The supercharger of the Shelby screamed as Alexander tore down the main avenue, weaving through the morning traffic with lethal precision. He felt incredible. The blue recovery fluid Stephen had given him was working with a terrifying efficiency—perhaps a bit too useful—leaving a subtle, crackling fire deep inside his veins. The only thing that seemed to cool the burning sensation was the raw, heavy rush of adrenaline from pushing the muscle car to its limits.

He pulled up to the glittering glass facade of the financial district’s most exclusive residential tower. Standing near the private valet entrance was Vanessa. She looked stunning, wearing a form-fitting designer dress that explicitly accentuated her dangerous curves, her lips curved into that same playful, seductive smile he had heard over the phone.

"Timely and handsome" said Vanessa, her voice a purring melody as she stepped into the private elevator with him. "My favorite combination."

She took him straight to an apartment positioned perfectly in the middle section of the massive structure. As Alexander stepped inside, his tactical mind began scanning the layout. The placement was brilliant; being nestled squarely in the center of the tower meant he had concrete floors above and below him, offering optimal structural cover and cutting off any easy angles for a sniper or a coordinated ambush.

"How much for the year?" asked Alexander, his deep voice cutting through the quiet luxury of the empty penthouse.

"One point two million for the annual lease, upfront" said Vanessa, leaning her hips casually against the marble kitchen island as she flashed him a dazzling, high-stakes smile.

Alexander’s expression remained an unreadable mask, but internally, he froze in sheer shock. One point two million. He glanced down toward his jacket pocket where the $60,000 stash was sitting. He had honestly thought his neat little stacks of cash would be more than enough for a down payment, but it was painfully clear he hadn’t fully understood the financial rules of the major leagues yet.

However, this was the exclusive contact Marcus had personally vetted. He had to trust the network.

"Fine" said Alexander, his voice flat, hiding his internal recalculation. "I have the full cash amount stored at another secure location. When exactly do you need me to hand it over?"

"You can bring it to me whenever you like, handsome" said Vanessa, sliding a heavy, modern set of electronic keys across the marble counter toward him. "The apartment is furnished, stocked, and ready for you. Here are the keys."

Alexander didn’t touch them right away. He stared at the keycard, his dark eyes narrowing slightly as he looked back up at her.

"Just like that?" asked Alexander, his tone carrying a hard, cautious edge. "You aren’t even slightly worried that I might just back out of the deal?"

"You mean... worried that you won’t pay?" asked Vanessa, a low, genuinely amused chuckle escaping her lips as she leaned in a bit closer, her eyes flashing with a sharp, dangerous spark.

"Hahaha, sweetie, if you decided to run off without paying, I don’t think even Reaper himself could save you from my boss" said Vanessa, her voice dropping to a sweet, thoroughly chilling whisper. "He can be... a little irrational when it comes to bad debts."

Vanessa grabbed her designer clutch from the counter and walked toward the private elevator without a single backward glance, the heavy click of her stiletto heels echoing through the spacious penthouse. For a woman like her, this was nothing more than another mundane, routine transaction.

She didn’t need to flash her body or use her sex appeal to win over a client; her roster was already overflowing with high-profile elites. Alexander had no idea, but if Marcus hadn’t personally given him that restricted, unlisted phone number, Vanessa wouldn’t have even bothered to glance at his text messages. A regular billionaire could have dropped ten million dollars in cold cash right at her feet, and she wouldn’t have so much as blinked.

In her tax bracket and within the hidden upper echelons, raw paper currency didn’t mean a damn thing. They were operating on a level of exclusivity where power and elite clearance were the only true metrics of wealth.

Alexander reached down and picked up the heavy electronic keycard from the marble counter. He slipped it into his leather jacket pocket, pulled out his phone, and immediately dialed Marcus’s secure line.

"Hey" said Alexander, his deep voice carrying a hard, demanding edge the second the line connected. "This Vanessa you put me in touch with... is she dangerous?"

A loud, gravelly chuckle echoed through the phone’s receiver.

"What, did she catch your eye?" said Marcus, his tone dripping with a knowing amusement. "She’s got a delicious ass, right? I’ve wanted to fuck her for years, but she’s in a different league, kid. Not necessarily her, but her boss. They call him Big Black. I don’t know if it’s because he’s packing a massive dick or just because he’s black, but the guy is a legend in this city. Anywhere that monster shows up, problems just seem to vanish. Trust me, you do not want to try anything funny around her. It’ll cost you your head before you even realize you’re bleeding."

"I get it" said Alexander, his jaw tightening as he looked out the floor-to-ceiling windows of the secure penthouse. "I won’t try anything with her. She just seemed a bit mysterious, like this whole thing was a massive chore to her. I’m about to give her over a million bucks for this apartment, I expected at least a thank you."

A sharp silence hung on the other end of the line for a second before Marcus spoke up.

"Hahaha, how much did you say?" said Marcus, his tone shifting from amusement to sudden disbelief. "A million?"

"One point two, to be exact" said Alexander, his deep voice perfectly calm. 𝒻𝑟𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝑛𝘰𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝘤𝘰𝘮

"One point two..." muttered Marcus, the sound of papers rustling through the speaker. "Where the hell are you right now?"

"The Star Crystal building in the financial district on 6th avenue" said Alexander.

"ONE POINT TWO IN THAT PLACE..!!" shouted Marcus, his voice exploding through the receiver. "Shit, I fucking hate you, kid! Every single day I swear you either have too much damn luck or your dick tastes like chocolate. How the hell do you keep getting such insane deals when I’m clearly way better looking than you?!"