Julian Hawthorne sat rigidly in his hospital bed, the stark white walls closing in around him. His eyes burned into the message glowing on his lightcore screen. Each word felt like a deliberate provocation, stoking a fury that tightened his chest.
“Unbelievable! What is Ava’s problem? Is she completely unreasonable? Does she not understand a single word I say?” His shout ripped through the quiet room, making his assistant, Oliver Quinn, flinch in the corner. It had been years since anyone had seen Mr. Hawthorne this enraged.
He slammed his fist into the mattress, the gesture futile. “Get the ship ready! We’re leaving for New Aurora immediately!” The command was sharp, edged with a need to reassert control. If he couldn’t handle one solitary, difficult woman—a woman with no connections and no power—then what was his reputation worth? He was Julian Hawthorne. His name meant something.
Meanwhile, Ava Sterling finally descended the stairs, stopping short at the living room. Her jaw went slack. Three men were still sprawled on her sofa.
“You have got to be kidding me… you never left?” she blurted out, disbelief coloring her tone.
The Grand Elder, William Fitzgerald, gave a slow, pitying nod. They hadn’t expected her to sleep so long. An Etherian’s daily rest cycle was typically five hours. She had slept through a full rotation.
He kept his smile gentle. “Ms. Ava Sterling, the comfort you provided yesterday was immensely helpful for His Majesty. We are in your debt.”
Ava gave a half-shrug. “You paid me. I did a job.”
Right on cue, her stomach let out a loud, protesting gurgle. All she wanted was to shoo them out the door and find something real to eat.
But William stood his ground, his expression turning serious. “We spoke last night. To make things easier for you… and to further His Majesty’s recovery, he wishes to stay here with you. Temporarily.”
The villa, a standard Imperial welfare provision for female Etherians, was five hundred square meters over three floors. It was furnished with generic government-issue items—functional, not luxurious. It felt bare compared to the opulence of the Oceania Palace.
It was clear this woman wasn’t wealthy. Yet, she was diligent. The place was spotless, everything in its place. Allowing His Majesty to reside here was a significant step down, but under the circumstances, they had few alternatives.
Ava’s eyebrows shot up. “Live here? In my house?”
“Not us,” William clarified quickly, waving a hand. “Only His Majesty. And he will, of course, compensate you. One hundred million star coins per month. How does that sound?”
Ava almost choked. She had worked herself to the bone for five years to save three million. These men talked about a hundred million like it was nothing.
What choice did she have? She had to bow to the will of the wealthy sovereign.
“Absolutely no problem at all,” she said, her smile bright and artificially sweet. “I’ll take the third floor. The first and second floors have nine spare rooms. Pick any one. Stay as long as you like.”
William’s face lit up. “You are a most gracious mate.”
He could see it plainly now—this little female had a weakness for star coins. As long as they kept paying, she would remain an angel in their books.
Alexander Vance chose the largest room on the second floor. His men swiftly rearranged the space, installing an interstellar-grade shield—impenetrable to all but Alexander himself.
“Your Majesty, the room is prepared. You should rest now.”
William’s heart ached. Since Ava had left them the previous night, they had respectfully stayed out, spending the hours anxiously waiting in her living room while their leader got no sleep.
Finally, Alexander lifted his head. His dark gaze pinned Ava where she stood, making her pulse jump. “Comfort,” he stated.
He had been waiting. Their last session had shown remarkable results, but then she had slept the entire day away.
Typical of her kind—so fragile. A mere five minutes of soothing him, and she was out cold.
Ava desperately wanted to get the task over with, but her stomach was cramping with hunger. “Look, I can’t comfort anyone when I’m starving. Let me eat first. Just give me thirty minutes.”
If she ended up as drained as yesterday, she’d collapse on the spot. And she absolutely refused to choke down another nutrient drink.
Hungry?
Alexander’s long fingers twitched. A green vial floated through the air toward her.
William interjected quickly. “Ms. Sterling, this is a nutrient elixir from the Aquadome, sourced from deep-sea flora. It is far superior in taste to the beast meat variants. Please, try it.”
Ava grimaced. Nutrient drinks never satisfied her hunger. She was human. She needed real food. Even after five years in the interstellar realm, that habit was ingrained.
“I don’t want a drink. Thirty minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”
Without waiting for a reply, she marched decisively into the kitchen.
Ava didn’t make anything fancy. She quickly prepared a bowl of fried beast cutlet noodles, topping it with a perfectly cooked beast egg and some fresh greens.
The aroma began to fill the air, so tantalizing it made her mouth water.
“What is that extraordinary scent?” William asked, his eyes widening in surprise. “She knows how to cook?”
Even the best chefs on Caelum Prime couldn’t produce food that smelled this divine.
Alexander’s attention snapped toward the kitchen. In a fluid motion, he rose from the couch and walked in.
Ava had just set her steaming bowl on the table and turned to fetch some pickles when the light in the doorway was blocked. She looked up, meeting Alexander’s intense, dark stare. “What do you want?” she asked, curiosity and wariness mixing in her voice.
“Ten million star coins.” His voice was deep, leaving no room for argument.
She blinked, utterly confused. What was he talking about?
William hurried forward to explain. “Ms. Ava Sterling, His Majesty wishes to partake of your noodles. He is offering ten million coins for them. Is that acceptable?”
Ava nearly swore out loud. This man… was perfection.
A professional, charming smile spread across her face. She placed the fork before him with a graceful gesture. “It would be my pleasure if you enjoy my cooking. Please, help yourself.”
“Ms. Ava Sterling, your account has just received a deposit of 110 million star coins.”
Ava’s jaw dropped. She turned to stare at Alexander, her heart hammering with exhilaration.
He’s definitely my rich uncle!