As they drove toward the dealership, Clayton glanced over at Alexia. "Did you enjoy the food? How is it different from the food back in your world?"

Alexia smiled, leaning back in her seat. “It was great, actually. Honestly, it’s not that different. The only real difference was the name. Back in my world, it’s called ramen, and it’s from a place called Japan.”

"Ramen, huh? That’s crazy. We’re from different dimensions, but some things are the same. It’s like our worlds mirror each other," Clayton mused, shaking his head in disbelief.

"In some ways, yeah," Alexia replied thoughtfully. "But not all. Geographically, politically… and you know, powers. We’re definitely different in those aspects."

"Right, right." Clayton nodded, then smirked. "You’re into cars, though, right? Is it different or the same? Like the shape, the powertrain, and all that stuff?"

Alexia grinned. "No, it’s very similar. I guess science is multiversal."

Clayton chuckled. "Yeah, it seems so!"

Lost in their easy back-and-forth, they barely noticed as the car pulled up to the dealership. Time had flown by, and before they knew it, they were there.

“Welcome to our dealership! How can I help you today?” The salesman greeted them with a bright, polished smile.

“I’m looking for a supercar,” Alexia responded, glancing at Clayton with a smirk, “or maybe two. Can you show me those?”

"Two?" Clayton whispered in disbelief, shooting her a look. "That’s so irresponsible!”

“One for the track, one for my daily," Alexia replied, her grin widening, ignoring his disapproving stare.

The salesman, oblivious to their exchange, kept his professional demeanor. “Right this way, miss.” He led them toward the back of the dealership, guiding them into a vast showroom where dozens of sleek, gleaming supercars were parked. Alexia followed with an excited smile, while Clayton trailed behind, looking resigned as he realized he was about to watch her drop a fortune on luxury vehicles.

“This is our current selection of supercars, miss. Or, if you'd prefer to custom spec a car, we can arrange that for you.”

“How long would that take?” Alexia asked, eyeing a bright red model.

“About three months, miss.”

“Yeah, no, I hate waiting,” Alexia said, waving her hand dismissively. “I’ll take something now.”

They wandered through the lot, examining cars until Alexia finally found what she wanted—two of them, no less. Soon, they were seated in the dealership office, paperwork spread across the desk.

Clayton couldn’t hold back his frustration. "Are you sure about this? Is it really necessary to have all those ‘features’? You don’t need those, right?"

“For the daily car? Absolutely," Alexia replied nonchalantly. "It’s not about need, it’s about want. You get what I mean.”

Clayton sighed heavily. “No, I don’t. I just see 1.2 million credits gone, just like that.” He slumped back in his chair, shaking his head.

Alexia just grinned, pen poised to sign. “Worth it.”

With all the paperwork done, they were ready to leave. The salesman handed over the keys with a smile. "Thank you for your purchase, Miss Ryland. We’ll make sure your cars are delivered safely."

Alexia twirled the keys in her hand. “Can you do me a favor? I’ll take the midnight purple one out for a spin. Can you load this car onto the trailer instead?” She pointed at Clayton’s vehicle.

“Of course, Miss. Same address for delivery?”

“Yep,” Alexia confirmed.

She turned to Clayton, her excitement barely contained. “Let’s go, Clayton. Time to see what this bad boy can do.”

Clayton, less enthusiastic, sighed. “I wish I could say I’m thrilled, but I’m really not.”

“Stop being such a mood killer. Trust me, you’ll love it” Alexia teased as she headed toward the driver’s seat.

“Somehow, you’ve managed to make me even less interested,” Clayton muttered, reluctantly getting in the passenger seat.

Inside the sleek supercar, Clayton looked around, unimpressed. “Wow, these ‘features’ sure are great. I mean, look at those 5000 credits bright neon green dials—totally better than the regular ones,” he mocked.

“Oh shut up. We’re almost at the highway. Let’s feel the speed, baby!” Alexia’s grin was wicked as her foot hovered over the gas pedal.

“Ah, shit,” Clayton muttered, bracing himself.

