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Chapter 28: Morality and Desire
🕑 Added 2025-07-20 03:40:05 +0000 UTCThe rhythmic clang of workout machines, mixed with the sound of heavy breathing, echoed through the large, private gym. It was a modern space, with clear glass walls on all sides revealing the nature outside, while the morning sun streamed in, bathing the training figures in a spotlight.
The faint scent of sweat mingled with Clara’s perfume, creating a strangely hot and sensual atmosphere.
Owen was on a weight bench, lifting 50-kilogram dumbbells in each hand—what used to be his limit now felt as light as a warm-up. His body felt tight, fluid, and more powerful than ever before. His dense muscles contracted and expanded with each lift, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm with his soft panting.
In another corner, Clara was stretching in front of a full-length mirror, her tight, dark blue workout gear unapologetically revealing her every curve. Her full breasts rose and fell with her breathing, her fair skin gleaming like polished porcelain in the sunlight. She tried to focus on her training, but she couldn't stop her eyes from straying to Owen’s form as he lifted weights.
Owen was no different. He watched her through the large mirror, his hands still moving the dumbbells with a steady rhythm, but his insides were burning. Clara’s voluptuousness was a potent stimulus. The small camera he had set up in a corner was recording her every angle—every movement of her chest and hips as they bounced with each stretch. It was a scene Owen fully intended to post on OnlyStar.
But as he lost himself in thought, another pair of hands touched his shoulders, gentle yet firm.
“Stop for a moment, Owen.”
Nova’s deep, smooth voice cut in, along with a cool touch against his skin. The woman with short, shimmering silver hair, dressed in a sports bra and tight training pants, approached him with silent, powerful steps. Her emerald eyes were fixed on his musculature, unblinking.
“What is it, Nova?” Owen set the dumbbells down, turning to her with a look of confusion. “Am I doing it wrong?”
She didn’t answer right away. Instead, her eyes swept over him from head to toe, her lips twitching into an unreadable smile before she spoke, her voice even and clear.
Nova: “Take off your shirt.”
Owen: “Huh?...”
“I said, take off your shirt.” This time, her voice was more serious. He could only swallow dryly and stand up obediently, pulling the thin tank top off his body to reveal a perfectly sculpted chest and abs.
Nova stepped closer, so close that the tips of her breasts brushed against his chest. Her faint, fragrant scent immediately hit his nose. Her slender hands rested gently on his pectoral muscles, then her fingertips began to meticulously trace each muscle group.
“My God…” she murmured softly, her hand gliding over his abs and down his hips. Her fingers continued their descent, stopping right at the waistband of his sweatpants. She glanced up, meeting his eyes for a second, before moving her hand back up to his arm and squeezing it lightly.
Her touch was both firm and searing, awakening something in Owen that even he couldn’t control. His breathing quickened, and he could feel the blood rushing violently to one particular part of his body.
Nova stepped back slightly, her eyes widening. Her lips parted in surprise before she spoke, her voice filled with excitement. “What have you been doing, Owen! How did you get so much stronger so suddenly? The density of your muscle mass… the response of your nerve fibers… This is…”
She took a deep breath before stating with a firm, serious tone, “You’re now comparable to a C-rank Power-Type Awakened! Surviving a B-rank Awakened won’t be too difficult for you, as long as you have a good foundation in martial arts… Congratulations. You have truly stepped onto the path of the strong, Owen!”
Faced with her question, Owen saw no reason to hide anything from his instructor. “It’s something I gained from the Dimensional Gate of Chaos, Nova. I was just starting to test its limits today myself.”
Hearing this, Nova’s eyes instantly lit up with admiration and excitement. She gave a satisfied, predatory grin at her favorite student’s growth. “Excellent, Owen! You’re truly my beloved student~”
Her voice was full of energy. She pointed to a massive barbell resting majestically on the opposite side of the gym, surrounded by other high-end equipment. “You don’t need to waste any more time with those children’s toys! You can now handle the 400-kilogram barbell. Push your limits even further!”
Finished speaking, Nova slapped Owen’s shoulder hard—hard enough to make him stumble slightly. She let out a hearty laugh. “Hahaha~ A great body is the symbol of the strong! A man needs to be strong enough to take care of his ‘girls,’ right?”
With that last sentence, Nova turned to smile at Clara, who was stretching not far away. It was a smile with no hidden agenda, no challenge or condescension. It was a smile that purely expressed her “belief” that the strong deserve more than one woman, and that those women would naturally accept their roles.
…But in Clara’s eyes, it was something else entirely. It was a clear declaration of war.
Her face went numb. The smile that had been on her lips slowly froze. Her eyes, once sparkling with determination, were now filled with an indescribable turmoil. She had seen every overly familiar gesture Nova made with Owen. She had heard every word Nova spoke as if Owen belonged to her. She had watched Nova’s hands sensually touch every part of Owen’s body.
And most importantly, she had heard that sentence, loud and clear…
It wasn’t a trainer speaking to a student. It was another ‘woman’… telling her that ‘Owen doesn’t belong to just one person.’ And worse, Nova was implying that ‘Clara herself’ was just one of those women.
Clara’s heart felt like it had been struck by an invisible hammer. She wanted to scream, to shout that it wasn’t what Nova thought, that she and Owen were just friends. But her lips wouldn’t move. Her eyes couldn’t tear away from the sight of Owen and Nova. The confidence she once had was being eroded, piece by piece. Her heart pounded with a rhythm that was more painful than exciting.
‘…Why did she have to say that? …Why that smile? …And Owen… does he think the same way as her?’ Those thoughts swirled endlessly in Clara’s mind.
