Re:life with Karmic Gacha (Modern Family)

Chapter 320: Chapter 320: Hill House (1)

[Edward POV]

I smiled as I watched them try to solve the quiz in the living room. Gloria ignored the quiz and played with Lily, while Manny and Jay worked hard together, standing by the fireplace mantle.

"Is it origami?" Cam whispered to Mitchell, acting as if everyone around was a competitor.

"Gold Roger? Gold in the periodic table is Au. The atomic number is 79..." Alex racked her brain alone, trying to make sense of the picture I used. Her instincts told her the picture played a role, which was accurate; however, her methods of deciphering the clues were not.

"Atomic number?" Phil turned to Alex, wanting some clues.

The puzzle itself wasn't very difficult. After they opened the card, they found a picture of a Christmas wreath on one side and a misdirection clue on the other, disguised as Christmas greetings.

They needed to notice the thin layer of transparent film on the wreath, take it out—and then they would see a donut-shaped thin line on it, which they needed to place on top of the initial Gold Roger execution picture to reveal the coordinates for the prize.

They were all very excited to solve the puzzle, but that made me feel disheartened. How could I tell them that the top prize was already gone?

"Hey, Ed!" Haley gleefully appeared from behind me. "Thank you!" She immediately hugged me, wrapping her arms around my neck and placing her head on my chest.

Then she grabbed my arm, clinging to it, and told her parents, "Dad, Ed and I will be in my room."

"Sure, honey," Phil replied dismissively. "Ed! Is it origami? Do I need to fold the card?" He turned to me, asking for help. Cam flinched and turned toward me too, trying to get an answer.

"Not telling," I jeered.

"Damn it." Phil cursed softly. Suddenly, Alex stood up from the couch and yelled, "I got it!"

"Ignore them. Let's go," Haley said, pulling me into her room while everyone else focused on Alex.

I glanced at Claire and Phil and muttered, "Wow, they don't really care about you bringing a boy into your room."

The stairs to the basement were finally completed. We entered through what used to be a closet in the hallway between the kitchen and the living room, then descended the stairs to Haley's room.

"This is just a Christmas miracle. When Mom realizes it, I'm sure she'll start checking on us every minute," Haley replied with a mischievous smirk. "Make sure to lock the door."

"When did you put a door here?" I asked as she opened another door at the bottom of the stairs.

Haley glanced at me and said coyly, "Yeah. I told my dad I would be afraid if the space was open. In reality, I just want them to knock on the door first. I don't want them to waltz in here."

"Yeah, you need them to knock in case they catch you..." I trailed off, which made Haley curious. "Catch me what?" she asked.

"Lacking," I added, which left her confused.

The door opened to a lounge area between her studio and her bedroom. A single luxury couch and a coffee table were positioned beside it, creating a cozy nook for relaxation. It was intended to be a reading spot, but Haley figured she could add a TV there.

"Come on! I want to show you where I hung the painting," Haley said, grabbing my arm and rushing me to her room. "Ta-da!" she announced cheerfully as she revealed the painting hung above her bed.

Laughing slightly, I told her, "That looks pretty great."

"You don't like it?" She caught my subtle glances and turned hesitant. I quickly shook my head and said, "No, it's good. It's just... the painting is too small to be the center of the room."

Haley grumbled and turned to the painting. After scrutinizing it for a few seconds, she looked back at me and said, "I don't see anything wrong with it."

"It's too small," I reiterated. "You should hang up more pictures—family pictures, with friends—and make it bigger."

Haley brightened and asked, "Is this your way of saying you want to put a picture of us there?"

"Maybe," I replied vaguely, then asked, "By the way, when is the room going to be completed?"

Haley pouted and said, "I could've moved in yesterday, but Dad wants to shoot the big reveal for the renovation, so I have to wait."

"It won't take long. You just have to decorate it," I said, looking around. The bed was already here, and the wardrobe was fixed. Only the little things, like decorations and curtains, were left.

I pressed down on the bed and asked, "Is this the one from upstairs, or did your dad buy a new one?"

"The one from upstairs. Only the frame is new," she replied. "Oh, what is the card about?" she asked curiously as she sat on the edge of the bed and pulled me to sit next to her.

"Just a treasure hunt," I replied casually.

