The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 182

182 /212

**Between the Wings of Twilight Lies the Memory of You**

I erupted into laughter, a sound that echoed in the opulent air of Pella District, a neighborhood synonymous with wealth and extravagance—the very same place where Steven resided. In stark contrast, my own finances were in shambles, my bank account resembling a barren wasteland, far emptier than my social calendar, which had become a ghost town. The thought of affording even a tiny shack in this affluent area was laughable.

Had I indulged in too much wine? Was I already tipsy? What kind of bizarre call was this? Had a telemarketer finally set their sights on me as their prime target, perhaps mistaking my disheveled state for someone of importance?

“You’ve got the wrong number,” I replied sharply, my voice laced with irritation. “I haven’t purchased a house, let alone a mansion. If you have nothing else to say, I’m hanging up.”

“Ms. Jones, please don’t hang up!” the voice on the other end pleaded, urgency dripping from his tone. “You simply need to come by and sign a few papers. After that, we can take you to see the property. Or we can show it to you first, and if it doesn’t suit your taste, we can find something else. Mr. Julian has already paid in full, so we can just adjust the final price.”

Wow.

They even knew Uncle Julian’s name.

I felt my annoyance bubbling over, and the man’s incessant chatter only added fuel to the fire. A mansion in Pella District would start at ten million at the very least. Uncle Julian was as broke as I was. How in the world could he afford to buy a mansion outright and then offer me the chance to choose?

Did these scammers have no shame, preying on the vulnerable?

“You people are relentless. Who sold you my private information? A hospital? A cemetery? This is utterly ridiculous. If you had offered me a job with a salary of fifty thousand a year, I might have considered it. But claiming I own a mansion? No sane person would believe that.”

I scoffed, the sound dripping with disbelief. “You want me to come and sign papers alone? What’s next? You going to stick me with a needle and sell my kidneys on the black market? Please. The only scam I’ve ever fallen for was getting married. Go find another victim.”

“No, Ms. Zephyra, everything I’m saying is—” He continued to ramble, but I swiftly hung up, blocking the number with a decisive motion.

The alcohol must have been hitting me harder than I realized because it took several clumsy taps to successfully block him.

“Hmph. Perfect timing to annoy me,” I muttered under my breath, frustration swirling inside me like a tempest.

My mood was foul, a storm cloud hovering over my head. I shoved the bachelor cards I had selected into my purse, then glanced at the half-full bottle of wine. It seemed wasteful to leave it behind. I took two large gulps, the liquid warmth spreading through me as I prepared to head home.