New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live



After their relaxing breakfast, Alex and Kary got ready to head out when the intercom rang.

Alex wasn't expecting any visitors, so he assumed it would be David again, who tended to come unannounced.

But when he got to the intercom, the woman from the front desk looked uncomfortable.

"Mr. Leduc. There is a woman here to see you. She says she knows you."

Alex frowned a bit.

"Does she have a name?"

The woman from the front desk shook her head.

"She said to tell you 'You weren't supposed to be in that dungeon', and that you would know who she is from those words. She is already in front of the elevator. Should I let her in?"

Alexander's frown deepened.

'I wasn't supposed to be in that dungeon? Who the hell introduces themselves like that? What dungeon?' he silently wondered.

The woman on the screen was clearly uncomfortable, like someone was applying pressure on her to let them up. But he still had no idea who it could be.

He was about to say no when he felt a pulse of mana run up the building and hit him directly. He instantly knew that whoever that person was, they would find a way up, even if he denied them access.

"Let her up. Also, tell security to be on standby. There might be a commotion."

The woman looked terrified at his words, but nodded her head.

As soon as the elevator doors opened up downstairs, in the lobby, the camera inside the elevator replaced the woman from the front desk, and Alex realized who it was.

Standing in his elevator, already ascending the floors to his penthouse, was Constantine Levesque, with another woman in a three-piece suit for men.

"Shit."

Kary looked at him from the stairs, where she had been waiting for him to go change.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Chairwoman Levesque is in the elevator, and she's coming up here."

Kary frowned.

"What does she want, to come all the way here, instead of calling or setting up a meeting?"

Alex shook his head.

"I don't really care about what she wants. That's not the problem…"

Kary's gaze focused on him. Alex was suddenly on alert.

"Then what is?"

"She has powers. Strong powers."

"How do you know that?" Kary gasped.

"She scanned me… from the ground floor… I felt it."

Kary understood the implications here. Scanning a person inside New Eden was simple and at everyone's disposition.

But out here, in their world, it required the use of targeted magic sensing. It was not as simple.

And scanning someone from afar, even less so. Even inside the game, scanning someone from far away required some excellent control over mana.

Alex stepped away from the intercom screen, where Miss Levesque was staring at, almost like she could see him through the lens, and stood in the open area connected to the elevator.

Whatever she came for, the scan she did unveiled that she wasn't here just for a friendly chat. And her words.

"You weren't supposed to be in that dungeon."

Something told Alex she wasn't here for tea, or to discuss his outing about the powers he had outside New Eden. He could feel the hair on his arms and nape tingle.

"Be ready for a fight, Kary. I don't know why she's here, but I don't feel like it's a friendly visit."

Kary immediately furrowed her brows.

Alex's instincts were rarely off, and that was worrisome. If he felt like a scuffle was bound to happen, then the chances were high that it would.

She stood aside from the room, in the kitchen, where she wouldn't be seen immediately, and waited, her heart beating faster.

*Ding!*

The elevator rang as it reached its destination. The doors slowly parted, revealing Constantine Levesque, a wide smile on her lips.

She immediately saw Alexander standing in the middle of the room, his eyes already locked on her, his gaze intense and piercing.

"My my, young man. What a greeting. I wasn't expecting you to stand there in wait. I feel honoured."

Of course, her words were a facade, and both of them knew it. She was already inspecting the interior of the penthouse with her eyes as her assistant walked out; her gaze doing the same.

"To what do I owe this visit, Miss Levesque?" Alex asked, stretching a smile on his lips that couldn't have looked more forced.

Constantine scoffed.

"You'll have to work on that smile if you are to embark on the political journey Jack wants you to, young man. You couldn't fool a child if you tried."

She walked forward, heading to the living room as if this was her home.

Her stiletto heels clattered on the tiling floor as she made her way past Alex, who was eyeing the assistant with wariness.

He doubted someone with chairwoman Constantine's skill-set would have with her a useless assistant. He could guess there was a weapon under that jacket of hers.

"Kary, my dear, come on out. I can feel you from here!" Constantine shouted out, not even looking toward the kitchen, where Kary was already looking at her.

Kary stepped forward, revealing herself to the assistant, and walked next to Alex.

Alex pointed at the living room while looking at the assistant.

The suited woman looked at him and smirked, continuing her visual inspection.

"If you don't go sit, I will make you. This is my home, not a tourist site," Alex threatened.

The woman turned to look at him, a grin on her lips, but Constantine waved her hand.

"Come on, dear. Don't be impolite. Come sit with me. I doubt Mr. Leduc has anything concealed or prepared that could do us harm. He doesn't seem the type."

The assistant clicked her tongue while giving a death glare at Alexander before sitting next to her boss.

Alex and Kary sat on the opposite sofa, staring at the women who had invited themselves over.

"What do you want?" Alex asked, cutting to the chase.

Constantine smiled at him.

"It's less about what I want, and more about what I don't want, Mr Leduc," Constantine replied, looking at him smugly.

The tension in the air rose a level and could almost be cut with a knife.

Kary feared Alex might have been right…