Chapter 57

"I'd like to order the sturgeon caviar ($2,000)."

"And 500 grams of white truffle ($300 per gram)."

"And five or six lobsters (about $200 per catty)."

"And a bottle of Lafite ($4,000)."

Ian was dumbfounded. The others were equally shocked. The dishes Gilmore ordered were all rare and expensive. Sturgeon caviar, white truffle, lobster, Lafite… Ms. Catherine hadn't expected such extravagance. Compared to Gilmore's order, Ian and the others' choices were insignificant.

Ian felt regret. Had he known Gilmore would order such expensive food, he wouldn't have let him. He didn't know how to escape the awkward situation.

"Mr. Thompson, is that alright?" Ms. Catherine finally spoke, addressing Ian. Even his father, the county's richest man, never ordered such expensive dishes; the most expensive item his father ordered was a bottle of Lafite. She needed to confirm Ian's approval and ensure he could afford it. She wasn't sure he could.

Ms. Catherine's question embarrassed Ian. He wanted to say no, but he'd already given his word. He couldn't afford it. Although he was the son of the county's richest man, his father only had two or three hundred million dollars, and Ian received only $2,000-$4,000 a month. Compared to ordinary people, he was wealthy, but he couldn't afford caviar and white truffles, delicacies reserved for the super-rich.

Seeing Ian's silence, everyone realized he couldn't afford the meal. Ms. Catherine then turned to Gilmore: "Handsome, would you like to order anything else?"

However, Gilmore didn't change his mind. He looked at Ian, Robin, and the others. "Have you ever tried caviar and white truffle? You should try some!" He omitted the lobsters; while expensive, many people had eaten them.

"Of course we'd like to try! The question is, can you afford it?" everyone thought.

Silence fell.

Gilmore nodded. "So you haven't tried these dishes before?"

Celia interjected, "Gilmore, no one here can afford these dishes."

Gilmore smiled. "I just want you to try them." He then instructed Ms. Catherine, "Please prepare the dishes I ordered."

Ms. Catherine, stunned, thought she'd misheard. The others were equally speechless. Lilian estimated the cost at $160,000—a fortune. She, as a rising star, could afford it.

Ian paled, wondering who would pay. He didn't want to be stuck with the bill. Swallowing his pride, he said to Gilmore, "Gilmore, I can't afford this. I'm afraid you'll have to…"

Before he finished, Gilmore said, "I'll pay, of course. It's fine." He produced a bank card, handing it to Ms. Catherine. "It's on me. Calculate the total."

Ms. Catherine realized Gilmore was serious. Her eyes lit up as she entered the order details. After a moment, she looked up, stunned. "The total is $160,000."

"What?!" Everyone was shocked. $160,000 was a vast sum. Only Lilian remained calm; she was prepared to pay. Everly, however, was far from calm. Hearing her brother would spend $160,000 on a meal, she feared he didn't have the money and would face legal trouble.

"Brother…" Everly tugged at Gilmore's shirt, close to tears.

Gilmore understood her anxiety. He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry." Then, to Ms. Catherine, "Swipe my card."

Ms. Catherine nodded, quickly processing the payment. She presented the POS machine to Gilmore for the password. Once the transaction completed, she presented the receipt for his signature.

Relieved, Ms. Catherine smiled, bowing slightly as she returned the card. "Mr. Reed, enjoy your meal."

Gilmore thanked her as she left. Only then did Ian, Lilian, Celia, Robin, and the others realize Gilmore had truly spent $160,000 on the meal.

Everly was amazed. "When did my brother become so rich?" she wondered.

(The extraneous text at the end, including the "SEND GIFT" and website promotion, has been removed.)