The first thing Jules noticed when she opened her eyes was the smell of chicken.
Not because someone was cooking it.
Because she'd forgotten to shower before falling asleep.
She lifted her arm, sniffed the sleeve of her shirt, and grimaced. Between yesterday's cooking, cleaning, and carrying supplies into her dimension, she'd managed to get food on practically everything she wore.
Her phone read 6:42 a.m.
Downstairs, the house was still quiet.
Jules dragged herself out of bed, showered, and changed into a loose T-shirt and shorts. By seven, she was in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
She cracked eggs into a bowl, added seasoning, and whisked them while a pan warmed on the stove. Beside her, strips of bacon sizzled, and a tray of potatoes roasted in the oven.
She had prepared enough food yesterday to feed the family several times over. Most of it was sitting in dimensional storage, where it would remain exactly as she'd left it, regardless of how much time passed.
She could have retrieved breakfast from there.
But she liked cooking in the mornings. It was one of the few routines that still felt normal.
Besides, Kaelith had recently decided that scrambled eggs tasted better when he watched her make them.
"Juju?"
Jules turned.
Her youngest brother stood in the doorway wearing dinosaur pajamas, his stuffed bear tucked beneath his arm. His hair stuck up on one side.
"Good morning, sleepyhead."
He raised both arms.
Jules washed her hands before picking him up.
"You're getting heavy."
"No."
"Yes."
He shook his head firmly. "I'm little."
"Little people can be heavy."
He considered that, then pointed at the stove.
"Eggs?"
"Almost."
"Can I help?"
"You can supervise."
She settled him into a chair at the kitchen island and gave him a few pieces of banana to keep him occupied.
By the time the potatoes were ready, Amira had appeared, followed by Tavian and Jorin.
Daric arrived several minutes later, looking offended by the existence of morning.
"Why is everyone awake?"
"Because it's morning," Jorin said.
"That's not a good reason."
Jules placed another serving of eggs on the table.
"Go wake Selina."
Daric glanced toward the staircase.
"Why me?"
"Because you're standing closest to it."
"That's not true."
"It is now."
He looked at Jorin, who had already taken a seat.
"Traitor."
Jorin picked up his fork. "Good luck."
Kaelen had barely finished breakfast when his phone rang.
He glanced at the screen and excused himself from the table.
Jules watched him leave.
For the past two days, her father had been handling almost everything related to Pinnacle Tower. He'd taken over communication with the real estate agency, consulted his attorney, and instructed Jules to stop checking her email every twenty minutes.
She had protested that last part.
He'd reminded her that twenty minutes was an improvement over every five.
Now, as he disappeared into the hallway, she tried not to wonder whether the call concerned Floor 22.
Instead, she collected the empty plates.
"You're doing it again," Selina said.
"Doing what?"
"Staring at Dad like you're trying to hear through walls."
"I'm not."
"You absolutely are."
Jules picked up another plate.
"Don't you have something to do?"
"Several things. None of them involve pretending I'm not curious."
Tavian reached for the last piece of bacon.
Selina slapped his hand.
"That's mine."
"You already had three."
"And?"
"You're fifteen. You don't need to eat like a construction worker."
"Neither do you."
"I'm growing."
"So am I."
Jules took the bacon and placed it on Kaelith's plate.
Both twins stared at her.
"Problem solved," she said.
Kaelith smiled around a mouthful of banana.
Kaelen was halfway through reviewing a contract when Adrian knocked on his office door.
"Come in."
His assistant entered carrying a tablet and a thin folder.
"The warehouse installation crew confirmed tomorrow morning," Adrian said. "The security contractor also sent over the revised proposal."
"Any changes to the price?"
"Only the additional exterior cameras you requested."
"Good. Send that to the warehouse coordinator."
Adrian nodded and placed the folder on the desk.
"And the real estate agency called."
Kaelen looked up.
"When?"
"About ten minutes ago. I told them you were unavailable and asked them to send the details in writing."
"Did they?"
"Not yet. The representative said she wanted to speak with you first."
Kaelen closed the contract he'd been reading.
"Get her on the phone."
Adrian stepped toward the door, then paused.
"Mr. Valen?"
"Yes?"
"Is this the property Jules has been asking about?"
"The penthouse."
"I thought so."
Kaelen raised an eyebrow.
Adrian smiled faintly.
"She asked me yesterday whether I'd heard anything."
"Of course she did."
"And the day before."
Kaelen rubbed his forehead.
"Next time, tell her to ask me."
"I did."
"And?"
"She said you were busy."
Kaelen sighed.
"Call the agency, Adrian."
"Yes, sir."
A minute later, the office phone rang.
Kaelen answered.
"Kaelen Valen speaking."
"Good morning, Mr. Valen. I'm calling regarding your interest in the twenty-second floor of Pinnacle Tower."
"Has the existing agreement been released?"
"Not yet, sir. But there has been a development."
Kaelen picked up his pen.
"I'm listening."
