Water still trickled in crystalline droplets down Luna's body as she exited the Olympic pool.
A linen towel with golden threads was handed by one of the servants, and Ivy had already prepared the lunch selection: salmon with black passion fruit sauce, young leaves of enchanted arugula, and a glass of white wine so pure it almost sang in soft notes.
She ate lunch in silence.
It was not a silence of loneliness.
When finished, she took the holographic key of her special customized Ferrari SF90 Stradale.
She descended with determined steps through the mansion's garage.
The Ferrari awaited her under regulated ambient light, the engine's roar already starting when her presence was detected.
"Time to buy a throne for my Foundation," she murmured, theatrically opening the door.
As soon as she stepped on the pedal, the city became the scenery.
Traffic seemed to sense her grandeur. Common cars instinctively made way.
Some braked even before seeing her in the rearview mirror, others left the lane as if guided by a primal survival instinct.
On the imperial capital's main road, where not even princes dared to accelerate, Luna crossed at 230 km/h with the calm of someone late to judge mortals.
Some drones tried to follow her, for photos or instant reports, but the Tycoon System issued an obfuscation signal.
Around her, the air trembled with the arrogance of the engine.
Arriving at the Imperial Central Real Estate, she parked with an elegant spin, causing the windows of surrounding cars to vibrate.
Wearing a casual black-caramel outfit, silver sunglasses, and a loose bun, Luna exited the car like a supermodel who forgot she was also a billionaire.
At the entrance, a person-robot from her foundation, masculine in appearance and formal attire, was already waiting. The name on the badge was LEO–U.G.P. 04.
"Miss Malroth," he made a precise bow. "We selected a three-story building in the heart of the capital. The real estate team is waiting for us on the third floor."
"I hope they are," said Luna, without losing the smile. "Today I have limited patience and unlimited credit card."
They entered the building with polarized windows and minimalist but efficient architecture.
The elevator took them to the Premium service floor, where theoretically high-caliber clients were received by specialists with filtered information and breathtaking presentations.
Theoretically.
Because when the doors opened… no one was waiting.
No receptionist. No broker. Not even an aromatic floating coffee for the minimum rich dignity.
Luna blinked once. Looked at LEO.
"Did you notify the arrival?"
"Three times."
She crossed her arms. Waited a minute. Then two. Sat in one of the armchairs… and waited three more.
Nothing. Just distant sounds of keyboards and muffled laughter.
"They are ignoring me… because they think I'm just another poorly dressed rich girl who fell from the sky without registered inheritance," she murmured, as if talking to herself.
But the robot heard.
"Do you want me to hack the internal records?"
"Not yet. I want to see how far the mediocrity goes."
Then, when Luna was about to leave the place and buy a building online just out of spite, a figure approached with light, almost hesitant steps.
It was a girl about eighteen years old, short, skinny, with long brown hair tied in twin braids and a badge reading "Intern in Training – Ellie." Her smile was a mix of nervousness and excitement.
"Sorry for the delay, ma'am! Everyone is busy with another client, but… I saw your name and thought I could help! Can I show some available properties?"
Luna looked at her for long seconds. So long that Ellie almost fainted thinking she would be fired or disintegrated from embarrassment.
But Luna just answered. "Show whatever you have. Let's see if the system here is just incompetent... or underestimates young women."
Ellie took them to a side table, activated the holographic display panel, and began presenting a sequence of properties… which Luna absorbed in seconds with her sharp mind.
The problem?
All presented buildings were old, low, badly located, and with structures worthy of renovations from 40 years ago.
"This one was built in 1973 but was renovated in 2012…"
"This other one was a porn cinema in the 80s but today serves as… a convention center…"
Luna narrowed her eyes. "And... modern buildings? Tall? With AAA standard and quantum security? Like corporate towers?"
Ellie froze, surprised. "Uh… no one here told me you were looking for this type of building. The priority of this wing is for medium-risk investors."
