As the heavy steel gates locked behind Fred Andrews’ departing truck, Aleksander stood in the center of the subterranean garage and swiped his hand through the air.
A series of holographic panels instantly flared to life around him.
“Cortana,” Aleksander called out.
The AI materialized in a shower of blue light, her digital form standing calmly amidst the multimillion-dollar fleet of cars.
“Run a full diagnostic on the perimeter and check the local municipal security feeds for any loopholes,” Aleksander ordered, turning toward the motorcycle bays.
“I will be back soon.”
He bypassed the supercars and walked straight to a Ducati Diavel 1260 S.
The heavy power cruiser was finished in a matte gray and black color scheme with gold accents on the front suspension forks.
It featured an angular LED headlight, wide blacked-out handlebars, a sculpted fuel tank stamped with the Ducati logo, and a massive rear tire left exposed by a single-sided swingarm.
He pulled on a carbon-fiber helmet, keyed the ignition, and let the engine roar to life.
The ride down into Riverdale took only minutes.
He pulled into the glowing, rain-slicked parking lot of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe, the neon lights reflecting off the Ducati’s matte fuel tank.
Instead of going straight inside, Aleksander parked the bike and stayed seated.
He plucked two Kimoyo Beads from his wristlet.
With a quiet metallic click, the microscopic circuitry within the beads shifted, reshaping them into sleek wireless earbuds.
He placed them in his ears, queued up a Linkin Park track, and simply sat back to absorb the strange atmosphere of his new town.
It didn’t take long for his mind to register that he was being watched.
Standing near the entrance of the diner was an olive-skinned, young Latina woman with straight, glossy jet-black hair and large brown eyes.
She had a slender, curvy physique and carried herself with an unmistakable confidence.
Seeing that he had noticed her staring, she didn’t look away or act embarrassed.
Instead, she walked directly over to the Ducati.
“I’m Veronica.
Veronica Lodge,” she introduced herself.
Aleksander reached up, pulling one of the Kimoyo earbuds out.
“Aleksander.”
“Are you going to Riverdale High School?” Veronica asked, looking from the bike back to his face.
“I’m starting there tomorrow.
This whole town is completely new to me, and I don’t know a single person here yet.”
“I am,” Aleksander confirmed, resting his arms on the handlebars.
He offered a faint, magnetic smile.
“Then you know someone now.”
Veronica smiled back, her gaze lingering on him.
He had thick, dark brown, shoulder-length hair styled in a messy middle part, with loose waves partially obscuring his right eye.
He had sharp, angular facial features, a strong jawline shadowed by light stubble, and dark, intensely focused eyes.
He wore a dark, textured blazer with a popped collar over a clean white crew-neck t-shirt.
He radiated a quiet, dangerous bad-boy vibe, yet as Veronica looked at his sharp jaw and intense eyes, a nagging feeling tugged at the back of her mind.
She felt like she had seen his face somewhere before—maybe on a financial magazine cover or a news broadcast—but she couldn’t quite place it.
“So, where are you transferring from, Aleksander?” Veronica asked, leaning slightly against the diner’s railing.
“I just moved here from New York.”
“Osaka, Japan,” Aleksander answered casually.
Veronica’s eyebrows shot up, intrigued.
“Osaka?
That’s a massive shift.
I’ve always wanted to visit Japan.”
Aleksander offered a genuine, albeit brief, smile.
“Maybe one day you can make a trip.
If you do, I will host your family.”
Veronica’s smile widened, charmed by his effortless confidence.
It was a stark contrast to the small-town vibe she had been expecting to find.
“I might just take you up on that, Aleksander,” she said, gesturing toward the warmly lit windows of the diner.
“Were you planning on going inside to get something to eat?
I could use the company.”
Aleksander nodded.
He reached up and pulled the other earbuds from his ears.
With a faint, metallic click, the microscopic circuitry instantly reconfigured, reshaping the earpieces back into smooth, obsidian-colored spheres.
He brought them to his wrist, where they snapped seamlessly back into the magnetic loop of his Kimoyo wristlet.
