Chapter 9 Buying Time
The roar of diesel engines shattered the stillness of the morning.
One after another, heavy construction vehicles rolled onto the sprawling property that stretched across dozens of acres. Excavators, bulldozers, cranes, concrete mixer trucks, and dozens of trailers loaded with steel and construction materials advanced in a long convoy.
Dust billowed into the air as the massive wheels crushed the empty field that had been overgrown with wild grass only yesterday.
Behind them, hundreds of construction workers climbed down from buses and transport trucks. Some immediately put on their hard hats, while others began unloading tools and equipment. The rumble of machinery, foremen shouting orders, and the clang of steel echoed throughout the site.
Titan Construction had truly mobilized everything it had.
The first day of building the fortress had finally begun.
Standing beside the hood of his black SUV with his arms crossed, Revan watched every piece of heavy machinery move into position according to the plan.
His expression remained calm.
But behind his composed gaze, he knew that every second slipping away brought the world one step closer to destruction.
Twenty-four days.
That was all the time left before the nightmare began.
A few moments later, the sound of another engine approached from behind.
A black sedan came to a stop several yards away from where Revan stood. The door opened, and Aston stepped out, a tablet in his hand.
The unusually serious look on his assistant's face told Revan before a single word was spoken that the report wasn't entirely good news.
"Is there a problem?" Revan asked without taking his eyes off the construction site.
Aston stopped beside the hood of the SUV. "Good morning, Sir."
Revan responded with only a slight nod, never looking away from the dozens of machines already beginning their work.
"Any updates?"
"Yes." Aston held up the tablet. "Most of your personal assets have already been sold. However, several high-value properties still haven't received acceptable offers."
Revan finally turned toward him. "Which ones?"
"Two commercial buildings, three luxury apartments, one villa, and part of your investment portfolio." Aston scrolled through the report. "There are plenty of interested buyers, but they're waiting for the price to drop. The transactions are simply too large to move this quickly."
Revan glanced at the list. "Reduce the prices by ten percent."
"Ten percent?" Aston repeated quietly. "If we do that now, you'll lose tens of millions of dollars, Sir."
"It's not a loss." Revan shifted his gaze back toward the construction site. "It's the price I have to pay to buy time."
Aston frowned, unable to fully grasp what he meant.
"Announce the new prices immediately. Every remaining asset must be sold as quickly as possible."
"And if they still don't sell after the ten percent reduction?"
"Lower them again."
The answer left Aston silent for several moments.
As Revan's personal assistant, he knew exactly how much every one of those assets was worth.
For years, Revan had approached every business decision with extraordinary caution. Even a one-percent difference was something he would carefully evaluate.
Yet now, his director was willingly selling properties worth staggering amounts for far below market value.
Although he couldn't understand the reason, Aston no longer questioned the decision. "Understood, Sir. I'll contact every broker immediately."
Revan gave a short nod. "I don't want to be holding worthless assets when that day arrives."
To him, buildings, apartments, and investments were nothing more than numbers.
When that day came...
They would all become worthless.
The only things that would truly matter were food, medicine, energy supplies, and the fortress now rising before his eyes.
"I understand, Sir."
Unlike Revan, who began his morning amid the noise and chaos of fortress construction, a luxurious hotel suite remained wrapped in silence.
Sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, spilling across a king-size bed left in complete disarray. A white comforter covered part of the bodies of two people who had only just awakened after spending the night together.
Billy opened his eyes first.
Without paying any attention to the woman beside him, who still had her eyes closed, he reached for the phone resting on the nightstand.
The screen was already flooded with notifications from business groups and investment brokers.
Billy frowned. He opened one of the messages, and the corner of his mouth slowly curled into a faint smile. "Interesting..."
His quiet murmur stirred Teressa awake.
She shifted slightly before opening her eyes. "What is it?" she asked, her voice still rough with sleep.
Billy raised his phone. "News about your future husband."
The drowsiness instantly vanished from Teressa's face. "Revan?"
Billy nodded and handed her the phone. "It looks like he's selling almost all of his personal assets."
Teressa shook her head. "I think you're worrying too much."
Billy raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Leaning against the headboard with a faint smile, Teressa scrolled through the screen.
"Don't forget, Revan was the one who proposed that agreement."
"What agreement?"
"If we stay married for one full year without getting divorced, all of his personal assets become mine."
For a brief moment, Billy's expression darkened.
Teressa continued confidently. "That's why I wasn't worried at all when he demanded forty million dollars as compensation for the shares. Sooner or later, everything he owns will belong to me anyway."
Billy didn't respond immediately. Instead, he slowly shook his head and smiled with open contempt. "That's assuming the wedding actually happens."
He looked directly at her. "What if he spends all his money before that first year is over?"
Teressa froze. Her heart pounded violently.
Billy wasn't finished. "What if he transfers all of his money into another company's accounts that aren't under his own name? What exactly would you inherit then?"
The color drained from Teressa's face.
Billy took his phone back from her. "Teressa, don't put too much faith in a piece of paper. Revan isn't an idiot. If he's suddenly selling off his personal assets now, it means he's planning something."
His gaze turned sharp. "I don't like situations we can't control."
The smile slowly disappeared from Teressa's face.
"So you think..."
Billy cut her off. "I think we need to make sure everything goes according to plan."
"What plan?"
A slow smile spread across Billy's lips. "I don't think we have another three days to wait."
He looked straight into Teressa's eyes. "Marry Revan tomorrow."