Luna raised an eyebrow so slowly. "You're telling me that the most expensive real estate agency in the imperial capital... put me in the 'low budget' wing?"
LEO made a move to intervene, but Luna raised a firm hand.
She took a deep breath, then smiled. A calm smile. Cold. The kind of smile that precedes the fall of empires.
"Very well, Ellie. Now let's play seriously."
She stood up slowly and pulled out her phone, releasing her Tycoon ID, the silver symbol spinning intensely. The room froze. The lights changed color. Internal systems emitted an alert sound.
And then she completed.
"I want modern buildings. Green energy system. Helipad. Auditorium with capacity for one thousand people. And view of the imperial palace."
She paused, then launched the final card with sparkling eyes. "And tell your superiors I just bought 51% of this real estate agency's shares. Now it's mine. Let's see if anyone decides to show up."
"But what is happening here?" The voice came from a man dressed in a poorly fitted petroleum blue suit, with a golden lapel pin trying to look more expensive than it was. His name gleamed on the badge like a joke:
"Carlos A. Vernet – Elite Regional Manager."
He looked at Ellie with disdain, then at Luna's robot with a raised eyebrow, and finally his eyes rested on Luna.
They stayed there.
Too long.
With the wrong intensity.
"Miss… do you want to buy a high-standard building downtown?" he laughed with that kind of nasal laugh that immediately irritates. "And on top of that, shares of the real estate? Ha! My dear, you know what that means, right?"
Luna did not answer.
She just clenched her teeth calmly and pushed the golden strand that had fallen in front of her face, as if that gesture was a sign that the world still had a few seconds before burning.
Carlos approached more. The look that was once just arrogance now dangerously dropped to blatant lust, as if she were part of the luxury catalog on display. "You know… at your age, I think you should learn that certain words have consequences. Young people like you need to understand limits. It's easy to play millionaire. But the market charges dearly for games."
Luna looked at him.
For the first time, really looked at him.
As if analyzing whether he was worth the effort of a more sophisticated disdain.
"Your perfume is generic," she murmured, dry. "Just like your soul."
Carlos raised an eyebrow, confused, and was about to open his mouth to respond when something… changed in the air.
A distinct sound, the firm step of high heels on marble floor, the subtle clink and then, the voice. "...Is this the kind of service you offer now? I'm impressed… embarrassingly so."
Luna turned her face toward the sound.
And stopped.
A woman crossed the corridor with the naturalness of someone born under spotlights. Tall like a movie actress, skin with that tan of someone who frequents yachts on private islands, long dark violet luxurious hair, slightly wavy and tied in a half-bun with sapphire-studded pins. Her green eyes, lively and smiling, burned with controlled sarcasm.
The female suit she wore was a special collection, discreet only to those who do not understand the value of a perfect cut in fabric conjured by French arcane weavers.
Luna widened her eyes, surprised. "Victoria...? What are you doing here?"
The other woman smiled. A sharp and delicious smile like expensive wine.
Carlos turned pale.
Literally.
"C-CEO Lancaster...?!"
The realization hit.
And it hit like a piano on the roof.
The man swallowed dry, sweat forming on his forehead while trying to pull a smile that looked more like a nervous spasm.
"I… didn't know that… the miss was…"
Victoria stopped next to Luna, crossed her arms and cast a look that was pure diplomatic dynamite. "Didn't know my friend was here too, right?"
She turned to Luna and smiled brightly:
"I received the alert of movement in my asset list and thought: 'Only Luna would be so daring as to buy shares of a real estate agency out of spite.' So I came to see the chaos live."
Luna did not answer. Just raised an eyebrow and looked at Carlos with lazy amusement, as one watching an insect trying to escape a honey trap.
"He was… teaching me about consequences," said Luna, voice sweet like poison disguised in perfume.
Carlos tried to formulate excuses when Victoria fully turned to him.
"Carlos, don't worry. I'll explain the consequences myself. You know what happens when you disrespect someone like Luna Malroth… in the eyes of the market?"