Veronica caught the fluid, incredibly high-tech motion out of the corner of her eye.
The nagging feeling that there was much more to this transfer student than a cool motorcycle deepened, but she decided not to press him on it just yet. New chapters come out on novelping dot com first.
Instead, Aleksander stepped away from the heavy Ducati and walked her toward the entrance, holding the glass door of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe open as they stepped out of the damp Riverdale night and into the bright, neon-lit warmth of the diner.
The bell above the diner door chimed as Aleksander and Veronica stepped inside.
The warm, neon-lit interior of Pop’s Chock’lit Shoppe was mostly empty, save for a few regulars and two teenagers sitting in a booth near the windows.
Betty Cooper sat on one side of the vinyl table.
She had pale skin and shoulder-length blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail.
Her soft, washed-out green eyes perfectly complemented her pale complexion, and she wore a fitted pale pink sweater over skinny jeans—a casual, effortlessly feminine look.
Across from her sat Archie Andrews, a tall, muscular teenager with messy red hair and bright hazel eyes.
As the door closed, both Archie and Betty looked up.
They were instantly dazed by the sheer contrast the two newcomers brought into the quiet diner.
Veronica carried the effortless, high-fashion confidence of a New York socialite, while Aleksander walked in beside her radiating a quiet, intense edge.
Dressed in a dark blazer and a crisp white tee, he looked less like a high school student and more like a young, dangerous CEO commanding the room.
Veronica walked straight to the counter.
“Hi, I called in an order?
For Lodge?”
“Two burgers, yeah,” Pop Tate smiled from behind the register.
“Almost ready, but you’ve got to wait a minute.”
Veronica leaned against the counter, looking up at Aleksander.
“My mother was craving burgers from here.”
“So she must be waiting for you,” Aleksander noted smoothly.
Veronica shrugged, her dark eyes locking onto his with clear interest.
“She’s patient.
She can wait a while.”
As she turned to scan the diner, Veronica noticed Archie staring openly at her from the booth.
Across from him, Betty was also staring, though her washed-out green eyes were fixed entirely on Aleksander’s sharp, angular features, a faint flush creeping up her pale neck.
Veronica stepped away from the counter, silently prompting Aleksander to walk with her over to their table.
“Hey,” Veronica said.
“Hey,” Archie breathed out, sitting up visibly straighter.
“How are the onion rings here?” Veronica asked, gesturing to the basket between them.
“So good,” Archie answered immediately.
Veronica looked over her shoulder.
“Pop, can we get some onion rings, too, please?”
“Yeah, coming up,” Pop called back.
“Thanks,” Veronica said, turning her attention back to the booth.
She naturally stood a little closer to Aleksander, framing them as a pair.
“My mom and I just moved here from New York.
And Aleksander here just transferred from Osaka, Japan.”
Archie couldn’t take his eyes off Veronica.
“Wow.”
Betty, however, looked shyly up at Aleksander, her voice dropping a little softer than usual.
“Japan?
That is a massive move.”
“Do you guys go to Riverdale?” Veronica asked.
“We do,” Betty answered quickly, glancing briefly at Archie before looking back at Aleksander.
“Both of us.
Together.”
“Yeah, we’re sophomores,” Archie added, his focus entirely consumed by Veronica.
“Me, too,” Veronica sighed dramatically.
“I’m filled with dread.”
“Why is that?” Archie asked.
“Are you familiar with the works of Truman Capote?” Veronica asked, her tone dry.
“I’m Breakfast at Tiffany’s, but this town is strictly In Cold Blood.”
Archie laughed loudly, clearly having absolutely no idea what she was talking about but desperate to impress her.
Betty just looked slightly confused.
Aleksander, however, caught the reference instantly.
A faint, knowing smirk touched his lips.
“Just try to avoid the Holcomb family experience and you should be fine.”
Veronica’s face lit up.
She turned back to the booth, extending a polished hand.
“Veronica Lodge.”
“Aleksander Morozov,” he added smoothly, his tone calm and deliberate.
