THE VILLAINESS HAS FORTY-THREE DAYS TO LIVE

Calista’s POV

In forty-three days, the man I had spent my entire life trying to impress would put a

bullet through my heart.

Unfortunately for him, I had stopped caring about his opinion.

I turned the inventory manifest over in my hands, listening to the dull hum of

heavy-duty generators stacked against the corrugated metal walls of the Edevane

logistics warehouse.

Across the polished oak clipboard, the warehouse manager, a man named Harris

whose collar was permanently damp with nervous sweat, shifted his weight from

one boot to the other.

"The water filtration units and the portable solar arrays are already crated, Lady

Drevane,

" Harris said, his voice dropping an octave as though discussing

contraband rather than emergency hardware.

"It’s just... well, your account officer called twice this morning. He wanted to know

if you realized the capital outlay for these purchases. Without a commercial tender

or an immediate industrial contract, buying this volume of survival gear is highly

irregular.

"

I didn’t look up from the manifest.

"Tell my account officer that my personal

expenditures are none of his professional concern. I want the delivery schedule

accelerated. Every crate currently sitting in this facility needs to be loaded and

transferred to the private property outside the city limits before the end of the

week.

"

Harris gave a tight, disbelieving laugh, smoothing down his lapels with trembling

fingers.

"A private property. Right. You're preparing for a siege, aren't you? Is there

something you've heard about the municipal grid? Some sort of labor strike?""I am preparing for a situation in which money will eventually become less useful

than clean water,

" I replied evenly.

My calmness seemed to unsettle him more than a display of anger would have.

In the social circles of Edevane, Calista Drevane was known for a very different set

of priorities: endless vanity, impulsive spending on haute couture, and throwing

lavish, empty galas designed to capture the attention of men who couldn't be

bothered to look at her twice. She was famous for extravagance, not logistics.

Watching her methodically audit medical-grade iodine, heavy-duty batteries, and

ration packets was enough to make any ordinary businessman question my sanity.

"Just complete the order, Harris,

" I added, my tone softening just enough to remind

him who held his commercial lease.

"And make sure the manifests match the

physical inventory down to the last crate. I won't accept missing items.

"

He swallowed hard, nodded, and retreated toward the loading bay.

When I was alone between the towering stacks of galvanized steel containers, I let

out a slow, controlled breath.

My fingers went cold against the clipboard. The truth was that Harris had no idea

how close he was to the reality I was trying to outrun.

I was not the original Calista. I was Seren Valecourt, a modern woman who had

closed her eyes in a sterile hospital room after reading a serialized web novel titled

“The Last Dawn”

, only to open them in the velvet-draped bedroom of a

twenty-six-year-old heiress whose reputation was already in ruins.

I knew the entire arc of the catastrophe waiting just beyond the horizon. I knew

about the sudden, unnatural storms, the infrastructure collapses that would plunge

Edevane into darkness, and the terrifying mutation of the wildlife once the veil

between the ordinary world and the supernatural tore apart.

Most importantly, I knew how my character's story ended.In the original novel, Calista’s obsession with Commander Evren Sable and her

petty cruelty toward the heroine, Maelis Orwyn, culminated in a dramatic public

downfall.

When the apocalypse struck, Calista was branded a traitor, accused of hoarding

vital supplies while humanity starved, and ultimately executed by Evren himself.

I had no intention of following that script. I didn't want Evren’s affection, I didn't

want Maelis’s saintly reputation, and I certainly didn't care about winning the

approval of a high society that would cheerfully watch me burn.

What I wanted was simple: raw resources, absolute independence, and a fortified

sanctuary far enough from the city center to withstand the initial wave of panic.

I walked back to my SUV car, pulling out my private ledger to review my

remaining assets. Calista’s inherited wealth was substantial, but liquidating it

without triggering regulatory suspicion required care.

Over the next few weeks, I would have to systematically auction off my

superfluous jewelry, divest from vulnerable urban real estate, and channel the

capital through a series of shell accounts.

According to the timeline in my head, the first warning signs would begin with

minor communication blackouts and inexplicable fluctuations in the regional

power grid.

The public would dismiss them as administrative failures or seasonal storms. By

the time the government admitted the danger, the supply chains would already be

frozen.

My greatest advantage was my knowledge, but my greatest vulnerability was time.

Forty-three days. Every hour spent managing bureaucratic hurdles or placating

suspicious suppliers was an hour stolen from my preparations.

As I reached for the door handle of my car, the warehouse supervisor hurried back

across the concrete floor, holding a clipboard against his chest."Lady Drevane,

" Harris called out, catching his breath as he stopped beside me.

"Before you go, there was one more thing. A visitor stopped by the front office

about twenty minutes after you arrived. He didn't leave a name, but he was asking

specific questions about your account. Wanted to know why a private citizen was

bulk-purchasing emergency filtration systems and high-tier medical provisions.

"

My hand froze on the chrome handle. I turned slowly, keeping my face smooth,

though my heart gave a sharp, warning thud against my ribs.

"Did he leave

identification?"

"No,

" Harris muttered, wiping his brow.

"Looked like he belonged to some sort of

official oversight committee or municipal security. Tall, very controlled, didn't

blink much. Just looked at the delivery manifests and asked if you had personal ties

to any disaster relief contractors.

"

I forced a cold, dismissive smile to my lips.

"People in this city love inventing

conspiracies when they see someone managing their investments efficiently. If he

returns, remind him that my legal counsel handles all inquiries regarding my

private estate.

"

"Yes, ma'am. Will do,

" Harris said, though he still looked uneasy.

I got into the backseat of the car, shutting the door against the damp wind blowing

off the harbor. The vehicle’s leather interior smelled faintly of cedar and cold glass.

I pulled out my personal notebook, flipping to the final page where I had scrawled

a single number in dark ink.

Forty-three days.

I intended to use every single one of them. I closed the book, sliding it into my

briefcase just as my phone began to buzz against the seat cushion.

I picked it up, expecting a confirmation from my financial broker regarding the

liquidation of my downtown properties.

Instead, an unfamiliar, direct voice spoke through the speaker before I could even

say my name."Lady Drevane?"

"Speaking,

" I said, my voice steady.

"This is the acquisition representative managing the logistics compound at District

Twelve. I'm calling to inform you that your purchase agreement has been

temporarily suspended. A competing buyer submitted an escalated cash offer less

than ten minutes ago, and the board has agreed to review it.

"

The interior of the car seemed to grow instantly colder.

My fingers tightened around the casing of the phone.

"That property was cleared

for transfer under my name yesterday morning. Who authorized a suspension?"

"The buyer invoked an emergency administrative priority,the representative

" the representative

replied, sounding apologetic.

"I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but under current

municipal bylaws, high-priority state logistics assets can be contested."

"What is the buyer's name?" I asked, each word clipped and deliberate.

There was a brief pause on the line.

"Commander Evren Sable.

"