"Huh?" Haley looked confused.

I shrugged and said, "Do you remember the picture after the missile exploded?" n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

"Yeah, the one where you and Vader are wearing sunglasses," Haley recalled. "What does that have to do with the treasure hunt?"

"For some reason, Dodge's market share spiked by 10% after the picture hit the internet. I also had another viral photo of me sitting on the car, so I became kind of like a brand representative for them."

"Yeah, so?" Haley urged me to continue. "What's the connection to the treasure hunt? Hurry up!"

I chuckled a bit and said, "Anyway, Dodge began sending me free cars: the unreleased 2010 Dodge Viper and three more Dodge Challengers, each from different branches of the company. They didn't even think to check with headquarters before sending me those."

"A CAR?!" Haley exclaimed, flabbergasted. "The treasure hunt leads to four cars?!"

"Fifteen cars," I revealed. "Dodge wants me to keep using those. Ford sent me their Mustang, Chevrolet sent me a Bumblebee, and for some reason, a billionaire who supports the president sent me a Bentley, but that was just a gift."

"YOU GAVE THOSE AWAY?!" Haley shouted, almost bewildered by my decision.

"Of course not," I said casually, watching her expression deflate. "I kept the nice cars. But Ford gave me a 30% discount on their products, and Dodge did the same. Chevrolet offered a similar deal, and many more followed suit. So, I bought five of each and make them the treasure hunt prizes."

Haley was stunned for a moment, then she gave up trying to figure out my thought process. "How much did you spend?" she asked.

"Around $300,000."

"H—" She opened her mouth in shock but then sighed. "You realize your sense of money is broken."

"It's fine. Most of it went to the company employees," I said with a sigh as I laid down on her bed. Haley laid down next to me, turning to face me. "Wait. Are the prizes gone?"

"I have one Challenger left," I replied, pulling out my phone to show her the warehouse footage where I kept the prizes."Most of my employees are nerds– I mean introverts. They rather spend some time doing the puzzle rather than spending time with their family on Christmas."

"Santa Monica? I GOT THE ADDRESS NOW!" Haley playfully sat up and wanted to rush to her family, "Dad! I got it!" The warehouse was located an hour away.

"Oh no you don't!" I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her back onto the bed. Haley laughed out loud and said playfully, "Let me go! I want to get the car."

"Then you need to solve the puzzle!" I added, wrestling with her on the bed. We ended up in an awkward position where she laid on top of me, face facing mine.

Suddenly, she asked with an affectionate tone, "How long was I on your mind?"

"I'm sorry? What?" I was startled by the way she asked that.

"The painting," she pointed to the top of the bed. "How long was I on your mind while you were finishing that?"

"Honestly?" I grinned mischievously. "Six hours. You filled my mind for six hours without any interruptions." I flirted a bit, and Haley moved her head closer to kiss my lips.

I reciprocated the kiss, pulling her in tight. Suddenly, Claire descended the stairs, shouting loudly, "Haley! We're going to Santa Monica. Do you want to come?"

Claire opened the door casually and walked straight into the bedroom to find us. Haley was startled and quickly pushed me away, causing me to fall to the floor.

"M-mom! The door wasn't locked?" Haley stammered as she hurriedly fixed her hair. Claire stopped abruptly and stared at us silently for a moment.

"What were you guys doing?" she asked, her tone cold.

"Just a 'thank you kiss,' you know, for the artwork," I replied easily, fixing my shirt as I stood up from the floor. "So, you guys found the coordinate?" I asked, trying to change the subject.

Claire snapped out of her daze and said, "Oh yeah. We found it. We're going there right now."

"Mom! You better hurry! There's only one prize left!" Haley immediately went to her mother, urging her about the car.

"Wait—how did you know about it?" Claire asked, looking confused.

"You guys solved it through the card. I went straight to the source and seduced him for information. Go now, hurry before anyone else gets it!" Haley urged, pushing her mother toward the door.

Claire turned around and said, "You're coming with me."

"No. It's better for me to get in Uncle Mitchell's car or Grandpa's. That way, I can feed them false information and make you guys get there first." Haley smirked.

Claire was taken aback by Haley's scheme and kissed her forehead. "That's great, honey. I'm counting on you."

