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Chapter 27: The Showroom
🕑 Added 2025-07-19 08:41:24 +0000 UTCThree days. Three long days Owen had spent in this boring, white, square room, and now, finally, he could go home. He sat on the edge of the hospital bed, dressed in the casual clothes Clara had brought him that morning. The warm morning sun streamed through the window, illuminating a face that had regained its healthy color.
“To be honest, Mr. Marlowe,” the middle-aged doctor said as he reviewed Owen’s file one last time, his eyes behind his glasses still shining with disbelief, “your recovery is nothing short of incredible. Your external wounds healed shockingly fast, and… uh… the anatomical abnormality we recorded on your first day here has now completely vanished. You’ve returned to a normal state as if nothing ever happened. Your cellular regeneration rate is several times higher than that of an average person…”
Owen just offered a faint smile. “I guess I’m just lucky, Doctor.”
Of course, he wasn’t about to tell him the whole truth… The truth that his body might never be the same again. Though he looked normal on the outside, he could feel the latent power lurking within. His muscles were denser, his strength overflowing. It was the inheritance from the “evolution” Iris had left him.
Over the past three days, Owen’s room had never been lonely. Damian and Julian visited him almost every day. Damian’s face was filled with relief that he had made it back alive. He gripped Owen’s hand tightly, repeating, “Thank God you’re safe, my friend. To hell with the car! Your life is a hundred times more important!”
Julian, on the other hand, was still Julian. He brought a handheld gaming console and tried to chat about streaming to keep the mood from getting too grim.
But the one who made Owen feel different was Clara. She visited him every day, sitting by his bedside longer than anyone else. She always had hot soup or fruit that she had prepared herself. The way she looked at him was filled with the deepest concern… a concern that went far beyond mere friendship…
‘Her affection score must be over 60 by now…' Owen thought as he watched Clara that day. ‘She’s starting to see me as more than a friend. That’s good progress. Even though I feel a deep guilt towards Damian, I’m just a selfish bastard… I just hope I can make it up to him later. At the very least, with his debt…’
And, of course, Owen saw the same confusion and conflict in Clara’s eyes as he felt in his own. She was still Damian’s wife, and her love for him was still strong, even if it had been eroded by Damian’s own actions.
After signing the discharge papers, Owen stepped through the automatic doors, taking a deep breath of the vibrant air outside. A sense of freedom washed over him. He stood for a moment, watching the people bustling by and the cars on the street. Now, he had to return to a normal life that was several times more complicated than before.
The first thing he had to do was get a new car. Damian’s old Mercedes had become a part of the nightmare in the dimensional gate. Relying on public transport or asking for rides wasn’t a viable option for his packed schedule.
‘Good thing the latest payment from OnlyStar came through. Otherwise, I couldn’t even dream of buying my own car like this…’
The thought brought a small smile to Owen’s lips. At least he had a financial power he’d never had before. He walked to the bus stop not far from the hospital. It was a bit crowded, but he managed to find a seat by the window.
As the bus moved through the familiar city scenery, Owen stared out, his mind racing with a multitude of thoughts. Alex’s plan, his training with Nova, the relationships he had to manage with both Clara and Jessica, and most importantly… the dark secret of Rosy and Iris, a ticking time bomb waiting to explode.
Soon, the bus stopped in front of a large car showroom. Owen stepped off, the sunlight glinting off the modern building’s glass façade. He could see several cars lined up inside, showing off their sleek designs.
“Alright… let’s go buy a car,” he whispered to himself before pushing the door open… completely unaware that it would lead him to an unexpected confrontation.
Ring~
The clear sound of a bell chimed as the distinct smell of polished leather and car wax hit his nose. The showroom was spacious and brilliantly lit by spotlights. The white tiled floor reflected the elegant luxury cars arranged like works of art. The atmosphere was quiet and opulent, enough to make any ordinary person feel intimidated.
Before he could even take it all in, a voice cut through the silence. It was a beautiful voice, but cold and laced with sharp thorns.
“Hmm~ Look who decided to wander into our luxury showroom. A shame it’s just an ordinary young man with no scent of money on him. Hmph Probably just here to gawk and then leave like the rest of them. I’m so sick of this type. The stench of poverty is just sickening”
Owen turned towards the voice and saw a petite young woman leaning against the reception counter. She was about 25, around 160 cm tall, dressed in a form-fitting black uniform that perfectly accentuated her curves. Although her chest was small, her hips were full and perfectly rounded. Her jet-black hair was cut into a neat bob with bangs, framing a beautiful face. But her golden-yellow eyes stared at him with undisguised arrogance and contempt. She was, without a doubt, a woman of Fuji heritage from the far-off country.
[Character Illustration: Reiko]
Before Owen could open his mouth, she lifted her chin slightly with a synthetic smile.
“Oh, my apologies, customer. I was just thinking out loud. I hope you didn’t hear or take offense,” she said, before launching a question as sharp as a razor. “Are you here just to gawk at our cars like all the other losers, or are you going to buy one and prove you're not one of them?”
A muscle in Owen’s brow twitched. His patience began to rapidly erode. “Is that how you normally treat your customers?” he shot back, his voice hardening.
She seemed completely unfazed. She languidly brushed a non-existent speck of dust from her sleeve. “Did you misunderstand something? We always treat our customers well… assuming they are, in fact, our actual customers. Not the type I was just accidentally thinking about.”
She stepped out from behind the counter, circling him as if appraising merchandise. Her eyes scanned him from head to toe before stopping in front of him again. “So, what will it be? Are you going to just ‘look’ and waste my time, or are you going to be our ‘customer’?”
