Victoria’s luxury sedan pulled smoothly through increasingly wealthy neighborhoods, morning light sharpening into late morning as they drove toward the exclusive district where Catherine’s estate waited.
Massive estates began appearing... separated by acres of grounds, surrounded by walls that spoke not of wealth but of power and the necessity to defend it.
Each property was a statent: We belong to a world you cannot enter uninvited.
Alex settled into the passenger seat, eyes on the printed report instead of the passing streets.
This was the security briefing for Victoria’s manor... delivered barely thirty minutes ago... no small feat, considering getting accurate security details on soone tied to House Blackwood bordered on impossible.
Alex paused and glanced into the side mirror.
A black SUV followed at a comfortable distance... silent, unremarkable to anyone else.
Viktor and his team.
Not hovering.
Just there.
A reminder that he wasn’t walking into Thornhaven alone.
He exhaled slowly, his gaze returning to the report again.
Six to eight Early Enhanced.
Four to five Mid Enhanced.
"Impressive," he murmured... not intimidated, just acknowledging reality.
Then his eyes narrowed slightly.
"But manageable."
Not overconfidence.
A calculated assessnt.
Alex continued, the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at his mouth.
Three Peak Enhanced—Adrian Blackwell, Seraphine Vale, Lucan Graves.
Adrian Blackwell wasn’t just the youngest of the three... he was their leader.
A prodigy with the fastest recorded rise to Peak Enhanced in the last decade, rumored to be less than a year away from breaking into the next realm.
Born into the Blackwell lineage, a prestigious vassal family tied to House Blackwood, Adrian carried power the way other n carried entitlent.
Rude. Arrogant. The kind of rich heir who never hid the belief that he was the chosen one in any room.
And unlike the others, he wasn’t assigned to Catherine Blackwood’s security detail... he put himself there.
Under the guise of protection.
In reality?
Everyone knew he was pursuing her.
Romantically and strategically.
A future bet on power. A man who wanted the next head of House Blackwood not as soone to serve... but as soone to stand beside when the world eventually bowed.
Alex’s eyes paused on the paragraph a second longer than necessary.
"...interesting," he murmured, a slow smirk pulling at the corner of his mouth.
Not irritation. Not concern.
Amusent.
So that’s the competition.
A self-appointed guard dog with a crush and a superiority complex.
It’ll be fun watching your face when this falls apart, Alex thought, the smirk deepening.
Victoria glanced over from the driver’s seat, catching the expression.
"What?" she asked. "What did you just read?"
Alex didn’t hide it.
"Adrian Blackwell, You know him?"
Victoria’s brows lifted imdiately.
"Oh him... how could I not?" Victoria scoffed... half laugh, half annoyance.
"The precious heir of the Blackwell family... the highest-ranked vassal under Blackwood, and he never lets anyone forget it."
Her tone sharpened.
"He’s been circling Catherine for years. Strategically planted himself on her security team just to get near her."
She rolled her eyes.
"Don’t be fooled. His intentions aren’t pure. He doesn’t want to protect her... he wants to attach himself to her before succession politics unfold."
A beat.
Then her lips curved, slow and wicked.
"But if he thinks Catherine is going to fall for entitlent wrapped in Peak Enhanced muscle..."
She glanced at Alex, eyes gleaming.
"...he’s about to learn what a real threat looks like."
Three Peaks... manageable, he thought.
If sothing went wrong, it wouldn’t be easy...
but it wasn’t suicide either.
Then his eyes caught a blank space...
not a sentence, but an absence.
No ntion of anything above Peak.
No Apex.
No confirmation.
No denial.
Alex’s grip tightened slightly on the report.
Either Viktor’s team didn’t detect one...
or Thornhaven was hiding sothing powerful enough
that even Apex-level operatives couldn’t confirm it.
The relief in his chest cooled into focus.
If there’s an Apex inside that manor, he thought,
I’m not walking into a eting... I’m walking into a throne room.
"Alex," Victoria said, breaking his thoughts, her voice calm but edged with anticipation,
"We’re two minutes out."
He lifted his gaze just as her car turned onto a private road lined with ancient oaks, their branches weaving together overhead like a natural archway:
Thornhaven Manor.
Alex’s Enhanced perception took in the scale, and even knowing the intelligence reports, even having studied the architectural diagrams and satellite imagery, the reality exceeded every expectation.
