The master bedroom was bathed in soft golden light as morning sun filtered through floor-to-ceiling windows.

Expensive curtains... cream silk with subtle damask patterns... had been left partially open, allowing natural light to paint the room in warm hues.

A king-sized bed with Egyptian cotton sheets that cost more than most people's monthly rent.

Two figures lay tangled in those expensive sheets, breathing soft and even in the peaceful silence of early morning.

Alex stirred first.

His Enhanced senses registered consciousness gradually... the warmth of sunlight on his face, the feel of thousand-thread-count sheets against his skin, the faint scent of Victoria's perfume mixed with something more intimate, more human.

His eyes opened slowly, adjusting to the light with Enhanced precision that made the transition from sleep to waking feel almost seamless.

For a moment, he just lay there, staring at the ceiling, his mind still processing everything that had happened.

Last night was insane.

The thought drifted through his consciousness with a mixture of disbelief and something like awe.

Lilith had manifested.

Actually appeared... not metaphorically, but visibly, shimmering in that half-physical, translucent form that bent the light around her.

And Alex had introduced her to Victoria.

Introduced his system, his guide, his supernatural reality…

everything he'd been hiding, everything anyone else would've called impossible.

He'd shown Victoria the glowing screens, the quantified stats, the mission logs, the relationship mechanics... things that should've made any normal person panic, question his sanity, or run far, far away.

And Victoria...

Victoria had looked at all of it... the seduction missions, the partner rankings, the strategic networking disguised as relationship building... and her response had been:

"Let's do it together."

Not horror. Not moral outrage. Not jealousy disguised as concern.

Just pure, strategic excitement.

He exhaled slowly, almost a laugh under his breath.

That conversation.

Victoria's conviction.

Her trust.

Her insane, brilliant suggestion.

The intensity that followed... emotional, strategic, physical... all blending into something he still wasn't sure he fully understood.

He turned his head slightly, his Enhanced perception taking in every detail of the woman sleeping beside him.

Victoria lay on her side, facing him, one hand tucked under the pillow, dark hair spilled across white silk like ink on snow. Her expression was peaceful in a way he rarely saw... the CEO mask completely gone, replaced by something softer, more vulnerable.

She looked younger like this. The lines of stress and calculation that usually marked her features had smoothed away in sleep, leaving behind something that reminded him she was human beneath all that brilliant, terrifying competence.

'She suggested Catherine,' Alex thought, still processing the magnitude of that conversation. 'She actively suggested I pursue her bestfriend. Someone she respects. Someone positioned to potentially lead House Blackwood.'

It wasn't like the thought had never crossed his mind.

Catherine Blackwood. Brilliant, powerful, positioned at the highest levels of hidden world politics. Of course he'd considered her as a potential... what? Target? That word felt wrong, but he didn't have a better one.

But his original plan had been cautious. Deliberate. Wait for a natural meeting, assess the situation, feel out possibilities before committing to any course of action.

Let circumstances guide strategy rather than forcing outcomes.

Victoria had taken that careful, reactive approach and set it on fire.

She'd laid out Catherine's value with ruthless clarity... competence, position, respect, future potential as head of House Blackwood.

She'd painted a picture of what that connection could mean... influence, access, protection, information, leverage, opportunities, power.

And then, with absolute confidence, she'd offered to facilitate the entire thing.

"Getting close to Catherine won't be the hard part. Presenting you in the right light... that will be the art. And fortunately for you, Alex, there's no one more qualified than me to do exactly that."

Alex felt something tighten in his chest... not anxiety exactly, but awareness of how wild Victoria's suggestion actually was.

She was planning his seduction of another woman. Not just tolerating it, not just accepting it as necessary evil... actively planning it like she'd plan a corporate acquisition. Strategic, deliberate, calculated for maximum return on investment.

And somehow, Alex thought, that makes me love her more.

The realization settled over him with surprising warmth.

Most women would have seen the system's harem mechanics and run screaming. Or tried to change him. Or demanded he stop using that particular progression path.

Victoria had looked at it and seen opportunity.

Had recognized that his unusual advancement method could be leveraged for mutual benefit. Had positioned herself not as obstacle or victim but as strategic partner.

She really is incredible.

Victoria stirred slightly, her hand shifting under the pillow, but didn't wake. Alex watched her for another moment, then carefully extracted himself from the sheets without disturbing her.

His Enhanced body moved with silent precision as he stood, stretching muscles that responded with perfect efficiency. The morning light caught his physique... Body 30 evident in every line and contour... and he caught his reflection in the full-length mirror across the room.