A moment of silence fell, with only the soft, rhythmic music from the ceiling speakers continuing in the tense, suffocating atmosphere. Owen glanced at Clara. He knew instantly that something was wrong with the look in her eyes.
Clara took a silent breath, trying to suppress all her feelings. She composed her face and forced a smile. “Wow You’re as strong as a C-rank Awakened, Owen! I’m so happy for you… Don’t forget to use that strength to protect me, okay” Her voice tried to sound cheerful, but it couldn’t hide the sorrow in her eyes.
‘How can a normal, older woman like me possibly compare to a beautiful, powerful Awakened like Nova…’ Clara thought, her gaze falling to the floor, her lips pressed together so tightly it hurt.
‘Stop thinking nonsense, Clara… You’re just being delusional. You don’t have any right to him…’ Clara held her breath, lifted her head, and straightened her posture to appear relaxed again. But inside, she felt like she was slowly sinking in quicksand.
Nova, not noticing the shift in the atmosphere, shouted again with her usual energy. “Alright! Enough talking! Get back to training, Owen! And you, Clara, come over here. I’ll start teaching you the correct form!”
Owen nodded slightly, walking towards the barbell with a hint of hesitation. He glanced back at Clara, concerned. And what he saw in her eyes… was no longer sadness or turmoil…
It was fire! The fire of determination! The fire of competition had been ignited once again. And if he didn’t handle it carefully, he could get burned to a crisp… It showed that a woman like Clara wouldn’t give up easily, even if her rival was an Awakened like Nova. It seemed her selfish desire had won out over reason this time…
……
After their workout, they drove home in the new white SUV in the late afternoon. The atmosphere in the car was completely silent, a stark contrast to the drive there. Only the soft music from the radio served to ease the tension. Owen glanced at Clara from time to time, but she just stared out the window, her expression blank, her eyes distant.
When they got home, they went their separate ways to rest. Clara, in particular, was feeling the protest of her body. It was her first serious workout in years, but the physical exhaustion was nothing compared to the emotional fatigue that was eating away at her.
Time passed until evening. The soft moonlight shone into Clara’s private dressing room. This was her sanctuary, a place where she could be herself. But tonight, it had become a cage for her racing thoughts.
Clara sat on a velvet stool in front of her vanity, staring at her reflection in the large mirror. In her hand was a wine glass, nearly half-empty. An expensive bottle of red wine sat beside it, open and waiting to be refilled, endlessly.
The morning’s events replayed in her head… Nova standing beside Owen, her perfect body, her formidable strength, and her confident smile… And worst of all, her words, which still echoed in her ears.
‘…A man needs to be strong enough to take care of his ‘girls,’ right?’
‘His girls…’ Clara downed the rest of her wine in one gulp. The heat of the alcohol spread through her, but it couldn’t extinguish the fire burning in her heart.
“Why… Why do I have to feel this way?” she whispered to her reflection. “Why am I so jealous of him… Aren’t we just friends?”
She knew the answer… Her feelings for Owen had crossed the line of “friendship.” It was a bond, a concern, a goodwill… and a desire, as a woman. But she was still Damian’s wife. Morality had always held her back.
But when the image of Nova overlapped in her mind, all reason seemed to crumble. She felt like she was about to lose him… lose him to a woman who seemed better than her in every way.
‘I can’t compete with her…’ The thought cut deep. ‘How can a normal, older woman like me fight against an S-rank Awakened who is both beautiful and strong?’
Despair and self-pity made her reach for the bottle again. And again… until she lost track of time.
Knock… Knock…
A soft knock on the door startled her from her trance. Owen opened the door, right on time for their nightly appointment… midnight.
“Clara~ Are you ready to check the OnlyStar account? Your workout content from today got a ton of views!” Owen said cheerfully, but the sight before him made him raise his eyebrows in surprise.
Clara was sitting in a silk robe, her hair slightly disheveled. Her eyes were glossy and red, her face flushed from the alcohol. Beside her were two empty bottles of wine.
“Clara? Are you okay? You look… unwell,” Owen said, approaching with concern. He sat on a stool next to her and looked up at her face.
Clara let out a soft laugh, a sound that was both sad and shaky. “I’m fine, Owen… just… lost in thought.” She reached out a slightly trembling hand and gently caressed his cheek, catching him off guard. “You know, Owen… today, I felt so… weak.”
Owen frowned. “You mean the workout? Don’t worry, it’s like that for everyone on the first day.”
“No…” she shook her head slowly, her gaze boring into his. “I don’t mean physically… I mean my spirit… I feel like I have nothing to fight with.” Owen went still. He knew instantly what she meant… She meant Nova.
Clara looked down at the wine glass in her hand. “I… I can’t beat her, Owen… not when it comes to strength…” She looked up at him again, her eyes filled with a fragile vulnerability, a stubborn defiance, and a desire unleashed by the alcohol. “…But this… in this, I won’t lose.”
“Owen…” her voice became husky and seductive. “I think my bikini and lingerie pictures might be too plain now… Maybe I should try… ‘revealing more.’ What do you think?”
Owen felt his heart pound. He could see the courage and the challenge in her eyes. “Revealing more? What do you mean, Clara?” he asked, his brow furrowed.
She smiled, a smile that was both sad and beautiful. “Because right now, I feel like letting go like never before…” She rose slowly, letting the silk robe slip slightly from her shoulder, revealing the curve of her fair, smooth breast.
“There are plenty of women on OnlyStar who go topless, right? I guess one more won’t hurt…” As she finished, she slowly moved her hand to the tie at her waist. Her eyes, locked on his, seemed to ask a final question without uttering a word…
‘Are you ready to see me… in a way no one has ever seen me before?’
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