Chapter 375
The next morning, by the time Zina woke up, it was already eight o’clock.
By this time, Edward had already left for the hospital. With his
surp
Zina woke up earlier than usual today. Normally, she’d sleep in until around nine
scheduled at nine, he naturally needed to arrive early to prepare.
or ten.
Her chronic headaches and insomnia often left her tossing and turning at night.
Maybe she’d overeaten last night; her stomach felt unsettled, and she even got up to take two digestive tablets.
Edward wasn’t around. With his surgery lasting twelve hours, he wouldn’t be back until the afternoon. Finally, Zina had the whole day to herself–what
freedom.
Zina had grown tired of hotel living and started thinking about finding a place of her own.
She much preferred the comfort of a real home. No matter how luxurious the hotel, it just wouldn’t do.
Zina had been browsing apartments online these past two days. Every single one looked absolutely exquisite.
They planned to stay for about three months, first in Jinston, then in Yellowsin for treatment. Once Osborn’s birthday came around in three months, they’d return home.
Zina changed into fresh clothes, grabbed her phone, and headed out for breakfast
She had spotted a really tempting pancake shop while driving last night. Last night she was really craving it, but she had eaten so much that she didn’t dare to have any more.
After heading downstairs, Zina hopped into her cute pink car and headed out.
After enjoying her pancakes, Zina drove to the location the manager had specified, Cloud Harbor.
“Ms. Evans, Cloud Harbor checks all your boxes–prime downtown location, excellent environment, low density, and great transport links,” the manager eagerly explained, leaning toward the lowered car window where Zina sat.
The manager was truly resourceful. He even managed to secure a rental in Cloud Harbor.
“Are you absolutely sure this neighborhood has few residents and is quiet?” she asked.
Money was no object for Zina. All she cared about was finding a place with the perfect location, no matter the cost.
Her sleep was terrible. She needed absolute, complete silence. Th
possible–the fewer, the better.
was why, wherever she lived, there had to be as few people around as humanly
“Absolutely. There are only a handful of families living in this neighborhood, very few residents, and the environment is incredibly quiet and peaceful,”
he said.
The manager was eager to close the deal. With his keen eye, he could instantly tell the girl in front of him was loaded.
Her hair accessories were adorned with top–grade gemstones. Every stitch of her outfit was bespoke.
This neighborhood was incredibly quiet. After all, there was a fearsome e figure living here, and nobody dared to cause any trouble. But of course, that’s not something the manager would ever mention.
Though they both lived in Cloud Harbor, they were in different sections, so the chances of them running into each other were practically zero.
“Let’s go inside and take a look,” Zina said, looking up at the Cloud Harbor entrance sign ahead.
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Chapter 375
‘For some reason, I’m’drawn to these words, Cloud Harbor, the moment I see them, Zina thought to herself.
And now that she was actually here, she felt an instant connection to the neighborhood. But whether she lived here or not, she’d have to see for herself.
Zina always booked her hotel rooms at least two weeks in advance, making sure they were thoroughly cleaned and specially decorated exclusively for.
her.
“Absolutely. Right this way, Ms. Evans.” The manager eagerly hurried over and held the car door open for her.
The sun came out, and Zina slipped on a pair of oversized sunglasses. The large frames concealed her eyes completely, leaving only the lower half of her
face visible.
Stepping out of the car, Zina followed the manager inside.
Just then, the manager walked up to the security booth, and two security guards emerged. They glanced at Zina, who was following behind, then nodded at the manager in recognition.
With a polite smile, the manager gestured forward. “This way, Ms. Evans. Shall we proceed?”
Zina followed the manager inside. As they passed the two security guards, she could feel their scrutinizing gazes. She was used to this kind of attention. The two of them stepped inside.
The two security guards frowned as they watched Zina walk away.
“Hey,” one of them whispered, “don’t you think she looks a bit like Ms. Evans?”
“Yeah, there’s a resemblance,” the other replied cautiously, “but wasn’t Ms. Evans supposed to be dead?”
