Chapter 12 - 67GB RAM Phone
I couldn’t help but chuckle, though a small part of me was disappointed that such a gorgeous dress was being rejected on purely tactical grounds.
Val caught the brief dip in my expression and paused. Her gaze shifted from me to the dress in the mirror, and her expression softened just a fraction.
"However..." Val said after a brief cough, smoothing down the silk, "for formal occasions where full combat readiness isn’t strictly required... it isn’t bad. I’ll take this one." She hesitated for the briefest moment. "And the black one."
Mom clapped her hands happily while I hid a smirk behind my coffee cup. The hyper-focused bodyguard had just given in to a tiny bit of vanity, if only to keep me from looking disappointed.
When we finally reached the checkout counter, the head manager bowed deeply with a polite smile.
"There’ll be no need for payment today, Lady Alice, Young Master Seth," he said, handing the neatly packaged boxes to the waiting attendants. "The entire Fernando Galleria is owned by the Fernando Group. Everything here is already at your disposal."
I blinked, staring at the receipt. The total was more money than I’d earned in my entire working life, and it had all been cleared with a single respectful nod.
[Ah, the perks of being a mega-rich heir,] Paige said with obvious delight. [You don’t even have to swipe a card. The world just hands you things because your last name’s on the building.]
’This is definitely going to take some getting used to.’ I shook my head with a faint smile.
As we stepped out of the boutique, my eyes were immediately drawn to a sleek flagship tech store across the marble plaza. Behind spotless glass walls sat gleaming displays of cutting-edge smartphones, ultra-thin laptops, and high-end gaming setups.
My old phone, a battered budget model with a cracked screen that took three minutes just to open a messaging app, suddenly felt even heavier in my pocket. Maybe it was a guy thing, but I’d always had a soft spot for technology. Phones, custom PCs, high-performance bikes, gadgets... I’d be lying if I said they didn’t excite me.
"Mom," I said, pointing toward the brightly lit tech store. "Mind if we stop in there for a minute? I’d really like to get a new phone."
Mom looked toward the store, a warm, understanding smile spreading across her face. "Of course, Seth! Go take a look at whatever catches your eye. Valerie and I will be right beside you."
I headed straight for the premium mobile section. While Mom wandered between the sleek glass displays, wondering aloud which color looked best, I leaned in to read the spec sheets on the digital stands.
As I skimmed through the specs, my eyes widened. The processing power, memory, and storage capacity of these flagship phones were absurd, miles beyond anything I’d ever owned in my old life.
In the end, my eyes settled on the S-Phone, the flagship model. It had a sleek titanium frame, a gorgeous display, and felt reassuringly solid in my hand.
"I think I’ll go with the S-Phone," I said, turning the display model toward Mom.
Mom looked at the phone, then back at me, a flicker of concern crossing her face. "Just one, darling? Are you sure? What if the battery dies while you’re out? Or you accidentally drop it? What if you misplace it?"
Before I could point out that I’d never lost a phone in my life, Mom turned to the store manager, who was already hovering nearby. "We’ll take eleven of this exact model-one in every available color. Make sure they’re all fully set up and ready to use."
I froze. "Eleven? Mom, I only have two hands! I can’t use eleven phones at once!"
"Nonsense, sweetheart," Mom said, patting my shoulder as though buying eleven flagship phones was no different from picking up a loaf of bread. "You’ll keep one in your room, one in the car, one at your father’s office..." She smiled matter-of-factly. "It’s always good to have spares."
I opened my mouth to argue, but the manager was already barking orders to the stockroom staff to fetch the unopened boxes. I let out a defeated laugh and shook my head. There was no stopping Mom once she slipped into spoiling mode.
Once the phones were sorted out, we moved to the accessories section. Before I knew it, Mom had added high-capacity power banks, premium noise-canceling headphones, custom leather cases, and charging stands for practically every room in the house.