"The current purchaser failed to satisfy one of the financing conditions within the required period. The developer has issued formal notice."
"Has the purchaser been given an opportunity to remedy the issue?"
"Yes."
"How long?"
"I'm not authorized to disclose the terms of their agreement."
"Then what exactly are you authorized to tell me?"
There was a pause.
"That the developer is preparing to consider backup offers if the existing contract is terminated."
Kaelen leaned back.
"And you contacted me because my family expressed interest."
"Correct."
"Are we first in line?"
"I can't guarantee that."
"Are there other qualified buyers?"
"At least one other party has expressed serious interest."
Kaelen wrote that down.
"Have they submitted an offer?"
"I'm unable to discuss another client's negotiations."
"Fair enough. What can you tell me about the developer's process?"
The representative explained that the developer might review backup offers while the existing contract remained active, but no replacement sale could proceed until the legal issues were resolved.
Kaelen listened, occasionally interrupting to clarify a condition or deadline.
When she finished, he asked her to send the proposed documentation to his attorney.
"I also want confirmation of the deposit terms," he added. "I'm not placing a substantial amount of money into an arrangement that leaves us exposed if the original purchaser resolves their financing."
"Of course."
"And if the developer intends to consider competing offers, I'd prefer to know that before we submit ours."
"I'll request clarification."
"Thank you."
He ended the call and sat quietly for a moment.
Then he reached for his phone.
"Adrian, ask my attorney to review the Pinnacle documents as soon as they arrive. And clear half an hour on my schedule this afternoon."
"Understood."
Kaelen glanced toward the family photograph on his desk.
The penthouse wasn't available yet.
But for the first time, there was a practical reason to prepare an offer.
Jules was standing in her bedroom when her father called.
"Come downstairs for a minute."
"Did something happen?"
"Just come to my office."
She was there in less than two minutes.
Kaelen looked up as she entered.
"That was quick."
"I was nearby."
"You were upstairs."
"That's nearby."
He gestured toward the chair opposite his desk.
"Sit."
Jules sat.
"The agency called this morning."
Her attention sharpened.
"The penthouse?"
"Yes. The existing buyer has missed a financing requirement. The developer has issued notice, and they're preparing to consider backup offers if the agreement falls through."
Jules stared at him.
"So we can buy it?"
"Not yet."
"But—"
"Jules."
She pressed her lips together.
"The contract is still active," Kaelen continued. "My attorney is reviewing the documents. If the current buyer fails to resolve the issue, we may have an opportunity."
"How soon?"
"A few business days, possibly longer."
She looked down at her hands.
A few business days.
That was time they didn't have to waste.
Not when she knew who might be waiting on the other side of the negotiations.
"There is another interested purchaser," Kaelen added.
Jules looked up.
Kian.
The name came to her so quickly that she almost said it aloud.
In her eighth life, Kian had told her about acquiring Pinnacle Tower's upper floors. He'd already secured the apartments beneath the penthouse before obtaining Floor 22, which had come into his possession roughly two weeks after the date Jules remembered visiting the market.
Several days had passed since that visit in her current life.
If events were following anything close to the same course, Kian would acquire the penthouse in approximately ten days.
And there couldn't be many people willing to spend ten million Sol on an entire residential floor while another buyer's contract was still unresolved.
"Did they tell you who it was?" she asked.
"No."
"Can you find out?"
"I can ask. That doesn't mean they'll answer."
Jules leaned back.
In her eighth life, Kian hadn't kept the building long.
He'd left to rescue his siblings when the situation deteriorated, and later regretted abandoning what he believed could have become a strong base. He'd spoken about the tower's potential, about what might have been possible if they'd had enough people to clear the zombies and secure the building.
She didn't know every detail of its construction.
But she remembered his regret.
And now she was trying to secure the same property before he could.
"Jules."
She looked at her father.
"Whatever you're thinking, I need you to leave the negotiations to me."
"I know."
"Do you?"
"Yes."
Kaelen studied her.
"You've given us a list of what the family needs. We've divided the work. Your brothers are handling inventory, your mother is coordinating medical preparations, and I'm taking care of the property and the larger purchases."
"I know, Dad."
"Then trust us to do our jobs."
Jules lowered her eyes.
He wasn't wrong.
She had spent the first few days trying to oversee everything because she'd been afraid that leaving something to someone else meant it wouldn't get done.
But her family had already proved otherwise.
Her father had arranged warehouse inspections, security improvements, and professional help. Daric and Jorin had built an inventory system more organized than anything she would have managed alone.
Serina had identified medical supplies Jules hadn't even considered.
And Selina—
Well, Selina had created a presentation titled PROJECT: DON'T DIE.
It had been surprisingly useful.
"Okay," Jules said.
Kaelen raised an eyebrow.
"Okay?"
"I'll leave it to you."
"Good."
She stood.
"And Jules?"
"Yes?"
"Don't call the agency."
She turned around.
"I wasn't going to."
He looked unconvinced.
"Not even once," she added.
"That would be ideal."