"Where are you going, Noah?" Jason asked as he followed him down into the underground parking garage.
He was genuinely curious. Just last night, Noah had said he planned to stay home all day and rest. But out of nowhere this morning, he’d asked him to prepare the car.
Noah took the keys from Jason.
"I’ll drive myself, Jason. You can take the day off."
"What? But, Noah—" Jason’s voice faltered and stopped in his throat, as if something unseen held it back.
He could only nod silently, watching the black SUV slip into the dim exit and disappear.
"Huh? Jason, what are you doing here? Is Noah still upstairs?"
Matthew’s voice rang out behind him, making Jason jump slightly.
Jason turned to face him, still visibly puzzled. "No, he’s already left. Alone. Told me to stay behind."
A flicker of concern passed over Matthew’s face as his gaze shifted to the garage exit and then back to Jason.
"He’s driving alone? Where’s he going?"
Jason gave a slight shake of his head.
"No idea. But he’s been acting strange since breakfast. You might want to have someone tail him... or Edgar’s going to tear into us."
Before Jason could finish his sentence, Matthew was already walking off, phone pressed to his ear.
Jason chuckled and followed him back inside, deciding to enjoy his unexpected day off.
...
Noah drove for nearly forty minutes, heading far from his neighborhood until he pulled up to a sleek, five-story building.
It looked freshly completed—modern architecture with clean lines, floor-to-ceiling windows, and no signage yet. A new office space is expected to open soon.
As he parked in the mostly empty lot, another car pulled in and stopped beside his car.
A moment later, the driver’s door opened, and Alexis stepped out, her radiant smile aimed directly at his windshield.
’Did she see me?’
Noah frowned, puzzled. His car windows were tinted one-way—impossible to see inside unless someone stood right in front of them. Still, her gaze had gone unerringly to where he sat.
He climbed out quickly, not wanting to keep her waiting.
"Hey, Noah, thanks for coming," Alexis greeted, her smile a little more nervous up close.
He offered her a small, reassuring smile and stood before her.
"You don’t look like someone in need of an investor, Alexis. No signs of distress here," he teased, trying to ease the tension.
Truthfully, he was here to check out the startup idea Alexis had pitched him.
At first, he’d thought she was just making conversation on the phone—maybe even fishing for an excuse to talk to him longer.
After all, Alexis wasn’t the type to need funding. She came from a family far wealthier than his own—The Morgans. So what was this really about?
But somehow, Noah had agreed to come here.
He wasn’t sure if it was genuine interest in the business opportunity—perhaps it was because he needed more experience to reach Power Level Five. Or maybe, it was something else entirely—perhaps it was the strange sense of ease he felt around this girl.
Whatever the reason, he was here now.
He still couldn’t quite believe he’d been the one to offer help.
It left him slightly dumbfounded to realize just how willing he was to support Alexis—invest in her new startup company.
Along the way, he kept telling himself that helping her—investing in her new startup—was a strategic move. It meant gaining practical experience, something he desperately needed.
He had to level up faster.
Zoe had asked him to. According to her, the only way to unlock the Weapon Shop function in his system was by reaching Power Level Five.
And without experience, leveling up was impossible.
Lately, his life has been uneventful. This city didn’t have nearly as many threats as Opal City had. No real battles, no enemies worth hunting. Just a family dispute.
He recalled his investment in Caldwell Construction. The system had rewarded him generously for that, offering both rare benefits and enough experience to help him level up.
"I’m serious, Noah. Ugh, let’s go inside and talk..." Alexis’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
Noah blinked, then quickly followed her toward the main entrance, watching as she keyed in a series of pins on the door’s panel.
’This building is empty?’ he wondered, stepping inside just behind her. She was already making her way toward the elevator.
...
Soon, they reached the top floor. A modern, cozy office space came into view.
However, they didn’t stop in the open workspace. Instead, Alexis continued walking toward the far end of the room. She opened a door and turned to look back at Noah.
A faint smile touched her beautiful face as she watched him stroll casually through the office.
"Noah, come on—let’s talk inside..." she called, motioning for him to follow.
When he reached the doorway, she asked, "What do you think of this room?"
Noah didn’t answer immediately. His eyes scanned the space—it wasn’t enormous, perhaps only a fifth the size of his office in the Golden Phoenix Tower. Still, the furniture was sleek and high-end, more than suitable for a CEO’s office.
He finally turned to her and said, "You’ve got a nice office, Alexis..."
Alexis stifled a laugh to hear his answer, then gestured to the sofa.
"Well, this is not my office. It’s yours."
Noah blinked, stunned. "This office is for me?" he asked, clearly puzzled.
"Yeah—if you sign this," she replied, placing a document folder on the coffee table between them and gently sliding it his way. "It makes you the newest investor in the game company."
"Wait—" Noah raised a hand to stop her, his expression turning serious. He needed to be clear: even if he invested in this company, he had no intention of managing it or working here. He didn’t need an office.
He couldn’t do that. Working behind a desk wasn’t part of the plan. He had devils to hunt.
His path wouldn’t let him stay tied down to a single city—maybe not even a single country—for long.
Instantly, Alexis’ expression turned worried.
"Noah, are you trying to refuse?"