Chapter 3

The security firm told me the bodyguards would arrive the next day.

I told them to come quietly. No need to alert anyone.

After that, I replaced my front door with a higher-security one.

Only once all of that was done did I finally breathe easier.

In my last life, I took pity on Murray Henson and his family and took them in. And then they turned around and killed me.

This time, I would wait for the typhoon to hit, and see just what they thought they could do.

Early the next morning, the security firm sent over two bodyguards.

I put them on the ground floor. That way, even if Murray tried to slip inside, I would see him plainly.

At the same time, the firm mounted surveillance cameras along my perimeter wall, so that even from inside my room I could watch everything happening beyond it.

With all of it in place, I glanced up at the sky outside.

It had already turned a dull, heavy gray.

I knew that in my last life, the typhoon had come tonight.

The contractor told me the work on my side was all finished, and I settled the balance I owed him at once.

Now all I had to do was wait for the storm.

What I hadn't expected was that, that very afternoon, Mayor Coleman came running to my house.

"Amanda, Murray's house is unsafe. We're trying to arrange somewhere for him to move to."

"The village school would've been the best place, but he won't hear of it. He insists on going to your house."

I frowned slightly, looking at him. "Mayor, why on earth should he come to my house?"

There was no way I would agree to something so unreasonable.

"Amanda, you know the situation his family's in."

"And from where your house sits, you can see straight over toward his place. He says that's why he doesn't feel easy leaving his own home behind."

At that, the mayor went on, "We're all from the same village, after all—"

Before he could finish, I waved a hand and cut him off.

I looked at him, and there was already a trace of coldness in my voice as I said, "Mayor, I'm sorry."

"There's no way I'm letting Murray move into my house."

"And besides, his whole family showing up at my place wouldn't be right either."

Hearing that, the mayor said nothing more. He nodded, turned, and left.

But my expression was grim.

Over the past few years, plenty of people had moved away from the village. The ones who stayed were few to begin with.

I had only come back because the mayor wanted me to invest here, to bring the young people home.

And yet, barely back, I was already being circled by the village's local troublemaker.

The mayor knew exactly what kind of man Murray was, and he still came to plead with me anyway.

The way things stood, I knew there was no point investing in this village at all.

After a moment's thought, I called my secretary.

"Shelve the plan to invest in my hometown for now. The moment the typhoon passes, I'm coming back."

The secretary said she understood at once.

What I hadn't expected was that no sooner had I hung up than Murray's voice, edged with anger, came from my gate.

"Amanda, what's that supposed to mean?"

"All I want is to shelter from the typhoon at your place, and you won't even allow that?"

His furious voice carried in from outside, and as I listened, my face went colder.

I stepped out of the house and simply stood there, looking at Murray where he was stopped on the far side of the iron fence.

"Murray, this is my house. What gives you the right to come in?"