The sleek supercharged engine of the Shelby hummed a low, violent rhythm as Victoria steered the muscle car through the city traffic. Alexander sat back in the passenger seat, the synthetic tightness in his chest slowly fading as his body fully adjusted to the modern medical repairs. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Please forgive me for what happened" said Aria, her voice tight with emotion as she leaned forward from the rear seat, her fingers gripping the headrest. "Everything is my fault. That entire ambush was meant for me."

"Even if I hadn’t been under an official contract, I would have gone anyway" said Alexander, his dark eyes fixed on the road ahead. "So you have nothing to apologize for. The situation was urgent."

Victoria let out a soft, playful pout, her manicured fingers tapping against the leather-wrapped steering wheel. "And what if it had been me? Would you have rushed in like that?"

"That depends entirely on how much you were willing to pay me" said Alexander, a subtle smirk playing on his lips.

A collective wave of tension broke as Alexander and Aria shared a genuine laugh, the dark clouds of the morning finally scattering.

"I saved your life back there, you know" said Victoria, rolling her eyes with a sharp, amused sigh. "You officially owe me a massive one."

"I know" said Alexander, his deep voice turning smooth and serious. "If you ever truly need my help, you can always call me. I was just messing with you."

Victoria nodded, her gaze shifting to the rearview mirror to lock onto Aria. "You’re staying at my place for the foreseeable future, Aria. Those bastards won’t dare target you while you’re under my direct roof."

"Thank you, Victoria... I accept" said Aria, a visible weight lifting from her shoulders.

"It’s a great idea for you two to stay together and look out for each other" said Alexander, leaning his head back. "I don’t think my body could take another heavy combat situation today."

"You could stay with us too, Alex" said Aria, her cheeks flushing with a faint, warm color.

"If you want, I can head over later tonight" said Alexander, shifting his weight slightly. "But first, I need to go train."

"Train?" asked Victoria, her eyebrows knitting together in disbelief as she cut the wheel into a sharp turn. "Are you seriously going to train while you’re in that exact condition?"

"Yes" said Alexander, his expression turning serious. "TMC’s high-intensity conditioning program is excellent, and I don’t want to miss a single slot. If I had been stronger and faster with my tactical execution today, I wouldn’t have ended up torn to pieces."

Aria’s blush deepened significantly, her mind instantly flashing back to the raw, intimate nature of the specialized physical "conditioning" she knew took place within the training regimens of that facility.

"Fine" said Victoria, a dangerous, curious gleam flashing in her sharp eyes. "Let’s go. I want to see this training of yours firsthand."

"Sure" said Alexander, reaching over to tap the modern console display. "The GPS coordinates are already saved. The place is called Stephens Gym."

Victoria pulled the Shelby into the gravel parking lot of Stephens Gym, the engine letting out a final, throaty growl before dying. The three of them stepped out of the car and walked toward the entrance. Victoria looked around like a kid in a toy store, her sharp eyes scanning the industrial facade with deep intrigue. From the outside, she had expected a massive, high-tech fortress, but the building looked remarkably ordinary.

They pushed through the heavy front doors, stepping into the main facility.

The initial impression of a standard fitness center vanished the moment they walked past the reception desk. In the center of the training floor, a group of athletes was engaged in a highly specialized conditioning routine. A row of athletic women was performing heavy squats, but instead of traditional weights, several men with fully erect penises were positioned beneath them, penetrating them with every deep repetition while counting out the cadence.

A few feet away, another group was focused on core conditioning. The women lay on fitness mats performing rapid abdominal sit-ups, and every single time they reached the peak of the movement, they wrapped their lips tightly around the erect shafts of their male training partners, taking them deep into their throats before lowering themselves back down to the floor.

Victoria stopped dead in her tracks, her jaw dropping slightly as her sophisticated composure shattered, while Aria’s face turned an intense, burning crimson at the raw sight of the facility’s actual training methods.

Alexander let out a low, amused chuckle as he watched their reactions, adjusting the collar of his jacket.

"Do you like it?" asked Alexander, his voice a smooth, teasing rumble.

"I find it interesting" said Victoria, her shock instantly melting back into a sharp, dominant smirk as she crossed her arms, her eyes tracking the raw of the gym floorboards. "It sounds like excellent motivation. I’ll be training with you later tonight. I don’t like fucking just anyone, so you better keep your dick ready for me. If I find you flaccid later, I will cut it off."

"Alright, alright" said Alexander, a confident smile breaking across his face. "I’ll give you my cock later, Vic."

Alexander didn’t even know where the playful nickname had come from, it had just slipped out naturally. But the moment the word left his lips, Victoria felt a sudden, warm flutter in her chest.

Usually, her immense wealth and power created an iron wall around her, a barrier that effectively kept away annoying idiots, but also kept handsome, genuine guys at a distance, leaving her perpetually isolated and alone. Yet here, with a single casual nickname, Alexander seemed to have punched a massive hole straight through that wall with a single blow.

"Don’t tease the princess so much, she is far too cute and sweet" said Aria with a soft, genuine giggle, making Victoria’s cheeks turn an even deeper, burning crimson as she quickly looked away.