The Hidden King: Rise of Hercules

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Benjamin burst out laughing. “He’s got some real nerve, and I honestly respect that!” he praised.

“He’s totally bluffing!” Emma snapped back. “Fine, you asked for it. Go on then, prove you aren't just some broke bum looking for a free meal.”

Alex’s grin just got wider. He was Hercules, after all, and he knew exactly what he was doing.

Flashing them a confident smile that showed off his teeth, he felt completely secure in his plan. He had already locked down the details with Alfred the day before.

He knew Alfred would let him work wherever he wanted for as long as he felt like staying. After all, Alfred answered to him.

Turning his back on Nkiru’s parents, Alex walked further into the massive house.

He knew he couldn't head back to his own apartment tonight, which meant crashing right here. He didn’t actually know where Nkiru’s bedroom was located, so he relied purely on his gut instinct and bits of gossip he'd overheard from the housemaids earlier.

He stopped outside a heavy wooden door and gave a soft knock. It took a few seconds before the latch clicked.

The second Alex tried to step inside, Nkiru tried to shove the door shut right in his face. Thanks to his razor-sharp reflexes, he caught the edge just in time and slipped past.

She glared at him, pure anger burning in her eyes. Her face was blotchy and swollen from crying, even though she was trying hard to act tough.

“What do you want? What are you even playing at?” she barked at him.

“I'm here to sleep, obviously,” he answered coolly. “Why are you trying to lock me out?”

“You've got to be out of your mind if you think you're sleeping in here!” she hissed.

“I'm your husband, remember?” he pointed out.

Nkiru shook her head in sheer disbelief. “No. You're just the idiot whose pure recklessness ruined my life and cost me everything. I don't ever want to see your face!” she spat.

“Where am I supposed to crash, then?” he asked.

“I couldn't care less!” she yelled. “Just not in here!” And with that, she slammed the door so hard the walls shook.

Alex let out a quiet sigh, feeling a little bad for her. It was partly his fault, anyway. He deeply regretted getting hammered that night—a total blur of an evening he’d never forget.

He wandered down the hallway, spotting a few doors labeled with the family's names, like Benjamin and Emma's master suite.

There was a spare room upstairs, but that belonged to Lucy. Apart from those, the only empty space left was down in the servants' wing near the ground floor.

He tracked down an empty room in the staff quarters and passed out on the bed immediately.

Morning rolled around way too fast. Alex wanted to get over to P.K. Corporation early, plus he needed to swing by his own place to grab a proper change of clothes.

As he walked out into the hall, he ran right into Benjamin and Emma.

“What the hell? Did you actually sleep in the maids' quarters?” Benjamin asked, looking totally stunned.

Emma cackled. “Well, duh! He’s basically a servant anyway.”

Alex offered a quick, polite nod. “Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson.”

“Morning,” Benjamin muttered.

Emma waved her hand dismissively. “Sure, hope your morning's good. Just don't ever forget your actual place in this family, mister.”

“I won't, ma'am, but I gotta run,” Alex said, beating a hasty retreat before they could start yelling again.

He hailed a cab straight to his apartment, took a fast shower, and threw on a clean gray shirt and dark pants.

P.K. Corporation was about a half-hour drive across town. By the time he pulled up to the giant glass skyscraper, it was already ten o'clock.

Hopping out of the car, Charles was the very first person he laid eyes on. Charles spotted him too, and a nasty smirk spread across his face.

“Look what crawled out of the gutter,” Charles mocked, walking over. Terrified Alex might try to force his way inside, Charles whistled for the security guards hanging around the entrance.

The guards rushed over, and Charles pointed right at him. “Stop him. Don't let this broke loser anywhere near Alfred.”

The guards stepped side-by-side to block the revolving doors, forcing Alex to stop and face Charles.

Charles stepped right up into his space. “Listen to me, Alex. Why don't you just accept reality? You're a nobody. Stop trying to milk Alfred just because your old man knew him back in the day. Face facts—you're broke,” he laughed loudly and stepped back.

Alex clenched his jaw, his temper finally starting to boil. He pulled out his phone to call Alfred directly, but before he could dial, the glass doors slid open and a woman in a sharp outfit walked out.

“Excuse me, I'm Jane, Mr. Alfred’s secretary,” she announced, glancing at the guards. “You guys can stand down.”

Charles frowned, opening his mouth to argue, but Jane cut him off flatly.

“I'm sorry, sir, but these are direct orders from the boss,” she said, turning a polite smile toward Alex. “Right this way, please,” she said, turning back inside.

Alex shot Charles a smug look, soaking in the sheer shock on the other guy's face, before following Jane into the building.

“Did Alfred tell you why I'm here?” Alex asked as they walked down the sleek hallway.

Jane glanced back over her shoulder, completely baffled. Alfred? she thought. She assumed the guy was just here for a basic job interview, so his super casual tone threw her off completely.

She stayed quiet, pushing open the door to her office and gesturing for him to step inside.

Alex looked around the room. “I asked you a question, you know.”

Jane picked up a stack of papers from her desk and turned around looking totally confused. “Pardon?” She held out a printed sheet toward him.

Alex knew she wasn't his biggest fan, but he didn't care. He snatched the paper from her hand and looked it over. It was a complete list of job openings across the whole company.

It looked like Alfred was giving him total freedom to pick whatever role he wanted.