As soon as they hit the open highway, Alexia floored the gas. The engine roared like an unchained beast, and the car surged forward, effortlessly weaving through traffic. Clayton’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the seat, his breath hitching.

“Alex! Stop it! That’s enough! I get it—it’s fast! Please?” he pleaded, eyes wide with panic.

“What? I can’t hear you!” she teased, pushing the car even faster. The speedometer ticked upward, the numbers blurring.

“318 km/h? Oh boy!” Clayton muttered, his heart racing. But then, as the adrenaline pumped through his veins, the fear began to fade, replaced by a strange exhilaration.

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“Okay... maybe this isn’t so bad,” Clayton admitted, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips.

“I told you!” Alexia shouted over the roaring wind, her eyes gleaming with excitement as the car devoured the asphalt, leaving everything behind in a blur.

But Clayton’s grin faded slightly as he glanced at the other cars. “Seriously though, you need to slow down. It’s dangerous—you’re putting everyone on this road in danger.”

Alexia’s smile softened. “You’re right. I’m sorry... I just got too excited.”

“It’s okay. Save it for the track,” Clayton said, relaxing a little.

Alexia eased off the gas, the car gliding down to a more reasonable speed. “Back to work?” she asked, her voice a little more grounded now.

“Yeah, before the police see us,” Clayton replied, his pulse finally settling as they cruised toward their destination.

Moments later, they pulled into the office parking lot slowly, the low growl of the engine fading as Alexia spotted her other car parked alongside Clayton’s. Her eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning.

“Look at that beauty! I can’t wait to race it once it’s fully built,” she said, practically bouncing in her seat.

“And ruin the value of the car in the process,” Clayton muttered, shaking his head.

Alexia pouted dramatically. “Come on, be happy for me. Let me enjoy it, pretty please?”

Clayton sighed, softening. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I don’t know why I’m such a hater sometimes. Maybe it’s ‘cause I’m just not used to seeing money wasted like that. But honestly, though—you keep spending like this, and you’ll be broke by the end of the year.”

She sighed, leaning back in her seat. “I know, I should be more responsible. I really need to hire someone to manage my money… maybe invest it in real estate or something. You know, like back in my world.”

“Wait—were you always this rich?” Clayton asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I wish!” Alexia chuckled. “But no, not always. In adulthood, I became an actress and had, you know, random high-paying jobs.”

Clayton leaned in, intrigued. “‘Random high-paying jobs?”

Alexia smirked. “What? Oh, you know, random gigs. Stuff you don’t wanna know about.”

“I do wanna know. What kind of ‘random gigs’ pay that well?”

Alexia hesitated for a second before giving a cryptic smile. “Let’s just say it involved powerful people—politicians, CEOs... confidential stuff. Seriously, you don’t wanna know.”

Clayton gave her a long, suspicious look, his eyes scanning her from head to toe. Then, with an exaggerated gasp, he blurted, “You were a prostitute!”

Alexia’s jaw dropped. “What?! No! Rude! How did you even jump to that conclusion?”

Clayton winced, holding up his hands in defense. “Sorry, sorry. I meant an escort! You know, actress, powerful people, doing ‘confidential stuff’—connect the dots.”

“Wow,” Alexia shook her head, laughing. “Unbelievable. Only you, Clayton. Only you.”

“Well, am I wrong, though?” Clayton grinned as they parked, his teasing tone not going unnoticed.

“Yes! I wasn’t an escort,” Alexia shot back, but Clayton’s laughter only grew.

“Hey, I’m not judging,” he smirked. “You did what you had to, to support your luxurious lifestyle.”

Alexia shot him a look of mock defeat, rolling her eyes. “I said I wasn’t an escort. Whatever, man. I’m going to check on my car.” She threw the door open, stepping out with a huff.

Clayton leaned out, still grinning. “No need to be ashamed of it! You probably made those people’s lives a little less miserable.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever!” Alexia called back, already halfway to her other car. She couldn’t help but chuckle under her breath, though—leave it to Clayton to push her buttons and make her laugh at the same time.

