¹Mσɳ Aɱσɳ Cαɾα I ᴘᴇʀᴄʏ ᴊᴀᴄᴋꜱᴏɴ

17. That odd familiarity + Asteria finds a new hobby

♡ Percy knew that Asteria was rich but this was just...unbelievable.

He stood beside his mother and Paul in front of a building.

An eight-story building. In Tribeca.

Asteria had called him yesterday and told him that she had finally found a place. Much to his displeasure.

"She said she bought a loft, right?" Paul asked.

"Uh huh," Percy said.

"She meant a singular loft, right?" Sally questioned.

"I think so," Percy answered, but he didn't sound too sure.

"She didn't mean the whole building, right?"

Percy looks at his mother. "No. Asteria? No."

"The address she sent us is of the building," Paul said.

Percy shook his head. "Asteria is rich but she's not - No. It's just one loft."

Surely not.

An eight-story building in Tribeca was... Percy, Sally and Paul couldn't even put a number to it.

"Why are you guys standing outside?" Asteria said after coming out of the building. She looked at the trio and then back at the building. "Come on, I want to show you guys around."

The trio nodded slowly and followed her.

Asteria didn't buy the whole building.

Right?

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

Asteria had bought the whole building.

The trio currently stood in the penthouse of the building, staring at Asteria in shock.

"I - I'm sorry," Paul stammered. "You said the whole building?"

"Yes," Asteria nodded.

"You bought the whole building?" Sally asked. "All of it?"

"Mhm," Asteria said. "It wasn't as much as I originally anticipated, although, I must say, I tend to be an excellent negotiator."

Sally, Paul and Percy looked at each other.

They were standing in Asteria's eight-story building in Tribeca.

"You said she bought an apartment, not a building!" Paul said to Percy.

"That's what she told me!" Percy defended. "I didn't think she meant a whole complex!"

"Asteria," Sally said slowly. "My dear, do you know how much goes into building operations? You can't just buy it."

"I know," Asteria said. "Living conditions, health and safety laws, possible rent increases or decreases, notices, water and plumbing, and electricity regulations all need to be regularly monitored and checked by the landlord, which in this case is me. I read up on all of it after I left the hunt."

Percy turned to Asteria.

"You left the hunt two weeks ago!"

"Yes," Asteria's eyebrows furrowed. "I don't understand, what's wrong?"

"W-What's wrong?" Percy said. He spun in a circle and took a step forward. "You bought a building!"

"That's correct," Asteria said "My family inheritance won't run out for at least another four generations but now that I'm not immortal and will be actively using the inheritance I would like to have money coming in, just in case. Does that make sense?"