Lumian walked down the street toward the gym, he was filled with excitement. Michael, alias Voltstrike, had not only revealed his identity but had also placed his full trust in Lumian, it was just what he wanted. It was the moment Lumian had been meticulously crafting, the moment where everything aligned.
But for his plans to succeed, Michael wasn't the only piece to be manipulated. Angela was the key. The cracks in her resolve had begun to show, and Lumian needed to widen them until she was utterly broken.
He entered the gym, his footsteps echoing softly in the stillness. The scent of sweat and disinfectant filled the air. Just as he reached for the check-in counter, a sharp voice called out.
"YOU!"
Lumian turned slowly, already recognizing the voice. Standing behind the counter was the woman he had encountered the first time he was at the gym—the buff receptionist who had been hostile from the start. He'd assumed she'd been fired after his earlier encounter.
"Oh, you're back," he said in an indifferent tone, scanning his ID card.
Her eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't act innocent. I don't know what you did to me the last time, but I'll find out."
Lumian raised an eyebrow, his expression unbothered. "I don't know what you're talking about, but I hope it works out for you."
The receptionist leaned forward, her muscular arms crossed over her chest. "I've got my eyes on you. I'll be watching you closely, Lumian."
He offered her a shrug and walked away without another word, making his way toward the yoga studio.
The studio was lively as always, filled with the chatter of women stretching and preparing for the session. Most of them were pregnant, some just beginning to show while others looked ready to give birth any day. A few non-pregnant women were sprinkled throughout, chatting idly.
Lumian scanned the room quickly. He noted the absence of Borne and the woman he'd "harassed" before. Not that it mattered. His eyes quickly landed on Angela.
Her composure faltered the moment she saw him. She stumbled out of a pose, her hands fumbling to regain balance.
Lumian flashed her his most innocent smile and calmly spread out his mat. He joined the warm-up, his movements fluid and deliberate.
The class proceeded without interruption, but Angela's focus wavered. She glanced at Lumian far too often, her mind clearly elsewhere. Every time their eyes met, Lumian smiled, and Angela's face flushed deeper each time.
The session eventually ended, and the women began filing out, some chatting in groups while others headed straight for the exit. Angela approached Lumian, concern was written across her face.
"How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice soft. "I didn't expect to see you back so soon after… what happened."
Lumian waved off her concern, shouldering his bag. "It was just a scratch," he said casually. "Nothing to worry about." Then, with a teasing grin, he added, "Besides, I wouldn't miss yoga class even if the world were ending."
Angela laughed, her cheeks tinged with a rosy hue. "Still, you really should have stayed home to rest."
"I'm fine, really," Lumian reassured her. He turned toward the back of the studio, heading toward a side door instead of the main exit.
Angela frowned, her curiosity piqued. "Where are you going? The exit is that way." She pointed
Lumian stopped, turning back to her with a smile. "I know. I'm heading to the showers. I figured it's more convenient to rinse off before heading home. Nobody ever uses them because they assume everyone else will. Like I said, convenient."
Angela tilted her head, processing his logic. "I guess that makes sense," she said after a moment. She hesitated before adding, "I'll wait for you to finish."
Lumian's smile widened. "Why wait?"
Angela crossed her arms. "You're going to walk me home, aren't you?"
Lumian chuckled softly. "Of course. Alright, give me a few minutes."
Without another word, he pulled off his shirt in one smooth motion, revealing a lean, muscular frame. His well-defined torso glistened with sweat from the yoga session, his every muscle sculpted as if carved from marble. In an way, he was technically sculpted
Angela's eyes widened, and she instinctively covered her face with her hands, leaving a narrow space between her fingers to peek through.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she exclaimed.
Lumian looked at her, feigning innocence. "What does it look like? Relax, Angela. I'm not going to strip naked here. It's just easier to undress before heading into the showers."
Angela's fingers slowly lowered, her gaze fixed on him despite her better judgment. Her eyes lingered, taking in every detail of his toned physique. Her gaze faltered when it reached his lower region, where the faint outline of his bulge pressed against the fabric of his workout shorts.
