Carol and Claire ran into each other in the common recreation room. They had been wandering Regal Rock like tourists. Claire, who was filthy rich, was awestruck by the villa. It was way more luxurious and dreamy than she imagined. Carol thought she had arrived at paradise.
The two girls stared at each other speechlessly for a few moments.
“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Claire said with a warm smile. However, a shade of guilt was written across her face. How could she maintain a poker face in the first place? She kissed Victor last night and almost had sex with him.
Carol noticed the awkwardness but dismissed it from her mind. Her own head was filled with depressing thoughts.
“Thanks,” she replied politely. “I had lost hope, but Victor rescued me. As usual. But this time, I discovered his real identity.”
“So… You know?”
Carol smirked bitterly. “Know what? Victor is Caesar? That he is the Chairman of Springfield Rapids Project? That he leads a mysterious superhero life, saving the world? Or that he is more wealthy than I can imagine?”
The billionaire goddess snickered awkwardly. “All of them, I guess… Trust me. I was equally shocked to discover his secrets, and I am still scraping the surface. Who knows how deep the iceberg goes below?”
Both girls giggled and hugged each other for a moment. They had bonded during their last meeting and were glad to find company in a palatial villa full of strange military folks and spies. A secret organization like the Illuminati!
“Why don’t we get some beer?” Claire offered, pointing at a refrigerator. “I saw a few 12-packs stacked in there.”
Carol shrugged and smiled feebly. “I won’t say no to that. I’ve had a long week.” The duo retrieved some beer and walked down the corridor.
“I wanted to ask you something… How are things between you and Victor now? I mean, I heard things weren’t friendly after your divorce… Now that all misunderstandings are cleared… What’s the current status?”
Claire was curious about what was cooking between Victor and Carol. Even though the man came to her willingly last night, she had her doubts. What if it was meant as a one-night stand, a quickie, and nothing serious?
Claire was okay with a casual relationship with someone like Victor. The beauty had been waiting desperately for an opportunity to be with him. However, she had to be sure about what she was getting into.
Carol bit her lip ruefully, And her eyes moistened. “We are… Broken up… Forever.”
“What? Why?”
“I leaked information about Thanatos to Monolith, thus endangering Victor’s life and his world-saving mission. So… You know… He hates me.”
Claire furrowed her brows. “I don’t see why that should be a problem. You did it to save your own life!”
Carol shook her head. “I was given a choice between my family and revealing coordinates to the Thanatos mine. In other words, it was a choice between my rotten family and Victor. I chose the former. And here we are.”
The billionaire goddess nodded supportively. She was already aware of how the Ateliers treated Victor. To choose them over him in a life-or-death situation sent a clear message.
Claire now had better clarity over Victor’s nighttime clandestine visit. He had already rejected his feelings for his ex-wife, thus liberating himself from his past.
She eyed Carol with increased guilt. How would she react to discovering that Claire got intimate with Victor the same day they broke up permanently?
The girls reached the conference room shortly and knocked on the door. After a minute, Maverick opened it a crack and peered outside. “What do you want?”
“How rude!” Claire mouthed. “Anyway! We heard you have live streaming of the battle. Can we watch?”
Maverick cast her a stony glance. “That is classified content. You don’t have clearance. Leave.”
The girls exchanged glances. They had to resort to Plan B.
“We got beer,” Carol said, holding up a 12-pack. She pulled back her shoulders, giving a better view of her perfect bust.
“Please, Mav…” Claire said, striking up a seductive pose.
Maverick gulped uncomfortably. He was in his early twenties and hopelessly single. His entire day was always swamped with NWO work.
Maverick didn’t remember the last time he had liquor or when he was in the company of pretty women. He met the gorgeous Valeria Armstrong often, but that woman was dangerous. At the slimmest sign of flirtation or the slightest leery glance, the muscular warrior was prepared to behead men.
In stark contrast, Carol and Claire were slender and classy. Their voices were kind and friendly.
“Alright,” Maverick said reluctantly. “Come in, but don’t touch any of my equipment.”
“Yay!” Claire exclaimed, barging into the conference room with Carol. The girls settled into comfortable chairs and opened up three cans of beer, offering one to Maverick.
“Thanks,” he said, gulping down the cold beer gratefully. He switched the video to the drone nearest to battle action. NWO ships had been sunk, and Monolith’s littoral vessels were progressing towards the beach.
“Oh, no…” Claire moaned. “We lost all our navy units?”
“It was inevitable,” Maverick explained. “The enemy has superior technology we can’t counter. Now everything rests on the second line of defense—Val’s unit.”
However, when the motorboats landed, chaos ensued. Monolith’s first wave of attackers had superhuman abilities that decimated the NWO’s team. In the end, Valeria was left to fend for herself. She killed a few, but in the end, her strength was inadequate. Maverick urged Valeria to retreat, but she was determined to stay and fight.
Just then, the conference door opened, and two gorgeous women walked in. It was Haley B. and Julia.