2026-04-10 14:39:43CHAPTER FOUR
Ruby’s face went pale. For a brief moment, she couldn’t speak.
“W-What nonsense are you saying?” she stammered. “You’re just trying to push the blame on me because you’re jealous!”
“Jealous?” Zane let out a low chuckle. Of Edgar? The thought alone was laughable.
“Zane!”
Madelyn’s sharp voice cut through the tension as she stormed out of the house. Her eyes immediately fell on Ruby — dust-covered and teary — before shifting to Zane. Her expression darkened.
“What did you do to her?” she demanded.
Zane didn’t even look at her. “Nothing,” he replied flatly.
“Nothing?” Madelyn snapped. “Look at her! You pushed her, didn’t you?”
“She fell,” Zane said calmly.
“Zane! If you hadn’t rejected her hug, would she have fallen?” Edgar barked. “Apologize to her right now!”
Zane finally turned, his gaze cold and unbothered. “And if I don’t?”
Edgar clenched his fists. “You think just because you refused earlier, you can act however you want? Don’t forget your place in this house.”
Zane’s lips curved slightly. “Oh, I haven’t forgotten,” he said. It was them who had forgotten.
“Enough!” Madelyn snapped. “You’ve been acting out of line since morning. First, you refuse to hand over the necklace, and now you’re humiliating your fiancée?”
“Ex-fiancée,” Zane corrected casually.
Ruby’s eyes widened. “Zane… what are you saying?”
“I’m saying we’re done,” he replied without emotion. “You can keep pretending all you want, but I’m not playing along anymore.”
Madelyn’s face twisted in disbelief. Ruby had always been the leash she used to control Zane. If he let go now… wouldn’t he become completely uncontrollable?
“Have you lost your mind?” she snapped. “Do you even understand what you’re saying?”
Zane looked at her. There was no trace of submission left in his eyes. “I know exactly what I’m saying.”
“You think you can just break things off like that?” Edgar sneered. “Who do you think you are?”
Zane stepped forward slowly. “Someone who doesn’t need any of you anymore.”
Madelyn laughed coldly. “Don’t be ridiculous. Everything you have — this house, your money — everything is still under my control. Without us, you’re nothing.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Don’t force me to throw you out and let you fend for yourself.”
Zane smiled faintly. “Throw me out?” He tilted his head slightly. “Are you forgetting something?”
“This house belonged to my father,” he continued calmly. “And soon… it’ll be mine.”
“Dream on!” Madelyn scoffed. “Yes, it belonged to your father, but according to family rules, it passes to my husband or his son — not you.”
Her lips curled in satisfaction. “Just wait until Tristan returns. I’ll make sure you’re put back in your place.”
She turned sharply. “Ruby. Edgar. Let’s go.”
Without another word, she stormed off. Edgar shot Zane a glare before following. Ruby hesitated for a second, her eyes filled with complicated emotions, before hurrying after them.
Zane stood there, unmoving. Then slowly, he exhaled. A faint frown appeared on his face.
Madelyn was right. To prevent internal conflicts, the estate followed an unusual inheritance rule. His grandfather’s house — passed to his father as the eldest son — would not go to him. Instead, it would transfer to his father’s younger brother or his descendants.
Which meant… this house was not his.
Zane’s eyes darkened slightly. “Fine…” he muttered under his breath. “If that’s the case…”
A cold smile formed on his lips. “I’ll take everything else.”
Every asset. Every account. Every possession tied to his name. He would liquidate it all and use it to stockpile supplies.
---
The next morning, Zane woke early, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and left the house without speaking to anyone. He headed straight to Nova Domicile.
A narrow dirt path stretched from the rusted gate to the entrance. The gate creaked loudly as he pushed it open, its hinges dry from years of neglect. Inside, the land spread over a hundred meters in every direction — wide, silent, and empty. Easily one of the largest plots in Creamcastle Estate.
At the center stood a small, single-story structure with faded ivory walls and a slanted, weather-worn roof. The paint peeled in several places, exposing rough patches beneath, while narrow windows lined the front, slightly crooked.
Zane stepped inside. Cobwebs clung to every corner, and dust filled the air. Yet strangely, the furniture remained in perfect condition.
An underground bunker. The entrance had to be below.
Zane’s eyes narrowed as he inspected the floor carefully, step by step, tile by tile, until he noticed a tiny black dot embedded in the center tile. Almost invisible. He crouched and pressed it.