'Three months ago, I was broken,' he thought, studying the man staring back at him. 'Now I'm Enhanced Realm with a billionaire CEO planning my conquest of potential Sacred House heirs.'

The absurdity of it should have been overwhelming. Instead, it just felt like... progress.

He moved to the window, looking out at the city spread below.

His penthouse offered views most people would never experience... the kind of perspective that came with wealth and success he'd never imagined having.

Alright, Alex thought, his Mind 30 already organizing priorities with Enhanced clarity. What's the actual plan here?

Catherine Blackwood. Future potential head of House Blackwood. Someone Victoria would facilitate an introduction with, position him to make the right impression, create opportunities for genuine connection.

It was wild. Audacious. The kind of strategic move that could reshape everything if it worked.

And with Victoria's help, Alex was beginning to believe it could actually work.

But first, before he started thinking about Catherine, about Sacred House politics, about future power plays...

He had other assets to check on.

Viktor and his team.

Alex's mind shifted gears, tactical thinking engaging. He'd invested ten thousand CP in Viktor's survival. Had provided them with this villa, resources, safety. Had earned their loyalty through grace in their darkest moment.

And according to Lilith, Viktor had broken through to Apex Realm. One full realm above Alex's current Enhanced status. An exponential increase in the value of that investment.

'I need to see them,' Alex decided. 'Need to assess their current status, understand what they're capable of now, ensure they're ready if I need them.'

Because if he was going to start moving in Sacred House circles... if he was going to pursue Catherine Blackwood, position himself among the hidden world's elite... he needed to know exactly what assets he had available.

Viktor's team represented military capability. Experience. Skills honed over fifteen years of elite operations for House Blackthorne. And now, with Viktor at Apex Realm, they represented genuine power that could hold its own against threats Alex couldn't handle alone.

Especially if things get complicated with Catherine, Alex thought. Or if Blackthorne ever tracks them here. Or if any of a dozen other potential complications arise.

He'd been reactive for too long. Responding to opportunities as they came rather than deliberately building toward specific goals. Victoria was right about that... he needed to be more strategic, more proactive.

Which meant ensuring his existing assets were operational and ready.

His Enhanced mind mapped out the morning with tactical precision:

Lets visit Viktor and his team. Check on their status. See Viktor's Apex transformation firsthand. Discuss their readiness and what they'd been doing since recovery.

He paused at the bedroom door, looking back one more time at Victoria sleeping in his bed, morning light painting her in gold.

And he stepped out of the bedroom and closed the door softly behind him, leaving Victoria to her peaceful sleep while he went to check on the first piece of his growing empire.

***

Forty-five minutes later, Alex sat in his car outside Villa 3, engine idling, phone in hand.

He'd already called ahead... a brief conversation with Damien confirming he'd be visiting around ten. The response had been immediate, warm, almost eager.

"We'll be ready, Mr. Hale. We've been hoping you'd come."

Now, sitting here looking at the elegant three-story estate he'd purchased for them, Alex felt that familiar mix of anticipation and uncertainty.

He'd given them everything they needed to survive. Safety, resources, a place to rebuild. And according to Lilith, Viktor had transcended to Apex Realm in the process.

'What exactly am I walking into?' Alex wondered.

His phone buzzed. A text from Victoria, apparently awake:

"Good luck with your team. Call me after. We have Catherine strategy to discuss. xo"

Alex smiled despite his nerves. Even fresh from sleep, Victoria was already thinking strategically.

He typed back quickly:

"Will do. Thank you for last night. For everything."

Her response came almost immediately:

"Thank YOU. This is going to be fun. Now go check on your Apex practitioner. Make sure he's ready to protect you if Catherine's family gets difficult. ;)"

The winky face made Alex laugh. Only Victoria would joke about needing bodyguards for a potential romantic pursuit.

But she wasn't entirely wrong, was she? If things got complicated with Catherine, if her family disapproved, if Blackwood politics turned dangerous...

Having an Apex practitioner and four Enhanced operatives loyal to him would be more than just useful. It would be essential.

Alright, Alex thought, pocketing his phone and opening the car door. 'Time to see what I'm really working with.'

The moment his foot touched the driveway, his Enhanced perception registered it... that subtle shift in air pressure that meant he was being watched.

Security. Professional. They knew I was coming the moment I passed the gate.

Alex straightened his jacket... charcoal grey, well-fitted, expensive but not ostentatious... and walked toward the entrance with deliberate confidence.

The front door opened before he reached it.

And Dimitri stood there... steady, calm, and completely composed... radiating the kind of presence that came from a man who'd finally stepped out of fear and into safety again.

"Mr. Hale," Dimitri said, his deep voice carrying genuine warmth. "Welcome."

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