Just as I thought we were finally done, Val stepped up beside me and pointed toward a massive display at the back of the store. Custom water-cooled PCs, glowing mechanical keyboards, and ultra-wide curved monitors filled the entire section.
"You mentioned earlier that you like relaxing at home," Val said with complete seriousness. "If you’re going to spend time in your room, you need a proper setup. A high-end gaming PC is essential."
"Val, I don’t even know if I’ll have time to game," I chuckled... even as my eyes drifted back to the absurdly overpowered liquid-cooled rig on display.
"Consider it essential equipment for rest and recovery," Val replied without missing a beat, turning to the manager. "Pack up their highest-spec custom rig, along with the full peripheral set and the triple-monitor mount."
"Wait... you too?" I asked, looking between Val and Mom, who was already nodding in agreement.
"Valerie is absolutely right," Mom agreed happily. "We’ll have it delivered and installed in your room this afternoon."
I ended up standing there surrounded by stacks of boxed tech, feeling both helpless and amused. Between Mom and Val, they were determined to make sure I never wanted for another comfort again.
With our shopping spree finally over and the store staff handling the deliveries, the three of us headed to an exclusive restaurant on the mall’s top floor. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city skyline, giving the entire place a quiet, elegant atmosphere.
We were seated in a private VIP dining booth away from the general crowd. The atmosphere was quiet, a soft piano melody drifting through the restaurant as waiters served a lavish spread of gourmet dishes, perfectly cooked steaks, and delicate pastries.
"That really hit the spot," I said, leaning back with a satisfied sigh. "Thanks for today, Mom. Seriously... I don’t think I’ve ever had this much fun."
"Oh, Seth, seeing you happy is all the thanks I’ll ever need," Mom said softly, her expression warming. She took a sip of her tea before folding her hands on the table. "Besides, today’s shopping wasn’t just for fun. We’ll be hosting a grand banquet at the main estate soon... and you’ll be the guest of honor."
My hand paused halfway to my drink. "A banquet?"
"Yes, darling," Mom said gently. "Your father and I want to officially introduce you to the world as the sole heir of the Fernando family. Leaders from high society, business, and every major circle will be there to welcome you."
She smiled warmly, reaching over to squeeze my hand. "The preparations are already underway, but we haven’t set a date yet. That’s entirely up to you. Whenever you feel ready, we’ll host it."
The thought of standing before a sea of powerful business leaders, politicians, and high-society elites made my stomach tighten. I’d spent my old life working eighty-hour weeks just to pay the rent. Jumping straight into the center of the world’s elite was a little too much to take in all at once.
"Honestly, Mom... I don’t think I’m ready for something that big yet," I admitted with an apologetic smile. "I’m still getting used to all of this. Could we put the banquet off for a while? Just until I find my footing?"
"Of course we can, Seth!" Mom answered without a moment’s hesitation. "Your comfort comes before anything else. If you want to wait a month, six months, or even a year, then that’s exactly what we’ll do. Nobody rushes my son."
She took another sip of her tea, her tone light and encouraging. "And whenever you feel curious, you can always visit your father’s companies. Julian would love to show you around and teach you how everything works. After all..." She smiled. "One day, this empire will be yours."
I could only smile, a quiet sense of peace settling over me. The fact that they weren’t forcing any expectations on me, letting me take everything at my own pace, made me appreciate my new family even more.
Just then, a soft chime came from Mom’s designer handbag. She pulled out her phone and glanced at the caller ID before a pleasantly surprised smile spread across her face.
"Ah, speak of the devil," Mom said with a light chuckle as she answered the call. "Hello, darling!... Yes, we’re just finishing lunch at the Galleria... Oh? Really? That’s wonderful"
Mom spent another couple of minutes on the phone, laughing softly at whatever was being said before ending the call. She set her phone back on the table and looked at me with a bright, mischievous smile.
"That was my niece, your cousin," Mom said, leaning forward with an excited glint in her eyes. "She just landed in the city, and she’s on her way to the mansion now. You’ll finally get to meet her."