Chapter 3

Nyx pov

“Ma’am? Come again? I don’t understand—”

“I said, do not make any transfer!” I interrupted, my voice cold and unwavering.

I understood Kelly perfectly well. In my previous life, she had tried countless times to make me see Zac for the greedy, manipulative man he truly was, but I had been too blinded by love to recognize his treachery. She knew he was systematically bleeding me dry, and despite my repeated dismissals, she had continued trying to protect me.

There had even been an incident when Zac stole $5 million from the company account. Kelly confronted him, demanding an explanation, but that bastard twisted the entire situation to his advantage. He manipulated me into believing she was attempting to frame him, and I had foolishly fired her.

The memory made my jaw clench.

I had punished the one person who genuinely wanted to protect me while continuing to reward the man who was destroying me.

“Understood, ma’am. I won't make the transfer,” Kelly replied obediently.

The call ended, and I stared at my phone for a moment before dialing another number. The recipient answered almost immediately.

“The mining investment. Terminate it. I'm no longer interested,” I announced before the person could utter a word.

“But... you—Zac—” The board member stammered, clearly taken aback.

“I said terminate it! I want every dollar I invested refunded to me.”

“You can't be serious!” His voice trembled with disbelief.

“Do I sound like I'm joking? According to Clause 52.7 of our agreement, an investor is entitled to withdraw their investment and request a refund provided the contract has not been in effect for up to a year. Correct me if I'm wrong.”

Silence greeted my words.

Zac had persuaded me to invest in that mining company, promising astronomical returns and a lucrative future. Like the fool I had been, I trusted his judgment without conducting proper investigations, only for the entire venture to collapse. My $5 million had practically vanished into thin air.

And now, with an apocalypse looming over the horizon, I was supposed to sit around and watch my wealth evaporate?

Absolutely fucking not!

I needed liquidity, not some worthless investment that would become completely inaccessible once the flood swallowed everything. Every available resource had to be converted into cash, and I couldn't afford to squander another dollar on Zac's reckless schemes.

“Very well. Your $5 million will be refunded tomorrow,” the board member finally conceded.

“Make it quick.”

I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the sofa, releasing a weary breath as I contemplated my next move.

Just as I had anticipated, forty minutes later, someone began pounding furiously on my front door.

I didn't need to check the security camera to know who it was. Zac.

The moment I opened the door, he pushed his way inside without waiting for an invitation. His furious gaze swept across the living room before settling on me, sitting comfortably on the sofa with my legs crossed as I leisurely sipped my coffee.

The sight of my composure appeared to aggravate him even further.

“Were you the one who instructed Kelly not to transfer the money we agreed on yesterday?” he demanded, barely concealing his indignation.

His expression was so familiar that I almost laughed.

In my previous life, I would have panicked at the sight of his anger, scrambling to explain myself and soothe his wounded pride. I would have apologized even when I had done nothing wrong, desperate to prevent a disagreement between us. How pathetic.

“Yes, I did,” I answered calmly, taking another sip of my coffee.

“Why?” His voice rose sharply. “I thought we agreed that the workers would begin constructing the vault today!”

The moment he mentioned the vault, my fingertips tightened around the delicate cup. For a brief second, the image of him and Jeent abandoning me outside AquaVault flashed through my mind, accompanied by the suffocating terror I had experienced as the flood dragged me toward my death.

I forced the memory down, refusing to allow my emotions to betray me.

“I will build it,” I replied with measured indifference. “I already have a design in mind.”

His expression shifted. “What do you mean, you have a design in mind?” he demanded, his brows furrowing. “Why are you suddenly talking about designing a fucking vault? We already discussed this! The workers are supposed to start today!”

I smiled faintly, amused by how desperately he was trying to maintain control over my decisions.

“The main issue is that my account has been temporarily restricted. Give me twenty-four hours, and it will be unfrozen. Once that happens, I'll transfer the money and you can proceed with whatever arrangements you've made.”

The lie rolled off my tongue effortlessly.

His anger gradually dissipated, replaced by a reluctant acceptance. Apparently, the possibility of losing access to my money had been enough to make him forget his earlier fury.

“Fine. Twenty-four hours,” he warned, pointing a finger at me. “Don't make me wait.”

With that, he turned on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

The moment I heard his footsteps recede, my carefully maintained composure shattered.

CRASH!

