Aidan's icy gaze felt like a nail hammered into Stella's mind.
She was on edge all day.
During deliveries, she would instinctively look over her shoulder, as if that black phantom car was lurking around some corner. Every vibration of her phone made her heart jump. Who was that man? Why was he there? Why did his eyes look like a hunter sizing up its prey?
She didn't dare use the bronze lamp again. It was her miracle, but it might also be the source of her trouble. She tried to get through the day on her own effort, just like before, but reality quickly slapped her down. Without the "good luck" from the lamp, late deliveries, bad reviews, and difficult customers came one after another, leaving her completely frazzled.
In the evening, just after a bad review cost her fifty dollars and her mood hit rock bottom, her phone pinged. A special system-assigned order popped up.
[Order for "Genesis Tech" Top Floor. Item: One black coffee, one club sandwich. Note: Designated courier Stella An for delivery. Payment: $500.]
Stella's eyes widened.
Genesis Tech—the city's top tech giant, famous for its AI and new energy technologies. Its headquarters was an absolute landmark, a scepter of the gods looking down on mortals. And its founder and CEO was the enigmatic young emperor—Aidan Lin.
She had only seen the name in financial news alerts. But now, the delivery destination immediately connected that name to the man in the luxury car with the ice-cold eyes from this morning.
Designated courier. Five hundred dollars payment.
This wasn't an order. It was a blatant invitation, or rather, a summons she couldn't refuse.
Cold sweat broke out on her palms. To go, or not to go?
Five hundred dollars was what she earned in a grueling week, enough to cover her overdue rent. But going felt like walking into a lion's den. The way that man looked at her triggered all her survival instincts.
She hesitated for three minutes. In the end, the desperate need for money, and a sliver of curiosity about the unknown, won out over her fear. She took the lamp out of her backpack and tucked it into the inner pocket of her jacket. Its cool touch gave her a small measure of comfort.
"Let's see what he's up to," she muttered, gritting her teeth and accepting the order.
Half an hour later, Stella stood beneath the skyscraper headquarters of Genesis Tech. The glass curtain wall reflected the sunset, making it look like a crystal palace reaching for the heavens. It made her feel as small as a speck of dust.
After verifying the order, the receptionist gave her a professional but distant smile and led her to a private elevator that went straight to the top floor. The elevator was mirror-smooth and silent, a world away from the creaky freight elevators she was used to.
The doors opened to a massive, minimalist office floor. The decor was a stark palette of black, white, and gray, exuding a futuristic and oppressive atmosphere. Aidan stood with his back to her, gazing out the massive floor-to-ceiling window at the city lights beginning to glitter below.
"Put the things on the table," he said without turning, his voice as cold as the rest of him.
Stella carefully placed the coffee and sandwich on the conference table, not daring to say a word, wanting only to leave as quickly as possible.
"Wait," Aidan said, turning to face her. He walked towards her, step by step. He was in a tailored suit today, which made his presence even more commanding.
"Last night, at 7:15 PM, near the Changle Street complex. What did you encounter?" he asked, getting straight to the point. His gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, as if trying to see into her very soul.
Stella's heart leaped into her throat, but she forced herself to stay calm. "I... I didn't encounter anything. The rain was just too heavy, my scooter broke down, so I waited there for a while." She lied. It was her only defense.
Aidan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. His advanced senses told him she showed no physiological signs of lying—her heart rate was steady, her breathing even. But the faint trace of energy on her had undeniably grown stronger from that point on.
"What brand is your scooter? How's the battery life?" He changed the subject, his questions seeming casual but each one a calculated probe.
"It's just a no-name brand, about to fall apart. The battery... it's okay, I guess," Stella answered, subtly backing away. The farther from this man, the better.
Just then, she noticed a complex watch on Aidan's wrist as he turned. A stream of data she couldn't comprehend flashed across its face. One line was labeled: [Target Emotional Fluctuation: Stable. Energy Correlation: Weak.]
He was monitoring her!
The discovery was like being plunged into ice water. She had to get out of there.
"Mr. Lin, if there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now," she said, practically fleeing as she turned and hurried towards the elevator.
Aidan didn't stop her. He just watched her back, his eyes filled with a deep confusion for the first time. This girl was like a data black hole; all his precise instruments and logical deductions were useless on her.
Just as Stella was about to step into the elevator, she looked back on an impulse.
She saw Aidan back at the window, holding the now-lukewarm coffee in one hand. With the other, he was unconsciously pressing his temple, a flicker of exhaustion and... loneliness crossing his face.
It was a vulnerability that starkly contrasted with his powerful exterior, a crack in his icy facade that revealed a shadow of something human beneath.
Stella's heart was inexplicably touched.
She didn't know why, but a thought instinctively formed in her mind:
"I hope he can... find some peace."
Almost simultaneously, the bronze lamp in her jacket pocket emitted an extremely faint but incredibly warm current that instantly seeped through the fabric and into her.
On the other side of the room, Aidan, standing by the window, suddenly stiffened.
The nerves in his head, perpetually taut, were suddenly soothed in a way he had never experienced before. The gnawing anxiety and fatigue that even the most advanced medicine and meditation couldn't dispel were gently smoothed away, as if by a warm hand.
He whipped his head around, stunned, looking at the just-closed elevator doors.
The indicator lights were descending rapidly.
What... what just happened?