Chapter 4: Infinite Space?

Mark stood frozen, his eyes glued to the glowing payment terminal. His face turned from red to a terrifying, pale purple.

"Impossible! This is fake!" Mark shrieked, his voice cracking as he pointed a trembling finger at Evelyn. "You stole this money! You must have stolen Lucas's company funds before you left!"

Evelyn didn't even blink. She folded her arms, looking at Mark with calm contempt. Then she laughed “Stole, really Mark?”

“Yes you thief. You stole it”

"Lucas's entire company is barely worth five million dollars," Evelyn said, her voice cool and carrying across the quiet sales lobby. "Where would he get fifteen million dollars in liquid cash for me to steal?"

Mark's jaw worked silently, he opened his mouth but no words came out. He closed it

"Besides, if we're talking about dishonest money, shouldn't we discuss yours?" Evelyn stepped forward, her eyes scanning Mark's gaudy silk shirt and heavy gold chains. "Three years ago, you were fired from your entry-level accounting job for embezzlement. Since then, you've been registered at a high-end escort agency downtown, living off older, wealthy women as a glorified gigolo."

Murmurs erupted across the lobby. The surrounding buyers stared at Mark with looks of utter disgust.

The heavy-set mistress beside Mark gasped, her eyes bulging in rage. "What?! You told me you were a senior partner at a law firm!"

"Babe! No! She's lying! She's making up stories!" Mark stammered frantically, sweat dripping down his neck.

"Check his secondary phone in his left pocket," Evelyn added smoothly, her voice utterly devoid of mercy. "He has three other clients saved under 'Auntie' in his contacts."

The mistress didn't even wait. She delivered a sharp, echoing slap right across Mark's face.

SLAP!

"You filthy leech!" she roared, snatching her handbag and turning on her high heels. "We are over!"

"Babe! Wait!" Mark scrambled after her, stumbling over his own feet, completely disgraced in front of the entire sales center.

Vanessa, the sales agent, stood with her mouth wide open. The moment Mark disappeared through the doors, her expression shifted in a fraction of a second. The cold arrogance vanished, replaced by an eager, groveling smile.

"Miss Evelyn!" Vanessa bowed ninety degrees, her voice practically dripping with sycophancy. "Please forgive my earlier rudeness! I was completely blind! Villa No. 1 is ready for immediate handover. Please, let me personally escort you to your new estate!"

Evelyn didn't waste time pointing out Vanessa's fake attitude.

She simply nodded "Lead the way."

Outside the sales center, Mark leaned against his sports car, clutching his red, swollen cheek. His heart hammered in his chest from pure rage and embarrassment.

He pulled out his phone with shaking hands and dialed Lucas.

"Lucas!" Mark roared the second the call connected. "What the hell is wrong with your ex-wife?!"

On the other end, Lucas was sitting in his office, casually sipping coffee. "What are you talking about, Mark? Did you run into Evelyn?"

"Run into her?! She just bought Villa No. 1 at Grand Horizon!" Mark yelled into the receiver. "Fifteen million dollars! Paid in full, cash! Did you win the lottery and hide it from me?!"

In the office, Lucas's coffee cup slipped from his hand, shattering against the hard tile floor. Hot coffee splashed over his polished shoes, but he didn't even notice.

"What did you just say?" Lucas stood up so fast his office chair flew backward. "Villa No. 1? Fifteen million?! Are you out of your mind, Mark? She doesn't have a penny! Every cent she had was under my control!"

"I saw it with my own eyes!" Mark spat angrily. "She swiped a black card! The transaction went right through! Where did she get that kind of money?!"

Lucas hung up the phone, his brain spinning into complete chaos.

Fifteen million dollars... A black card...

Cold sweat broke out across Lucas's back. Evelyn was an orphan. She had spent the last four years doing housework, and taking petty jobs. She relied on him for every meal. How could she possibly have fifteen million dollars?

He grabbed his desk phone and furiously dialed his assistant.

"Sir?"

"Investigate Evelyn immediately!" Lucas ordered, his voice laced with sudden panic. "Check her bank accounts, her past background, everything! Find out where she got her money!"

Meanwhile, a sleek golf cart drove Evelyn through the heavy, reinforced iron gates of Villa No. 1.

The estate sat on the highest crest of the hill. A ten-foot-high granite wall surrounded the perimeter, topped with subtle, high-voltage security wire. The primary structure was built from dark, reinforced composite stone, featuring double-paned bulletproof smart glass and a heavy steel blast door at the main entrance.

Vanessa handed over a set of heavy, encrypted smart keys and a stack of ownership deeds. "Miss Evelyn, the previous owner left the entire villa fully furnished with imported luxury Italian furniture, top-tier home appliances, and an automated security system. You can move in immediately without buying a single thing."

"Good," Evelyn said. "You may leave."

Once Vanessa departed, Evelyn locked the heavy front door behind her.

The interior was vast and elegant. Italian marble floors stretched across a grand living room, illuminated by warm, recessed lighting. But Evelyn wasn't looking at the luxury decoration. Her eyes swept over the structural integrity—the reinforced load-bearing pillars, the thick concrete walls, and the discrete heavy door in the basement leading down to the underground bunker.

It was perfect. Evelyn walked into the living room and sank onto the soft leather sofa, letting out a long, quiet breath.

The air in front of her flickered. A brilliant, semi-transparent blue interface expanded in mid-air, glowing softly against the dimly lit room.

[Congratulations, Host. Villa No. 1 secured.]

[Host, welcome home. You have been granted access to the Infinite Space.]

Evelyn's eyes widened slightly as she stared at the glowing words.

Infinite Space?