The Mansion    

[Eva]

Twenty days before.

Eva began her journey with determination, even though the sweltering heat made it challenging.

She would wake up early every morning, and with the sun blazing down on her, she would hit the pavement running. With every step, she felt the sweat trickling down her face, but she didn't let that stop her.

Eva pushed herself harder and harder each day, determined to achieve her goal. Besides, acclimatizing to the weather while pushing her body to the limits was the surest and fastest way to evolve.

As the days went on, Eva's body began to feel the effects of her rigorous exercise routine. She felt her muscles burning, her heart racing, and her lungs gasping for air, but she still didn't stop. Her determination kept her going, even when she felt like passing out from exhaustion.

Despite the obstacles that came her way, Eva kept pushing forward. She made sure to stick to her strict diet plan and ensured she got enough rest to recover from the intense workouts.

She also trained in the arts of fighting and using all sorts of weapons by registering in various fighting and shooting clubs. All these skills in battle and expert use of all sorts of weapons, especially all types of guns, were hardcoded into her head as she fought for her life endlessly in multiple dimensions. She only had to temper and train her new body to follow her brain, and everything was easy.

Days followed days, and nights followed nights. From that moment, she reincarnated onward, each day was easier than the one before it. Eva's legs grew stronger, her blisters burst, and her hands grew callused, her soft thighs toughened, supple as leather.

She wasn't near enough to her previous body, but this was alright at the moment.

"Only this much?" she asked dully.

The man in the fine suit didn't raise his eyes from his tablet and answered, "There are charges. 5% from gas. This place is miles from the city, so it's only right. 10% for our service. Workers' pay increased nowadays because of this heat. No one wanted to work outside. It's hard to find workers without baiting them for additional pay."

The man finally raised his head and brought his tablet in front of Eva to sign. "And the last is 20% for sealing our lips. You've got a nice house here with nice furniture, but we all know who it really belongs to."

Eva's icy expression didn't change as she checked the lists on the tablet. "That's why I hired your company to do it because you deal with these kinds of things. That Persian rug, diamond-encrusted figurines, and paintings should have cost twice as much. Not to mention the custom-made sofas, leathers, and luxurious cars."

The man took a deep breath and looked at his men, who were moving things around from the mansion into a large truck. He settled his eyes anywhere, not just on the woman in front of him. She gave him the chills for such a short and young girl.

"If you sell them in a regular shop," he answered, eyes uneasy, wiping the unending sweat on his face. "But this is the black market you're dealing with, so our price. If you have a problem with it, then we're happy to return your items. We still have to charge you gas and service, though, for wasting our time."

Eva briefly peered at the armed guards behind the man in the suit. She could take them on if she had the guns, but right now, she needed money more than their lives.

She signed the tablet, and the man didn't bother to smile or say his goodbye. He simply turned, signaled his men to pack up, and left the house. His actions were in a hurry as if someone would catch them or he simply wanted to escape the heat.

Seconds later, a buzz pulled Eva's attention to her phone.

[$4,700,000 has been transferred to your account]

It was still a lot of money. In fact, the most paper money she had in her entire life. But if she wished to buy provisions, weapons, and ammunition, she had to budget it.

Anyway, the Prince had an armory, so that ought to help her buy more ammunition than weapons.

I think this is enough. Eva thought and entered the mansion's massive entrance.

The mansion alone was 31 000 sq. feet with 12 beds and 24 bathrooms, all situated in a 1-acre lot. This modern estate includes some insane amenities, including a rooftop, a tennis court, a two-lane-blowing alley, a private movie theatre, spas, bars, and so many other things. With sixty cars motor court. Impressive water feature and tons of landscaping. Unobstructed city views and mountain views. It's very peaceful. It was set extremely high above road level. There was no road noise and no neighbors. Best of all, the mansion was fully furnished.

Now, however, it was bare with the minimum amount of furniture and appliances.

Everything could be controlled with a single tablet for her convenience. Eva already had it tempered by one of the best hackers she knew. The guy rewrites her as the owner of the house, and everything was easy after that.

Eva also modified the house, mostly covering all the glass windows with double-layer thick metal chains. It was better to add than to renovate because of the time restriction. She also made a vegetable garden inside the house that worked on hydroponics.

Planting them outside would surely wilt them in no time from this heat that only intensified by the day.

Now that she had the money, it was time to hoard.