LOGIN"I'll get started on those phone records," Jolie said, sitting up and going to her luggage. She pulled her laptop from her pack, already heading back toward the door. "I'm going downstairs to work at the hotel bar since I'm a little hungry anyway. Let's see if I can trace this David Foster before we try dialing the number.""Perfect," Joanna replied, her voice tight with a strange, thrumming energy. "After you find out information on David and Megan, see if there's an obituary on her as well. Stay away from the room for a while. Give me at least a few hours and don’t disturb me under any circumstances. I am going to consume the jade."Jolie nodded, recognizing the intesity in her friend's eyes, and slipped out of the room, closing the door firmly behind her.Left alone, Joanna needed to prepare. Her hands were shaking with anticipation. She quickly changed into comfortable clothes, washed her face with cold water to anchor herself, and returned to sit cross-legged on the bed. Reaching
Jolie slowed the van as they approached a red light, shifting her weight in the seat. She cleared her throat, her tone suddenly dropping into a quieter, more self-conscious cadence. "Hey... can I ask you something about Rachel's crew?"Joanna’s knowing smile returned instantly. She leaned back against the headrest, turning to face her friend. "You want to talk about Allen."Jolie’s cheeks flushed a faint pink under the dashboard lights. "I didn't say that.""You didn't have to," Joanna teased gently. "I saw the way he walked out of that office behind you. For a guy who acts paranoid around his sister Rachel, he looked entirely distracted.""He was just being thorough during the cash count," Jolie argued, though a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips. "But... Did you notice how tight the air got when Marcus the bodyguard chambered that round? I was terrified boss! I honestly thought we were in deep trouble. I only glanced at Allen but he looked calm and controlled.”"He did," J
Rachel stood in the quiet courtyard for a moment, the heavy silence returning. She turned to her brother, who was staring fixedly at the empty gateway where the van had just been.“What did you think of those two, Allen?” Rachel asked.Allen paused. The silence dragged out for a highly charged moment, his jaw tightening slightly. He didn't answer right away, but the sudden rigidity in his shoulders spoke volumes more than his words ever could.Sensing his sister’s intense, probing stare, Allen finally cleared his throat. “They’re odd. That Joanna is sitting on a mountain of secrets, but she seems honest enough about wanting the jade.”Rachel’s eyebrows arched slightly. She found his response fascinating. He didn't bring up the assistant. Usually, Allen was an unshakeable shadow, staying glued to Rachel’s side during high-stakes transactions to scan for threats. But today, his focus had drifted entirely to Jolie.A small, calculating spark lit up in Rachel’s mind. Maybe she would use t
Outside the glass partition, Joanna leaned casually against the office doorframe, though she caught the low, rhythmic murmur of Jolie and Allen's voices from within. Rachel leaned against the adjacent wall, crossing her arms.“I’m still curious,” Rachel admitted, looking at the bricks of cash being counted. “What does a person do with millions of dollars of unrefined, raw stone? Most buyers won't touch it until it's cut and polished.”Joanna smiled faintly, staring out into the empty warehouse. “Call it an investment for good luck in the future.”Rachel raised an eyebrow, a skeptical amusement in her eyes. “You must be expecting some terrible luck to buy a mountain of jade for protection.”Joanna cleared her throat and turned her full attention to Rachel. The warmth left her expression, replaced by a cold, absolute certainty.“I believe everyone should be preparing right now,” Joanna said, her voice dropping to a quiet, unsettling whisper. “Because there is an entire world of bad luck
She led them through a narrow side hallway out to a secluded rear courtyard where a second vehicle sat. Rachel unlatched the heavy trunk, revealing three massive, reinforced wooden crates. She gripped a black canvas sheet covering the top crate and pulled it back.Joanna’s breath hitched. Her eyes widened, and she swallowed hard against a sudden surge of adrenaline.It was a staggering amount of stone—more than she had ever seen in one place. For a split second, a flash of her dream timeline violently crossed her mind: the agonizing hunger, the cramped, suffocatingly small storage space that could barely hold a single shipping container. But now? Now her pocket dimension was vast, featuring wide, sweeping fields and limitless vacancy.Deep within her chest, she felt a sudden, distinct shiver. It was the space. It was waking up, sending a silent, ravenous pulse through her consciousness: Feed me. Feed me now.“I can see you’re genuinely excited about the quality,” Rachel observed, brea
What Jolie didn't know was that Joanna wasn't planning on winning anything. When Thanksgiving weekend arrived and the world fell into chaotic panic, while everyone else barricaded themselves inside waiting for a government rescue that would never come, Joanna planned to break into these very malls and take everything they needed.They climbed back into the rented van. Joanna pulled out the jewelry clerk's business card and handed it to Jolie.“I need you to call the number on the back of that later,” Joanna said, starting the engine. “We need to fish for information.”Jolie frowned, flipping the card over. “Who is this?”“The necklace I was looking at was commissioned for a woman named Megan Foster,” Joanna explained, navigating the van out of the crowded parking lot. “In my... dreams, I knew her. She was supposed to be a major player later on. But the jeweler says she died in a hiking accident. It doesn't add up.”Jolie stared at her, listening intently.“Call the husband,” Joanna in







