10x Cashback: Your Wealth Is Mine

Chapter 73 Hello There, Neighbor

73 hello there, neighbor

i pulled into the underground parking lot of my new home, my newly bought koenigsegg regera growling.

thankfully, it's growl was a much quieter sound than most supercars. it had the understated sense of power that was missing from the senna i'd previously been driving.

this had actually been a deliberate choice. i wanted something a bit more low key, not another billboard screaming look at me. i am a billionaire now. i had to fit into the nine zeroes community without screaming from the rooftops.

fortunately, the parking space for the penthouse was near the elevator and i didn't have to walk too far. this was an added perk of owning the property.

i eased into my parking space, admiring the pristine white paint of the regera this was the car that had broken the world record, accelerating from zero to four hundred to zero again in 28.81 seconds.

while i'd given up and yielded to matt's billionaire status teases, i had to admit, it felt good to own such an impressive statement piece.

what man doesn't want to drive a nice car?

as i stepped out of the car, turning to see a blue porsche taycan turbo s pull up into the space next to mine.

[ding!]

[stamp holder detected.]

i honestly hadn't been expecting to meet her so soon but the universe did have a way of giving opportunities when you least expect them.

i admired the car as it rolled to a stop and a striking blonde woman stepped out, wearing a matching blue pantsuit.

she looked like a woman who meant business. someone who was used to issuing commands and seeing it done.

her brown eyes flicked to me almost immediately, studying me like i was a curiosity she needed to solve. before i could say anything, she walked closer, her heels clicking against the floor.

"are you my new neighbour, the owner of the penthouse?" she asked directly.

from her accent, i could tell that she had scandinavian roots. my eyes were drawn to her lips which were brightly colored with bold red lipstick but i kept my eyes on the prize.

her eyebrows rose slightly as she took it.

"hospitality?" she asked, her voice neutral.

"luxury boutique hotels." i clarified. "we're building something unique."

"interesting." her tone was polite even as her eyes scanned me, trying to gauge how serious i was.

"and wireframe?" i asked, gesturing to her card. "what kind of solutions are we talking about?"

she smiled, a faintly predatory expression. "data. acquisition, analysis, distribution."

that pulled at the thread in my memory again and this time, i remembered seeing her name in passing during one of my many research dives. in front of me wasn't just anyone. it was one of the upcoming players in a lucrative game of corporate espionage. of course, they won't tell you that but it is what it is.

data brokerage wasn't the kind of business that made front-page headlines but it had a power that could not be ignored behind the scenes.

"fascinating field." i said, tucking her card into my wallet. "maybe we'll have to talk shop sometime."

"perhaps." she said, her tone cool. "but for now, i'll let you get to settling in. moving into the penthouse must be quite the project."

"you could say that." i admitted. "i appreciate the introduction, elsa."

"likewise, nico." she gave me a curt nod and turned back to her car. i watched as she retrieved a designer handbag and a tablet from her backseat before walking toward the elevator.

when she disappeared inside, i exhaled slowly, the wheels already turning in my head.

the stamp holder this time wasn't just some wealthy neighbor. she had to be worth a lot of money and more importantly, she was someone who played in the data game, something i'll need in my talks with eidolon interactive.

people like her don't get to where they are by playing nice or staying passive. she was a strategist and now, i was on her radar. this is going to be... interesting.

i locked my car and took the private elevator up to the penthouse. immediately i entered, i made my way to the kitchen where i dropped my bag on the island. i poured myself a glass of water and pulled out my laptop. elsa karlsson deserved a deep dive.