She approached more, the heel striking like a sentence. "...You lose. Everything."
Carlos sweated cold, trying to regain control of his own dignity. Victoria's presence had already dismantled his arrogance like a house of cards before a hurricane.
But Luna's silence… that was more unbearable.
Luna remained standing, one hand resting on her waist, while with the other… discreetly unlocked her iPhone with a subtle gesture. She quickly typed into the secure channel directly with Ivy.
[Luna]: "Carlos A. Vernet. Manager here. Pull up the work contract and proceed with immediate dismissal. Reason: inappropriate conduct + underestimating a Malroth. No appeal margin."
[Ivy]: "Executing. Warning: recording is backed up in case you need to sue the idiot."
Luna gave a dry little smile.
Lifted her gaze to Carlos, who now looked paler than an abandoned official paper.
"You're fired," said Luna with a tone almost indifferent, as if announcing the coffee had gone cold.
Carlos stood still. Blinked several times.
"W-what…?"
"You're fired," she repeated, brushing a blonde strand from her forehead. "And before you ask: it is already registered in the system, sent to central HR and the notice and termination will be delivered to your residence."
"F-for God's sake, miss, it was a mistake...! I didn't kn-know th-that—"
"You didn't need to know," she said, looking straight into his eyes. "You just had to treat me with respect."
Carlos tried to take another step, but Victoria let out a sharp "ahem" and subtly pointed to the door.
Then Luna turned to Ellie.
The young intern seemed to have witnessed everything in a polite trance, as if trying to understand whether this was real or a luxury holographic drama.
"Congratulations, Ellie," said Luna, with that warm tone that still sent chills. "You were the only one who acted with respect and initiative. From now on, you are regional manager."
Ellie froze. Literally.
Mouth half-open, eyes wide.
"I... really? Like… really?!"
"Totally," Luna replied, smiling sideways. "Now, if you can, show me the most expensive properties this agency hid from me."
Victoria crossed her arms and made a "she's my girl" sign with a smug proud smile.
Ellie, finally coming back to herself, bowed slightly. "Y-yes, Miss Malroth! It's an honor! Let's go to the red room, elite properties are reserved with encryption by imperial protocol."
The doors opened and, guided by Ellie, Luna and Victoria entered a private room with dark glass, where holographic panels began to reveal true urban treasures: state-of-the-art skyscrapers, buildings with their own energy, security, VIP spaces for diplomats and helipads.
"This is the most expensive in the portfolio," said Ellie, pointing to a 98-story tower. "Just finished and not yet officially listed on the market. Estimated value: US$ 3.2 billion."
Luna didn't even blink. "I want this as the foundation's headquarters."
Ellie swallowed dry. "Anything… else?"
Luna turned her gaze to the luxury residential buildings beside it. "And those three condominiums… too. My employees need to live nearby."
Victoria raised an eyebrow with a smile. "Generous. And very practical."
Ellie, still processing everything, murmured.
"O-okay... just a second... adding the three high-standard residential buildings to the headquarters building... the total is..."
She typed nervously.
"US$ 6.8 billion."
Luna just held out her hand.
"Pass the reader."
Ellie brought the terminal closer, and Luna pulled from her bag the Supreme Tycoon Card™
— Transaction: APPROVED.
— Amount: US$ 6,800,000,000.00
Suddenly, the Tycoon system vibrated on Luna's phone with a new notification.
[Tycoon System — Reward Activated!]
Reason: Construction of headquarters + housing to support UGPs
Category: Structured Philanthropy
Reward: 100x Cashback successfully applied
US$ 680,000,000,000.00 (Six hundred eighty billion dollars) added to the Gold Philanthropic account
Annual maintenance adjusted: 1% of earnings already allocated automatically for UGP parts and upgrades
Command update: new UGPs activated globally
---
Ellie's eyes widened so much she almost lost balance.
Luna just locked the phone, calmly put the card away and murmured, "I earn more when I spend well."
Victoria laughed. "That should be your campaign slogan."