The two security guards had been stationed at Cloud Harbor back when Zinnia lived there. They had seen Zinnia before, and now, seeing only half of Zina’s face, they thought she looked a bit like Zinnia.
But with only half her features visible, they couldn’t be sure what she really looked like.
One of the guards whispered, “Should we call Toby? What if that’s really Ms. Evans? The resemblance is uncanny, and there’s that 30–thousand–dollar reward.”
The other replied, “If it were really Ms. Evans, given how close she was with Mr. Perkins, she’d have come back if she were alive.”
The first guard hesitated, “But didn’t the manager just say she is Ms. Evans?”
After some hesitation, the two guards whispered to each other./
One of them said, “Yeah, you’re right. Ms. Evans doesn’t look like she’s hurting for money. Since she’s moving in anyway, maybe we should wait until we get a good look at her face before reporting to Toby.”
After all, Yannis had been looking downright terrifying these days. The two guards didn’t dare approach him without good reason.
The two of them decided to wait until they got a proper look at Zina’s face before reporting anything to Toby.
Meanwhile, Zina followed the manager into Block B of Cloud Harbor, eager to see the houses there.
Zina glanced at the two adjacent blocks next to hers. “Are those two blocks occupied?” she asked.
“There’s just one resident on the left, Ms. Evans, but you don’t need to worry. He’s rarely home, Most days, he leaves early and comes back late, and sometimes he’s away for a week or two at a time,” said the manager.
“What about the right side?” Zina turned her gaze toward Block C.
Chapter 375
‘Only one unit in Block C has been sold, but that owner just stayed here for two months four years ago and hasn’t returned since. Rest assured, Ms. Evans. It’s absolutely, incredibly quiet here,” he promised.
Property prices in this neighborhood were outrageously high, practically in a league of their own, of buying a place here.
Only the ultra–wealthy and powerful could even dream
Four years ago, people were still snapping up properties, but ever since Yannis moved in, hardly anyone dared to buy here anymore.
Now that Zina was looking to buy a house, the manager was pulling out all the stops.
Selling a property in this neighborhood would earn him almost 300 thousand dollars in commission. That was worth a whole year’s hard work.
“Right this way, Ms. Evans,” the manager said, guiding her to the elevator.
Zina was heading up to the 19th floor to view the apartment.
“Ms. Evans, what are your impressions after seeing everything so far?” The manager seized the chance to sound her out, eager to gauge Zina’s interest.
“Pretty nice.” Zina nodded slightly. Overall, she found it quite satisfactory.
The manager beamed, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening. “Everything here is absolutely top–notch, Ms. Evans. The location and environment are second to none in all of Jinston. I guarantee you’ll feel right at home here.”
Zina replied with little emotion, “Okay.”
‘Whether I’ll feel at home here, I won’t know until I’ve actually lived here,‘ she thought. Zina wasn’t fooled. The manager was clearly hiding something
from her.
Whoever lived next door in Block A was probably not your average resident. Not that it mattered. She’d only be here for two months, tops.
If this place didn’t work out, she’d just buy another. Anything money could fix wasn’t a problem.
“Ms. Evans, as you can see, the interior features are all top–quality. With just a quick cleaning, you could move in right away. All the furniture is brand new and premium–grade.” The manager swung the door open and gestured for her to step inside.
Zina stepped inside, taking in the understated yet luxurious decor. It was not bad at all.
With a price tag like this, of course, they wouldn’t cut corners on the renovations.
It was a spacious three–bedroom, two–bath apartment featuring a living room, private garden, and balcony.
Standing on the balcony, Zina gazed across at Block A. Her gaze naturally fell on the 18th floor. There, a strikingly beautiful beige swing stood out on the balcony.
Who lives over there?‘ she thought. ‘Someone must have put a lot of thought into that lovely swing!’
“Ms. Evans, what do you think?” the manager asked, standing to the side.
“This is the one,” Zina said, withdrawing her gaze. She really liked it here.
Arriving at Cloud Harbor, Zina felt the hollowness in her heart ease a little. That alone was enough. She’d already decided to buy the place.
