Chapter 169: Spoiling the Girls

Evren answered and brought the phone to his ear. "Speak, Mikay."

"The registration is complete, Chairman," Mikay reported. "We are in the executive suite at the Imperial Central Bank."

"Did the court clearance go through?" Evren asked.

"Without a hitch," Mikay said. "The court’s discharge certificate was verified against the central database. Gavin Vance’s fourteen-point-eight million dollar claim has been wiped from the banking records forever. House Vesper’s commercial slate is entirely clean."

"And the corporate account?"

"Starlight Pharmaceuticals has an active commercial treasury account," Mikay said. "Lady Calista completed all registration and her biometric authorization five minutes ago. I just transmitted the verified routing file and corporate account number directly to you."

Evren glanced at his screen, seeing the ping arrive with Starlight’s new twelve-digit treasury number.

"Received," Evren said. "Put Calista on."

There was a brief rustle on the other end, followed by the sound of Calista’s breath.

"Evren?" Her voice sounded steady, though a tremor ran beneath it. "They handed me a black-and-gold corporate card with my name and the Vesper crest on it. It still feels unreal."

"It is as real as it gets, Calista," Evren said. "Look at the desk monitor in front of you."

"What?"

Evren switched the call to speaker and opened his banking application.

With a few taps, he accessed his account, entered the commercial account number for Starlight Pharmaceuticals Inc.

He entered the transfer amount without hesitation: $20,000,000.00 USD.

He pressed his thumb against the biometric sensor on the screen.

The app chimed as the authorization cleared the sovereign gateway:

[OUTGOING WIRE SETTLEMENT CONFIRMED]

[PAYEE: STARLIGHT PHARMACEUTICALS INC.]

[PURPOSE: INITIAL OPERATING EQUITY & BOTANICAL RESTORATION CAPITAL]

[DEBIT AMOUNT: $20,000,000.00 USD]

[STATUS: TRANSACTION SUCCESSFUL]

Beside him, Zephyra watched the screen, a faint smile touching her lips.

The moment the transaction settled, a brilliant golden screen materialized across Evren’s vision:

[HEROINE #3 INVESTMENT CONFIRMED: CALISTA VESPER (STARLIGHT PHARMACEUTICALS INITIAL OPERATING CAPITAL)]

[QUALIFIED EXPENDITURE: $20,000,000.00 USD]

[1,000x GLOBAL MULTIPLIER APPLIED]

[REBATE DEPOSITED: +$20,000,000,000.00 USD ($20 BILLION USD) -> SYSTEM SOVEREIGN VAULT]

[CURRENT REAL-WORLD LIQUID BALANCE: $16,304,332,542.50 USD]

[CURRENT SYSTEM SOVEREIGN VAULT: $272,800,000,000.00 USD ($272.8 BILLION USD)]

Over the speaker, a sharp chime rang out from the bank’s terminal, followed by a startled gasp.

"Twenty... twenty million dollars?" Calista whispered, her breath hitching. "Evren, the bank manager’s screen just turned green. He almost dropped his pen... there is twenty million dollars sitting in the company account."

"That is your operating capital," Evren said. "Buy the equipment you need. Rebuild the greenhouses. Pay your people what they deserve. Amber and Mikay will escort you back to Meridian Tower now."

"I won’t let you down," Calista said with resolve in her voice. "I promise you."

Evren ended the call and slipped the phone back into his coat.

"Driver, change of plans," Evren said, leaning toward the front partition. "Take us to the Comm Tech Plaza on Fourth Avenue before we head to Meridian Tower."

Zephyra glanced over, raising an eyebrow behind her dark glasses. "The tower can wait?"

"I just realized something," Evren said, leaning back against the leather seat. "Calista doesn’t even own a phone. She had to talk to me through Mikay’s phone."

"And?" Zephyra asked.

"And Amber is using one of the tabs Mikay gave to her, and you’ve been using a basic burner since the last time we were in the capital," Evren said. "I’ve been meaning to spoil you girls with proper gadgets for days, but between corporate takeovers and council elders, I keep forgetting."

Zephyra stared at him for a second, then let out a soft chuckle.

"We just sat through a council briefing about an extinction-level sky breach that could destroy the continent," she said, shaking her head. "And you are talking about spoiling us with gadgets?"

Evren shrugged with a relaxed smile. "The sky has seventy-two hours to figure itself out. You girls need new phones today. An apocalypse is no excuse for cracked screens."

Zephyra smiled, looking out the window. "You really are something else, Evren."

