asked, "Will you tell me which stock to buy after I kiss you?"

He nodded.

She kissed his left cheek, blushing despite past kisses. He turned his right cheek. "And here!"

Too shy to repeat the gesture, she refused.

He said, feigning dissatisfaction, "I can't feel your love, so I can't remember which stock to buy. If you kiss me again, I think I'll remember."

Knowing it was a joke, she kissed his right cheek. "Can you tell me now?" she pinched his arm.

He winced. "Ouch! Oh, I remember. Gastronova Ventures' stock will drop sharply tomorrow. You can buy them in bulk. I'll tell you when to sell."

Gastronova Ventures? She hadn't expected that. But given his stock market success, she decided to trust him. "Okay, I'll buy them tomorrow."

Gilmore stood, changing the subject. "Dave will handle food supplies and logistics in Elmwood and contact you after recruiting chefs. I gave him your number."

"Got it," she nodded.

He picked up his briefcase. "I'll drive you home."

"No need. I still have work to do. You can go back first," she shook her head.

He nodded. Leaving the building, he drove to Oakhaven Airport. By 9:30 PM, he was on a flight to Vista Verde.