Fortunately, my banged-up car took me to Springwood Town without stopping in between. I caused more than a few heads to turn when they saw the state of my car.

I found the nearest hospital on the map and stopped in front of it. Everyone in front of me cleared the way when they saw a man coming with dried blood on his head and shirt.

At the reception, the nurse hurried me inside and called a doctor urgently. I explained to the doctor about my accident. The doctor patched up the wound with bandages. Since the system healed me mostly, there was no need for stitches.

The doctor did a few other tests to confirm there were no other injuries. After making sure that I would not drop dead in the middle of the road I got the green signal to leave the hospital.

It was already evening by the time I arrived at the villa. I informed Tim and Alicia when I reached the hospital so they had an idea about how long it would take me to arrive.

A truck and a car were standing in the parking of the villa. A few burly men were standing together with a tall woman with sharp features. They were Tim and his crew with Alicia. When I was about to reach the villa I informed them, so they most likely came out to greet me.

"Mr. Dante, glad to see you're okay," Alicia greeted with genuine concern as I got out of my broken car. Tim and his men looked at my car with widened eyes wondering how such a scrap even moved.

"Yes, thank you. Sorry for the delay," I replied, shaking her hand.

“You should have stayed in the hospital for a day. There was no hurry, we could have done the handover tomorrow,” Alicia said.

“The doctor gave me the green signal after thoroughly checking my body, so I left,” I replied smiling.

“Hey Tim, sorry for making you and your crew wait the whole day for me,” I said to the burly man standing in front of his crew.

“No problem, Mr. Dante. We have unloaded and put all your stuff in one of the empty rooms,” Tim informed.

“Thanks, Tim,” I said and then paid him the money he owed me.

He looked with a confused face as he saw me counting the money when I gave it to him. And the money that I counted was much higher than the agreed amount.

“Take it, consider it my compensation for your wasted time,” I said with a smile.

He hesitatingly accepted the money. His smile increased as he counted the money. After counting, he showed me an excited and questioning face.

I nodded and he happily accepted the money.

“Mr Dante, if you need our service again, please feel free to call us again,” Tim promised excitedly and got in his truck with his crew.

After Tim left with his crew, I focused my attention back on the agent, Alicia.

I or precisely the original Dante had done a tour of the villa. But I decided to do it again just to refresh my memories.

The villa was spacious, with high ceilings and large windows that let in plenty of natural light. The living room had a grand fireplace, and the kitchen was equipped with modern appliances. Upstairs, the bedrooms were cozy, each with its unique charm. The master bedroom, in particular, had a stunning view of the garden. There was a massive backyard with a pool.

After the tour, we completed the formalities of the handover.

“Congratulations, Mr. Dante and welcome to Springwood town,” Alicia said.

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“Thanks. Alicia. And please accept it for all your troubles today,” I said and handed her the same amount of money she would earn as a commission for selling this villa.

Alicia looked shocked but as a professional who needs to keep her face straight, she quickly schooled her expression.

“Thanks, Mr. Dante. If you ever want to purchase more real estate, please give me a call, and I will show you the best deals,” Alicia thanked with a straight face but no matter how she tried, the excitement still leaked from her face. After saying her goodbyes, Alicia drove off.

Left alone in my new home, I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me. The events of the past day had taken their toll. I headed to the master bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, and drifted into a much-needed sleep.

The next day, I woke up refreshed. After freshening up, I decided to explore the town.

Springwood was quaint, with a charm that big cities often lacked. As I walked around, I checked out local landmarks—a small park, the town hall, and a picturesque church. The town was too big and was impossible to cover on foot in a few hours.

Many places had posters of missing persons, which cast a shadow over the otherwise idyllic setting. Among them, the fliers of three girls looked the newest.

Feeling hungry because of not eating anything since yesterday, I ignored the posters and looked around for a place to eat.

I made my way to a nearby diner. The diner was a cozy place, filled with the delicious aroma of fresh coffee and cooked food. A cute waitress named Amelia greeted me with a bright smile.

"Welcome! Have a seat anywhere you like," she said cheerfully.

I chose a booth by the window. Amelia came over to take my order, and we struck up a conversation.

"Are you new here? I haven’t seen you previously" she asked.

"Yes, I just moved here. I'm Dante Wraith, a private investigator."

Amelia’s eyes widened with curiosity. "Really? That's interesting. We don't have many PIs around here."

I laughed seeing her expression, “Well, now if you need the services of a PI, you know where to find one.”

“Then I will take you up on your offer,” Amelia said with a smile. “So, what do you want to order?”

“I am very hungry, bring whatever is the best and can be cooked quickly,” I answered.

“Sure, coming right up,” Amelia wrote something in her little book and left.

As I was waiting for my food, a woman who had been listening to my conversation with Amelia stood up from her seat. Though I wasn't particularly hiding anything, it was clear she had heard everything. She approached me and asked, “Can I sit here?”

“Sure, please sit,” I agreed without much hesitation.

She looked like she was in her late twenties and had maintained herself. She looked like she regularly exercised. Her blonde hair was straight and reached her upper back. She wore a stylish sweater and jeans. Even without touching, I could tell that those were some expensive threads.

“Hi, I am June. I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation with Amelia,” June introduced herself.

“Hi June, I am Dante. Yes, you heard right, I am a private investigator,” I said. I had a feeling that I was about to get my first case.

We had a small chat over breakfast. She introduced me to the town and I told her about myself. She looked skeptical after hearing about my track record, but there was nothing I could do about that. And lying would not do any good, as once found, it would only discredit my reputation.

“Thanks, June, it was nice talking to you. Hope to see you soon. This is my card, call me if you ever need my services,” I said and got up from my seat after we were done eating.

“Drake, please wait,” June said suddenly as I turned around and moved towards the exit.

I smirked and turned back around. “Please sit,” she invited me to return to my seat.

Despite knowing what she wanted I showed a curious look and went back to my seat.

As I sat back, June stayed silent. I also didn’t force her to say anything. After a minute when she looked like she had made a decision.

“I have a job for you,” June said in a lowered voice.

I didn’t say anything, letting her continue.

“I want you to check if my husband is cheating,” she continued.

Without giving me any chance to respond, she hurriedly added, “I know he is not, I just want you to confirm it.” The way she said it, it sounded more like she was trying to convince herself.”

“No problem, June. I will find it for you,” I agreed with a professional smile.

We discussed the details, and I took more information about her and her husband. She seemed indecisive about hiring me but answered my questions nonetheless.

“I will quickly find out whether your husband is having an affair or not,” I said after we were done discussing the details.

June nodded, looking a bit absent-minded.

I left the diner, happy to have my first case, especially since it was a step up from finding lost pets.