Chapter 236: Chapter 236: High Stakes and Heavy Muscles
Alexander stepped out of the gym. The sun was already rising, painting the sky in pale shades of orange, but despite the grueling simulation, he felt excellent. He drove straight back to the TMC hotel, took a long, steaming shower, and grabbed a fresh change of clothes.
As he was putting on his shirt, his eyes caught a small piece of folded paper resting on the nightstand that he hadn’t noticed before.
He picked it up and opened it.
"I don’t accept charity. Double or nothing?" read Alexander aloud, a low chuckle escaping his lips as he looked down at the five thousand dollars in cash neatly stacked beneath the paper. It was the exact amount he had left for Elena, the maid, after their last wager.
"Fair enough," muttered Alexander, pulling out a pen.
He flipped the note over and scribbled a quick reply: Deal. Any time you want to play, I’m ready. He reached into his pocket, pulled out another five thousand dollars from his own stash, and placed the total ten grand right next to the note with a smirk.
He grabbed his blue Rolex, strapped it onto his wrist, and walked over to the full-length mirror.
Alexander paused, staring at his reflection. He had always been athletic, tall, and carried himself with an effortless, sharp posture that turned heads. But now, his frame looked almost double its original size. The muscles weren’t bulky or clumsy; they were perfectly sculpted, dense, and hard as marble. He realized he was already pushing the exact same muscular tier as Marcus—a guy whose physique he used to envy.
"Stephen makes every single goddamn cent worth it," whispered Alexander, flexing his arm before turning away from the glass.
He left the hotel, got back into his silver Tahoe, and began the drive toward the university. As he was waiting at a red light, his phone buzzed with a message from Amy.
[Taking a taxi to school today. Not having a car is way too much for a girl like me... 💋🍆]
Alexander stared at the subtle, suggestive emoji combination and let out a soft laugh. He quickly typed out a reply.
[I’ll buy you one, but don’t forget you’ll have to pay me back for it.]
Her response came back a second later.
[Any time you want. I’ll even swallow it all.]
"She really is getting shameless," muttered Alexander, shaking his head with a grin as he watched how open his cousin Amy was becoming with him. It was entertaining, and he genuinely enjoyed the absolute power of being everything to her.
Before putting the phone away, he pulled up his chat with his aunt Helen and shot her a quick message asking if everything was alright and if she needed anything.
A moment later, Helen replied with three consecutive messages. The first was a picture of a crystal-clear luxury swimming pool. The second was a photo of the bright blue sky. The third was a selfie of her lounging in a tight bikini, smiling brightly at the camera.
[I am enjoying my paid vacation. I hope it never ends! Checking out the scenery before I head to my appointment today.]
Alexander stared at the picture of his aunt for a second before typing his reply.
[Don’t worry about it. It will last until you want it to end.]
Alexander arrived at the university and walked down the main hallway toward his classroom. This time, the heavy whispering had died down. There were still plenty of eyes tracking his movements, but nobody was pointing fingers at him anymore. It felt like the chaos from the previous weeks was finally settling.
When he pushed the classroom door open, he found Sophie sitting alone, her eyes fixed on the entrance.
Alexander glanced around the room, then walked over to her desk.
"What happened?" asked Alexander, stopping right in front of her. "Where is everyone?"
"Class was canceled," said Sophie, leaning back in her chair with a slight pout. "I sent you a text message. Didn’t you see it?"
Alexander knew she was right, but he had been far too busy with the simulation and his messages to check. Instead of apologizing, he stepped even closer, standing right between her knees. Sophie didn’t pull away, she opened her legs wider, allowing him to step deeply into her personal space.
"How have you been?" asked Alexander, looking down at her.
"Fine, everything has been going well," said Sophie, her eyes flickering down his newly built chest before locking back onto his gaze. "What about you? It’s rare to see you here so early."
"Well, I came to supervise my favorite class representative and see how she’s handling the festival," said Alexander, a teasing smirk on his lips. "Do you need my help?"
"You finally remembered?" asked Sophie, a small laugh escaping her lips as she rolled her eyes. "Of course I need your help. Give me more money to buy the decorations."
"Wow," said Alexander, leaning down until his face was inches from hers. "I thought you didn’t want my money."
"Your money isn’t to blame for you being an idiot," said Sophie, her cheeks flushing at his proximity, though she didn’t back down.
"I can give you whatever you need, just ask for it," said Alexander, his voice dropping into a low rumble. "But you know you’re going to have to pay a very small amount of interest on it, right?"
"I think this will cover my interest," said Sophie, sliding a crisp sheet of paper across the desk toward him.
Alexander picked it up. It was a formal stack of medical justifications alongside his latest exam paper, stamped with a bright red ’A’.
"What’s this?" asked Alexander, raising an eyebrow.
"I helped you pass, idiot," said Sophie, a triumphant smile breaking across her face. "How did you think you were going to pass with so many absences?"
"Well, well," said Alexander, folding the papers and slipping them into his pocket as he leaned even closer, his chest brushing against her shoulders. "It looks like the class rep is always thinking about me..."
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