I hurled my coffee cup against the floor. The glass shattered violently, scattering across the tiles as the remaining coffee splashed over the polished surface.

“Fuck it!”

My chest heaved as simmering resentment surged through me. I wanted to scream, to drag Zac back inside and demand that he explain why he had betrayed me so ruthlessly. But what would that accomplish? He would only fabricate another excuse, and I would gain nothing by exposing my hatred before I was ready.

I had already made that mistake once. Never again.

As I struggled to regain my composure, my gaze drifted toward the family photograph resting on the cabinet. My parents.

Their smiling faces stared back at me, frozen in a moment when our family had still been whole. They had died in a car crash, leaving me with their company, their wealth, and the responsibility of preserving everything they had worked so hard to build.

Instead, I had allowed Zac to take advantage of me until there was barely anything left.

A painful lump formed in my throat as I picked up the photograph, gently brushing my fingers across the glass.

“I'm sorry, Mom. I'm sorry, Dad,” I whispered, my voice thick with regret. “I was so stupid. I trusted the wrong people and allowed them to destroy everything you left behind.”

My eyes burned, but I refused to cry.

“I promise I'll make things right this time. I'll protect our legacy, and I won't allow anyone to take what's rightfully mine ever again.”

I carefully returned the photograph to its place, wiping away the moisture gathering in my eyes.

Sentimentality could wait. I had far more pressing matters to attend to.

First, I needed suitable land for my private survival vault.

It had to be strategically located, sufficiently elevated, and far enough from densely populated areas to minimize the danger posed by the impending catastrophe. I needed somewhere I could reinforce without interference, a place where I could stockpile food, medicine, fuel, and every other necessity required to survive the flood.

But acquiring land was only the beginning.

I also needed to liquidate my assets before the apocalypse arrived. My companies, properties, and other investments would become practically worthless once the flood submerged entire districts. There would be no convenient buyers, no reliable banking system, and certainly no guarantee that the money trapped in those assets would remain accessible.

I had to sell while the world was still functioning and convert my wealth into resources that would keep me alive.

Every decision mattered now. One careless mistake could cost me everything.

The land came first. I grabbed my car keys and headed outside, wasting no time getting behind the wheel. After entering the address into my navigation system, I drove toward the Land Council, a prestigious property acquisition company renowned for handling extensive land transactions.

The establishment dealt in all kinds of property, from modest residential plots to expansive estates and undeveloped territories. If anyone could help me secure the kind of land I needed, it was them.

When I arrived, I immediately noticed the formidable security surrounding the premises. Armed military personnel stood at strategic points around the compound, their watchful gazes following every vehicle that approached the entrance.

I drove through the security checkpoint after the guards verified my identity, parked my car, and stepped out.

Without hesitation, I proceeded into the main building.

The interior was spacious and elegantly furnished, with polished floors, imposing desks, and several offices arranged along the corridor. I walked straight into the main administrative office, where a group of elderly men sat around a large table, apparently discussing business.

The moment I entered, their attention shifted toward me.

Their gazes swept over my appearance, lingering with undisguised curiosity, as though they were struggling to understand what a young woman like me could possibly want from their establishment.

I paid them little attention.

Approaching the table, I offered a slight, respectful bow.

“Good day, gentlemen.”

One of the elderly men, who appeared to be in a senior administrative position, returned my greeting.

“Good day, young lady. How may we assist you?”

“I'd like to purchase a parcel of land in Ravencrest Lane.”

For a moment, silence settled over the room.

Ravencrest Lane was a remote township situated far from the bustling city, and it was the first location that had come to mind when I began considering suitable places for my vault. Its distance from the city made it ideal for the kind of isolation I required.

However, the moment I mentioned the location, laughter erupted around the table.

One man chuckled, another exchanged an amused glance with his colleague, and the manager sitting opposite me burst into outright laughter.

“Are you serious?” he asked incredulously, looking me up and down. “A woman wants to purchase land in Ravencrest Lane? Young lady, this isn't a playground. You should go home and leave serious business to the adults.”

My expression remained impassive, although his condescending remark stirred a flicker of irritation within me.

“Who said a woman couldn't purchase land?” I asked coolly.

Before the manager could respond, a deep, authoritative voice suddenly cut through the room.

“And who gave you the impression that she couldn't?”

I turned toward the entrance, my gaze settling on the man who had just spoken.