Chapter 3: The Peak of Mount Mist

Back in the master bedroom, the heavy front door slammed shut behind Mira, echoing through the empty hallways.

Julien stood by the window, his chest heaving as he watched her slim figure roll a single, small suitcase down the driveway. His face still burned from her slap, but a smug, arrogant grin slowly spread across his lips.

"Foolish woman," Julien muttered, spitting a bit of blood into a tissue. "Does she really think she can survive out there on her own?"

Mrs. Vance limped over, holding an ice pack against her swollen jaw, her eyes spitting fire. "Julien. How could you just let that crazy woman walk away like that? She hit me. She hit Chloe. You should have called the police and had her locked up."

"Relax, Mother," Julien scoffed, tossing his phone onto the mattress. "Let her go. She has no job, no family backing her up, and not a single cent to her name. All her money has been sitting in my corporate accounts for years. Without me, she won't even be able to afford a hot meal by tonight. Just give her two days. When her stomach starts starving and she has to sleep on the street, she'll come crawling back on her knees, begging us to take her back."

Chloe whimpered from the floor, wiping her tear-stained face. "But Julien, what if she tells people about Leo? What if she ruins us?"

"Who would believe a broke, divorced woman," Julien sneered coldly. "She has no proof. Once she comes crawling back, I'll make sure she slaved away twice as hard to pay for today."

Meanwhile, three miles away, Mira stepped into the back of a luxury black town car she had called. She threw her small suitcase into the trunk and sat back against the leather seat, letting out a long, quiet breath.

For the first time in two lives, she felt truly free. The suffocating weight of guilt, betrayal, and servitude was completely gone.

A soft, melodic chime echoed directly inside her head as the pale blue translucent system screen materialized before her eyes.

[Congratulations, Host. Main Task 1 Updated.]

[Task Guide: Proceed immediately to the Grand Horizon Real Estate Sales Office and purchase Villa No. 1.]

[Target Location: Mount Mist Villa District.]

Mira's eyes narrowed slightly as she read the prompt.

Grand Horizon Real Estate? Villa No. 1?

Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized that name instantly. Mount Mist was the most exclusive, high-end residential hill in the city, and hilariously enough, it was situated on the upper ridge overlooking the very neighborhood where Julien's family lived.

More importantly, Mira remembered the rumors surrounding Villa No. 1 from her past life. The original owner was a mysterious, top-tier foreign defense contractor who had custom-built the entire estate before being forced to move abroad permanently. The villa was legendary for having the most advanced, military-grade security system in the region, complete with reinforced titanium alloy walls, private solar power grids, independent water filtration, and a deep underground bunker.

During the zombie outbreak in her previous life, while the rest of the city fell into chaos within hours, Villa No. 1 had remained an impenetrable fortress.

So that's why the system chose it, Mira thought, a cold glint of anticipation flashing in her eyes. An underground bunker. It's the ultimate sanctuary.

"To the Grand Horizon Sales Office," Mira instructed the driver calmly.

Twenty minutes later, the town car pulled up in front of a grand, lavish sales pavilion built of marble and glass. Mira stepped out, wearing simple jeans and a plain white shirt, carrying only her phone and shoulder bag.

As she walked through the sliding glass doors, the cool air conditioning washed over her. The sales floor was bustling with wealthy buyers, real estate agents in sharp suits, and high-end champagne displays.

Mira made her way toward the central architectural model of Mount Mist Estate, her eyes locking onto the massive, isolated villa model positioned at the absolute peak of the mountain model.

Before she could call over an agent, a harsh, obnoxious voice echoed behind her.

"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. Isn't this Julien's charity case wife?"

Mira turned around slowly.

Standing a few feet away was a man in a flashy, branded designer suit, wearing heavy gold chains and holding a pair of expensive car keys. It was Marcus, one of Julien's closest friends.

In reality, Marcus was a well-known leech who lived off the allowance of an extremely wealthy, elderly heiress twice his age, acting as her young sugar baby while strutting around town pretending to be a wealthy businessman. In her past life, Marcus had always looked down on Mira, constantly making snide, disrespectful comments about her background whenever Julien brought her to social gatherings.

"Marcus," Mira said, her tone utterly flat.

"What are you doing in a place like this, Mira?" Marcus sneered, walking around her with a look of disgust. "Did you lose your way on the street? This isn't a soup kitchen. The houses here cost more than you'll see in ten lifetimes."

He raised his voice intentionally, drawing the attention of several wealthy buyers and sales agents nearby.

"Hey, everyone. Look here," Marcus chuckled loudly, waving his hand. "This woman's husband controls every penny she has. She doesn't even have enough cash in her purse to buy a tire for my car. What, did Julien kick you out of the house for being useless?"

A female sales agent standing nearby glanced at Mira's plain clothing, then looked at Marcus's flashy suit and gold watch. Her expression instantly turned cold and dismissive.

"Ma'am," the agent said, stepping over and looking down her nose at Mira. "If you are not here to make a serious inquiry, I must ask you to leave. Our clients require privacy and a quiet environment."

Marcus smirked smugly, pulling out a sleek black credit card and slapping it down on the counter.

"Ignore her," Marcus told the agent arrogantly. "I'm here for Villa No. 1 at Mount Mist. The owner went abroad, right? Wrap up the contract. I'm buying it today."

The sales agent's eyes lit up with greed. "Right away, sir. Villa No. 1 is priced at twelve million dollars. Please allow me to process the down payment on your card right now."

The agent quickly took Marcus's card and swiped it through the terminal.

A sharp, loud red error light flashed on the screen, accompanied by an embarrassing recorded voice prompt.

[Transaction Declined: Insufficient Funds.]

Marcus's face instantly froze. The surrounding crowd burst into quiet giggles.

"What? That's impossible," Marcus stammered, his neck turning bright red as sweat broke out on his forehead. "Swipe it again. My partner just transferred money into that account."

"Sir, it has been declined three times," the agent said, her smile wavering into annoyance.

While Marcus scrambled through his wallet in panic, Mira stepped forward calmly, pulled out a translucent platinum card issued directly by her estate bank, and laid it gently on the glass counter.

"Swipe mine," Mira said, her voice smooth, calm, and clear. "Full payment. Twelve million dollars. Cash."