Click.
The floor shifted. A hidden panel slid open, revealing a staircase descending into darkness. Zane inhaled slowly and stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the bottom, the entire space came alive. Lights burst on.
Zane froze, eyes widening. The bunker stretched endlessly before him: massive storage halls lined with metal racks, reinforced corridors branching into multiple sections, heavy steel doors sealing compartments, and thick concrete walls layered with insulation. Ventilation pipes ran along the ceiling. Old control panels flickered faintly in the distance.
It felt like a military-grade survival facility. But it was aged. Rust crept along metal edges. Fine cracks lined parts of the walls. The insulation had begun to weaken.
Zane’s expression turned thoughtful. It wouldn’t survive extreme conditions for long… but the foundation was solid. With proper reinforcement, it could last far beyond its intended lifespan.
As he moved deeper inside, something caught his eye. A magazine. He picked it up and checked the date: August 31st, 2006. Nearly twenty years ago.
Yet the bunker still functioned. If it had lasted this long already… then with upgrades, it could become something far greater.
As he flipped through the pages, he found details about the company that built it. Without hesitation, he pulled out his phone and saved the number.
Then, something else caught his eye. A phone.
Zane frowned and approached cautiously. It looked… too familiar. When he picked it up, his expression darkened. It was identical to his own model — a design that had only become common about five years ago. That shouldn’t be possible.
No one had entered this bunker for nearly twenty years. So how was this here?
Zane pressed the power button. The screen flickered to life. A mechanical voice echoed through the bunker.
[HELLO, BUNKER ITEM TRANSPORTER ACTIVATED.]
Zane’s brows furrowed. “Bunker… item transporter?”
The interface was simple — almost outdated. With no apps and no signal. Just one blinking option:[TRANSPORT ITEM]
Zane crouched and picked up a small metal bolt. Turning it in his fingers, he pressed “confirm”.
The screen changed: [SELECT ITEM.] A faint scanning light swept across the bolt. [ITEM DETECTED] … [CONFIRM TRANSPORT?]
Zane pressed confirm again. The bolt vanished. Zane froze, staring at his empty hand. Then the screen updated: [TRANSPORT SUCCESSFUL] … [DESTINATION: STORAGE]
He quickly opened the storage menu. A grid appeared. Inside the single slot was the bolt.
A slow smile spread across his face. This phone held an invisible space.
Zane straightened, his grip tightening around the phone as his thoughts raced. If this worked on anything, then storage, transport, even movement of goods… all became meaningless problems. He could take everything he needed before the world even realized what was happening.
Returning twenty days back wasn’t the greatest advantage. This was…
---
By the time Zane stepped out of Nova Domicile, it was already past noon. The sun hung high overhead.
Just as he reached the gate, his phone rang. An unknown number. Zane narrowed his eyes and answered.
“Hello?”
“Hello, this is the manager of the Mystery Auction House. Am I speaking to Zane Vaughn, owner of the Dreamshade Ocean?”
Zane’s posture straightened instantly. Finally…
“Yes,” he replied. “Is there any news?”
“Indeed. Congratulations. Your Dreamshade Ocean has been sold for nineteen million dollars. We would like to confirm if the transfer should be made to your submitted account or…”
“Wait.” Zane’s expression darkened. “Nineteen million?”
That was impossible. In his previous life, it had sold for five hundred million. So why now… nineteen?
For a moment, he considered whether his rebirth had changed things. But the lottery hadn’t changed. The bunker was also real. Everything else remained the same.
So this — must definitely be an interference. And there was only one person capable of it.
Madelyn Voss.
Zane’s grip tightened around the phone, his voice turning ice-cold. “You must be joking. I know for a fact it was sold for five hundred million this morning. I don’t care what trick is being played behind the scenes, but if your agency wants to continue operating…”
His eyes hardened. “…you’d better transfer the full amount to my account.”
There was a pause on the other end. “Sir… I don’t understand—”
“It’s best if you understand quickly,” Zane said flatly. “Otherwise, your entire family might end up paying for your greed.”
“Sir, please…”
Beep. Zane ended the call.
He stood there, chest rising slowly as anger simmered beneath the surface. This wasn’t a mistake. Madelyn had cut into his profits.
A cold glint flashed across his eyes. Without hesitation, Zane headed toward the Vaughn residence.
It was time to settle the score. If they wanted to play games, they had chosen the wrong person.
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