The Secret Life of a Billionaire

Grace Li returned to her desk, opened her laptop, and started organizing the materials she'd collected from the "Sweet Moments" event earlier that day. She figured if she didn't sort it out now during the holiday, she'd probably forget half of it after the three-day break. The office fell silent for a moment.

Aiden's desk was just about six feet from Grace's, and he could easily spot her. He turned his head slightly and casually asked, "Not heading home?"

"Traffic's probably terrible today. I figured I'd leave first thing in the morning instead," Grace replied. She had planned to order takeout after returning to the office, but chatting with Aiden had made her forget. Her stomach growled—those chocolates earlier weren't enough. "Did you have dinner yet?"

"Not yet."

"I'm about to order takeout. Wanna join me?"

"Sure," Aiden replied.

Grace pulled out her phone and scrolled through the delivery app. After a while, she walked over to Aiden's desk with her phone in hand. "Hey, Aiden, how about sushi? This place has great reviews, and it's still open!"

Aiden didn't even glance at the menu and said, "Works for me."

Grace liked to keep things casual with her team, but she wondered if Aiden agreed so quickly because she was his boss and he didn't want to say no. Testing the waters, she added, "We can order something else if you'd rather."

"Sushi's good. I like eel and sashimi," Aiden replied with clear preferences.

Relieved, Grace started adding items to the cart. "Alright, one eel California roll, a sashimi platter, and a sushi combo. We should get some mains too—ramen or fried rice? What's your pick?"

"Ramen."

Grace handed him her phone. "Here, pick one—spicy ramen, tonkotsu ramen, or seafood ramen?"

Aiden selected the tonkotsu ramen without much thought. Grace showed him the order summary after placing it. "Take a look—this enough for you?"

"Yeah, looks good."

Grace finished the payment, and Aiden immediately pulled up her contact to transfer his share. Grace noticed and quickly stopped him. "No need, my treat."

Aiden looked at her, a faint smile on his face. "You this generous with all your team members?"

Grace laughed. "Only occasionally. Can't afford to do this all the time!"

"Thanks, then," Aiden said, not pressing further.

"No big deal," Grace replied. Then, teasingly, she added, "You know, Ryan and the others are always trying to get me to treat them. Stick around long enough, and you'll see."

Half an hour later, the sushi arrived. Since the company's dining area was closed for the holiday, Grace cleared half her desk, and the two of them started eating.

As they ate, Grace said, "Let me tell you something. In this industry, as long as you stick with it and put in the effort, making money isn't that hard."

"How so?" Aiden asked.

Grace picked up a piece of tuna sashimi, dipped it in soy sauce, and popped it into her mouth. The wasabi hit her hard, and she almost teared up. "Hang on—too much wasabi!"

Aiden couldn't help but laugh at her reaction.

Once Grace recovered, she continued, "Here's an example. I graduated from Arizona State University. Solid school, but not exactly a top name in investment banking or venture capital. My first job was as a teller at a bank. I only lasted six months because I hated it—just no passion for it. Then I joined a private company's marketing department and got burned bad."

"How bad?" Aiden asked, intrigued.

"No health insurance, and the boss just kept making empty promises. I left pretty quickly," Grace said with a wry smile. "Back then, I was completely lost. Now, looking back, I realize how naïve I was. With barely any experience, finding a decent job was tough. But then I joined a financial advisory firm, and that's where I found my passion—investing. Researching startups, analyzing industries, putting money into promising companies, and watching them grow—it was so exciting. I met Benjamin, our boss, during that time. Nova Capital was just a small team back then. He thought I'd be a good fit and invited me to join. I started as an investment assistant and worked my way up. A year later, I became a senior investment manager, and two years after that, investment director."

"Pretty impressive," Aiden said simply.

"You've got way more potential than I did," Grace said. "You're sharp, hardworking, and your reports? Flawless. I'm sure you'll go even further."

"Are you trying to motivate me?" Aiden asked, raising an eyebrow.

Grace tilted her head and grinned. "Maybe, or maybe I'm just humblebragging. Who knows?"

Aiden chuckled softly and went back to his sushi.

