Empire of Shadows

Chapter 92: Closer to the Truth... and a Warehouse of Wealth

That afternoon, another round of thunderstorms rolled in, with a rhythm that was almost predictable: CRACK... BOOM... WHOOSH... drip-drip-drip... silence.

Some said it was the final thunderstorm of the season, but who could really know?

In an upscale apartment in the Bay Area, a woman in her late twenties stretched lazily, waking from an afternoon nap. Dressed in lingerie, she pushed open the window, letting in the cool, post-rain air.

On the balcony next door, a young man smoking a cigarette caught sight of her. So entranced was he by the view that he didn’t notice the cigarette burning down to his fingers, scalding him.

The woman giggled, throwing him a flirtatious wink before retreating into her apartment.

As a kept woman, she lived the envy of many.

She didn’t have to work or navigate the soul-sucking drama of office politics. She could nap whenever she felt tired, wake up whenever she pleased, and eat whenever hunger struck.

Each month, she received several hundred dollars in spending money. In exchange, all she had to do was provide some occasional “companionship.”