Dark Queen Of Apocalypse (by Morgan Hale) novel Chapter 5

Chloe’s eyes lit up with excitement. ‘No wonder Sophie was so worked up about this emerald bracelet and always had plenty of food and water without any powers.

‘How dumb was I in my previous life, to give away such a priceless treasure?‘

She stepped into the spiritual space. It was basketball court–sized, ground covered in white pebbles, with a hazy mist hanging everywhere.

Moving toward the white fog’s edge, she hit a jelly–like barrier. Curious, she pinched a bit and placed it in her palm. It quickly dissolved into mist.

Peering through the semi–transparent wall, she could faintly make out the pristine landscape: lush mountains, chirping birds, and blooming flowers.

She took another step, trying to get a better view. But the moment her emerald pendant touched the wall, the barrier absorbed it.

The pendant lost its vibrant green color and turned into an ordinary stone, cracking and crumbling to the ground.

Chloe was stunned for a moment, then her face broke into a huge grin.

‘So this is why Sophie kept collecting useless emeralds in my previous life. This spiritual space can be powered up with emeralds?‘ she thought.

Before she could celebrate, everything went black. She was back in the villa room, and the spiritual space was now off–limits.

‘What’s going on?‘ she wondered. But sensing her connection to the space, she breathed a sigh of relief.

Reflecting on Sophie’s past behavior, Chloe mused, ‘There must be a time limit for staying inside. The key to longer access is probably emeralds and zombie cores.’

Thinking of emeralds, Chloe made a beeline for the largest room in the villa.

She opened the door and found a thin layer of dust coating the inside. The familiar, cozy space felt like a distant memory.

This was the room her mother, Lavinia, had lived in before she passed away.

Blinking back tears, Chloe headed to a hidden corner. There was a safe, containing all the valuables Lavinia had left behind.

Lavinia was obsessed with emeralds, and most of her collections were incredibly rare; each one could easily sell for tens of millions.

Compared to these treasures, the bracelet on Chloe’s wrist seemed unremarkable. But it was her grandma’s only keepsake, making it priceless to her.

Lavinia would often hold it, thinking of her mother, tears silently falling.

Later, Chloe learned Lavinia had run away with Sam, dropping out of college. Her grandma was so devastated that she suffered a fatal heart attack. Lavinia never got to say goodbye, and it became an unhealing wound.

Chloe opened the safe and transferred all the emeralds into her spiritual space.

She opened the door and saw that a thin layer of dust had settled inside. The familiar, warm environment felt like a distant memory.

“Ms. Yates, these items are worth a fortune. I’ll call the manager immediately,” the salesgirl said, her eyes sparkling.

Chloe nodded slightly.

The manager quickly arrived, wiping sweat from his forehead, clearly having rushed over.

Spotting Chloe, he was stunned by her beauty. But he quickly composed himself and asked, “Hello, Ms. Yates. Are you sure you want to sell everything?”

The counter was stacked with luxury goods. Every single item was a top international brand, and plenty were exclusive custom pieces.

Chloe nodded calmly and handed over her ID.

The manager called in experts. After a thorough appraisal, a notification for over three million dollars hitting Chloe’s bank account popped up in no time.

Chloe laughed coldly, “Come on, I don’t need friends like her.”

Without bothering with Mandy’s angry yelling, Chloe walked away.

‘Who has time for these immature drama queens? Now that I’ve got cash, I gotta stock up on supplies,‘ she thought.

In her previous life, Chloe was so desperate for acceptance that she’d blow cash trying to buy friendship. Behind her back, her so–called friends trashed her, with Rosalie calling the shots. This time, Chloe was gonna call her own shots.

She drove to a real estate office and listed her luxury cars and villa. She slashed prices by 20%, prioritizing a quick sale.

“By the way, do you guys have any vacant warehouses? The bigger, the better,” Chloe asked.

The salesperson perked up. “I know a massive warehouse, but it’s pretty far out. The owner’s desperate, so the price is dirt cheap. Besides, he wants a year–long lease or a buyer.”

“Alright, let’s go check it out right now,” Chloe said.

The warehouse was indeed remote, taking over an hour to drive there. But it was huge, situated in the middle of nowhere, exactly what she wanted. She signed the contract on the spot.

Then, Chloe drove to the wholesale market. Though late afternoon, some vendors remained. She went stall by stall, stocking up on fresh produce, fruits, and dried foods.

She gave the vendors her number and warehouse address, requesting daily deliveries.

After the apocalypse, winters became brutal, like a new Ice Age. Coal, heaters, and extreme cold weather gear were survival essentials.

‘Man, I need cash badly,’ Chloe thought.

The next two days, she did nothing but cash out every asset she owned. Even her mom’s company shares got dumped at a 20% discount.