After Julian Ford left for the banquet, Elena Bennett returned to her original room.
The moment she pushed the door open, she froze slightly.
The room still bore the messy aftermath of that night—the sheets were crumpled into a ball, and faint, ambiguous traces could still be seen.
She immediately understood Julian Ford's intention: he was probably afraid that if the servants came to clean, they would notice something was wrong and leak the news.
He'd even locked the second floor and left her room untouched.
"*Saves me the trouble of acting*," Elena Bennett muttered to herself, a mocking smile tugging at the corner of her lips.
She rolled up her sleeves, stripped all the bed linens stained with unspeakable memories, bundled them up, and tossed them directly into the large trash bin by the door.
Then she packed a few essentials and important documents, tucking them neatly into a suitcase.
She didn't take any of the flashy dresses or bags the original owner had bought to attract Julian Ford.
She didn't have much—one suitcase was more than enough.
As she pulled the suitcase downstairs, she ran into Arthur Coleman in the living room, his face full of surprise.
"Miss, what is this..." Arthur Coleman looked at her suitcase, then at her still pale face, and asked worriedly.
"Uncle Zhou," Elena Bennett paused, putting on a polite smile, "I've already spoken to Brother. I'm planning to move out for a while. I'm grown up now, and I want to try living on my own."
Uncle Zhou hadn't received any notice and frowned deeply: "This... Does the Young Master know? Miss, how can you be out there alone? Why not wait until the Young Master comes back..."
Elena Bennett interrupted him softly:
"Uncle Zhou, Brother has already agreed. I'm just moving to another property under his name—it's nearby, so don't worry. I'm not a child anymore; I can take care of myself."
Her words were watertight, confirming Julian Ford's knowledge while asserting her independence, leaving Arthur Coleman speechless, with no reason to stop her.
In the end, Arthur Coleman could only watch as she pulled her small suitcase and walked out of the Ford Mansion alone, getting into a waiting ride-hailing car.
The car slowly stopped outside a modern villa in a luxury residential area west of the city.
Only then did Elena Bennett suddenly realize a critical problem—she didn't know the gate password, nor did she have a key!
Was she supposed to call Julian Ford right now?
The thought crossed her mind, but she immediately rejected it. No, that would risk drawing his attention, and the "distant" persona she'd just built would collapse!
She hesitated between calling a locksmith or contacting the property, when the heavy-looking smart gate slowly slid open on its own!
Elena Bennett looked up in surprise to see a well-dressed, capable middle-aged woman standing inside, smiling and bowing to her: "Are you Miss Elena Bennett?"
"I am." Elena Bennett nodded in surprise, asking instinctively, "Do you know me?"
"President Ford informed us in advance. This villa, along with all the staff including us, has been transferred to your name. I'm the housekeeper here, my surname is Clara."
Housekeeper Clara stepped aside to let her pass, her attitude neither servile nor arrogant, but full of respect: "Welcome home, Miss Bennett."
She raised her hand slightly, and a maid in uniform stepped forward to take the suitcase from her.
Elena Bennett was even more shocked—Julian Ford had acted so quickly?
She followed Housekeeper Clara into the courtyard. Everywhere she looked, there were neatly trimmed flowers and trees, a clear swimming pool, a glass conservatory in the distance, and a gardener at work... Everything was in perfect order.
Entering the main house, the interior was decorated in a modern minimalist style—understated yet luxurious in every detail.
To her greater surprise, several maids in uniform and several tall, straight men who looked like bodyguards were standing in the living room.
Housekeeper Clara said softly: "Miss Bennett, your room is ready, and daily necessities are all prepared. If you need anything else, please let me know at any time."
Elena Bennett looked at the scene before her and almost snickered to herself.
Julian Ford's compensation was indeed thorough.
Not only had he given her sky-high assets, but he'd also arranged a full team for her daily life, making it clear to everyone that she was the new master here.
That was fine—she just needed time and space to sort out the information, make a more detailed strategy plan, and... think about how to "accidentally meet" the other four targets.
This brand new, fully her own territory was the perfect base.
Elena Bennett suppressed her thoughts, giving Housekeeper Clara a distant smile:
"Thank you, Housekeeper Clara. I'll rest first; I don't need anything for now."
"Very well, Miss Bennett." Housekeeper Clara bowed again, then led the others away silently, leaving her alone in the space.
Elena Bennett walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window in the living room. Outside, the meticulously maintained courtyard was bathed in the warm golden glow of the setting sun.
In the distance was the bustling city skyline, while here, it was quiet and luxurious.
Looking at all this, a surreal sense of dizziness washed over her.
Not long ago, she was a struggling office worker, commuting on the subway, earning 250,000 a year, worrying about KPIs and an uncertain future, losing her hair from stress.
Who would have thought that after dying and being reborn, she'd suddenly become a wealthy woman living in a top-tier mansion with huge assets?
This overwhelming wealth was like a dream.
She murmured softly:
"I was an orphan before I died, with no one to tie me down... In this world, I have money and a house, no more being a workhorse, no endless work targets and stupid bosses..."
By contrast, the "chance to revive" that required her to complete five hellish strategy tasks was rapidly losing its appeal.
Why did she have to go back to that cutthroat world and keep being exploited?
The material comforts in this world were real. Did it matter whether this world was "real" or not?
Her consciousness was real, her feelings were real, her happiness was real—wasn't that enough?
Once this thought took root, it grew like wildfire.
She suddenly began to seriously consider the feasibility of staying in this world forever.
"The system only said that completing the tasks would bring revival, and failure would mean erasure..."
Her eyes lit up, as if she'd found a huge loophole in the system's rules:
"So what if I... occasionally boost the Affection, keeping the progress at a 'half-done' state—neither success nor failure? Would that let me stay here and enjoy life forever?"
She could avoid being erased, and never have to rack her brain to plan over those annoying men!
Perfect!
The more Elena Bennett thought about it, the more brilliant this idea seemed. She couldn't help but curl her lips, almost laughing out loud at her own cleverness.
But just as she was reveling in the beautiful future she'd imagined,
the system's mechanical voice echoed coldly in her mind, like a bucket of ice water poured over her head in the middle of winter, instantly dousing all her fantasies——