Chapter 50
Behind the Peace Temple stood a smaller, more refined structure known as the Serenity Shrine, where patrons could sponsor dedication statues in honor of loved ones. The temple staff handled daily offerings and rituals on behalf of the donors.
As the owner had once put it bluntly: “That place? Strictly for the deep-pocketed p>
Compared to the main temple, the shrine had a more intimate, tranquil feel. Lisette and Tobias walked hand in hand along the stone path, taking in the peaceful atmosphere while a young temple guide animatedly shared the shrine’s history.
The girl was a natural storyteller—Lisette found herself genuinely engaged.
When the stories wrapped, the guide smoothly transitioned into her well-rehearsed pitch. “If you’re interested, the shrine offers a sponsorship program. You can dedicate one of the statues in your loved ones’ names. The staff will handle daily blessings, incense, and seasonal offerings throughout the year p>
She went on to explain the offerings and donation levels, depending on the statue’s material—jade, gold-plated, fine porcelain, bronze, marble, or even crystal.
Lisette looked intrigued. “How about we each sponsor one for Grandma, Grandpa, and Nana?” she asked Tobias. “Wish them joy, good health, big appetites, and a long life surrounded by love. If we do it sincerely, who knows? It might really work p>
“Let’s do it p>
Tobias gave her hand a warm squeeze, smiling softly.
The Hastings family was small—his parents had passed when he was young, and he’d been raised by his grandmother. His bond with her ran deep. As for Lisette’s grandparents, they weren’t just family to him—they were mentors he admired.
He sincerely hoped all three elders would live long and well.
The moment of peace was broken by a chirpy voice.
“Let’s get one too, Lennox!” Grace tugged his sleeve, eyes bright with excitement.
Things hadn’t gone smoothly for them lately—Grace’s debut had been yanked at the last minute, Lennox had gotten into a scuffle on the street. They’d been meaning to come visit the temple for some time, but waited until the bruising on his cheek faded.
It was right after the guide finished her pitch, and Grace had clearly been inspired on the spot.
Lennox blinked. Honestly, he’d only followed Lisette and Tobias here out of spite. He hadn’t planned to light candles or sponsor anything. He hadn’t even listened to what the guide said.
So Grace’s sudden enthusiasm threw him. “What p>
“I said let’s sponsor a statue—just us!” she repeated, beaming. “They’ll light incense for us every day! We’ll have good luck, booming careers—you’ll get promoted to department head, then VP, then CEO! And I’ll become a top-tier actress with red carpets and magazine covers p>
Lennox thought: That sounded expensive.
Grace tugged on his arm, her voice softer now. “C’mon, doesn’t that sound amazing p>
He wasn’t exactly rolling in cash, but deep down, Lennox was unapologetically old-school-a walking, talking throwback to traditional gender roles. In his mind, a man’s job was to provide, while women should stay home, raise kids, and tend to the household, no matter how capable or gorgeous they were.
Lisette, for instance, was all about designer brands and clearly had money to spend. She was charming, sure, but spoiled and incapable of doing a load of laundry. He couldn’t picture her as a wife.
But Grace?
She’d bring him freshly laundered, perfectly pressed clothes to his dorm. She even knitted him a scarf for winter.
He was completely taken in by her sweetness.
Even when little cracks in that image started showing and she sometimes acted like a drama queen, he just brushed it off as part of her charm. His stubborn pride meant he rarely said no to anything Grace suggested.
This time was no different.
Though honestly, he did hesitate-the amount they were about to spend wasn’t exactly pocket change p>
“I think, maybe p>
The moment he tried to speak, he noticed Lisette and Tobias looking over.
That one glance froze him in place. With his ego on the line, there was no way he’d turn Grace down now.
So with a stiff smile, he forced the words out: “Sure p>
“Right this way, please p>
The young guide gave them a warm smile and motioned them toward the rear hall.
As they walked past Lisette and Tobias, Lennox deliberately cast a glance in their direction, sunglasses darker than night. Still, Lisette easily picked up on the irritation leaking from him.
Lisette blinked. Seriously?
What’s your problem now, my dude?
She hadn’t even said or done anything to him. Why was he glaring like that?
God knows what the guy had been through these past couple years, but whatever it was-it clearly didn’t do him any favors.
This was a temple, after all. Lisette didn’t want to stir up any unnecessary drama. She ignored him and gently hooked her pinky with Tobias’s.
“Let’s go p>
Tobias laced his fingers with hers and followed her into the rear hall.
The inner hall was spacious and serene, its walls lined with intricately carved panels of polished wood. Dozens of statues stood in quiet rows—each one crafted from a different material: luminous jade, gold leaf, porcelain, bronze, marble, and even crystal.
Each statue had a small red tag hanging beside it, engraved with the sponsor’s name.
The guide explained the sponsorship tiers and the annual donation required for each material.
Lennox nearly choked. Even the porcelain ones started at $12,000 a year? That’s insane.
Sure, the Hastings Group offered generous pay and bonuses, and he was doing well at work, but come on – he’d only just started his career. Most of his income came from hitting project milestones. His base salary was fixed.
And the reality was, Grace wasn’t like Lisette p>
Back when it was him and Lisette, she paid for everything – dates, movies, shopping trips. He didn’t have to worry about money at all.
Which, to be fair, was good. He quite literally had nothing back then. He even relied on student loans to get through college.
Now, with Grace, things were different. He handled most bills – dinners, movies, shopping. On top of that, he made sure to surprise her now and then. All of which cost money.
Just last week, he’d splurged on a Chanel purse for Grace—$4,800 straight from his bonus. And after paying $1,100 in rent and setting aside another $700 for New Year’s gifts to his parents, most of that bonus was gone.
All in all, including what he had in savings, Lennox was sitting on about $20,000.
Feeling the heat of embarrassment prick his neck, Lennox held Grace’s hand and mumbled, “Honestly, it’s the heart that counts when it comes to stuff like this p>
Grace looked puzzled and pretty taken aback. “Didn’t you just say yes p>
Lennox couldn’t bring himself to admit the cash shortage. His pride just wouldn’t let him. His face turned red, and he struggled to get a word out.
People nearby were starting to glance over. Grace’s face flushed too as she tugged on his sleeve, whispering, “What’s going on with you? You already agreed p>
“I p>
After a long pause, with all eyes on him, he finally muttered, “I forgot my card p>
Grace breathed a relieved sigh, giggling as she scolded, “That’s it? You scared me p>
She turned to the guide. “He left his card at home. Cash okay p>
The guide smiled politely. “We also take Apple Pay, Venmo, and PayPal p>