Haley and Claire walked upstairs, and I muttered, "I feel used."

Curious about what would happen next, I followed them. Phil, Luke, Claire, and Alex piled into one car and drove off hurriedly. Jay, Manny, and Gloria took their car, with Gloria driving madly, even hitting the neighbor's trashcan as she raced through the streets.

Mitch and Cam had to secure the baby's car seat first, and they were puzzled as to why Haley was following them.

"Why didn't you get in with your parents?" Mitchell asked, eyeing Haley suspiciously.

Haley replied casually, "Mom told me to get in and get information out of you guys."

"NO! You're not getting in!" Cam said immediately as he slid into the driver's seat. "I'm sorry, Haley." Mitchell quickly locked the door before she could open it.

"Oh my god, are you guys really going to leave me?" Haley pretended to be anxious as she pulled at the door handle.

"Sorry, honey! We promise we'll make up for this," Cam said nonchalantly before he reversed the car.

"Cam!" Haley shouted, but Cam drove away hurriedly. After everyone was gone, Haley turned toward me, standing by the door, and flashed a peace sign while sticking her tongue out to celebrate her success.

"Is there a possibility that they can actually get the car?" Haley asked as she walked back to the house.

I checked on the footage and saw that one of my game developers had claimed the last one. "Nah. They can still get 50 dollar gift cards though; if they go there."

Haley grabbed my hand and pulled me inside the house, "Great. We have at least 3 hours before they get back. What do you want to do now?"

Even though she was hinting with her eyes, I had actually made some plans that morning.

"Do you want to go to the haunted mansion with me?" I asked. Haley looked slightly taken aback and replied, "Where?"

"Sorry. Not a haunted mansion—just a mansion. You know, the one I want to buy," I explained. "I couldn't find the owner, so I asked my friends in the NSA for help. They said I can meet the owner today, so I'm going there."

"Oh," Haley exclaimed, her disappointment evident. Then she remembered that I had invited her. "Oh! Okay! Let's go there. I want to see it too."

"Cool." I smiled slightly, and Haley returned the smile, clearly pleased by my expression.

We split into two groups as we drove there: Frankie, Max, Caroline, and my dad in one car, while Maggie, Haley, Vanessa, and I rode in another.

"You guys didn't have to come," I said, glancing at Maggie, who sat next to me in the car. What else could we do? She had called shotgun.

Maggie took out her digital camera from her bag and said, "Hmm, I wonder if I can record any paranormal activity with this."

Vanessa leaned forward, her eyes wide. "This seems like the beginning of a horror movie. Can you just drop me off right here? I want to get out of the car."

Haley laughed and chimed in, "IF this is the beginning of a horror movie, who do you think will die first?"

Maggie thought for a moment and said, "Usually, it's the popular cliques first. So either you or Vanessa."

"What about Edward? He's more popular than us," Vanessa protested. "Let him die first."

I smirked and replied, "Usually, the heartthrob gets saved until the end." Both Vanessa and Haley rolled their eyes at me.

"Not if he's part of the horny couple. They usually die first," Maggie interjected. I nodded, acknowledging her point. "That's true."

"Only the alternate girl, the kind-hearted one, the outsider of the group, will survive. All of us won't make it," Maggie added.

"Maggie, you kind of will survive," I said, turning to her.

"Huh? Me? So I'm kind-hearted?" Maggie asked bashfully.

"No, they'll just think you're one of them when they see you without makeup," I teased.

Maggie shot me a glare while Vanessa and Haley laughed. "We won't stay there until it's dark out, right?" Vanessa asked worriedly.

I fell into disbelief and replied, "It's 12 in the afternoon."

"If it gets dark, I'm going to take the car and leave," Vanessa threatened.

"Relax. We'll have some fun there," I said dismissively. "Put that on your tombstone when you get killed by a headless ghost." Vanessa grimaced.

"I didn't know you were superstitious," Haley said, giggling with Vanessa.

"We're here," Maggie announced as we drove up the hill. "What's the name of the hill again?" she asked.

"It's called Wildflower Hill, but the locals call it 'Whispering Pines.' That's a pretty dope name," I smirked as I navigated the dilapidated road.

"Okay, I need to go back. Turn the car around," Vanessa begged as the trees grew thicker, blocking out more sunlight.

