**520 Apartment.**
Adam snatched the newspaper and immediately saw Carolyn's picture on the front page. His heart skipped a beat as he hurried to read the headline.
**Shocking!**
**Kindhearted Caregiver's True Devotion Touches Hearts – Rewarded with a Multi-Million Dollar Inheritance!**
"WTF?!"
Adam blurted out the classic American exclamation.
"Carolyn is so lucky," Monica sighed.
"She deserves it," Phoebe agreed. "She's like an angel, bringing warmth to everyone around her."
"Incredible," Rachel took the newspaper from Adam, scanning it carefully. With envy, she said, "I wish I had that kind of luck. A multi-million dollar inheritance? That's enough for most people to work their whole lives for."
"More than a lifetime," Monica added. "The average person makes about $30,000 a year. Even if they didn't spend a single penny, it would take 50 years to earn $1.5 million. A multi-million dollar fortune like that would take generations of hard work to accumulate."
"Just think of how many handbags and shoes Carolyn could buy," Rachel said dreamily, eyes full of longing.
"She wouldn't spend it on handbags and shoes," Adam sighed.
"Yeah," Phoebe chimed in. "Carolyn is so idealistic. She's always wanted to help more elderly people who have no family. Even if she inherited millions, I bet she'd use most of it for that cause."
"Wow!" Rachel exclaimed in disbelief. "No way! She'd actually do that?"
"Of course she would," Phoebe, now Carolyn's number one fan, praised her relentlessly. "Money means nothing to her—she's an angel! That money was given to her by God to do good deeds. I have no doubt she'd use it wisely."
Adam forced a smile.
Unlike Phoebe and the others, he was closer to Carolyn and knew things weren't that simple.
There had to be more to this story—something shocking behind the scenes.
His mind raced, recalling past conversations and details.
*"People in hospitals are so cold. The moment a patient passes away, they can't wait to get them out. Everything is about business. Where's the compassion?"*
*"If I ever have the ability, I'd build a real nursing home—one that truly cares for elderly patients with no family, treating them like loved ones and giving them warmth."*
*"Adam, do you believe in God? No? Me neither."*
*"Can you believe how many people still blindly believe in God or even the supernatural in this day and age? And some take it so far they commit crazy acts, even harming others. Don't you think those people are both stupid and evil?"*
*"I've been hearing some things lately, and it made me think—if these people truly believed in God, instead of wasting time and energy on crazy actions, wouldn't it be better if they actually followed God's teachings on kindness and generosity?"*
*"I may not have much power, but I'll do my best."*
Carolyn's words echoed in Adam's mind, and he recalled the determined look in her eyes before she left.
At the time, it gave him a bad feeling.
Now, seeing this shocking news, he was starting to piece things together.
*"Everyone's making some big moves, huh?"*
Adam sighed inwardly.
But unlike the slight fear and unease he felt when he first discovered Juno's secret, this time, he was just impressed.
"Adam, you lost out," Rachel teased. "You should contact your new millionaire friend Carolyn. Who knows? Maybe she still remembers you, and you could save yourself decades of hard work."
"Heh," Adam chuckled. "I've got a strong stomach—I don't live off others."
"You don't keep in touch with Carolyn at all?" Monica asked curiously. "You two seemed so close before. Did you really cut ties just like that?"
"No," Adam shook his head. "She left New York but didn't give me her new number. But she knows mine. If she really wanted to reach me, she could. It's up to her."
"Maybe that's for the best," Monica laughed. "If she comes back and meets Heather, things could get interesting."
"Yeah!" Rachel said excitedly, always loving drama. "You two always claimed to be 'more than friends but not quite lovers.' Let's see if that actually holds up!"
Adam just smiled.
A messy love triangle? That kind of drama wasn't happening in his life.
**Ring, ring!**
Just then, the phone rang.
"Carolyn?!" Monica answered, her voice filled with surprise. She shot meaningful glances at everyone in the room.
"Ahem, alright. Adam, it's for you—Carolyn wants to talk to you."
Adam took the phone, exchanged a few words, then hung up.
"So? What did she say?" Rachel asked eagerly.
"She invited me over," Adam replied with a smile.
"Just you?" Phoebe frowned. "I heard she inherited an entire estate! Why didn't she invite all of us? I've never even been to a mansion before."
"I'll check it out first," Adam reassured her. "We can all go later."
Truthfully, he wasn't eager to go.
But Carolyn was someone the system had acknowledged and even empowered—someone who had been a consistent ally.
He needed to see for himself what she had gone through.
If he could help, he would.
If not, then at least he tried.
That way, he'd have no regrets.
---
**That Night – Central Park Café**
"How did the shoot go?" Monica asked as Joey walked in.
"It went great!"
Adam glanced at Joey's expression and confidently said, "You did well."
"Huh?"
Monica rolled her eyes. "Joey, not this again!"
Joey had a habit of pretending his auditions or shoots went horribly wrong just to get sympathy—only to reveal at the last moment that things actually went great.
"Haha," Joey finally gave up pretending and laughed. "Filming went smoothly. You'll see me when the movie comes out. This is Al Pacino's new film, you know!"
"You didn't try to sneak in your 'angry butt acting,' did you?" Adam teased.
"Uh..." Joey scratched his head awkwardly. "I did… and the director yelled at me. After that, I behaved. Otherwise, I might've actually gotten fired like you said."
"Smart choice," Adam chuckled.
Joey's habit of forcing extra performances into scenes was risky.
A film set was a professional environment where dozens of people worked together to prepare for a single shot.
If a scene that should be done in one take had to be reshot repeatedly just because one actor wanted extra screen time, it wasted both time and money.
Directors had every reason to fire someone for that.
It was like in *King of Comedy*, where Stephen Chow's character got beaten up and lost his job because of similar behavior.
Why risk it?
If you're going in the wrong direction, the harder you try, the further you get from success.
**(End of Chapter)**