Visiting the girls (3)

Left alone with the two intruders, Alex smirked and leaned casually against the wall. "You two have a habit of showing up at the best moments, don't you?" he teased, his tone playful but laced with annoyance.

"Who? Us? Yes, you can say—" Marina's words caught in her throat as she finally focused on Alex's face. It was only after Talia had disappeared from the room that both women truly registered his features. And the moment they did, they were struck by his sheer magnetism.

'Too handsome,' they thought simultaneously, their breath hitching in unison.

Alex was, without a doubt, the most handsome man they had ever seen. His chiseled jawline, piercing eyes, and confident stance exuded an irresistible allure that made it impossible to look away.There was an otherworldly, almost magnetic quality to him, one that drew their gaze like moths to a flame and made it impossible to look elsewhere.

When he smiled, noticing their stunned reactions, it was as if their hearts melted on the spot. They felt an inexplicable, almost primal desire to protect him, to do anything to ensure that that smile never leave his dreamy face. Fortunately for them, Alex didn't even use the lust energy to enhance his features, or the feelings of care and protection that they felt would have morphed into something much more depraved.

Alex's smile turned into a grin, something that earned him an even more enamored expression from his two cousins, further stroking the flames of his ego. After all, what sane man wouldn't feel smug knowing he could render two stunning women utterly speechless with nothing more than a look?

Celine was a stunning woman with long, straight ash blonde hair tied back into a neat ponytail, giving her a sleek and refined look. Her striking green eyes stood out against her fair complexion, adding a sharp intensity to her gaze, which was often accentuated by her serious expression. Her body was slender yet curvaceous, with a well-defined waist, full breasts, and a shapely, firm ass that added to her alluring figure. However, there was a slight problem. Her assets were usually concealed under clothing that resembled more masculine attire. Otherwise, there would be row upon row of suitors wanting to fight for a chance to be with her.

Marina on the other hand was a cute and petite woman with sleek, jet-black hair that cascaded just past her shoulders. Her eyes, just as dark as her hair, gleamed with a playful spark. With her small, delicate frame, she had a sweet, almost innocent appearance, but there was an undeniable charm in her presence. Her body was petite yet curvy, with soft, gentle lines that made her look both approachable and irresistibly cute.

Seeing that if he didn't say anything, the two women would just stand there gawking at him without moving or speaking, Alex cleared his throat to bring them back to reality. "Ladies," he called out in a smooth and composed voice, inclining his head slightly in a gentlemanly manner as he flashed them a soft, disarming smile.

Celine and Marina were startled awake by his voice, and embarrassed expressions quickly spread across their faces as they realized what they had been doing for the past several seconds. Thankfully, their embarrassment quickly disappeared.

"Alex," Celine greeted him with a nod, her lips curving into a rare, warm smile. If Talia or Amelia had been present, they would have been utterly shocked to see Celine smiling so affectionately, knowing that she usually wore a stoic expression around people outside their close-knit group. "Purple hair suits you," she complimented.

'Ah, that's right. I'm still walking around with this hair color,' Alex realized after her compliment. His original hair color was silver, but by using the all-purpose smoke hidden within his body, he could easily coat his hair and change its hue, giving it the striking purple tone.

"Thanks," Alex replied with a warm smile. "You two also look lovely."

A faint blush crept across both women's faces, followed by blooming, sweet smiles that they tried—unsuccessfully—to suppress.

"So Tally was right. Boss is indeed the one under that frightening armor," Marina suddenly exclaimed.

"Ah, yeah," Alex admitted, scratching the back of his head. "I had to hide my true personality while representing Arcane, so I wore this." As he spoke, the smoke mantle enveloping him dissolved into a cloud, coalescing into a floating orb that hovered near him. "By the way, why are you calling me boss?" he asked, shifting his attention to Marina.

"Well, you're the head of our branch, right? That kind of makes you our boss, don't you think?" the petite woman replied with a thoughtful look.

"Now that I think about it, you're right," Alex nodded, his tone playful. "I am indeed your boss."

"Whose boss are you?" Talia's voice cut through the conversation as she barged back into the bedroom. Her curvaceous figure was wrapped in a deep blue dress that hugged her body perfectly, falling just above her knees. While the dress covered her most sensitive areas, each step she took caused her heavy breasts to jiggle in an almost hypnotic rhythm. "Certainly not mine!" she declared.

Alex glanced at her as she plopped herself onto one of the couches and grinned. "If you didn't want to be under my orders, then you shouldn't have lost to me in the branch competition."

"He's got a point," Celine remarked, nodding her head in approval.

"Yup, the boss is right," Marina added, her tone entirely supportive.

"You two…" Talia glared at her friends with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation. "Whose side are you on?"

