A few days passed in relative quiet.
Leo kept a low profile, choosing not to make any big moves after the incident at Eclipse Club. Mia had contacted him twice, mentioning that without a steady source of money, their operations would eventually stall.
Leo's response had been short and direct — "Stay on hold for now." He wasn't ready to involve himself too deeply in their business just yet.
Jennifer's corruption had reached 15% during this time, but Leo hadn't received any milestone reward. It seemed the System only gave proper rewards at major milestones, with 25% being the next significant threshold.
Still, he continued observing her interactions with Roy. Their meetings had become noticeably frequent.
He had also been keeping an eye on his sister. Ever since Mary received a decent sum of money from the stream, she had been indulging herself more than usual — new clothes, frequent outings, and a noticeable change in her spending habits. Leo didn't stop her. If anything, he was letting her be.
The more addicted she became to that kind of lifestyle, the easier it would be to control her later.
Today, however, Leo had other plans.
He parked his BMW outside the Apex gym and stepped out, dressed in a fitted black full-sleeve compression shirt that hugged his muscular frame and a pair of dark training joggers.
The outfit did little to hide the sharp definition of his arms and chest. He grabbed his gym bag from the back seat and made his way inside.
As expected, Madison was already waiting near the reception area. Over the past few days, they had grown noticeably closer. Leo had to admit — he felt a growing urge to get closer to her. There was something about her calm confidence and sharp eyes that pulled at him.
Madison stood there in a cropped white sports bra and high-waisted black leggings that hugged her toned legs and curves. Her hair was tied up in a high ponytail, and a light sheen of sweat already coated her skin from her warm-up. She looked effortlessly attractive.
"Leo," she called out with a smile, raising her hand in a small wave.
Leo smiled back and walked over, dropping his bag near the bench before starting his warm-up stretches.
Madison watched him for a moment, then spoke with genuine admiration in her voice.
"No matter how many times I see it… Your body really is like a perfectly sculpted piece of art."
Leo paused mid-stretch and turned to look at her, a slow, devilish smile forming on his lips.
"Are you interested in seeing it personally?"
Madison scoffed, though the corner of her lips twitched upward. She reached out and slapped his shoulder lightly.
"You've started teasing me again."
Leo chuckled and went back to stretching, though the playful glint in his eyes remained.
Madison shook her head, but she didn't move away. Instead, she picked up a resistance band and started her own warm-up beside him, occasionally glancing his way with a small, amused smile.
Leo started his workout with pull-ups, moving with clean, controlled form. His black compression shirt stretched tightly across his back and arms with every repetition, the muscles shifting visibly beneath the fabric. After finishing his set, he dropped down from the bar and rolled his shoulders.
Just then, Kai Nakamura walked into the gym with his usual group of sidekicks trailing behind him. The arrogant rich kid was dressed in an expensive-looking training set, laughing loudly at something one of his friends said. The moment Leo spotted him, a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips.
He stepped away from the pull-up bar.
Madison, who had been standing nearby with a towel and a bottle of water, walked over.
"What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head. "You usually do more sets."
Leo glanced at her, then at Kai's group in the distance.
"There's not enough tension," he said calmly. "Doing it without any weight feels too easy."
Madison nodded, already turning slightly. "Shall I bring some weights?"
"No need," Leo replied, his golden eyes flicking back to her. "You'll help me."
Madison blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"
Without answering right away, Leo reached out and gently pulled her in front of him. A cheeky, almost teasing smile played on his lips as he leaned in slightly.
"Jump on me."
Madison's face immediately flushed. "L-Leo… what are you doing? You can just use some weights like a normal person."
Leo leaned closer, his voice dropping low enough that only she could hear.
"Aren't you my trainer, Madison? If you can't even help me with this…" He left the sentence hanging, but the meaning was clear.
Madison bit her lower lip, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. He wasn't wrong — he was paying a ridiculous amount of money for her time, and a small, traitorous part of her didn't want to disappoint him. After a moment of hesitation, she gave a small, shy nod.
Leo's smirk widened.
He took both of her hands and guided them behind his neck. Madison hesitated for only a second before jumping up, wrapping her legs around his waist. The moment her body pressed fully against his, she felt the solid heat of his chest and the faint, masculine scent of his skin. Her face burned hotter.
Leo, on the other hand, could clearly feel the soft weight of her breasts pressing against him through the thin layers of clothing. He didn't comment on it. Instead, he simply adjusted his grip on her thighs to hold her securely and lowered himself into a push-up position.
Then he started.
One clean push-up. Get faster updates on g.com.
Then another.
And another.
His movements were steady and powerful, as if Madison's weight barely affected him. Every time he lowered his body, her chest brushed against his. Every time he pushed up, she could feel the strength in his arms and core. His golden eyes remained calm, focused, and dangerously close to hers.
Across the gym, Kai Nakamura had stopped mid-conversation. His eyes were locked onto the scene, his expression twisting into something between disbelief and irritation. His sidekicks were also staring, some with open mouths.
A few of Madison's regular female clients were also watching. One of them whispered to another, clearly jealous.
"Isn't that Madison? She never lets anyone get that close during training…"
Kai's jaw clenched as he watched Leo continue his push-ups with Madison wrapped around him like it was the most natural thing in the world. The rich kid's earlier arrogance seemed to have taken a hit.
Leo, completely aware of the stares, didn't even glance in their direction. He simply kept going, his breathing steady, his focus seemingly only on the woman in his arms.
