​A tense silence stretched over the line. Xavier was a man who bought companies, controlled industries, and commanded thousands of people, yet he was completely frozen by a woman whose full name he barely even knew.

And now, she just admitted that what she had done was read his fortune.

Not once had he ever believed in fortune telling, horoscope and all that divination. If this was before he met her, he would’ve concluded she was simply trying to scam him.

But he couldn’t ignore her after her very accurate reading.

"How much do you need?" He asked and April’s heart did an excited skip.

She loved a paying customer.

"Let’s meet up first, Mr. Reed. I can only know what I’m dealing with when I’m right in front of you."

Xavier let out a sharp, heavy breath through the console, a mix of frustration and profound fascination.

​"Fine," he said, his tone tightening as he accepted her terms. "I’m done with my work and ready to meet up now. Samuel will bring you straight to me."

​April’s smile turned sharp and thoroughly pleased. "Excellent, Mr. Reed. See you soon."

​The line went dead with a soft beep.

​April leaned back against the leather seat, a wide, triumphant smile breaking across her face. Her heart was still doing that excited, erratic skip.

Fifty million? A hundred million? With Xavier’s corporate empire completely intact thanks to her, his pockets were practically bottomless. And she was going to drain them until she had enough capital to secure everything she needed for the apocalypse.

​She tapped the glass window, signaling Samuel.

​The assistant got a call at that moment and answered for a few seconds before putting his phone away and walked back to the car.

He slid into the driver’s seat, and adjusted his glasses. He didn’t ask a single question about what his boss had said to her. He simply started the engine.

​"Mr. Reed has concluded his meetings, Miss April," Samuel said, his voice tightly controlled. "He has requested that I bring you to his private residence in the Upper Crest Hills immediately. The drive will take approximately forty-five minutes."

​"Take your time, Samuel," April murmured, her eyes gleaming as she sank into the chair. "I’m in no rush."

The one who was likely impatient was Xavier Reed, anxious to know what his fortune for today said.

​As the luxury sedan glided out of the industrial district and began its smooth ascent up the winding, tree-lined mountain roads, April decided to check on her number of insights left.

​System, she called out in her mind. Insight check.

​The familiar crisp blue screen hovered in front of her.

[Number of insights left today: 3 / 3]

​April stared at the screen, a surge of deep satisfaction washing over her.

Yesterday, her three daily slots had been completely dried out by the time she dealt with the Morgans and Xavier at the banquet.

But with the dawning of this new day, her powers had fully refreshed. Three pristine, unused fortunes were sitting in her arsenal, waiting to be unleashed right at the perfect moment.

And it seemed like the more she used them up, the more likely the amount would increase due to proficiency. Only, the system did not indicate how long so she did not know how long it would take for her proficiency to be high enough to include another number to her current insight limit.

Until then, she would use them with care.

​The car slowed down, interrupting her thoughts.

​April looked out the front windshield. The sedan had just pulled up to a massive, fortress-like perimeter wall made of dark slate and reinforced steel.

Towering electronic security gates scanned the vehicle’s encrypted transponder, sliding open silently to reveal a sprawling, ultra-modern architectural masterpiece cut directly into the side of the mountain.

​The estate was completely isolated, surrounded by dense pine forests and overlooking the entire glittering city below. It was beautiful, sterile, and heavily guarded by private security personnel in discreet suits.

This place... It felt like the perfect place April would want to have for the end of the world. But she wouldn’t let a single space remain and would make sure the area was airtight. If possible, she would make a dome overhead and an artificial sky so she doesn’t have to see the bloody and disgusting bruises the sky would turn into.

She’d have to spend billions to make that happen. And she was ready to make those billions.

​Samuel parked the car right in front of the grand glass entryway. He stepped out, opening April’s door with a bow.

​"We have arrived, Miss April. Mr. Reed is waiting for you in the primary study on the top floor. Please, follow me."

​April stepped out of the car, her sneakers pressing firmly against the pristine stone driveway.

She casually smoothed down her sharp black blazer dress, her brown hair catching the crisp, cool mountain wind.

​She looked up at the massive glass-and-steel mansion.

This was the lion’s den, but she didn’t feel like she was in the territory of a predator at all.

She felt... relaxed. Maybe it was because she had the leash of this predator in the palm of her hands.

She followed Samuel through the grand entrance until he stopped on the top floor, standing before a pair of heavy, floor-to-ceiling walnut doors. He gave a quiet, respectful knock before pushing one of the doors open.

​"Miss April is here, sir," Samuel announced, stepping aside to let her pass.

​April stepped into the primary study. The room was massive, lined with dark bookshelves that stretched all the way to the vaulted ceiling. But the most striking feature was the panoramic window at the far end, overlooking the mountain cliffside.

It was a great place to stand and sip coffee while watching the world burn, she thought.

​Standing right in front of that window, with his back to her and his hands tucked in his pockets, was Xavier Reed.

He had discarded his suit jacket, wearing a crisp white dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his forearms.

​The heavy walnut door clicked shut behind April as Samuel stepped out, leaving the two of them in absolute silence.

This... is slightly awkward. She thought and then watched him turn around to face her. He looked... just as handsome as she did the previous night. But I think he looks more dashing when he’s agitated.

Xavier didn’t waste time with pleasantries. The moment the doors clicked shut, his dark eyes locked onto her. He took one long, assessing look at her transformation from how he saw her the previous night, but instead of commenting on it, he got straight to business.

​"What can you see in my future today?" he asked, his voice a sharp, commanding deep tone.

​April’s smile turned thoroughly amused. "Straight to the point, are we? Well, I like that."