Lumian smirked, catching the direction of her stare. "I'll be back soon," he said, turning and walking toward the showers.
Angela's gaze followed him, her lips parted slightly as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. Her cheeks burned as she watched the defined muscles of his back ripple with each step.
She swallowed hard, her throat dry. 'What am I doing?' she thought, shaking her head to clear her mind. But no matter how hard she tried, her thoughts kept drifting back to the man walking away from her.
As Lumian was about to enter the showers, he stopped and turned around, a playful smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Angela," he said, his tone teasing. "Why don't you join me?"
Angela's eyes widened in shock, her face turning crimson. "W-What? No! I can't! Not only am I married, but it's… it's not right!"
Lumian let out a hearty laugh, his tone light and teasing. "Of course, of course. I was only joking." He paused, tilting his head slightly. "But you do know there's a women's section in the showers, right? Or were you thinking of something else?"
Angela's cheeks burned brighter, her voice faltering. "I wasn't thinking about anything!"
Lumian raised an eyebrow, his smirk widening. "Sure you weren't." He chuckled. "Come on, Angela. Why wait around letting sweat dry on you? Go rinse off. You'll feel much better."
Angela hesitated, but Lumian's casual tone and playful demeanor made it hard to refuse. Finally, she relented, mumbling, "Fine."
Unlike Lumian, Angela kept her workout clothes on as she walked into the women's section. She lingered by the entrance, listening carefully for any sound from Lumian's side. Once she was sure he wasn't nearby, she undressed quickly and stepped into the shower.
Warm water washed over her, soothing her muscles and clearing her mind, it was exactly the perfect temperature she preferred. As she relaxed under the stream, her thoughts began to wander.
Lumian in his own section turned on the water, letting the warm stream pour over his body. His lips curved into a sly grin as he replayed the interaction with Angela in his mind. Her composure was slipping, just as he had planned.
She was staring longer, reacting more, and her guard was beginning to crumble. It wouldn't be long before she was completely his, another tool to make Michael's life miserable.
As he washed away the sweat from his workout, Lumian's thoughts shifted back to Michael. The time to fully pull the rug on him was drawing closer, but first, Angela needed to be broken.
"Piece by piece," Lumian murmured to himself, the water masking his voice.
As Angela relaxed, her mind betrayed her, bringing back vivid images of Lumian's sculpted body glistening with sweat. Her cheeks flushed as she remembered the definition of his muscles, the confidence in his smile, and most notably the prominent bulge in his shorts.
There's no way that's real, she thought, biting her lip. He has to be packing something extra in there… right?
She sighed, trying to shake off the inappropriate thoughts. But just as her mind began to clear, her eyes flicked open, and she froze.
On the wall of the shower, a cockroach scuttled.
Angela screamed instinctively, her voice echoed through the tiled space as she stumbled back, slipping and landing hard on her butt.
On the other side, Lumian heard the scream. His mind, always sharp and calculating, immediately shifted gears. Was she in danger? Did someone follow her? Or perhaps… an opportunity had presented itself.
Without hesitation, he rushed toward the women's showers. Still dripping wet and stark naked, he entered to find Angela sitting on the floor, pointing at the wall.
"There!" she exclaimed, her voice shaking. "It's there!"
Lumian's eyes followed her trembling finger to the cockroach, and he grabbed her shoes from the floor. With a swift movement, he crushed the insect.
The immediate threat eliminated, his eyes drifted back to Angela. She sat on the floor, completely naked, her wet skin shone under the warm light.
His gaze lingered for a moment too long, and his body responded instinctively.
Angela, still catching her breath, turned to thank him. As her eyes met Lumian's towering figure, her words caught in her throat. Her gaze fell to the unmistakable sight of his erect cock.
Her jaw dropped as the realization hit her.
'It is real!!'
Lumian, ever the opportunist, maintained his composure, offering her a hand to help her up. "Are you okay, Angela?" he asked, his tone calm and full of concern.