Golden Eye Tycoon: Rise of the Billionaire Trader-Chapter 75: Making It Feel Like Home

Thanks to ’dave_brown’ for the Massage Chair gift. 2 BONUS Chapters coming next.

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The glass doors slid open with a whisper, allowing the cool evening air of Aurelia to rush into the penthouse. The terrace of the Zenith felt less like a balcony and more like a private island suspended in the sky. The waterfall hummed to their left, a curtain of illuminated water that spilled into a marble basin, while the city lights below flickered like a sea of fallen stars.

Jake walked to the edge, leaning his elbows on the reinforced glass railing. The weight of the Patek Philippe on his left wrist was substantial, a cold, mechanical reminder of the day’s excess. He felt the phantom itch of his old life—the cramped library cubicles and the constant counting of coins—clashing with the reality of the silk-lined trousers he was now wearing.

Catharine joined him, her shoulders brushing against his. She had left her shoes by the door and was standing barefoot on the heated stone. In the moonlight, the sage-green of her dress looked silver. She looked out at the horizon for a long time before finally speaking.

"It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?" she asked softly. "I keep waiting for a concierge to come out and tell us there’s been a mistake. That we’re just here to clean the windows or something."

Jake chuckled, the sound lost in the rush of the water. "I know the feeling. But the deed is in my name, and the guards downstairs have my thumbprint on file. There are no mistakes anymore. Only moves."

He reached into the pocket of his new overcoat, which he had draped over a nearby lounger, and pulled out the small, elegantly wrapped box he had hidden earlier. He didn’t make a grand speech. He simply held it out to her, the white gold trim of the packaging catching the terrace lights.

"I almost forgot," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "This is for you. For Monday."

Catharine looked at the box, then back at him, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "Jake, we already bought the bag. And the shoes. You’ve spent enough on me for three lifetimes today."

"Just open it. Consider it a talisman for your first day. Architects need to keep perfect time, don’t they?"

She took the box with trembling fingers, carefully undoing the ribbon. When the lid clicked open, the diamond-set Cartier Panthère seemed to radiate its own light. The emerald eyes of the panther glittered with a dangerous, feline intensity. Catharine went completely still, her breath hitching in her throat as she stared at the white gold masterpiece.

"Jake, this is... I can’t," she whispered, her voice cracking. "This is far too much. I know what these cost. I’ve seen them in magazines."

He stepped closer, taking the watch from the velvet cushion and gently taking her hand. "It’s not just a watch, Cath. It’s a statement. When you walk into that firm on Monday, I want you to know that you belong in every room you enter. Not because of the gold, but because you have the strength of the person who wears it."

He slid the watch onto her wrist, the clasp snapping shut with a precise, expensive click. It looked perfect against her skin. Catharine didn’t argue this time. She simply threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. Jake held her tight, breathing in the scent of her hair and feeling the steady beat of her heart against his. For a few minutes, the market didn’t exist. There was only the girl and the sky.

Eventually, the chill of the night pushed them back inside. The transition from the dreamlike terrace to the ultra-modern kitchen was abrupt. Jake, feeling a bit hungry after the afternoon’s excitement, walked over to the massive, built-in refrigerator and pulled the handle. He stared at the empty, glowing shelves. He opened a pantry cupboard. Nothing but pristine, dark wood shelves.

"Crap," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "I haven’t bought a single thing for the kitchen. Not even a bottle of water."

Catharine walked over, leaning against the marble island as she admired how the light hit her new watch. She let out a soft laugh at his bewildered expression. "So the billionaire mogul forgot that he actually needs to eat? I guess a waterfall doesn’t provide much sustenance."

"I was going to suggest we just have a quiet dinner here," Jake admitted, looking around the cavernous, silent space. "But unless we’re eating marble chips, we’re in trouble."

"There’s a high-end 24-hour market at the mall just a few blocks away," Catharine suggested, pushing off the counter. "It’s probably the only place open that sells groceries fancy enough for a Zenith resident. Come on, I’ll help you stock up. It’ll be fun."