Grace Li had booked her flight in advance and took an early morning flight back home the next day. With the waiting time and the commute to and from the airport, the trip went pretty smoothly. Her home was located on the border between Los Angeles and San Diego, under the jurisdiction of San Diego. Compared to the bustling city life of Los Angeles, San Diego had a more laid-back, peaceful vibe, and her house was even further out in a small rural town near the outskirts of San Diego.

Her mom ran a small grocery store in town, and her dad worked at a local factory—just a regular, down-to-earth family. She had a younger brother who had just graduated and was interning in San Francisco.

It was rare for the whole family to be together, so on Thanksgiving, after finishing dinner, Grace Li decided to hang out with her parents and watch a family drama together in the living room.

Her mom, Huiyun Liang, saw an opportunity and asked, "Hey, did you hear that Emily had her second baby a few days ago?" Emily was Grace Li's cousin, and they often kept in touch on social media. Grace Li knew about it, so she responded, "Yeah, I heard. She's just one year younger than me, and now she has two kids. Meanwhile, I'm not even married yet."

Her mom had been bringing up her marriage for a while now. Now that they were face to face, she wasn't letting go of this "teaching moment" and changed her approach: "You see how everyone around us gets married and supports each other. Their lives are stable. I'm worried that when you get older, no one will be there to take care of you." Grace Li had already prepared herself for this. "Mom, her having a second kid is her choice, not my problem," she replied.

"You just don't get it, do you? You're still single, and you're the only one in the family like that. You need to talk to that guy you mentioned before and get some clarity. If he's serious about you, he needs to show it. If you just wait around like this, you're basically the only one in the relationship," her mom continued, pressing the issue.

This had been a big source of stress for Grace Li. She and Daniel Chou were college classmates, and she had secretly liked him back then. But with so many girls chasing him, Grace Li never had the courage to confess. Afterward, Daniel went to Europe as an exchange student. After finishing his studies, he joined a well-known investment firm in Europe, and their paths diverged.

They reconnected four years ago when Daniel was sent to the U.S. office of the same company for an important project. Grace Li, now working as an investment manager at Nova Capital, was involved in the same project, and they started working closely together again. After the project was completed, Grace Li took the plunge and confessed to him on social media. That night, Daniel showed up at her doorstep.

Daniel said, "Grace Li, I need to tell you something." Grace Li still remembered that moment clearly, her heart racing like crazy.

He continued, "Our headquarters is planning to transfer me back to Europe to handle a more crucial part of the business. It's a huge opportunity, and if I agree to be with you now, it wouldn't be fair to you. I don't want to hold you back. How about this—if you still feel the same in three years, we can be together."

At that time, Grace Li was 26 and filled with romantic notions. Without hesitation, she agreed. During the early days of his move back to Europe, Daniel would frequently message her, sharing pictures of fun and interesting things. Grace Li was swept up in the sweetness of it all.

But over time, their communication began to fade. What started as daily chats turned into messages three times a week, then once a week, and lately, she hadn't heard from him in weeks. Grace Li could clearly feel the distance growing between them. She often thought about just cutting him off, but she could never bring herself to do it. Daniel Chou had been her crush since college, and finding someone who matched her in so many ways was hard. Waiting for three years didn't seem impossible. Her emotions kept her torn between giving up and holding on.

After talking to her mom, Grace Li lay in bed, staring at Daniel's profile picture on social media. The last time they had chatted was three weeks ago. She wondered if she should wish him a happy Thanksgiving, since it was the holiday there too.

Never mind, he hasn't reached out, so why should I make the first move? Grace Li put her phone down, turned off the light, and pulled the blanket over herself, ready to sleep. But after a few minutes of silence, she reached out from under the covers, grabbed her phone from the bedside table, opened the chat window, and hesitated for a while. Finally, she sent the message.

Grace Li: Happy Thanksgiving.

Daniel Chou: Happy Thanksgiving! Have you had turkey yet?

Grace Li: Yeah, I did.

Daniel Chou: [photo] I had some too.

He sent a picture of a turkey.

Grace Li: Did you buy it at the supermarket?

Daniel Chou: A colleague gave it to me.

Grace Li: Oh, nice.

After a few brief exchanges, the conversation came to a halt. But those few words gave Grace Li a warm feeling. She waited for another ten minutes, but when Daniel didn't reply, she placed her phone back on the bedside table and finally drifted off to sleep.