After three hours, they finally arrived on the other side of the shore.

Kyle was like a wilted plant; his face was buried under a big hat, and he walked ahead with unhurried, lazy steps.

Mira's eyes twitched, and she wanted to carry him and walk faster—but seeing his 'touch me and die' aura, she dared not think about it.

"Butler, should I call an order for a hovercar or a regular one?" Mira asked, already opening the hologram screen.

"Hover car would be faster… yawn." A yawn escaped his lips as his voice was low and lazy, prompting Mira to lean in closer to hear.

"Okay." Mira quickly ordered a hovercar as they walked through the busy shore.

Thanks to Desire Island, merchants had sniffed out a business opportunity, transforming the once-quiet shore into a bustling stretch of bars, restaurants, boat rentals, and small stores selling items the island staff couldn't find at the supermarket.

Boats lined the shore as island staff and merchants stepped off and dispersed into the busy streets, some slipping into nearby bars and shops while others made their way toward the city.

A hover car descended before Kyle and Mira. "Here's our ride," Mira said as she clicked on the hologram screen to pay and confirm the trip.

Kyle hummed under his breath, pulled open the door, and got into the car. A sigh escaped his lips as the sunlight was finally blocked out.

'I should have done the exchange at night,' Kyle thought to himself as he closed his eyes to rest.

Mira didn't engage him in small talk and continued working on her screen.

Her eyes kept darting around her screen, and her fingers occasionally typed on the keyboard as she compiled a list of malls in the area she could acquire today.

The time passed in a comfortable silence as they drove through the busy streets to the bank.

Thirty minutes later, the hovercar descended in front of a large white mansion, its golden pillars gleaming in the sunlight.

The grass was neatly trimmed and arranged in circular patterns, with cars parked in their designated spots. The ground was spotless, and a few people moved in and out of the building ahead.

Kyle groaned inwardly as he stepped out of the car; pulling his hat down, he trailed Mira, who pushed the suitcase forward.

The sun was unforgiving, its harsh rays bouncing off the car windows, while the ground beneath them radiated heat.

Kyle sweated from the heat, his stride quickened, and he almost jogged into the bank ahead.

Inside, the cool air from the air conditioner made Kyle feel like someone who had been quenched after walking nine miles in a desert.

He took off his hat, moved to the waiting chair, and sat down—he intended to leave everything to Mira and would only intervene if she was in danger.

Mira noticed his actions out of the corner of her eye, but she thought nothing of it and kept walking toward the counter.

The woman behind it wore a professional smile as Mira stepped forward.

"Good morning. How may I help you today?" she asked with practiced ease, as if she had memorized the words in her sleep. Her eyes were filled with boredom, but her smile remained polite.

"I'm here to make an exchange, but I doubt you can handle it. Call your manager," Mira said, her tone firm and assertive.

The woman's polite smile briefly faltered before she responded calmly.

"Madam, there's no need to involve our manager. You'll need to make an appointment for that—he's a very busy man. I can handle the exchange," she said, her tone firm and resolute.

Mira noticed the woman wasn't going to call out her manager, no matter what she said, so she carried the suitcase and set it on the counter.

The counter lady watched silently, her smile fixed on her lips as if it were permanent—curious to see what this customer was up to.

"Then can you exchange this amount of money without approval from the top?" Mira asked as she unzipped the suitcase halfway and slightly opened it so she could see.

The woman's eyes widened, and she instinctively covered the suitcase for Mira.

She swallowed hard and bowed deeply, her smile turning into a fawning one as she faced Mira.

"Madam, please come with me. I apologize if I was in any way rude to you." She gestured respectfully, and her gaze was filled with shock that hadn't faded.

"Alright. I came with someone; I'll go... he is here," Mira muttered as Kyle walked up to them.

"Good morning, sir, please follow me," the woman greeted and headed toward the elevator.

Her hologram screen was on as she quickly notified the manager's secretary of their arrival.

The elevator hummed and went up to the top floor, stopping at their destination; the door chimed open.

Mira and Kyle were led into a VIP waiting room. The sofa was plush, a mini thermocooler stocked with refreshments sat nearby, and the air conditioner was perfectly adjusted.

"What would you like to have while you wait?" the woman asked as she opened the thermocooler for their gaze.

Each section showcased a variety of drinks and wines, and a pantry along the side of the room held an array of neatly arranged pastries.

"Plain water would do," Mira responded, thinking she needed to stay sober for the entire process.

Kyle shook his head in response; he couldn't eat anything except blood. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The woman nodded, handed Mira the water, and left the room, her heels clicking on the tiled floor.

She hurried to the manager's office, not wanting to keep such important customers waiting.

"Knock." She knocked, and the secretary in black suit pants and a cream top opened the door.

"Are you the one who informed me about the customer?" the secretary asked as soon as she saw her.

Upon seeing her nod, the woman shot back before the counter lady could speak.

"Didn't I tell you beforehand that the manager was meeting with an important client?! Why would you still bring them up after I clearly said no?" she hissed under her breath, careful not to disturb the meeting inside.

The counter lady frowned at her words and clicked the previous message chat, but she found no such message.

"Miss, you clearly didn't send me a message after I told you I was bringing a customer who might become a potential client to the manager," the woman muttered, enlarging the screen for the secretary to see.

The woman noticed her mistake but was too proud to admit it.

"Wasn't my lack of response clearly a rejection of the request to see the manager? Go back and tell them to wait. If they can't, they should return tomorrow."

She ordered and was about to close the door when the counter lady stopped her, pressing a hand against it.

"No! The manager needs to attend to them, or we'll miss out on such a big deal!" she shouted, trying to attract the manager's attention in the room.

The other woman's face twisted in anger, and she pushed harder, trying to jam the door in her face, but was stopped at the last second by a faint voice.

"Let her in," the voice commanded from within.

The secretary glared at the counter lady and opened the door wider so she could pass through.

Inside, two people sat: a man in a well-tailored suit, wearing silver glasses, faced the woman sitting in front of him — both of them turned toward her.

"What is it that you couldn't wait for me to finish?" the man asked, slightly pushing his glasses up, the lenses hiding the displeasure flickering through his gaze.

"Sir, I apologize for the interruption, but there's a transaction that exceeds my authority to approve. They're important clients and are waiting in the waiting room," the counter lady said in a serious tone, subtly hinting that he should come over immediately.

The man frowned, but his interest was piqued. The meeting he was currently having wasn't anything useful anyway—just a wealthy lady using a transaction as an excuse to have dinner with him.

"Oh? I'm curious about this so-called transaction that would make you ignore a high-saving client like me," the black-haired woman said with a cold smirk. Dissatisfaction flickered in her eyes at the interruption, but losing her temper in front of these nobodies would be beneath her. If she weren't interested in adding this man to her collection, she would never have tolerated such disrespect.

"Alright then. But madam, please—you can't infringe on their privacy. I suggest you wait in the other waiting room," he said firmly, his tone formal and distant.

The woman frowned but couldn't find the words to refute him, so she could only nod. They all left the room, the secretary still glaring at the counter lady. She had been expecting a bribe for moving up Madam Louisa's appointment time, but this staff member had ruined her plans.