Even more beautiful than I imagined, Alex thought, genuine appreciation mixing with tactical assessnt. And more intimidating.
This isn’t wealth on display... this is power that doesn’t need to announce itself because it’s self-evident in every stone, every sight line, every calculated detail.
Victoria’s car approached the main entrance, and imdiately... as if they’d been monitoring the private road... two figures erged from a security station integrated seamlessly into the landscaping.
Both wore dark suits that managed professional appearance without being obvious security uniforms. Both moved with coordination that suggested enhanced reflexes and situational awareness beyond normal human capability.
Alex’s Enhanced perception engaged automatically, analyzing movent patterns, the way they carried themselves, the subtle indicators of realm status that most people would never consciously notice.
Early Enhanced, Alex confird within three seconds of observation. Both of them. Exactly as the intelligence reports indicated.
The confirmation settled sothing in his chest... Viktor’s team had been accurate.
Which ant everything else in their briefing was equally reliable.
Both n straightened the mont the car stopped.
"Welco back, Mrs. Blackwood,"
They saluted Victoria with crisp precision... respect reserved for soone far above their pay grade... then gave Alex a brief, assessing nod. Not dismissive. Not welcoming. Neutral acknowledgnt of soone they had not yet classified.
One security officer gestured smoothly toward a parking area to the left of the main entrance, guiding Victoria’s vehicle with professional efficiency.
The other maintained position at the entrance checkpoint, his attention tracking their car with alertness that never quite crossed into obvious suspicion but missed nothing.
They’re good, Alex noted. Not just Enhanced realm... professionally trained with years of experience. They know exactly what they’re doing.
Victoria parked smoothly in the designated area, and as they exited the vehicle, a third figure approached from the main entrance.
This one was imdiately different.
Late thirties, dressed in a formal suit—not standard security attire—moving with the kind of steady, unhurried confidence that ca from authority, not muscle.
His posture didn’t say assigned here.
It said this place belongs to .
Victoria’s elbow brushed Alex’s arm—subtle, but intentional.
"Adrian Blackwell," she murmured.
Alex looked at him again.
The System didn’t even need a full second.
Peak Enhanced Realm.
Much stronger than the others. And close... too close... to breaking through.
The kind of man who didn’t just guard a fortress.
He expected to inherit it.
And as he neared, his posture shifted into a slight bow... respectful but not subservient, precisely calibrated... directed specifically toward Victoria.
"Mrs. Blackwood," He said, his voice carrying cultured professionalism with undertone of authority. "Welco to Thornhaven Manor. Miss Catherine is waiting for you."
Victoria nodded acknowledgnt, as Adrian straightened from his bow.
Then his attention shifted... briefly, professionally... to Alex, and his gaze carried assessnt that spoke of years evaluating potential threats.
He acknowledged Alex without interest, not even bothering to inquire who this unknown man was.
"Miss Catherine requests that you join her imdiately," He continued, still addressing Victoria. His tone remained respectful, but there was clear instruction beneath the courtesy.
"She wishes to speak with you first."
He paused, and his next words were delivered with careful precision:
"She specifically requests your presence alone for the mont."
Victoria’s expression flickered... surprise quickly masked by professional composure, though Alex caught the micro-expression with his Enhanced perception.
She wasn’t expecting that, Alex noted. Which ans this is Catherine’s decision, not sothing Victoria and Catherine discussed beforehand.
"Of course," Victoria said smoothly after barely perceptible hesitation. She glanced at Alex, and sothing apologetic entered her expression. "Would you mind waiting just a few minutes? I’ll co back for you shortly."
"No problem," Alex replied, keeping his voice casual despite the tactical recalculation his Enhanced mind was already performing at superhuman speed.
Catherine wants Victoria alone first. Why? To verify my credentials without present? To get Victoria’s honest assessnt where I can’t hear? To establish control by dictating eting terms from the very start? To test how I handle being made to wait?
Probably all of the above. This is exactly how soone politically sophisticated operates... gather information first, control the environnt completely, never let unknown elents dictate any terms whatsoever.
Victoria followed the security officer toward the main entrance, her posture confident despite the unexpected separation, and within monts they’d disappeared through the massive oak doors.
Leaving Alex standing alone in the parking area.
With the third person... Adrian... still positioned between him and the entrance with professional precision.
Not blocking access overtly. Not threatening in posture or deanor. Just... present. Watchful. Positioned exactly where he could observe Alex while maintaining control of the approach to the entrance.
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