Owen clenched his jaw. He wanted to turn and walk out of this insane place and find a showroom with more polite staff, but the only other one he could think of was much farther away. His laziness warred with his frustration, and once again, she didn’t give him a chance to decide.
“Oh and I must warn you, you can’t just stroll around here as if it’s your backyard. We have cars, staff, and other customers to attend to. I hope you understand”
Snap. Owen’s last thread of patience broke. Vicious thoughts flooded his mind. He wanted to drag this sharp-tongued woman into the bathroom, bend her over, and spank her ass until she was humiliated, teaching her some damn manners. Or better yet, just pin her to the floor and slam his cock into her until she screamed and begged him for forgiveness, becoming his pathetic, whimpering slut!
Luckily, the last shred of his sanity was still intact. He took a deep breath, trying to suppress the raw, savage emotions churning inside him.
“I have no desire to argue with someone like you, miss,” Owen said flatly, forcing his anger down. “I have urgent business to attend to, so could you please recommend a mid-range car, under $50,000?”
The moment the words “$50,000” left his mouth, the atmosphere shifted instantly. The woman’s arrogant expression vanished, replaced by a gleam of delight. Her voice, once cold, became warm and friendly, as if she were a different person. She smiled so widely that faint dimples appeared on her cheeks.
“Oh my! I knew from the start that you were one of our lovely customers!” she chirped enthusiastically. “Please, just call me Reiko. And I happen to be the owner of this showroom. So you’re very lucky to receive my personal service, as my other employees are currently busy… For the car you’re looking for, please, follow me this way!”
‘Lucky? I’d call it damn unlucky to have met someone like you…’ Owen thought to himself as he followed her. He glanced at her small back and the seductive sway of her round hips, letting out a quiet sigh.
Two hours felt like an eternity for Owen. He had to endure Reiko’s overly enthusiastic descriptions of each car, as she relentlessly tried to upsell him on various extra options. But finally, he managed to complete all the procedures and sign the sales agreement.
Owen drove his new SUV—white with a black roof—out of the showroom. The imported car from Fuji felt smooth and powerful. He rolled down the window, enjoying the cool breeze as he accelerated, leaving the image of the showroom and its venom-tongued owner behind. He felt a wave of relief to have escaped that situation and hoped he would never have to see that woman named Reiko again in his life.
…..
And then, Monday arrived. Owen felt an unusual surge of energy in his body. Perhaps it was from a fully restful weekend, or perhaps it was a result of the internal changes he was still learning to live with. Today was the day Clara had scheduled their workout at Nova’s gym, and of course, Owen didn’t miss the chance to toss his new camera into his bag.
‘OnlyStar content of Clara working out… Just thinking about it, I know those perverts are going to go crazy for it.’ Owen thought, a sly grin he tried to hide playing on his lips as he glanced at Clara in the passenger seat.
Clara looked just as excited. She had brought two sets of vibrant, form-fitting workout clothes. The atmosphere inside Owen’s new SUV was filled with their mutual anticipation.
“Your new car is so smooth, Owen,” Clara complimented, breaking the silence. “It’s much nicer than Damian’s old car.”
“Of course,” Owen replied casually. “It’s about time I had something of my own.”
Soon, they arrived at Nova’s gym, located on a mountain far from the city’s chaos. Clara stared in awe at the modern building of exposed concrete and glass, which stood majestically amidst the lush green nature. She never imagined a training facility could look so serene and formidable at the same time.
CLANG!
The moment they opened the door to the gym, the thunderous sound of heavy metal hitting the floor made Clara jump. The sight she beheld was Nova, in a pink sports bra, casually lifting a barbell with enormous weight plates from the floor. The muscles on her body were as perfect as a marble sculpture.
Nova set the barbell down before turning to grin at them. The sweat glistening on her skin only highlighted her strength and sexiness.
“Hey~ Owen! Who’s the pretty lady you brought to my gym?” her voice boomed, playfully teasing.
Clara, feeling a little shy, quickly stepped forward and greeted her friendly. “Hello, Ms. Nova. I’m Clara. I’ve heard about you from Owen, and he said you’re the best trainer for working out. I came here for your help. I just want to be healthy and get in good shape. Can you help me?” Her voice at the end was filled with hope and determination.
Nova glanced at Owen with a cunning look before turning back to nod at Clara, her smile warming up. “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t let them use my gym, even if they paid. But for you… Owen’s ‘lover’… I’ll let you use my gym for free. In exchange, he’ll have to work even harder. Hehehe~”
“Ah~ No! You’ve got it all wrong…” Clara’s face immediately flushed red. She frantically waved her hands in denial. “Owen and I are just friends!”
Seeing Clara’s flustered state, Nova let out a soft laugh. “Hahaha! Just friends, huh~ Looks like I was mistaken. It’s just that the vibe you two have is just like a couple. Well, whatever…”
Then, Nova’s expression turned serious and enthusiastic. She strode over and circled Clara, scrutinizing her as if evaluating a masterpiece.
“You heard right, I am the best trainer in this city! And just seeing your magnificent form, I’m dying to train you! Your body structure is fantastic, Clara. With a foundation this good, just a little sculpting… I guarantee every man in the city will be on their knees begging for your number! The fire in me is burning Hurry up and get changed, and let’s start with a light workout, Clara” Nova shouted, her voice blazing with passion.
Clara, though embarrassed by the direct compliments, felt strangely motivated. She nodded and quickly headed to the changing room.
Owen watched the two of them, who seemed to get along remarkably well, and couldn’t help but smile. He wasted no time, heading to a corner of the gym, finding a good angle, and discreetly setting up his tripod and camera. He positioned it to capture Clara’s workout perfectly before starting his own warm-up. Today was definitely going to be a good day…
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