True Tycoon Her Empire, Her Rules

The tirade from the old lady was unmistakable in its anger and dissatisfaction. 

Yet, both Winnie and Kane, hailing from Emerald Bay and Capital City respectively, were entirely at a loss for what the elderly lady’s rapid–fire words meant. 

Not only were Winnie and Kane befuddled, but so were the viewers watching the live stream, “Where’s our translator when we need one? Come out, come out, wherever you are!” 

“Is there a linguistics major in the house that can decipher what she just said?” 

“It sounds like she’s speaking in old Mistwood City dialect. I’m from Mistwood and even I can’t make heads or tails of it.” 

“Hold your horses, folks, I’m on it.” 

Then the translation came through, clear as day, “What on earth are you bunch of melon–headed kids filming? Who gave you the right to just barge into that house and start shooting? A bunch of clueless chickens, the lot of you, waltzing into someone else’s home…” In front of the camera, Kane froze, his expression a rare blend of discomfort and embarrassment. 

Winnie stepped forward, calm as ever, even when facing the old lady‘ clouded gaze, and asked, “Ma’am, do you know the family that used to live here?” 

The old lady seemed to glare at Winnie for a good while before blurting out something that, despite being indistinct, was clearly meant to shoo them away. With that, she turned her back on the camera and shuffled back into her home. 

Unable to pursue a conversation with the old lady, Winnie and Kane had no choice but to leave her be. But the day’s task had undoubtedly been tarnished by the old lady’s discontent. Kane, unaccustomed to such rudeness from the elderly, was subdued for the rest of the journey home. So much so that Gentry noticed something was amiss during dinner. 

“Kane, Winnie, did something happen while you were out?” He inquired. 

Kane remained silent, but Winnie shared a brief account of their encounter with the old lady to prevent future misunderstandings with the old lady. 

The guests understood but refrained from criticizing their neighbor on camera, aware that die–hard fans of the celebrities could react harshly to perceived slights against their idols. 

Gentry realized his mistake in asking such a question on camera, but Candace swiftly changed the subject, “It’s surprising, really. Everyone online says Kane’s charm works on everyone from 8 to 80! Who could resist that face?” Then she added, “That’s why we all voted for you two to go say hello.” 

Winnie thought for a moment before deadpanning, “Well, the old lady must be over eighty.” 

The room fell silent for a beat before erupting into laughter. 

Candace cackled, “Can’t argue with that logic, ha!” 

Gentry chuckled, “Winnie, you do have a sense of humor.” 

Even Kane couldn’t suppress a smile. 

The live stream chat went wild with laughter. 

“That’s right! If you don’t fall for Kane, you must be over eighty!” 

“Out Kaney’s charm is undeniable, except to those over eighty, apparently.” 

As the laughter filled the room, Winnie sipped her tea, masking a hint of confusion with the simple act. 

Unbeknownst to Winnie, her subtle expressions were captured in crisp detail by the camera. 

Many viewers, drawn by her looks, were now charmed by these candid moments. 

Screenshots and GIFS of her meme spread like wildfire online. 

Back at the Bryant household, Horace saved the newly minted memes with a chuckle, sending some to his internet–averse father as well. 

In the adjacent study, Clifford raised an eyebrow in disdain at the memes, then opened his album filled with snapshots of Winnie’s best moments from the live stream, before resuming his viewing. 

The first night at the house passed without a trace of paranormal activity, much to the amusement of the live stream viewers who joked that ghosts couldn’t possibly be real. 

Candace, who had been nervous the night before, woke up feeling refreshed and even excited, “This is my first time sleeping in such a house, and it wasn’t scary at all!” 

Winnie, descending the stairs with her, rubbed her eyes and agreed, “Yeah, you just spent the whole night reciting every protective mantra you know.” 

Laughter followed from Gentry, who then reassured Candace, “You don’t have to worry. The house might have bad vibe, but it’s not haunted. If there were any danger, my spirit guide would let me know right away.” 

Gentry had the look of a trustworthy man, and his confident declaration left little room for doubt, though Winnie did not challenge his claim, despite noticing his barely perceptible spiritual sensitivity. 

Candace, fascinated by the notion of a spirit guide, asked, “Are spirit guides real? What do they look like?” 

“Typically, a household may only have one spirit guide, and their appearance… well, they’re invisible to most. Only those who serve the spirit guide can communicate with them,” Gentry 

explained, implying his own connection. 

Candace blinked in wonder, neither fully believing nor dismissing the idea. 

As the other guests joined them for breakfast, the show’s producers unveiled the day’s task: unravel the secrets behind the house by finding clues in teams. 

The production team had cunningly laid out parts of the puzzle long before the contestants. arrived. The six participants, divided into groups of three, scoured the house meticulously, indeed uncovering a plethora of what could be called “clues.” 

However, these so–called clues were merely a series of unfortunate events that befell the previous homeowners within these walls. 

For instance, there was the time when a flare–up happened in the kitchen, sending flames soaring to the ceiling and scalding the housekeeper as she prepared dinner. 

Or the inexplicable sound of wind chimes that filled the air, even though not a single chime was hung anywhere in sight. 

These were the strange tales that outsiders and former residents whispered about the place. Clearly, though, these odd happenings weren’t enough to crack the true “mystery” of the house. 

After pondering a moment, Kane suggested, “Let’s check out the attic.” 

Winnie nodded and followed Kane upstairs, but her steps halted abruptly when her landed on one of the photos hanging on the staircase wall. 

gaze 

Kane, noticing her fixed stare, thought she might have stumbled upon a clue. He approached for a closer look, only to see it was an old photo of a child. 

“Did you find something?” Kane inquired, though he wasn’t holding his breath for a breakthrough. Material © NôvelDrama.Org.

Unexpectedly, Winnie spoke in a hushed tone, “This child… is a relative to the old lady we met. yesterday.”