I woke up the next morning to sunlight streaming through the gap in my curtains, which was impressive considering how small that gap was. My apartment was so tiny that even the sun had to squeeze to get in.
Today was house viewing day. The day I'd go look at properties that cost more money than I'd seen in my entire life combined.
No pressure or anything.
I dragged myself to the bathroom, which was less of a room and more of a closet that someone had optimistically installed plumbing in. The shower sputtered to life with its usual lack of enthusiasm, producing water that was either scalding or freezing with no middle ground.
"Last time," I muttered, scrubbing myself clean. "Last time I have to deal with this nonsense."
After drying off, I faced my wardrobe, which was a generous term for the two hooks on the wall where I hung my clothes. I picked out my least terrible outfit, a pair of jeans that only had one visible patch and a shirt that was merely faded rather than actively falling apart.
Looking at myself in the cracked mirror, I made a mental note. Clothes. I needed to buy actual clothes that didn't make people immediately assume I was about to ask them for spare change.
Anna had texted me the address last night. I pulled up a map app and winced. The Riverside district was on the complete opposite side of the city from my current apartment. No buses went directly there, and taking multiple buses while trying to look like someone who could afford a multi-million dollar villa seemed like a bad plan.
I opened a ride app and booked a cab. The estimated price made me flinch out of habit, then I remembered I had a hundred million dollars in my bank account. I can afford this, but old habits die hard.
The cab arrived fifteen minutes later, a clean sedan that was already nicer than anywhere I'd lived. The driver gave my appearance a skeptical once-over but didn't comment.
"Riverside district," I said, reading off the address Anna had sent.
His eyebrows rose slightly. That was an expensive neighborhood. He probably thought I was going there to do some kind of service work. Fair assumption, given how I looked.
The drive took almost forty minutes, carrying me from my crumbling neighborhood through progressively nicer areas of the city. I watched the transition through the window. Cracked sidewalks gave way to tree lined streets. Graffiti covered walls became pristine facades. By the time we reached Riverside, I felt like I'd traveled to a different planet rather than just across town.
The gated community entrance had actual guards. Not rent-a-cops, but serious looking people in crisp uniforms. One of them stepped forward as the cab pulled up.
"Name and purpose?" he asked, polite but firm.
"Alex Sinclair. I have an appointment with Anna Chen to view a property."
He checked a tablet, nodded, and waved us through. The gate swung open smoothly, probably better maintained than my entire apartment building.
Inside the community, the road wound through carefully landscaped grounds. Each villa sat on its own generous plot, separated by walls and hedges that screamed privacy. This wasn't just wealthy. This was the kind of wealthy where people didn't want to see their neighbors unless absolutely necessary.
The cab pulled up to a villa near the riverside, and I saw Anna waiting by the entrance. She was exactly what I'd imagined, professionally dressed, perfectly styled hair, and a smile that probably closed deals worth millions.
"Mr. Sinclair!" She walked over as I paid the driver. "Perfect timing. Welcome to Riverside Estates."
I turned to look at the villa properly, and my brain sort of short circuited.
It was beautiful. Three stories of modern architecture with clean lines and large windows. A private gate led to a winding driveway that curved up to the entrance. Through the gate, I could see the villa's riverside position, with the water glittering in the morning sun.
"This is the first property I wanted to show you," Anna said, leading me through the gate. "Five bedrooms, though the current layout has three bedrooms and two converted spaces. One's an office, the other's a home cinema."
"A home cinema?" I repeated, because apparently my brain was stuck on that detail.
"Full projection setup, surround sound, the works. Some people prefer it, others want the extra bedrooms. It's easily convertible either way." She unlocked the front door and gestured me inside. "Please, take your time looking around."
The entrance opened into a spacious foyer with polished floors that probably cost more than my current yearly rent. Natural light poured in from the large windows, making everything look like something out of a magazine.
Anna walked me through each room, pointing out features in that practiced way real estate agents have. The kitchen had appliances I didn't recognize. The living room had a fireplace that looked decorative rather than functional. Each bedroom was bigger than my entire current apartment.
The basement was massive, with enough space to store whatever I needed without anyone seeing. Perfect for interdimensional merchandise that I couldn't explain. The garage could fit three cars easily, with climate control and some kind of fancy security system.
"The view is really the selling point, though," Anna said, leading me to the back. Large sliding doors opened onto a terrace overlooking the river. The water was calm this morning, reflecting the sky like a mirror.
I tried to keep my expression neutral, like I looked at properties like this all the time. "It's nice."
"Would you like to see the other two available properties? They're very similar in design and size, just configured differently depending on the buyer's needs."
We spent the next two hours looking at the other villas. Anna was right, they were similar. Same square footage, same quality, same price range. One had a bigger gym space, and another had a larger office setup. They were all absurdly nice.
But I kept thinking about that first villa. The riverside view, the layout that felt right, the basement that would be perfect for storing goods, I couldn't explain to any inspector.
"I'll take the first one," I said after seeing all three.