The doorbell pulled Alex from sleep.

He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling, his mind sluggish. Morning light filtered through the curtains, soft and pale. The sheets were tangled around his waist, and the remnants of a dreamless sleep clung to him like fog.

The bell rang again.

He exhaled slowly and pushed himself upright.

His body ached pleasantly from yesterday's training. Every muscle had been pushed, tested, broken down and rebuilt.

Pavel hadn't held back... striking with precision, exposing every gap in Alex's defenses, teaching through pain what words couldn't convey. The bruises had already faded... his enhanced regeneration saw to that... but the memory of each hit remained, carved into his instincts.

He grabbed the first thing within reach. A thin cotton shirt, half-unbuttoned, that hung loose on his shoulders and did nothing to hide the sculpted terrain beneath. Sweatpants, low on his hips.

He caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror as he passed.

The man staring back was unrecognizable from the boy who had stumbled out of that ballroom three months ago.

Broader shoulders. Harder lines. Muscles that coiled beneath his skin like sleeping predators. His body had changed twice now... once when the system awakened, and again after his first true cultivation advancement. Even Viktor had noticed during training, his eyes narrowing with quiet assessment.

"Your physical foundation is... unusual," Viktor had said. "Most cultivators at your level don't carry this kind of density. Whatever you're doing, keep doing it."

The bell rang a third time... longer, more insistent.

He walked through the villa, bare feet silent on cool marble, and reached the front gate.

He opened it.

And stopped.

***

The woman standing before him was stunning.

Mid-forties, perhaps, but the years had only sharpened her. Dark hair swept back from a face that balanced elegance with hunger. High cheekbones. Full lips curved in a smile that promised trouble. Eyes that drank him in without apology.

She wore a cream blouse tucked into tailored slacks that traced every curve with deliberate precision. Professional on the surface. Dangerous underneath.

And right now, those eyes weren't on his face.

They were sliding down his chest. Tracing the exposed muscle where his shirt hung open. Lingering on the ridges of his stomach. Drifting lower to where his sweatpants sat low on his hips.

Her lips parted slightly, a sharp intake of breath escaping her, and she didn't even bother to hide it.

​Alex stood motionless, letting the silence stretch, allowing her voyeurism to hang in the air until the tension was palpable.

​Then, deliberately, he cleared his throat.

She blinked. A faint flush crept across her cheeks, but she recovered quickly... too quickly for someone truly embarrassed.

"Hello, Alex." Her voice was warm, smooth, with just a hint of something playful beneath the professionalism. She extended her hand. "I apologize for the early intrusion."

He took her hand. Her grip was firm, her skin soft and cool.

"Hello." He held her gaze. "And you are?"

"Helena." She smiled, the kind of smile that invited trust. "You can call me Helena."

She gestured vaguely toward the neighboring property, Villa Six.

​"I'm the personal assistant to the owner. Mrs. Vivienne Vanderbilt."

Alex kept his expression neutral, but his mind was already working.

Vanderbilt.

He looked at her more closely. The tailored clothes. The effortless poise. The way she carried herself... not like someone who fetched coffee and scheduled meetings, but like someone accustomed to being obeyed.

***

[DECEPTION DETECTED!!! ]

[DOMINION SYSTEM — IDENTITY ANALYSIS]

Subject: Unknown Female

Claimed Identity: Helena (Personal Assistant)

Status: FALSE

TRUE IDENTITY: Vivienne Vanderbilt

Position: CEO, Vanderbilt Media Group

Cultivation: Enhanced Realm (Early Stage)

Threat Level: None.

Note: Subject is impersonating her own assistant. Testing target's reactions and vulnerabilities. Approach with caution.

***

The information crystallized in Alex's mind.

Vivienne Vanderbilt.

Not her assistant. The woman herself.

And a cultivator.

Early Enhanced... same realm as him. Not a threat in direct combat, but dangerous in other ways. The kind of woman who didn't need fists to destroy someone.

She'd walked to his door wearing a mask, playing a role, watching to see how he'd react.

Why?

What are you really after, Vivienne?

He filed the questions away. Right now, the answer didn't matter. What mattered was the game. And she'd just made her opening move.

Alex let none of this show on his face. Instead, he leaned against the doorframe, arms crossing loosely over his chest.