They took the RS 6 again, the car’s headlights cutting through the quiet streets of the high-end district. The mall’s grocery section was more like a boutique, with polished floors and imported goods stacked in perfect pyramids. Jake pushed the cart while Catharine navigated the aisles with practiced efficiency. However, the old habits of a struggling student died hard. She stood in front of the olive oils for three minutes, picking up two different bottles and squinting at the price per liter.

"Cath, just take the one on the left," Jake said, reaching over to grab a premium cold-pressed bottle without looking at the tag. "We’re going to be here until sunrise if you audit every shelf."

"The one on the right is almost twenty marks cheaper for the same volume, Jake," she argued, trying to put his choice back. "And look at this cereal. If we buy the family pack, we save—"

Jake gently caught her hand, stopping her from swapping the boxes. "Cath, look at my wrist. Now look at yours. We spent two million marks today. I think we can survive the twenty-mark deficit on the olive oil. Just buy whatever you actually like or whatever we need. Don’t even look at the bottom of the shelf."

Catharine paused, looking at the diamonds on her wrist and then at the massive box of gourmet granola in her hand. She let out a mock sigh, a playful, slightly biting glint in her eyes as she looked up at him.

"Oh, I’m so sorry, Mr. Rivers," she said, her voice dripping with exaggerated theatricality. "Pardon me for not having the leeway to buy things without worrying about the price. Some of us still remember what a budget looks like."

Jake smirked, pulling her closer for a quick side-hug as they moved toward the checkout. "I’m just saying, I don’t want to spend my first night in the penthouse debating the economics of granola. Buy the expensive one. I want to see if it actually tastes like success."

By the time they returned to the Zenith, it was around 18:00. The city was bathed in a deep orange glow, the light bouncing off the glass towers of the financial district. They hauled the bags into the kitchen, the space finally feeling lived-in as they stocked the shelves with artisan pasta, fresh vegetables, and imported snacks.

Jake reached for a pan, ready to attempt something edible, but Catharine gently nudged him aside with her elbow. "Stay back, mogul. You’ve done enough damage to your bank account today. Let me handle the stove before you find a way to make scrambled eggs cost a thousand marks."

"I can assist," Jake countered, picking up a knife. "I’m an expert at chopping things. It’s basically what I do to the market every morning."

"Fine, you can be my sous-chef," she laughed.

As Catharine began searing chicken with herbs and garlic, filling the kitchen with an aroma that made the sterile luxury feel like a home, Jake pulled out his phone. He realized he hadn’t followed up with Alice. He stepped toward the far end of the kitchen island, leaning back as he dialed her number.

"Jake?" Alice’s voice came through, sounding surprised but alert. "I was starting to think you’d forgotten about your new employee."

"Hardly. I’ve just been... settling in," Jake said, glancing at Catharine, who was humming to herself as she worked. "Listen, I need you to hit the ground running this weekend. I need a proper office space. Somewhere central, but I don’t want anything oversized for now. It needs to look professional, sophisticated, but functional."

"Price range?" Alice asked, already the sound of her typing in the background.

"Price isn’t an issue," Jake replied calmly. "If you find the right place, we take it. I want it ready for me to drop by on Monday afternoon after I finish some other business. Can you handle that?"

"Consider it done," she said, her voice buzzing with excitement. "I’ll have a shortlist for you by tomorrow morning."

"Good. And Alice? Regarding your compensation. I’m setting your salary at 1.5 times the industry average for a senior secretary. I’m expecting a lot from you, and I want you focused entirely on making this operation run smoothly. No distractions."

There was a brief silence on the other end as Alice processed the numbers. "Jake... that’s incredibly generous. I won’t let you down. I’ll find you the best office in the city, I promise."

"I know you will. Enjoy your weekend, Alice."

He hung up and slid the phone back into his pocket, a feeling of momentum building in his chest. The clothes, the watch, the apartment—they were just the surface. With Alice finding a base of operations, Golden Investments was finally moving from a digital ghost to a physical power. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Is the secretary ready to conquer the world?" Catharine asked, sliding a plate of perfectly seasoned food in front of him.

Jake looked at the meal, then at her, and finally at the panoramic view of the city he was about to disrupt. "The world is already moving. We’re just making sure we have the best seats in the house."

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