Chapter 170
It was the kind of feeling words could hardly describe.
Keeley was utterly amazed, wandering around the villa with wide eyes, taking in every detail. She couldn’t help but exclaim, “Catie, this place is incredible! This mansion must be worth a fortune p>
Caitlin smiled, her tone casual. “Keeley, it actually belongs to a friend of mine. Her father’s in real estate development, so she gave me an insider’s price-eighteen million. Not expensive p>
Eighteen million?
Not expensive?
How could that possibly be considered not expensive? Original content can be found at
Most people would never see eighteen million in their entire lifetime.
Fortune immediately asked, “Catie, is that the young woman named March?” “That’s right,” Caitlin nodded.
Keeley, standing beside Fortune, couldn’t hide her envy. “Kensington, you’ve got such a wonderful granddaughter! You’re truly blessed in your golden years p>
Even though Caitlin and Fortune weren’t related by blood, Caitlin was more devoted than most biological granddaughters could ever be.
Fortune’s face glowed with happiness. “Catie’s always been a caring child, right from the start p>
For both Fortune and Keeley, this was their first time inside such a grand home. Everything felt new and fascinating-they couldn’t stop reaching out to touch and examine every detail.
When Caitlin mentioned that the entire house was equipped with smart
technology, Fortune looked at her, curious. “Catie, what do you mean by a fully smart home p>
Caitlin explained, “Well, for example, if you want to turn off the lights, you just say, ‘George, lights off,’ and it’ll do it for you p>
Fortune immediately called out, “George, lights off p>
Click.
The lights went out.
Fortune asked, “And what if I want them on again p>
Keeley grinned. “Oh, I know this one! You just say ‘George, lights on p>
Almost before she’d finished speaking, the lights flickered back on.
Experiencing this cutting-edge technology for the first time, the two elders were as delighted as children. Fortune in particular couldn’t resist trying out the commands again and again, telling the curtains by the floor-to-ceiling windows to open and close, just for the fun of it.
Fortune sighed with wonder. “Technology has come so far. Sixty years ago, back in the countryside, we barely had enough to eat-who would have dreamed we’d be living like this someday p>
“I know! It’s amazing how fast the world has changed,” Keeley agreed.
Suddenly, Fortune remembered the day Caitlin had promised, as they left the Hadley family estate, that one day she’d have a big house just like this for him to retire in.
Back then, he thought she was only trying to comfort him.
He never imagined she’d make it come true so soon.
After exploring the villa for over an hour, Fortune and Keeley said it was time to head home.
Caitlin ordered them a car with her phone.
By the time they arrived, it was already past ten at night. As Caitlin opened her bedroom door, Snow leapt into her arms, meowing insistently.
Oh, finally! Catie was home. Snow had waited so long, she thought her whiskers would wilt.
“Snow, you’re here again? Are you hungry? Let me get you some dinner,” Caitlin cooed, scooping the cat up with one arm and reaching into a cabinet for a can of food. She popped it open with a single hand, looking effortlessly cool.
“Snow, we’re moving in two days. I’ll take you to the new place, okay p>
“Meow, meow, meow!” Snow purred, absolutely delighted, eating her food while rubbing affectionately against Caitlin.
Caitlin settled at her desk and opened her laptop, logging into Imperial Ascent. She entered Wonderhaven Estate, ready to tackle the endgame puzzle S had left behind.
She wasn’t in a hurry. She ran through the possible solutions in her mind, simulating the moves over and over. What had seemed like a dead end suddenly opened up, as if a ray of light had broken through the fog.
With a click of the mouse, she made her move.
[Congratulations! You have solved the endgame puzzle: Clockwork Labyrinth p>
A small, satisfied smile played at the corner of Caitlin’s lips.
Meanwhile, Gordon was boarding a flight to Rosenthal.
A twenty-hour journey.
There was Wi-Fi on board, so Gordon connected and logged into Imperial Ascent. He’d barely entered Wonderhaven Estate when a system message popped up: [Welcome back, Mr. S. Your latest chess endgame puzzle, Clockwork Labyrinth, has just been solved by player Phyllis. Please be advised p>
Gordon stared at the notification, stunned.
That fast?
Clockwork Labyrinth was a notoriously difficult puzzle-one that had stumped the chess champion for seven days straight back in the day.
He couldn’t deny it: this Phyllis was something else. Gordon immediately checked Phyllis’s profile and saw she’d logged in only an hour ago and had been online for just two hours.
Which meant she’d cracked Clockwork Labyrinth in less than two hours.
Unbelievable.
Gordon narrowed his eyes, curiosity piqued.
What kind of person was this? Not only did they have a gift for games, but they’d
found the secret entrance to Wonderhaven Estate right away and solved
Clockwork Labyrinth in record time.
Apart from Caitlin, Gordon had never been so intrigued by anyone.
The Cumming Family.
Skyler had spent hours searching Mistwood Forest for the Wonderhaven Estate entrance, finally giving up. He messaged Gordon on WhatsApp: [Uncle, send me the code for the Wonderhaven Estate entrance! I want to check it out, too p>
People really are different, he thought. He’d spent an entire day looking for the entrance, while his uncle had just strolled through Mistwood Forest and found it by accident.
Gordon saw Skyler’s message and, expressionless, typed back: [Find it yourself p>