Chapter 9 House over the island hill.

Chapter 9: Chapter 9 House over the island hill.

As early as six in the morning, a loud phone call jolted Luna awake.

She shot upright in bed, her eyes widening in panic.

For one terrifying second, she thought it had already begun.

Throwing the blanket aside, she rushed toward the window and looked through the open pane. The sight outside immediately greeted her.

People walked peacefully along the streets.

Some had already started their morning exercises while others hurried to work, all scrambling to earn their daily bread. Cars moved through the roads, shops opened their doors, and life continued as though nothing was wrong.

Luna quietly watched them.

Soon...

Almost all of them would disappear.

Civilization would collapse.

Living creatures would become corrupted.

The few humans fortunate enough to survive would spend every waking moment searching for food, medicine, and supplies while desperately trying to stay alive.

Her gaze lingered on the bustling streets for a few more seconds before the ringing phone pulled her back to reality.

She glanced at the screen.

Unknown Number.

"Should I pick this?"

She wasn’t doing anything important anyway.

Besides, perhaps something useful might come from it.

Sliding her finger across the screen, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Good morning. Am I speaking with Miss Luna Hale?"

"Yes."

"Wonderful. We heard that you recently purchased the property at the old workshop. Our company would like to know if you’d be willing to sell it to us."

Luna was about to reject him immediately but stopped herself halfway.

No.

The last thing she wanted was to sound desperate, as though she had bought the place solely to sell it back.

That simply wouldn’t do.

"Hmm... the property is quite important to me," she replied casually. "But if you’re able to convince me... perhaps I can consider it."

The agent instantly became excited.

He began explaining in detail why the land was practically useless to her.

How selling it would be the wiser decision.

How the money they intended to offer would benefit her far more than holding onto an abandoned land and horrifying house system.

He kept talking...

And talking...

And talking.

Luna honestly felt that if he continued for another minute, her ears were going to start bleeding.

She finally interrupted him.

"I’ve heard enough."

"How much are you offering?"

Silence followed for a brief moment before the agent stated the amount.

Luna’s jaw nearly dropped.

What the actual fuck...?

That amount was enormous.

Before she could even recover, the agent increased the offer once more.

Her eyes immediately sparkled.

Now that was more like it.

She forced herself to remain calm.

"Well... I still don’t know if I should sell."

The agent quickly assured her that every legal document had already been prepared and gave her the location where they could complete the transfer.

After ending the call, Luna couldn’t stop the smile creeping onto her lips.

What a wonderful morning.

She rang the bell for room service.

If she was heading out, she might as well prepare properly.

She requested her favorite bubble bath soap along with a few daily necessities before locking herself inside the bathroom.

A long, relaxing bath later, she finally stepped out feeling refreshed.

After drying her hair, she changed into a luxurious outfit—a long-sleeved purple blouse paired with a matching skirt and elegant heels that practically screamed wealth.

Soon enough...

All these expensive clothes would become completely useless.

So she might as well enjoy wearing them while she still could.

Picking up her handbag, Luna left the room.

The moment she stepped into the hallway, she froze.

Chris was standing there.

Apparently, the hotel staff had informed him she was checking out.

He looked relieved after finally finding her.

"Luna," he called.

"Excuse me... let’s just say you’re acting irrationally. Whatever you’re planning is dangerous."

Luna silently closed her eyes.

Seriously?

Of all times, this man had to block her path now?

She was on her way to sign a contract that would secure another part of her future, yet here he was trying to lecture her.

Couldn’t he simply leave her alone?

She slowly opened her eyes.

"Can you kindly get the fuck out of my sight?"

"If you don’t, I’m warning you... whatever I do next, you’ll hate me forever."

Chris stiffened.

"I care about you, Luna."

"You don’t have to face everything alone."

"Bonnie told me what happened to your family."

"I just wanted to help."

So that was it.

Bonnie had been running her mouth again.

They thought she was mentally unstable because of her family’s tragedy.

How thoughtful.

Luna laughed mockingly.

"Well... isn’t that sweet?"

"Tell Bonnie she’s an excellent snitch."

"As for you..."

She took one slow step closer until only a short distance separated them.

"If you stand in my way again, I’ll scream."

"I’ll accuse you of sexually assaulting me."

"I’ll cry."

"I’ll make everyone believe it."

"And do you know what that accusation alone would do to your career?"

Her voice became frighteningly calm.

"So..."

"Are you willing to take that risk?"

Chris’s face completely lost its color.

He stared at Luna as though he was looking at an entirely different person.

The gentle woman he knew had disappeared.

Standing before him now was someone cold enough to destroy another person’s future without blinking.

Luna, however, couldn’t care less.

In less than a month, the apocalypse would arrive.

Whether Chris hated her or not wouldn’t matter if he ended up becoming zombie food.

Watching him instinctively step aside, Luna walked past without another glance.

Stockpiling.

Preparing.

Surviving.

Those were the only things that mattered now.

Nearly forty minutes later, she arrived at the agreed location.

Just as the agent had promised, several luxury cars were already parked outside.

Quite a few people had apparently been waiting for her arrival.

The agent hurried over with a smile.

"No need to worry, Miss Hart."

"All the paperwork is inside."

"And one more thing..."

He grinned.

"Enjoy the house. I’ve heard it’s absolutely incredible."

After carefully reviewing every single document and confirming that everything was genuine, Luna finally signed her name.

The transaction was complete.

She let out a long breath of relief.

Another important step had been completed.

Without wasting another second, she got back into her car and drove away.

The property she had purchased was a newly built mansion located in one of the most luxurious places she had always dreamed of living.

Banana Island.

Even before the apocalypse, she had loved the location.

Now, it would become the place where she intended to build her safest refuge.

As she drove toward the island, her phone continuously vibrated.

She didn’t even need to check the screen.

It was obviously Bonnie.

Chris must have called her after what happened.

Luna simply rejected the call.

Seconds later...

It rang again.

Rejected.

Again.

Rejected.

Eventually, she muted the phone entirely and focused on the road ahead.

Nothing Bonnie had to say interested her anymore.

The moment Luna finally entered Banana Island, her eyes immediately landed on something massive.

A huge cargo ship was slowly approaching the private dock.

Her lips curved upward.

"It finally arrived."

Inside that ship were the supplies she had been waiting for.

Food.

Equipment.

Building materials.

Everything she needed for the next phase of her plan.

Luna looked toward her newly purchased mansion before smiling to herself.

"Now..."

"It’s time to turn this house into an impenetrable fortress."