"You looking for a beating?" Xavier lifted his eyes, glaring darkly at him.
The young man shivered and quickly sat down properly on the sofa. "Everything you asked for is done! We should be getting results by tomorrow."
"You confident?"
"Come on! Don't you know how capable I am?" The young man thumped his chest with pride. "I'm Falcon, the top hacker in Vernon! There's no system in this world I can't break into. Just wait and see!"
"Hmm." Xavier nodded, then pointed to the door. "You can go now."
But Falcon didn't move. "Boss, we haven't seen each other in forever! As your top employee and key team member, shouldn't you have a nice long chat with me to boost morale? Otherwise, I might get some evil ideas about jumping ship."
As he spoke, he kept stealing glances toward the bedroom.
"There's no need to chat. I'm confident there's no company in the world that can offer better benefits than mine. Besides, we signed a contract. For life, you work for me. You're not going anywhere else."
"Tch! And you say that with a straight face!" Falcon pulled a dramatic face and grumbled. "Back then, when I was young and naive, you tricked me into signing that contract with your pretty face. And now, you've clearly fallen for someone new and forgotten all about me!"
Xavier waved his hand impatiently. "Get lost! I don't have time for your drama."
"No time for me? Then what are you so busy with?"
"You're a grown man, why are you nosier than a bunch of gossiping aunties? I should find a woman for you."
"A woman?" Falcon looked horrified. "No thanks! Women are way too much trouble!"
"This one's perfect for you. Are you sure you don't want to meet her?"
"Oh? Who is she?"
"She's an old classmate from high school. Back then, she was the queen of gossip! With your talent for poking into other people's business, you two would be a match made in heaven. You could even compete to see who's nosier."
"Uh..."
A few kilometers away, in her rented apartment,Vega suddenly sneezed several times in quick succession.
Rubbing her nose, she mumbled, "What is going on? First, Serena ditches me, and now I'm sneezing like crazy. This day's been a mess! Guess I'll have to go confess tomorrow-looks like I'm in for some bad luck."
After being chased out several times to no effect, Xavier crossed his arms in resignation. "What's it gonna take to get you out of here?"
Falcon grinned. "I'm just too curious. Who's this mysterious woman you're hiding that actually got the great Xavier Blaze to bloom like a cactus after a thousand years?"
"Save your curiosity for your work. Aren't you afraid knowing too much might get you silenced?"
"Heh, I'm way too adorable. You couldn't possibly lay a hand on me!"
Xavier was almost out of patience. He glanced at the clock. Falcon had already been loitering for twenty minutes. If he stayed any longer, the food would get cold.
He couldn't let Serena eat cold food!
With that thought, he sprang to his feet, grabbed Falcon by the arm, and started dragging him to the door.
"Hey, hey! Boss, what are you doing?! That hurts!" Falcon struggled and shouted as he was dragged.
They tussled all the way to the entrance.
Just as Xavier was about to open the door and toss him out, a soft, sleepy voice came from behind them. "What are you two doing?"
Falcon quickly turned his head.
Serena was still wearing Xavier's shirt. Her pale legs peeked out beneath the hem, dazzling the eyes. Her hair was draped loosely over her shoulders, and her big eyes shimmered with sleepiness.
She looked half-awake, her beauty and sensuality impossible to describe.
Falcon was dumbstruck, unable to look away.
Xavier quickly covered his eyes and growled a warning in his ear. "Look one more time, and I'll gouge your eyes out and feed them to a dog."
Falcon, undeterred, tried to pry his hand away. "Boss, this girl's top-tier! She's quality!"
"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Xavier looked ready to kill him. "She's my wife! One more word out of line, and you won't live to see the sun tomorrow!"
"Wife?!" Falcon's jaw dropped. "She... she's not the childhood sweetheart you've been in love with for twenty years, is she?!"
"You know quite a lot."
"Just rumors on the street."
"Oh?" Xavier lowered his voice. "And what exactly are people saying?"
"They say there's a woman you've been chasing for twenty years, and she's never said yes." Falcon chuckled nervously. "But with your looks and fortune, no woman could possibly resist you! So obviously that rumor's fake-I never believed it."
"Most rumors are baseless. But some... occasionally... are true."
"Uh?! What do you mean by that?!"
Falcon blinked, his worldview starting to crack.
But Xavier had no intention of explaining. He grabbed him by the collar, yanked open the door, and kicked him out.
Before slamming the door, he held up a finger to his lips in a 'shh' gesture.
Then, as Falcon stood stunned outside, the door shut firmly in his face.
Still dazed, Serena pointed toward the now-closed door. "Who... was that?"
"Delivery guy. Just brought the food," Xavier said casually.
Then he strode to the table. "Come on, Serena. I ordered Mediterranean Chicken Soup-perfect for restoring your energy!"
"I'm fine. I don't need to recover. You eat more."
She said it casually, but then realized what she'd just implied.
She quickly glanced up at him.
Xavier sat down at the table, smiling as he opened each takeout container, voice light as a breeze. "I don't need it. But if you don't believe me, I can prove it to you right now."
"Uhh..." Serena shivered.
Her whole body still ached. She didn't have the strength for another round. If he went at her again, she might not make it out alive.
"I... I believe you. I'll just eat, okay?!"
***