“Really, there’s no need,” Paul hesitated for a moment before continuing, “I already have someone I like.”

“What!” Lionel’s eyes lit up. “Really? Have you confessed? Why aren’t you two together yet?”

The barrage of questions hit Paul hard, and he fell silent, thinking he should’ve just kept quiet.

The four parted ways at the entrance to their homes. Paul headed to the left, opening his door, while Mindy, Lionel, and Miranda went to the right.

Mindy smiled and thanked Paul, saying, “Paul, thank you so much for today.”

“You’re too kind, Mrs. Sutton. Getting your signed book was the best part of my day,” Paul replied, and his words made Mindy beam with joy.

Miranda went to take a shower. As usual, she gathered her hair to tie it up and put on a shower cap to keep her hair dry. But when she reached behind her head, all she felt was the hair clip—her hair was already pinned up.

Looking at herself in the mirror, she shook her head vigorously, and the clip didn’t budge at all.

Wow, she thought, that technique was really something. Why couldn’t she master it herself? It didn’t make sense… It wasn’t logical…

It was so frustrating!

Meanwhile, Mindy and Lionel had finished their nightly routines and were lying in bed, talking with the lights still on. That was when Warren’s message came through.

“Ms. Harrison, congratulations! ‘Seven Days’ hit another sales record today, and several film studios have already contacted me to discuss purchasing the adaptation rights.

“I just got off the phone with the publisher. They’re out of stock on the first print run, and the factory is working overnight to produce more copies.

“Also, your second royalty payment has just been deposited. I’ll transfer it to you shortly.

“I wanted to call you to share this news, but I figured you might already be resting at this hour. Texting seemed better, though I could hardly contain my excitement until tomorrow! Hahaha!”

After reading the message, Mindy couldn’t contain her excitement and threw her arms around her husband.

Lionel was stunned, overwhelmed by the sudden wave of happiness like a tornado sweeping through.

Before Mindy had the chance to calm down, her phone pinged with a notification. It was a bank alert for the latest deposit.

She opened it to see a balance of over 300 thousand! It hadn’t been long since her last payment, and now there was another substantial amount?

And this was just from the book sales alone. If what Warren said was true, there would be even more from the film rights…

“Honey, we’re rich!” Mindy exclaimed.

She didn’t say that she was rich but that they were rich.

At that moment, Lionel’s eyes felt a little misty, and his nose stung with emotion. “I’m so sorry, Mindy, I-” he began.

“What are you trying to say?” Mindy cut him off, her smile fading. “Don’t tell me you’re about to ruin this happy moment by getting all sentimental, saying things like ‘I’m useless, I’m sorry, I couldn’t give you a good life,’ and so on.”

Lionel shook his head vigorously. “No way! Do I look like that kind of guy?”

“Then why did you say you’re sorry?” she asked.

“I meant to say, I’m sorry because… from now on, I’m going to be living off of you! And you know what? It makes me so happy! If Xavier finds out about this, he’d be so jealous, don’t you think?” Lionel said with a laugh.

Xavier, Lionel’s colleague, was also his gardening buddy and his friendly rival in growing hydrangeas back in Lumberville.

Meanwhile, in Lumberville, Xavier sneezed twice. He began to wonder if he was catching a cold.

Mindy burst into laughter. “Now that’s more like it! You better not start whining about earning less than me or feeling insecure or angry because of it. Only insecure men feel threatened when their wives make money. Any normal guy should be thrilled!”

Lionel nodded enthusiastically. “Exactly! Who in their right mind would be upset about this? If his wife were to do well, he was doing well too. What was there to be jealous about?”

Earlier, they had discussed inviting Zach to dinner to show their appreciation. With the book signing event successfully wrapped up and some free time on their hands, Mindy quickly asked Miranda to set it up.

They chose a seafood restaurant near Luxus Emporium that limited its daily supply. The place was so exclusive and pricey that Miranda had to book it two days in advance to secure a table.