The money was real.
$50,000 sat in his account like a ticking bomb. But instead of relief, Danny felt something cold, something wrong—like invisible fingers tracing the back of his neck.
He barely slept that night. And at dawn, Ken's flashy Mercedes rolled up to his dingy apartment.
"Morning, big shot!" Ken grinned, tossing him a set of keys.
"Already? I just—"
"No time to waste, Danny. You've officially been recruited into the real game."
Ken's voice dropped lower, his smile widening unnaturally.
"Welcome to the Fate Exchange. And your next listing?"
He pulled out a sleek black folder marked with a blood-red seal.
🏚 Property: The Grinning House
Address: 77 Blackwood Lane
Commission: $100,000
"Warning: Do not look directly at the smiling faces inside the house for more than 10 seconds."
Danny's throat tightened.
Double the money… but why the warning?
Ken leaned close, voice barely above a whisper.
"Every wall, every mirror, every window inside that house… has faces. Grinning. Watching. The last agent who went in didn't come out smiling, Danny. In fact, he didn't come out at all."
Despite every nerve screaming at him to refuse, Danny found himself gripping the keys tighter.
He'd made one deal. And now… it was too late to stop.
His phone buzzed again.