After I finished checking the guns, I turned back to the dealer. My voice was calm, but firm.
"Do you have any heavy-armed vehicles? Tanks, military-grade cars, anything of that sort."
The scarred man frowned, caught off guard. For a moment, I saw the hesitation in his eyes before he scratched his chin.
"…You're asking for armor now? That's not easy. Takes time. Connections. Risk."
I stepped closer, letting my gaze linger on him until he shifted uncomfortably.
"I don't care about the risk. I asked if you can get them."
He swallowed, then nodded slowly.
"Yeah… it can be done. But two to three days, minimum. Military vehicles don't exactly sit in warehouses waiting for buyers."
"Good." I turned away without another word, my decision already made.
"Then two to three days it is. I'll expect your call."
The man looked at me as if trying to read my mind, but I gave him nothing. Just silence.
Once they left the warehouse, I opened my inventory and began transferring the weapons inside. Crates of rifles, stacks of ammunition, explosives—one after another, they vanished before the men could return from outside. By the time I was done, the warehouse was nearly bare, like nothing had ever been there.
---
When I arrived back at the mansion, the sun was beginning to dip, painting the sky in hues of orange and red. At the gates, I saw two men in formal suits waiting nervously, clutching briefcases and folders.
I parked the car, stepped out, and approached. They straightened immediately.
"Mr. Kane?" one asked. His voice carried the polite stiffness of someone not used to standing outside for too long.
"Yes," I replied. "You're from the generator company and the battery manufacturer?"
"Yes, sir," both said together, almost in relief.
I led them inside the mansion. Their eyes darted across the marble floors, the high ceilings, the wide empty halls. For them, this place was overwhelming. For me, it was only the beginning.
We sat down in the study. I didn't waste time.
"I need a generator. A big one. And I need a battery system to match. The battery should be ten feet by fifteen feet at minimum. The generator should be powerful enough to keep it fully charged at all times."
The two men froze. One blinked, the other let out a small nervous laugh.
"Sir… that's—unrealistic," the battery manufacturer stammered. "Batteries of that scale are—well, we don't build them for private use. Industrial only. Even then, it's… difficult."
The generator man nodded quickly.
"Yes, and the generator needed to charge something that massive—it would be costly, inefficient. Why not consider multiple smaller units? Much easier to manage."
I leaned back, folding my arms, watching their panic without a hint of sympathy.
"If it was easy, I wouldn't be asking. I said what I need. Either you make it, or I'll find someone who can."
They exchanged a glance, clearly shaken.
"Sir, we only mean—" the generator man began, but I cut him off.
"No excuses. If it's difficult, then that's why I'm paying you. If it was easy, I'd do it myself."
Emi, who had been standing silently behind me, stepped forward at my signal. She placed two checks on the table, each for one hundred million dollars. The men's words died in their throats.
"This is your advance," I said flatly. "I don't care how you do it. I don't care what rules you have to break. You will deliver in three days. Not four. Not five. Three."
Their faces drained of doubt instantly, replaced by a kind of desperate eagerness.
"Y-Yes, sir!" the battery man stuttered.
"We'll make it happen," the generator man added quickly. "Three days, no delays. You have our word."
"Good." I stood, dismissing them with a nod. "Emi will stay in contact. Don't disappoint me."
They clutched their briefcases tightly, almost bowing as they backed out of the room. The sound of their hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway until the front door closed behind them.
I looked out the window, watching the last rays of sunlight slip behind the city skyline.
Weapons secured. Power secured. Step by step, the foundation is set.
After the two company men left, the mansion grew quiet again. I stood at the window, hands behind my back, watching the city lights flicker in the distance. Behind me, I could feel Emi and Aiko's eyes on me—they had been watching all day.
Finally, Aiko stepped forward, her brows slightly furrowed.
"Sir… forgive me for asking, but… all of these preparations—buying mansions, ordering massive generators and batteries, stocking supplies… it feels unusual. Are you preparing for something?"
Her words hung in the air. Emi, usually the calmer one, added quietly,
"We can't help but wonder too. Everything you do is precise, intentional, but… it feels like preparation for something bigger. Something dangerous."
I turned slowly, meeting their eyes. Instead of answering, I asked my own question.
"Tell me about your family."
The twins exchanged a quick glance, surprised by the sudden shift. Emi spoke first.
"Our family is small. Just our father and mother. They struggled a lot, but… they raised us with everything they had."
Aiko nodded, her voice carrying warmth.
"They sacrificed so much for us. That's why we've worked so hard—to make them proud, to repay them one day. We… we love them deeply."
I studied their faces for a moment. "And what about friends?"
They both shook their heads almost at the same time. Emi answered softly,
"No. We never really made any. We've always been together, supporting each other. There was no time for distractions."
"Only our goals," Aiko added. "That was all that mattered to us."
I let that sink in before asking the next question.
"And boyfriends?"
That made them both stiffen slightly. Their eyes avoided mine. At last, they shook their heads again.
"No," Emi said, her tone almost defensive.
"We never thought about it," Aiko admitted. "We didn't want anything to take away from our focus."
I nodded slowly, stepping closer. My gaze softened, but my voice was steady.
"I see. Then listen carefully. I'll tell you what I'm preparing for… but first, there's something I want from you."
Their eyes widened slightly as they waited.
"I want you both to be mine," I said plainly. "Not just as assistants. Not just as employees. As my girlfriends."
For a long moment, silence filled the room. The twins stared at me, emotions flickering across their faces—surprise, confusion, doubt.
Finally, Emi spoke, her tone steady but searching.
"…We could agree. But only if you answer this, sir. Will you truly make us happy… or are you only after our bodies?"
Her words cut through the air like a blade. Even Aiko, usually more playful, nodded seriously.
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I stood up from my chair and stepped forward. They didn't move as I reached out, pulling both of them gently but firmly into my embrace.
For a moment, they stiffened in my arms. Then, slowly, I lowered my voice, whispering close to their ears.
"Just say yes… and you'll know. You'll both become the luckiest women in the world. Not just my lovers… but my partners in everything that's to come."
I felt their breaths quicken against my chest. Their silence wasn't rejection—it was hesitation, a storm of emotions swirling inside them.
Emi finally whispered, her voice trembling just slightly,
"…If we say yes… you promise we'll never regret it?"
I tightened my hold, my voice deep and certain.
"I promise. You'll never regret choosing me."