Chapter 8

Exiting the shack, she walked the perimeter of her new domain. The usable ground now stretched a lot farther  before hitting the boundary fog. Nothing could go past the fog but it was so much larger than before. She thought she would have to stockpile supplies on her journey but now, she mentally recalibrated herself. Could she stockpile everything in her space? Is there a limit to what she can keep in here? 

Suddenly, she spotted something vibrant near the edge. Joanna sprinted over, dropping to her knees in sheer shock.

It was grass. Genuine, nutrient-rich green grass.

Tears of hope pricked her eyes. Her pocket dimension wasn't just a stagnant vault; it was a living ecosystem capable of agriculture. She would need to systematically hoard heirloom seeds and industrial farming tools over the next few months. If she can successfully grow vegetables she would become a powerhouse in the apocalypse. Maybe she could even become one of the great survivors on the leaderboard the way Julian Hawthorne would. 

Exiting her meditation, she ordered room service and opened her laptop to map out additional high-end estate jewelers in the area. Alice’s birthday gala was tomorrow night, and she still needed an evening dress.

As she scrolled, her eyes drifted back to the old family photographs she had taken from the vault. It was a vintage portrait of her grandparents on their wedding day. Her grandmother possessed a regal, commanding beauty. Zooming in on her grandmother's wrists, Joanna froze.

The older woman was wearing the exact same emerald bracelet currently fused to Joanna's soul. But that wasn't all. She was also sporting a heavy emerald heirloom ring and a pair of matching teardrop earrings.

A dark, predatory realization took root. Those pieces belong to the same set. If her bracelet had yielded a level-four evolution, reuniting the full heirloom set might shatter the boundary fog permanently.

She remembered a bitter argument years ago where Gwen had bragged about keeping the heirloom earrings for herself while passing the matching ring to Alice. They kept their high-value valuables locked in the master bedroom safe.

A cold, venomous tension settled in her stomach as she left the hotel and hailed a cab. There was a time when Joanna would have bled herself dry to earn the love of her mother and sister. But knowing the horrific betrayal awaiting her in the frozen future, her heart had turned to stone.

She unlocked the front door of the Harington mansion and stepped into the grand foyer. The opulent house was exactly as she remembered. In her dream, this was the exact afternoon Gwen and Alice were frantically supervising the event decorators for the gala. History was repeating itself seamlessly.

Alice spotted her first from the top of the staircase. "Joanna, you finally crawled back. You need to get dressed for the pre-party soon. We just finished setting up the terrace decorations."

Gwen turned around from the living room mirror, her expression instantly hardening. "Joanna, don't just stand there like an idiot. Did you finalize the share transfers at the bank?"

Joanna stared at the cold, calculating glint in her mother's eyes. Alice had always inherited Gwen's petite, fragile frame and fair skin—a delicate appearance that hid their monstrous nature. Joanna, conversely, took after her late father: taller, sturdier, and built with athletic grace. She had always wondered if that physical reminder of her father was the reason Gwen despised her.

Shaking the thoughts away, Joanna forced a compliant, submissive smile onto her face. "Hi, Mom. Yes, I just got back from the branch. Everything is signed and legally finalized."

She reached into her purse and pulled out a set of forged corporate transfer documents she had meticulously prepared ahead of time. "Happy early birthday, Alice," she said, handing the papers up to her sister.

Gwen practically snatched the documents out of Alice’s hands, her eyes devouring the fraudulent terms before a deeply satisfied, smug smile spread across her face. "Very good, Joanna. At least you can be useful when it counts. Go down to the kitchen and help the housekeeper prep the catering platters for tonight."

Alice smirked, leaning against the banister. "Oh, wait, Mom. I forgot to mention—the catering coordinator called and said they’re short an elegant server for the VIP lounge tonight. I told them Joanna would be happy to fill in. You don't mind helping my friends out, do you, sis?"

Alice delivered the request with a saccharine, mocking sweetness. Joanna’s mind flashed back to the nightmare. In her past life, they had forced her to wait hand and foot on her university peers all night. Alice's wealthy friends had openly mocked her, culminating in a drunk classmate pouring a sticky cocktail directly over her head while her family laughed.

Go ahead and laugh, Joanna thought, her internal gaze icy. Enjoy your last month of luxury.

"Of course, Alice. I don't mind at all," Joanna replied smoothly, bowing her head to hide the lethal calculation in her eyes.

She turned toward the hallway, pretending to head for the kitchens. But she hadn't come back to this house to play maid or hand over millions. She had come for the rest of her grandmother's emeralds. Slipping past the servant's corridor, she silently crept up the back staircase toward her mother's private quarters.