Ten minutes later, the Maybach pulled up to the glass-fronted entrance of the Comm Tech Plaza, the premier electronics center in District 1.

The store was bright and spacious, filled with sleek display tables showcasing the latest flagship devices, tablets, and accessories.

A sales representative approached them with a polite smile, taking note of Evren’s tailored charcoal suit and Zephyra’s presence.

"Welcome to the Plaza, sir," the rep said. "Looking for anything specific today?"

"The latest flagship smartphones and matched tablets," Evren said. "Top specifications, maximum storage, and all the accessories."

"Right this way," the rep said, guiding them to the premier display counter.

Evren picked out four complete sets with the best specifications.

For Calista, he selected a sleek rose-gold phone paired with an ultra-thin tablet and a stylus.

For Zephyra, she chose a matching set in matte pitch-black, while Amber received a set finished in radiant crimson with a gold frame.

For himself, he selected a clean slate-gray set with titanium reinforcement, adding protective cases, magnetic charging docks, and wireless earbuds for every bundle.

"Shall I ring up the four bundles with the unlimited executive data plans?" the sales rep asked, his smile widening.

"Ring it up," Evren said. The rep printed the itemized slip and turned the terminal around, displaying the itemized total of $19,050.50 USD for all four custom bundles.

Evren tapped his black Apex card against the reader. The terminal chimed green instantly:

[APEX NATIONAL BANK - UNRESTRICTED LEVEL-ZERO SOVEREIGN]

[MERCHANT: COMM TECH PLAZA - DISTRICT 1]

[TRANSACTION APPROVED: $19,050.50 USD]

[STATUS: SETTLED IN FULL]

The rep bowed with genuine appreciation as he packed the four luxury tech boxes into shopping bags, completely unaware of the golden text flashing in Evren’s vision:

[HEROINE #3 INVESTMENT CONFIRMED: CALISTA VESPER (FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE & TABLET BUNDLE)]

[QUALIFIED EXPENDITURE: $4,869.50 USD]

[1,000x GLOBAL MULTIPLIER APPLIED]

[REBATE DEPOSITED: +$4,869,500.00 USD -> MAIN ACCOUNT (REAL-WORLD LIQUID BALANCE)]

-

[HEROINE #2 INVESTMENT CONFIRMED: ZEPHYRA NIGHTSHADE (FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE & TABLET BUNDLE)]

[QUALIFIED EXPENDITURE: $4,640.25 USD]

[1,000x GLOBAL MULTIPLIER APPLIED]

[REBATE DEPOSITED: +$4,640,250.00 USD -> MAIN ACCOUNT (REAL-WORLD LIQUID BALANCE)]

-

[HEROINE #1 INVESTMENT CONFIRMED: AMBER STERLING (FLAGSHIP SMARTPHONE & TABLET BUNDLE)]

[QUALIFIED EXPENDITURE: $4,720.75 USD]

[1,000x GLOBAL MULTIPLIER APPLIED]

[REBATE DEPOSITED: +$4,720,750.00 USD -> MAIN ACCOUNT (REAL-WORLD LIQUID BALANCE)]

[TOTAL REBATE DEPOSITED: +$14,230,500.00 USD ($14.2305 MILLION USD)]

[CURRENT REAL-WORLD LIQUID BALANCE: $16,318,543,992.00 USD]

[CURRENT SYSTEM SOVEREIGN VAULT: $272,800,000,000.00 USD ($272.8 BILLION USD)]

Evren took the bags and walked out to the Maybach with Zephyra.

Back in the leather comfort of the backseat, Evren set his own slate-gray box on his knees and handed the matte pitch-black package across. "Here is yours."

Zephyra opened the lid and peeled off the protective film, the crisp display lighting up under her fingers. She popped the SIM card from her cheap burner with the small tray tool and slipped it into the new slot.

"Give me your direct line," Zephyra said, pulling up the empty contacts list with a faint smile. "If the sky decides to break open in three days, you’re the first person I’m calling."

Evren recited his private number, watching her tap the digits into the screen and hit call. A second later, Evren’s phone buzzed against his palm, lighting up with her incoming call.

"Saved as number one," Zephyra said, slipping the phone into her trench coat pocket. She rested her fingers over the tablet box on her lap, whispering a quiet thank you.

Evren looked down at the two remaining boxes on the seat... one for Amber, one for Calista. He tapped the front partition with two fingers.

"Now," Evren said to the driver. "Take us to Meridian Tower."