“Archie Andrews,” Archie said, eagerly shaking Veronica’s hand before offering a somewhat intimidated nod to Aleksander.
“And this is Betty Cooper.”
Veronica’s eyes widened slightly.
“Wait, are you—”
“—supposed to give you your tour tomorrow?” Betty finished with a nod.
“Yes, I’m your peer mentor.” She then looked up at Aleksander, tucking a loose blonde strand behind her ear.
“If you need someone to show you around the campus, too, I’d be happy to help.
Since you’re both new.”
“Thank you, Betty,” Aleksander replied with a polite, measured nod.
“Do you guys want to join us?” Archie blurted out, awkwardly sliding over in the booth to make room for Veronica.
“Maybe we can un-fill you with dread?”
Betty shot absolute daggers at Archie, visibly frustrated by his lack of tact.
Veronica noticed the tension instantly.
She offered Archie a polite, demure smile, but her body language remained firmly anchored to Aleksander.
“My mom’s waiting for me,” Veronica said, gracefully declining the invitation.
She looked directly up at Aleksander, her brown eyes flashing with unmistakable interest, before glancing back at the booth.
“But…
to be continued?”
As the conversation lulled, the weight of the name Aleksander Morozov suddenly clicked.
A jolt of recognition crossed both Archie and Betty’s faces simultaneously.
”Wait,” Archie said, his brow furrowing as he looked at the dark-haired teenager.
“Morozov?
I’ve seen that name on my dad’s work permits.”
“Me too,” Betty added, her washed-out green eyes widening in pure surprise.
“My mom was talking about you just this morning.”
Veronica glanced between the Riverdale locals and the boy standing next to her, her curiosity spiking.
She had already suspected there was much more to the Japanese transfer student than a cool motorcycle and a sharp blazer, and the immediate reaction from the town locals only confirmed it.
Aleksander didn’t look bothered by the sudden attention.
He simply offered a calm, enigmatic smile.
“I am sure you will find out soon yourself.”
Before either Archie or Betty could press him for details, Pop Tate set the takeout bags on the counter.
Aleksander gave a final, polite nod of farewell to the booth and turned toward the exit.
Veronica quickly grabbed her order, threw a last intrigued glance at Archie and Betty, and followed Aleksander out into the damp night air.
Back in the diner, the bell chimed as the door shut, leaving Betty and Archie staring at the empty space by the counter in complete confusion.
Stepping out into the damp night air, Veronica turned to him.
“I’ll see you tomorrow at school, Aleksander?”
”Count on it,” Aleksander replied.
He walked over to his matte-gray Ducati, throwing his leg over the saddle and pulling on his sleek carbon-fiber helmet.
Veronica stood by the diner’s entrance, holding her takeout bag as she watched the heavy engine roar to life.
The bike tore out of the neon-lit parking lot, disappearing into the mist.
A sharp, genuinely intrigued smile spread across her face.
”We will definitely get to know each other really well,” she muttered to herself.
Turning away from the street, she walked over to the sleek black town car waiting by the curb.
The driver quickly opened the rear door.
“Back to the Pembrooke, Smithers,” she instructed, sliding into the leather seat.
Back inside the diner, the bell chimed as the door fully settled, leaving Betty and Archie staring at the empty space by the counter in complete confusion.
”Archie, your dad is building that massive, confidential estate out in Fox Forest, right?” Betty asked, leaning intensely across the table.
”Yeah,” Archie replied, his eyes still glued to the door.
“He couldn’t tell me what it was because of the NDAs, but the client had an insane amount of money.
Morozov was the name on the municipal paperwork he left on the kitchen table.”
Betty’s eyes widened further, the pieces rapidly locking together in her mind.
“My mom has been tearing the Register office apart all week looking for a lead on a new arrival.
She keeps calling it the absolute scoop of the decade.”
Betty looked toward the neon-lit window, watching the taillights of Veronica’s town car fade into the distance.
“Archie,” Betty murmured, her investigative instincts fully taking over.
“I don’t think he’s just a normal transfer student.”