章節 16: Blackwood Mansion

The screen showed the time that the system needed to construct the warehouse.

[Ends in 1 Day]

[Remaining Points: 250,000]

Though Grace needed to open fields and a water source for agriculture purpose, there was no need to do it immediately. Hence, she decided to keep her hard-earned points safe for the time being just in case she might need them for some sort of urgency.

Once her work was done in the Infinite Realm, she returned to the real world. It was already past nine and the world outside was illuminated by the city lights instead of the bright sun.

As she walked out of the office, she found Kevin heading in her direction. "Boss, they all have been sent to the cruise. The ship will make a trip to Newland before returning here in exactly two weeks from now. They will be sent on their way from there. Now, we are ready to close the base." He informed once he was standing in front of her.

"Great. Go ahead and finish the remaining work. I will send you an address, meet me there tomorrow afternoon with the others." She told him, feeling a little relieved as things were going smoothly so far.

"Yes, boss." Kevin nodded before he took his leave and headed downstairs. Grace too made her way down the stairs and headed outside to find her car.

Leaving the base, she headed straight toward Balckwood Mansion, a place she hadn't visited in years. She would have loved to keep the family house, but she knew that there was no saving it once the disaster would hit. Hence, she planned to see if there was anything she wanted to keep from the mansion before putting an end to everything.

On her way, she stopped by a small restaurant and ate a quick dinner. Twenty minutes later, she was making her way through the high-profile residential area on the south end of the city.

Blackwood was a huge name in the Starship Country. They were known as one of the biggest name in the business world as well as for their connections with the underworld. What no one knew was that the Blackwood didn't have just any connections with the underworld, but they actually ruled the underworld.

It was Grace's grandfather who stepped into the business of underworld first, followed by her father, her older brother and then finally her - the last living heir of the Balckwood Empire.

Parking her car in the driveway, she climbed out and headed inside, switching on the lights on her way. As she arrived in the grand hall and felt the echoes of her footsteps getting lost in the vast, empty space.

The air inside the mansion felt thick with memories, many of which she'd rather forget. But she had no time to reminisce her past. She needed to prepare for her survival as the apocalypse was coming. And even though she had the advantage of knowing what was to come, there was still so much to prepare for.

She walked through the familiar corridors and her eyes sweeped over the ornate furniture, the intricate tapestries, and the gilded mirrors that had once reflected a different version of her life.

She paused at the family portrait in the living room. Her eyes took in the smiling faces of her father, mother, and older brother. And then there was her - young, wide-eyed, and innocent. That girl no longer existed.

Letting out a sigh, she continued her silent tour of the mansion. There was something final about her footsteps echoing off the marble floors tonight. She knew it wasn't just the house she was walking away from. It was the life that had shaped her into the woman she had become.

She was walking away from the Blackwood Empire, the underground power that had been ruling the country. It was the legacy of her family that she was now putting to rest. She was dismantling it piece by piece, ensuring that when the apocalypse came, she would be ready for something new.

She took her time to look into each room on all four floors, shifting only those decorative pieces, furniture, and other items that her grandmother and mother personally picked over the years.

When she arrived at her bedroom, she finally felt the weight of her decision. But she needed to do it if she wanted to remove every trace that could lead to her.

Finally, she reached her father's study. She pushed open the heavy oak door and found the room smelling of old books and leather, just as it always had. Her father's desk stood in the center, immaculate as though he might walk in at any moment. But she knew he wouldn't. He had been dead for years, leaving her to carry the weight of the Blackwood name alone.

She ran her fingers across the surface of the desk, pausing when she reached the drawer on the right. She hadn't opened it in years. With a small sigh, she knelt down, unlocked it, and pulled it open.

Inside, she found the collection of ledgers, documents, and records that detailed the Blackwood family's dealings with the underworld. Everything was there - secrets, alliances, betrayals, debts. Her family's entire shadowy empire was contained in these papers.

She stared at them for a moment before she grabbed a lighter from her pocket. She struck the flint and held the small flame to the corner of the top ledger. The paper caught quickly, the fire eating away at the edges before engulfing the entire page. She watched the flames rise higher, consuming the past as the heat warmed her skin.

Soon, nothing would remain.