Madison, on the other hand, was struggling to keep her expression neutral. Every time Leo moved, she felt the shift of his muscles beneath her. His scent, his warmth, and those sharp golden eyes so close to hers were making it very difficult to think straight.
After a few more reps, Leo finally spoke, his voice low and slightly breathless.
"Still think I need weights?"
Madison swallowed, her voice coming out softer than she intended.
"…You're insane."
Leo chuckled, the sound vibrating through his chest and into hers.
"Maybe," he murmured, continuing his push-ups without missing a beat. "But you're still holding on."
After finishing his set, Kai Nakamura left for the gym café with his usual group of friends. They sat around a round table near the large glass windows. Kai ordered a few protein shakes and some light bites before leaning back in his chair, his mood visibly sour.
One of his friends leaned forward, looking confused.
"Yo, what's with you today? You looked pissed the second we walked into the gym."
Kai didn't answer right away. He took a sip of his shake before placing the glass down.
"That bastard is getting too close to Madison," he muttered. "Even after I subtly warned him to stay away from what's mine."
One of his friends let out a short laugh.
"Kai, she's just a trainer, man. Throw some cash her way, and she'll crawl into your bed eventually."
Kai's eyes snapped toward him, irritated.
"You think I didn't already try that, you fucking idiot?" he snapped. "I've gifted her expensive things before. She returns everything. I've made it pretty clear what I want, and she just laughs it off and keeps her distance like I'm some joke."
The table went quiet for a moment.
Another friend shrugged.
"So what? She seems to like that new guy. Maybe she's just not into you."
Kai's expression darkened.
"Like hell I'm letting some nobody take what's mine," he said coldly. "That guy's acting all rich and mysterious, but I can see right through him. He's just some poor bastard pretending to be something he's not."
One of his friends smirked, catching on.
"Then why don't we invite them to the club? We can show everyone what a two-faced liar he really is."
Kai's eyes lit up at the suggestion. A slow, unpleasant grin spread across his face.
"…Yeah. That's not a bad idea."
He turned to one of his quieter friends and pointed at him.
"Go invite them. And make sure you invite everyone else, too. The more people see that guy get exposed, the better."
The guy blinked.
"Me?"
Kai's smile dropped instantly. His voice turned low and threatening.
"Go. Before I make your sorry ass do something worse."
The friend quickly stood up and left to carry out the task.
Leo was in the middle of a chest press set when one of Kai's friends approached. He looked visibly uncomfortable, hands awkwardly shoved into his pockets.
Leo finished his set and sat up, wiping the sweat off his face with a towel. Madison stood beside him, holding a water bottle.
The guy raised a hand in an awkward wave.
"Hey… you're the new guy, right? Leo?"
Leo glanced at him, calm and unreadable.
"Yeah. That's me."
The guy scratched the back of his neck, clearly struggling with what he was about to say.
"So, uh… there's this thing happening tomorrow. Some of us are heading to a club. Kind of a private gathering — good crowd, good music. Thought maybe you and Madison would want to come?"
He forced a smile, but it looked stiff.
"You know… to get to know everyone better. It'll be fun."
Madison raised an eyebrow, already sensing something off about the sudden invitation. Leo simply stared at the guy for a second before replying in a neutral but slightly sharper tone.
"A club?" He wiped his hands with the towel. "Whose idea was that?"
The friend shifted uncomfortably under Leo's calm but piercing gaze.
"Just… some people from the gym. And a few others. Nothing serious. You should come. Both of you."
Leo didn't answer immediately. Just as he was about to speak, the familiar dark-blue holographic screen appeared in front of him.
[New Quest Activated]
Wealthy PersonaObjective: Some people are doubting the host's persona. Take this chance and prove it to everyone.
Leo's lips curved into a small, knowing smirk.
As expected.
"Hey, dude… " You there?" the guy asked, waving a hand in front of him.
Leo's smirk widened slightly as he looked at the guy.
"Why not? I'm free tomorrow." He paused for a beat, then added in a calmer, more deliberate tone, "Which club?"
The guy smiled with visible relief.
"You know, since tomorrow's the weekend, the clubs will be busy. But don't worry, Kai can arrange something."
He said it while side-eyeing Madison, clearly trying to gauge Leo's reaction.
Leo caught the look and smiled faintly.
"Then let's go to Eclipse."
The guy's lips twitched. For a second, he looked genuinely caught off guard.
Is this guy serious? Does he actually think he can get into Eclipse on a weekend?
He quickly masked his expression and spoke with fake enthusiasm.
"Bro, getting into Eclipse with this much crowd is difficult. You seem to know them personally, so… can you arrange it?"
Leo smirked and leaned back slightly on the bench.
"Sure," he said, picking up the bar again. "Just arrive there tomorrow. 20:00."
The guy blinked, surprised by how easily Leo agreed.
"R-Right… 20:00 at Eclipse. Got it."
He forced another awkward smile before quickly walking away, already pulling out his phone to report back to Kai.
Madison watched the guy leave, then turned to Leo with a raised eyebrow.
"You sure about this?" she asked quietly. "Eclipse isn't exactly easy to get into on a weekend."
Leo continued his set without breaking rhythm, his voice calm.
"Don't worry," he said. "It'll be fine."
Madison stared at him for a moment, clearly suspicious, but didn't push further.
***
/c/DevilsWhisper