"We can't make a U-turn here. The road is too small. We have to drive all the way up to turn around," I replied casually. "I should make a new road once the process is settled."

Suddenly, a furry figure jumped in front of the car. I slammed on the brakes, jolting the vehicle forward. My dad's car nearly collided with mine, and he yelled from the window, "Edward! What is it?!"

"Don't know! Maybe a dog!" I shouted back, rolling down my window.

We continued on as if nothing had happened, finally arriving in front of the mansion.

The estate featured a stunning façade of dark stone and weathered wood, giving it a gothic yet regal appearance. Towering spires and intricate ironwork adorned the roof, while gargoyles and ornate carvings lined the entrance.

Lush, overgrown gardens surrounded the property, with twisted trees and dense foliage creating an air of mystery. Winding pathways led to hidden nooks, where statues and fountains lay shrouded in shadow.

"Oh my god. This place is giving me the creeps," Maggie exclaimed, taking in the mansion.

"Hmm, we can't get through the front gate," I said, stopping the car in front of the black iron gate. I got out to wait for my contact.

Blackthorn Estate was rumored to be haunted, with whispers of ghostly apparitions and unexplained phenomena. The library, with its towering shelves filled with dusty tomes, was said to be a hotspot for paranormal activity.

"The place looks surprisingly in good shape. You said it was dilapidated," Haley remarked as we got out of the car. Maggie filmed the surrounding area and said, "Ed, if you shoot a horror movie here before you gut it down, it could be really successful."

"You can be the main actress. You just need to stay here for a month," I told Maggie.

"Main character?!" Maggie exclaimed in disbelief. "But it's haunted!" She was distressed and overwhelmed with indecision.

Suddenly, we heard a loud bang coming from inside the manor. We all turned toward the mansion at the same time. After a moment of rattling, the manor grew quiet again.

"We-We-We-We-We—" Vanessa stammered, and I teased her by making police car sounds: "Wee wee wee wee..."

"Shut up!" Vanessa shot back, blushing. "We need to get out of here. Whatever is inside isn't very welcoming to visitors."

Caroline approached me and asked, "Sir, why do you want to buy this place? There are lots of mansions for sale in Bel Air, Beverly Hills, Hollywood... It's not cost-effective to rebuild the entire place."

Max turned to Caroline and asked, "Why are you calling him 'Sir'?"

"Yeah. Just call me Edward." I echoed, equally confused by Caroline's sudden formality.

Caroline wasn't embarrassed and said, "I mean, he is our new boss. As a more experienced person dealing with tremendous wealth—"

"You mean the money your dad scammed from the people?" Max interrupted her to tease.

"Well, I still grew up rich," Caroline replied with a smile. She turned to me and said, "Buying properties in these neighborhoods—Bel Air, Beverly Hills—will be much better than buying this hill. In terms of value alone, you can double what your house is worth in just ten years if you buy it at a strategic location."

"Caroline, shut up," Max whispered to her. "You don't want to get fired on the first day."

My dad and Frankie laughed after hearing Caroline's words. Frankie then said to Caroline, "We already know all of that."

"But Edward is a sucker for a good deal," my dad added.

"Hmm, we should eat first. Casey is running a little late," I said as I opened the car trunk and took out some sandwiches I had prepared. There were also folding chairs in my dad's car, which we set up by the car for a little picnic.

Suddenly, we heard the banging coming from inside the house again. Crows flew out of the mansion's window, causing Vanessa and Haley to get closer to me.

'It seems that my passive skill is working,' I thought secretly. 'So, there is a ghost? Well, there is an elder god using my credit card to shop online, so I guess I shouldn't be startled by it.'

Around 2 in the afternoon, a black van pulled into the estate's driveway. It stopped behind my car before Casey stepped out of the driver's seat.

Without saying much, he walked to the passenger door and opened it. Six people were crammed inside the van, all with bags over their heads and their hands tied with zip ties.

"Move!" Casey told them gruffly.

Startled, I immediately walked over to him. "Casey, what the fuck!? Did you kidnap them?!"

Casey took off the bag from the oldest one of the bunch, introduced him to me, "This is the dad. He's the owner. These are his children. They are leverage ; in case he doesn't want to sign off on the property transfer contract."