"So, Helena." He let her fake name roll off his tongue like he believed every syllable. "What brings you to my door this early?"

She tilted her head, a slow smile spreading across her lips.

"Why would a pretty lady come to the door of a handsome man?" She said it almost to herself, like she was musing aloud.

Alex raised an eyebrow. "What?"

She laughed softly... a rich, throaty sound.

"You're not even a bit lacking, you know." Her eyes swept over him again, slower this time. Appreciative. "Not one bit."

"Lacking in what?"

"The rumors." She stepped closer, close enough that he could smell her perfume... jasmine and something darker. "We heard we'd gotten a very handsome neighbor. Naturally, I couldn't resist seeing for myself."

​"Oh?" Alex didn't back away. Instead, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to match hers. "And what's the verdict? Does reality match the rumor?"

She was quiet for a moment. Her eyes traced his jawline. His throat. The slice of chest visible through his open shirt.

Then she met his eyes again. Her voice had dropped lower. Intimate. The morning air suddenly felt warmer.

"The reality..." She paused, letting the word hang. "...is far more impressive than anything I imagined."

Her fingers reached out, brushing the edge of his collar, tracing the fabric where it met bare skin.

"This body..." She let the touch linger. "Do you work out? Train? What's your routine. "

Alex caught her wrist gently... firm enough to stop her, soft enough to tease.

"Wouldn't you like to know."

Her eyes flickered with something between surprise and delight.

"I would, actually." She didn't pull away. "Maybe you could... "

She stopped mid-sentence. Something shifted in her expression. A flicker of awareness. She was losing ground and she knew it.

Before he could respond, she stepped forward, pressing her palm flat against his chest and pushing him gently aside.

"You're very rude for someone this handsome, you know that?" She walked past him, heels clicking against the marble as she entered his villa like she owned the place.

"Keeping a lady waiting at the gate without even inviting her in. Didn't anyone teach you manners?"

Alex watched her go, amusement tugging at the corner of his mouth.

He closed the door behind him, a low laugh escaping his throat.

"My apologies." He followed her inside, hands sliding into his pockets. "I don't get many visitors. Especially not ones who show up unannounced and start inspecting me like I'm on display."

She glanced back over her shoulder, smile sharp.

"My boss has been relentless." She sighed dramatically, settling onto the arm of a leather chair like she'd been there a hundred times.

"Ever since she found out someone snatched the villa she wanted, she's been obsessed with knowing who you are."

She rolled her eyes.

"'Find out about him, Helena. Invite him over, Helena. Don't come back empty-handed, Helena.'" She mimicked a demanding tone, waving her hand dismissively. "This is my third time here, you know. You're a very difficult man to catch."

Her expression soured slightly.

"She can be such a bitch sometimes."

Alex stared at her for a beat.

Then he laughed... genuine, unexpected.

'Cursing herself without even realizing the irony.'

She looked at him, eyebrows raised. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." He shook his head, still smiling. "Just... sounds like you have a demanding boss."

"You have no idea." She exhaled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "The woman doesn't take no for an answer. Ever."

'I bet she doesn't.'

Alex moved toward the kitchen, gesturing for her to follow.

"Coffee?"

Her lips curved.

"I thought you'd never ask."

He moved to the kitchen, aware of her gaze following every step. She settled onto one of the leather chairs, crossing her legs with practiced elegance, watching him work.

"So, Alex." Her tone was conversational, light. "Tell me about yourself. How does someone so young end up in a place like this?"

He poured two cups, taking his time.

"Luck, mostly."

"Luck?" She laughed softly. "I don't believe in luck. Not at this level."

"Then let's call it opportunity." He handed her a cup, their fingers brushing briefly. "Right place. Right time. Right people."

"Right people," she echoed, sipping her coffee. "You mean Victoria Blackwood?"

He didn't flinch. "Among others."

Her eyes gleamed with curiosity... sharp, probing. She was fishing. Testing the waters.

He let her.

"And before the luck?" she pressed. "Where did you come from?"

"Nowhere special. Foster system. Scholarship. Blackwood University."

"Blackwood?" Her eyebrows rose. "Really? My niece studies there."

'Here it comes.'

"Oh?" Alex kept his voice casual. "What's her name?"

"Jennifer. Jennifer Vanderbilt." She watched him carefully. "Perhaps you've crossed paths?"

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