You see, dear reader, Donald had tasted the intoxicating elixir of property conquest. Like a man possessed, he embarked on a frenzy of acquisitions, fuelled by his ambition to outdo the rest. Even the best buyer’s advocates Melbourne had ever seen would not be able to compare to his dominance.
There were no barriers too high, no competitor too formidable for our protagonist. He bought, he battled, he bulldozed his way through Elsternwick and Oakleigh. “I’m here for a monopoly, not a hobby,” he’d declare with unabashed pride. Indeed, with Dona acting as his dedicated buyer’s agent for Elsternwick real estate, Donald’s empire expanded, his victories multiplied, and his smile grew wider.
Yet, dear reader, as the saying goes, every action has an equal and opposite reaction. While Donald revelled in his empire-building, the cracks in the societal fabric began to widen. Neighbourhoods that once bustled with a harmonious blend of old and new, of tradition and modernity, gradually transformed into soulless ghosts of their former selves.
In the playgrounds where children once roamed free, echoes of laughter were replaced by the soulless hum of construction equipment. Tight-knit communities, once warm and welcoming, splintered under the weight of Donald’s relentless buying spree. Perhaps it would have been wise to rent these properties out, but Donald was not a wise man, and he did not need the money. The elderly were pushed out, the young couldn’t afford to move in, and those in the middle struggled under the crushing weight of skyrocketing rents in properties he had yet to purchase and disappearing homes.
And as the game of Capitalism wore on, a new set of players entered the fray: other moguls, each harbouring dreams of empire and eyes gleaming with avarice. They came armed with their trump cards, ready for the battle of the beasts. And yet, none could outplay Donald, his ruthlessness, his audacity, and his uncanny knack for turning the tables on his competitors.
There were duels, my dear reader, and oh, they were battles of epic proportions. Entire blocks were wagered, and at the end of each round, Donald stood victorious, a growing stack of property deeds clutched triumphantly in his hand.
But amid this spiralling game of acquisition and greed, the ordinary people bore the brunt. As Donald’s empire bloomed, the city’s spirit wilted, and the consequences of his actions started casting long, dark shadows over the city that was slowly being choked by his insatiable ambition. But don’t lose heart, dear reader. The tale is yet to unfold completely.