The villa was bathed in an air of intimacy.
Breathy murmurs filled the room, wrapping around Miles's ears like an alluring melody, difficult to resist. Lisa, curled up against his chest, let out soft gasps, her back arching with every breath.
"Hmm…"
After what seemed like an eternity, Lisa's body quivered before she went still.
Miles chuckled. "What's this? Not your best performance today. That's not like you."
Lisa blushed deeply, burying her face in the blanket as she whispered, "It's not that… don't you think the air conditioning feels a bit cold today?"
"Ah, I must've forgotten to check. The generator's probably running low on fuel."
Miles got up from the bed, glancing toward the air conditioner. The status light, once green, had inexplicably turned red.
To his dismay, the system had shut down automatically.
"Damn it!"
He froze, realization dawning on him.
The villa's systems didn't shut down without his direct input unless power was completely drained. That left only one explanation—someone was watching.
His eyes narrowed as they locked onto the security camera nestled in the corner of the room.
Apart from Alexande, there couldn't possibly be anyone else capable of pulling this off.
Ding! Ding!
Right on cue, his phone rang.
"Well, Mr. Miles," Alexande's voice crackled through the receiver, filled with amusement, "it seems you're living quite the comfortable life in this apocalypse. Your resources must be abundant."
Alexande's satisfaction was evident; it was clear he'd enjoyed a private view of Miles and Lisa's intimate moment.
"You piece of trash."
Miles spat the words venomously before hanging up.
Without hesitation, he disabled the villa's internal network, rummaging through a cabinet for a stack of remote controls.
"Fine," he muttered to himself. "If you want to mess with me, I'll just go manual!"
Meanwhile, in his downtown office, Alexande stared at the satellite phone in disbelief.
He hung up on me?
And more importantly—Did he just call me trash?
Since founding Rocket Corporation, Alexande hadn't been spoken to like that in decades.
When he attempted to retaliate, his computer screen flashed a warning: Network disconnected.
Alexande froze, his jaw slack.
He really cut off the connection?
He hadn't anticipated Miles would be so decisive, severing their link without hesitation. With the network gone, Alexande had no way to monitor him anymore.
He had no choice but to redial.
"What the hell do you want now?"
Miles's frustration bled through his words.
"Do you have any idea what it means to cross me?" Alexande's tone was icy, his words laced with menace. "Young man, don't let arrogance cloud your judgment. I'm friends with the commander of Chicago's military district. With a single call, I could ensure you and that woman are wiped off the map."
Miles sneered. "What's the point of being young if you can't be a little cocky? And you think the commander is as much of an idiot as you? In times like these, every weapon fired is a piece of irreplaceable leverage. Who'd waste resources like that?"
"What if I told him what you're hiding?" Alexande's voice took on a sinister edge. "A military district has steep operational costs. I'm sure he'd take great interest in the supplies you're hoarding."
"Go ahead and tell him," Miles said lazily. "But if I get targeted, you'll be the first one to die."
He's right, Alexande thought bitterly. The military might covet Miles's resources, but they'd never leave someone who knew their secrets alive.
"Miles…" Alexande's tone softened, desperation seeping in. "I'm trapped here. I need your supplies to negotiate my rescue. If I die, I'll make sure you go down with me."
"Why didn't you just admit that earlier?" Miles chuckled darkly. "Was playing tough really necessary?"
"I have something you want," Alexande pressed. "The Chicago military district has a classified list of all known enhanced individuals. Help me, and it's yours."
"I already know how to strengthen my abilities—absorbing zombies' energy. What else could you possibly offer?"
Miles's response caught Alexande off guard. How could he know that already?
"I…" Alexande faltered before recovering. "Do you know how many enhanced individuals are in Chicago? Or how their abilities interact?"
Miles perked up. "Wait. Are you saying enhanced individuals can absorb each other's power?"
Alexande cursed inwardly. He'd revealed more than he intended. "Not all of them. Only higher-tier individuals can do so. The process depends on their level."
Miles's excitement was palpable. "And you have their locations?"
"Yes. I can provide you with a complete list—but only if you rescue me."
"Where are you?" Miles didn't hesitate.
Alexande hesitated, wary of Miles's confidence. "You can't reach me. The city's buried under seven feet of snow. Without industrial equipment, digging through would take days."
"I have my methods. Just tell me where you are."
After a pause, Alexande relented. "Downtown Chicago, next to Thousand Reach Plaza. Rocket Tower. I hope you're as capable as you claim."
"Got it." Miles hung up without another word.
No wonder Alexande could track him so easily. Rocket Tower was less than a mile from Cloud City. With the company's cutting-edge servers, pinpointing signals within that range was child's play.
Well then, Alexande, Miles thought with a smirk, let's see who's playing whom.