Alexia circled the car, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she imagined what she’d turn it into. “This is perfect. A widebody kit, fully built engine, carbon fiber everywhere, sick wheels… yes, this is gonna be fun.” She couldn’t wait. Hopping into the car, she revved the engine, the deep growl making her grin even wider. “Ooh, what a nice sound. It’s only going to get better from here.”

As she drove to the shop, she felt a rush of adrenaline, already envisioning the beast this car would become. Upon arriving, she saw her employees busy working on their usual everyday cars. But the moment she revved the engine again, every head turned, their faces lighting up with awe.

She stepped out, walking toward them with a smirk. “Alright, hands up if you wanna work on this beast!”

All fourteen hands shot up without hesitation.

She laughed, amused by their eagerness. “Okay, okay, who here has actually worked on something like this before?”

Only four hands remained raised.

“Alright, what are your names?”

“I’m Casey, boss,” one of them said confidently.

“Nate.”

“Dylan.”

“Tatiana, boss,” the last one chimed in, sounding just as excited as the others.

Alexia nodded, impressed. “Can you guys turn this into a proper race car?”

Casey, who seemed the most eager, stepped forward. “Yes, boss. I worked with a racing team before, back in the day. You can check my file if you don’t believe me. I’m also head mechanic here."

She smiled. “I see your enthusiasm. And I haven’t even talked about your fees yet.”

Casey’s face flushed a bit. “It’s not about the money, boss. I’m just tired of doing the same routine maintenance over and over. I know more than oil changes and tire rotations. Plus… I don’t want to get fired. I’ve heard the rumors.” His voice trailed off, eyes darting nervously.

Alexia’s eyebrow raised. “Rumors? What rumors?”

Casey fidgeted, clearly regretting bringing it up. “I’d rather not say, boss.”

“Well, you brought it up. Now spill it.”

Casey hesitated. “People say you fired the last head mechanic and their whole team because they wouldn’t, um… do what you asked.”

Alexia folded her arms, her tone sharpening. “And what exactly did I ask them to do?”

“To work without shirts on certain days and, uh, ‘entertain’ you, boss.”

Her eyes widened in disbelief. “Entertain me? You’re saying I asked them to strip and entertain me? That’s sexual harassment. I would never do something like that. You seriously believe that?”

Casey quickly backpedaled. “No, boss, I don’t. That’s why I said it’s just a rumor. I don’t believe it at all.”

Alexia muttered to herself, “What the hell did you do, Ryland?” Shaking her head, she turned back to Casey. “Alright, you’re in charge of this project. Meet me in my office when you’re done with whatever you were working on.”

“I’ll be there, boss,” Casey replied, still looking a little flustered.

As Alexia made her way back to her office, her mind kept replaying what Casey had said. The rumors gnawed at her. She glanced around at her team. They were all attractive, fit, and athletic—men and women alike. That made it all the more difficult to shake off the absurdity of the accusations.

Alexia burst into Clayton's office, barely waiting for the door to swing open. "Clayton! Clayton!" she called out.

He looked up from his desk, unfazed. "I’m right here, Alexia. No need to shout. What’s going on?"

She leaned against the door frame, catching her breath. “I heard this wild rumor that Ryland made the previous mechanics strip and, like, ‘entertain’ her. Is that true?”

Clayton winced slightly, leaning back in his chair. “Partially.”

Alexia blinked in disbelief. “Partially?”

He sighed. “Yeah, it wasn’t exactly for her. She asked them to do it for her guests… But don’t worry, all the mechanics refused. So, it never actually happened… oh man, now I am thinking who the guests were, do you think they were part of… you know… the organization?”

Alexia groaned, rubbing her forehead. “I really don’t know or care. The thing that I care about is the fact that now I’m pretty sure everyone here thinks I’m some kind of pervert.”

Before Clayton could respond, both of their phones chimed simultaneously with a loud notification. They glanced at their screens, reading in unison.

"**Warning: Due to unforeseen events, all citizens must set their home turrets to Code Red. A lockdown is now in place. All citizens must be home within one hour.**"

Alexia squinted at her phone. “What the hell is a home turret?”

Clayton shot her a knowing look. “You’re really not from around here, are you?”