2026-01-16 18:12:11Marcus dragged the heavy furniture bundle up the stairs, sweat soaking through his shirt and dripping down his beard. The delivery guy had literally thrown it at him from the doorway without a word.
He pulled out his phone and opened his banking app. The screen glared back at him—four dollars and twelve cents in bright red. He refreshed his phone but the same amount displayed on his screen.
"Problem, Marcus?"
He didn't need to look up. That voice meant trouble. Derek, a junior executive, in the finance department, and his professional tormentor.
The suit Derek wore cost more than Marcus's entire month's salary.
"My deposit's late," Marcus said, keeping his voice level.
"Oh, I know." Derek's grin widened. "I personally told accounting to hold it. I wanted to see your face when you checked your account. Worth every second."
Heat flooded Marcus's face. "Why? I've got bills, Derek. My wife's pregnant."
"Did you hear that?" Derek turned to a cluster of interns loitering nearby, his voice dripping with mock concern. "The errand boy thinks his bills matter!"
They erupted in laughter.
"Someone give him a tissue," one intern called out.
"Wait, he probably can't afford tissues," another added.
"He should use his sleeves in that case," a third one chimed in, pointing. "Look at that shirt. When's the last time that I saw a washing machine?"
Marcus's jaw clenched.
"Marcus, Marcus, Marcus." Derek stepped closer, invading his space. "Maybe if you cleaned the toilets better, we'd pay you on time. But right now? You're lucky we let you breathe the same air as us."
"Those shoes though," an intern with gelled hair snickered. "Did you fish those out of a dumpster? Seriously, there's a sole flapping off."
"Goodwill rejected those," another one said.
"Even the homeless wouldn't take them," a girl in designer heels added, wrinkling her nose.
Derek held up a black folder, savoring the moment. "Anyway, you're not going home yet."
"I can't today." Marcus's voice strained knowing already what this meant.
"It's Vanessa's party and also my unborn baby's gender reveal. Everyone's waiting..."
"Mr. Langford needs this." Derek waved the folder. "In his office. Now."
"Derek, I cannot.."
"I don't care about your little party, Marcus." Derek's eyes went cold. "Mr. Langford wants this delivered to his hand. His exact words? 'Tell that pathetic messenger if he's not in my office in five minutes, he's fired.'"
"But the 9 PM rule," Marcus protested. "Mr. Langford said he'd fire anyone who bothered him after 8:30."
"Today's an exception, dummy." Derek rolled his eyes dramatically. "You think I'd waste my breath talking to you if it wasn't?"
"There has to be someone else."
"You hesitate, you're gone, fired and blacklisted. Good luck feeding that pregnant wife on zero income." Derek patted Marcus's cheek like a dog. "Now run along. Don't keep the king waiting."
Marcus swallowed hard. He couldn't lose this job. Not now. Not with the baby coming.
"Fine."
"Good boy." Derek's smile was poison.
Marcus walked toward the executive floor, each step heavier than the last. If Langford was in a meeting, he'd leave the folder and bolt. He'd still make it to Vanessa's party. He had to.
___________________
The executive floor was silent. Too silent. Marcus moved through the dim hallway, his footsteps barely audible.
He approached Langford's office door and stopped.
A sound slithered through the cracks in the door.
Muffled at first. Then clearer, a gasp, then a moan.
Marcus's hand froze on the folder.
He knew that voice, no, it had to be impossible. Without a sound, Marcus stepped closer.
Another moan, too clear to be mistaken.
His heart hammered against his ribs. His knees weakened.
It couldn't be. Vanessa barely visited him at work anymore because of the stares, the judgment. She was pregnant with their child. Her business was doing well. Why would she?
He had to be wrong.
His hand found the doorknob. He needed to confirm this wasn't her. It couldn't be her.
Marcus pushed the door open.
Time stopped.
Victor Langford was bent over his desk. Beneath him, legs wrapped around his waist, was Vanessa.
His wife stood before, eyes all white out and moaning like a p**n star.
They both jerked at the interruption. Vanessa's eyes found Marcus in the doorway. There wasn't the slightest hint of shame nor guilt, just irritation.
"Are you serious right now?" she snapped, breathless.
Marcus couldn't speak. His throat closed. His world collapsing.
"You can't stop now, baby," Vanessa whined, pulling Victor back down. "I was so close. So fucking close."
"Vanessa—" Marcus's voice cracked.
"Shut up, Marcus." She didn't even look at him. Her focus was entirely on Victor. "Please don't stop, baby. Please. I need this."
Victor smirked, not bothering to cover himself. "Should've knocked, messenger boy."
Vanessa almost died out of desperation, she couldn't hold herself any longer. And quickly, she slid Victor's hard c**k back into her with a moan and rode him dangerously.
Marcus's heart tore right apart.