"His," the two women replied in unison, without hesitation. "I mean, he is the family head after all," Celine added with a small shrug.

"Thanks, girls," Alex said with a dazzling smile.

Both women blushed furiously, their gazes dropping to the floor as they tried to hide the sudden flush on their cheeks.

Looking at the blush on their expressions, Talia gnashed her teeth, feeling the sudden need to punch her two friends in their faces. 'Just you wait, you traitors…' she thought to herself.

Turning to glare at Alex, Talia found herself faltering, her gaze inadvertently lingering on his features. She felt herself momentarily lost in the intensity of his eyes before shaking her head and regaining her focus. Finally, she blurted out the question that had been on her mind since he arrived. "What are you doing here?"

Alex focused on her and raised a brow, "Actually, I wanted to ask the same thing. What are you guys doing here?"

"What kind of stupid question is that?!" Talia snapped, crossing her arms under her chest. "Why would we come to the Drazen family's yearly auction if not to participate in it?"

Hearing this, Alex's lips twitched in irritation. "Yet, when it was asked during the family meeting who should try to strike a deal with the Drazen family, none of you mentioned that you planned to attend this year's auction!"

Surprisingly, it was Celine who responded instead of Talia. "First of all, at that time, we hadn't decided whether we would attend or not. Secondly, you never asked who intended to go," she said with a deadpan expression.

"Fair enough," Alex admitted, nodding slightly. "However, why didn't you mention that you personally knew the matriarch of the Drazen family when we were brainstorming how to secure a partnership with them?" He wondered, his gaze shifting back to Talia.

"I don't really know Lady Freya," Talia clarified. "We only exchanged pleasantries when I was hired to perform at her daughter's coming-of-age party. Do you have any idea how many artists performed that day? I was just one among dozens of others." She shrugged, looking annoyed by his insistence.

"Still, you should have informed us," Alex countered.

"Everyone already knew, dammit! That's why I didn't even bother to mention it!" Talia practically yelled, her breasts bouncing slightly with the force of her outburst.

"Yeah, it was actually one of the main topics during last year's meeting. How come the boss isn't awa—ah, wait. You didn't attend last year's family meeting," Marina giggled.

"If I remember correctly," Celine added with a smirk, "you were off somewhere, drinking with some reputed local drunkards."

"…."

Alex coughed in embarrassment and changed the subject. "So, I guess if you're here to attend the auction, that means you have the money for it?"

'Shameless,' the women thought in unison, seeing how swiftly Alex changed the subject once his drunken past was brought up.

"We don't have the kind of money to participate in an auction held here," Celine and Marina revealed simultaneously, pointing at Talia. "She's the one paying."

"That actually reminds me," Talia said, narrowing her eyes at Alex. "Why the hell did you bid against me for the piano made by Alaric Stonehand?! You don't even play the instrument! Was that just to spite me?!"

"It's not like everything I do has to be about you, Talia dear—"

"Stop calling me dear!" Talia interrupted, her cheeks flushed with irritation.

Alex paused, tilting his head as if evaluating her. Then, his lips twisted into a playful grin. "I refuse."

"Fuck you, you arrogant bastard!"

"You wish," Alex retorted. "Unfortunately, being with me is a privilege not granted to just any woman, especially the vulgar type."

"Who the hell are you calling vulgar?!" Talia exclaimed, her eyes widening in disbelief.

"Obviously, I'm speaking about you. What? Besides being vulgar, you're also too dense to understand what I'm saying? Poor you, I don't want to be in your place," he said, shaking his head and casting Talia a pitying glance.

"You! You! YOU!" Talia spluttered, her face turning an alarming shade of red as rage contorted her features.

"Tsk, here they go again," Celine and Marina sighed in unison, rolling their eyes

Glancing at Marina, Celine whispered skeptically, "Are you sure you saw those two kissing? It seems completely impossible to me."

"I'm absolutely certain of what I saw," Marina whispered back with a confident gaze. "If you want my opinion, they're just trying to throw us off. They want us to believe they still hate each other, but they're secretly lovers."

Celine's small hand formed into a tight fist before slamming into her other palm as realization dawned. Her eyes lit up with sudden understanding. "Ah, I get it now! So they're just acting! That makes so much sense!"

"Uh-huh, that's exactly what's happening," Marina nodded sagely. "What they don't realize is that they can't fool us—"

"If you two don't have anything of interest to say, SHUT IT!" Alex and Talia bellowed at the same time.

Instead of silencing them, though, Marina and Celine simply looked at each other and grinned knowingly.

"Whoa, love is such a powerful thing," Marina whispered in awe. "They're even synchronized now."

"I know right? I'm as impressed as you are. What a sight," Celine agreed.

"….. "

"…. "