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Chapter 216
The next day.Aldrian sat in his room, a cauldron placed in front of him. After returning from the Alchemist Association headquarters, he had delved deeper into his knowledge of alchemy. He purchased advanced books on alchemy, the most expensive cauldron available in their store, and ingredients for concocting pills. All of these purchases were but a drop of water in the ocean of his wealth, so he spared no expense.Just as he had done when learning blacksmithing, he was eager to practice his concoction skills. Inside his luxurious room, he had already created formations identical to those in the Alchemist Association’s concoction room. Anyone passing by his room would neither smell nor sense anything unusual.Aldrian seemed lost in his own world as he immersed himself in practice, already having produced several pills using new recipes. He resembled a child with a new toy, his enthusiasm for learning alchemy reaching new heights. After several hours, he finally stepped out of his roo
Chapter 215
The young man kept walking but glanced at the old man for a split second before saying,"Yes, elder brother is still on the frontlines. He is in Karak now, inspecting the remnants of the battle. The simultaneous appearance of the Wrath Devil and an Emperor-stage Hydra is no simple matter, so father has asked him to stay there for some time, just in case something happens."This young man was none other than Alderia Doria, the second prince of the Doria Empire."He is also there to investigate the sudden appearance of a golden light, which was revealed to be a technique—a powerful one at that. The problem is, we don’t know anything about the person who unleashed it. Is he a friend or a threat to the empire? We are still investigating whether this could also be one of the reasons the devils retreated. That said, with my elder brother’s instincts and sharp senses, I am confident he will uncover something," Alderia added."By the way, let’s put that aside for now, teacher. I must thank yo
Chapter 214
They emerged from the room under the watchful eyes of many onlookers. The three grandmaster alchemists had been inside the room for over three days, and this was the first time they had come out. Following them were a young man and a young woman, leaving the crowd wondering about their identities.The three grandmasters appeared to be escorting them as they made their way to the upper floor. Those who had previously seen Aldrian buying a beginner’s book felt as though they were dreaming. Who was this young man, that even the grandmasters of the association would personally escort him?Many people murmured among themselves, speculating about what had happened and questioning Aldrian’s identity to warrant the privilege of meeting with the three grandmasters of the Association. Ignoring the chatter, Aldrian and the others continued walking toward the topmost floor of the building. As Aldrian ascended, he observed the various sections on each floor, noticing that the higher floors held in
Chapter 213
After closing the door, Marco looked at Aldrian with a blank expression. He had just asked the receptionist who attended to Aldrian, and true to Aldrian’s words, he had indeed only purchased a cheap cauldron and a beginner’s book on alchemy. Marco had also contacted the registration department through a communication artifact, and they confirmed that there was no one named Aldrian Aster in their records.Did Aldrian come from another alchemist association? If they had someone like Aldrian, they would surely boast about it to the entire continent and make the Alchemist Association eat their dust. Aldrian’s mere appearance had already shifted the balance of power among the alchemist groups on the continent. But even if Aldrian truly belonged to another association, what purpose could he have in joining the Alchemist Association? To steal recipes? No, with Aldrian’s capabilities, there would be no need to steal anything.He couldn’t make sense of the situation. Did Aldrian really achieve
Chapter 2120
"How did you do it? This kind of pill is unheard of—the purity, the smell, the energy it exudes—there’s nothing like other pills," Marco said as he took the pill, gazing at it as though inspecting a treasure. He then looked at Aldrian."May I consume it?"Before Aldrian could answer, someone had already entered the room."Damn it, Marco got here before us.""That old man is really fast."Two people entered through the door—a man and a woman of the same age as Marco. They walked inside and immediately glanced at the pills in Marco’s and Aldrian’s hands. They wore the same robes and badges, each adorned with 10 stars, signifying that they held the same status as Marco."Aberin Louise and Maria Valentina."Aldrian glanced at their information before answering Marco."Of course, senior. You can consume it. It’s only a supplement pill—I can make more if you need," Aldrian replied.Hearing his answer, the three alchemists widened their eyes in disbelief."This is a supplement pill? Not some
Chapter 211
After waiting for a while, Aldrian thought to himself."Let’s see if my Eyes of Heaven can work here like it did in blacksmithing."With that thought, a screen suddenly appeared before his eyes, displaying numbers, steps, and instructions to achieve the most perfect result."Good," he smiled. He was not surprised that his Eyes of Heaven could do this much, as it wasn’t all that different from creating an artifact.The screen displayed complete information: the precise temperature of the cauldron, the sequence in which the herbs needed to be added, and the methods he needed to use.After the cauldron’s heat reached the temperature indicated on the screen, he immediately picked up one of the herbs and placed it inside.Elaine, watching from the side, quickly realized from Aldrian’s movements that he had never handled a cauldron or anything related to alchemy before. His actions seemed rigid, unlike the fluid motions of the alchemists she had observed at the Association long ago.She won
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