For 30+ advance/early chapters : p atreon.com/Ritesh_Jadhav0869
"This is it!" Isabella brought Xu into Alex's office, practically bouncing with suppressed laughter. "Brother Alex, time for dinner!"
"Bella, what's all this?" Alex looked up in surprise from his multiple monitors, taking in Isabella and the short-haired young man carefully maneuvering a professional food cart through his office door. The setup looked far more elaborate than typical takeout.
"It's from that restaurant I mentioned earlier. I ordered some special dishes for you. Can I put them on your desk?" Isabella asked, her lips twitching as she fought to keep a straight face.
"Sure, go ahead!" Alex was confused. He didn't remember Isabella mentioning any special dishes, and her barely contained amusement suggested something was up. He watched as Xu, wearing an official restaurant uniform with impeccable care, removed dishes from thermal containers and arranged them on his desk with the reverence usually reserved for sacred artifacts.
Xu couldn't help stealing glances at Alex, his eyes unconsciously checking that both legs were indeed present and functional. The young man had been prepared to encounter a tragic invalid, not a healthy-looking game developer who simply forgot to eat when absorbed in work.
"This looks incredible!" Alex's mouth watered as each dish appeared—beautiful presentation that belonged in a cookbook, aromas that made his stomach growl audibly. The food was clearly high-end restaurant quality, awakening his appetite instantly. He realized he hadn't eaten anything except coffee and energy bars since yesterday.
"See? I told you the reviews were amazing!" Isabella pulled up a chair beside him, positioning herself close enough that their shoulders almost touched.
"I'm actually starving. Thanks, Bella!" Alex picked up chopsticks, tasted a perfectly seared piece of fish, and his eyes widened appreciatively. "This is really, really good! What restaurant is this?"
"Oh, by the way," Xu interjected nervously, still processing the intact-leg situation, "this soup is specially made by our chef. It's complimentary—he wanted to help with your... um, recovery from overwork! Very nutritious, lots of calcium and minerals."
"Thank you, that's very thoughtful!" Alex was genuinely touched by the gesture, though Isabella's barely suppressed giggles and reddening face made him deeply suspicious. "Is there something special about this soup I should know about?"
"It's bone marrow soup," Xu explained earnestly. "Very good for... strength. And healing. General healing."
Isabella made a strangled sound that might have been a cough or a laugh. Alex's eyes narrowed as he looked between them.
"You're planning to wait and take the plates back, right?" Alex asked, noticing Xu hadn't made any move to leave despite completing the delivery.
"Yes, exactly! Our restaurant uses special plating—very expensive. I'll wait outside. Just call when you're finished and I'll clean everything up! Please, take your time, enjoy the meal. No rush at all."
"Thanks. There's a break room out there—help yourself to coffee or water. The machine makes decent espresso."
"No thank you! I'm fine!" Xu retreated to the waiting area, his eyes going wide as he properly took in the luxurious office space. Floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked the city, modern art adorned the walls, and was that a full arcade machine in the corner? He'd only seen offices like this in movies about tech billionaires.
Once Xu left, Alex turned to Isabella with raised eyebrows. "Okay, spill. What's the deal with the soup? And why do you look like you're about to explode?"
Isabella burst out laughing, tears forming in her eyes as she gasped for breath. It took her a solid minute to compose herself enough to speak. "If you don't leave your office occasionally, people will think you're dead! Or worse!"
"What? Worse how?"
Between giggles, Isabella recounted the misunderstanding—how her simple "he can't come to the restaurant" had transformed through a game of telephone into "tragic double amputation victim bravely facing life without legs."
Alex nearly choked on his food. "So they think I'm... and the soup is for..."
"Bone regeneration! The chef made it specially for your non-existent amputation recovery!" Isabella finished, cackling. "The entire kitchen staff thinks you're a brave invalid who lost both legs!"
"Isabella! You let them think—"
"I tried to correct it! But by then the chef had already made the special soup and everyone was being so sweet about accommodating your 'condition' and—" She dissolved into laughter again.
They'd barely finished eating—Alex had to admit the bone marrow soup was delicious regardless of its intended purpose—when Sophie, the customer service rep on duty, knocked and entered looking puzzled.
"Mr. Morrison, there's someone at the main gate claiming to be... Shadowlord? From the game? He's asking to meet with you. Security wants to know if they should let him in or call the police."
"What?" Alex's shock was genuine. Shadowlord, here? At his company? In person? After days of hiding?
"Shadowlord? That jerk who bought your account and ruined everything?" Isabella's surprise matched his. She knew all about Alex's gaming feuds from his rants during their friendship. "The nerve of that guy!"
"This is... unexpected. He flew all the way here to negotiate face-to-face?" Alex's expression hardened as he processed this development. Finding him wasn't difficult—his identity was public knowledge now, the studio's address was on their website. But showing up at his workplace took serious audacity. "He's either desperate or completely delusional."
"Or both," Isabella suggested. "Want me to call security to throw him out?"
"No... let's see what he wants." Alex was curious despite himself. What could drive someone to face their enemy in person after such public humiliation?
The security desk called moments later. "Mr. Morrison? There's a Paul Gutierrez here requesting to see you. Says it's urgent personal business. Should we send him up or...?"
"Paul Gutierrez," Alex repeated. So Shadowlord had a real name. Somehow that made him seem less intimidating. "Send him up. Have security escort him."
"Are you sure that's safe?" Isabella asked, concerned. "What if he's crazy?"
"He's a trust fund kid who spends millions on virtual cars, not a hardened criminal. Besides, I'm curious what he thinks he can accomplish here."
Ten minutes later, a short, stocky man appeared at the office entrance, flanked by two security guards who looked bemused by their assignment. Round face, small eyes that darted nervously, gold chain visible beneath an expensive but poorly fitted Armani suit—he looked like a caricature of new money, someone who'd won the lottery and didn't know how to handle it.
"Can I help you?" Sophie asked professionally, though her expression suggested she'd rather not.
"Is Mr. Morrison available?" The man's eyes swept the room desperately until they found Alex emerging from his office. His face lit up with an uncomfortable eagerness that seemed wildly inappropriate given their history. "Mr. Morrison! Such an honor! I'm actually a huge fan—bought every item from Avatar and Fast and Furious. That game is absolutely incredible! The attention to detail, the storylines, the car physics—it's a masterpiece! I spent over six million trying to get Dominic's Charger!"
"You didn't fly here just to fanboy, did you?" Alex kept his expression neutral, though internally he was fascinated by this bizarre turn of events.
"Well, honestly, I really did want to meet you. I genuinely admire your work. Fast and Furious is phenomenal—I've played through every storyline multiple times. It's just... unfortunate fate that I didn't know you were Immortal Banner's leader." Paul stepped closer, wringing his hands nervously. "I mean, what are the odds? The game developer I respect most in the world turns out to be my biggest enemy in Infinite Realms? You couldn't write this stuff!"
His expression shifted to something resembling genuine remorse. "Look, I know I messed up. I'm here to apologize in person. What I did was wrong—childish, stupid, hurtful. I let the power go to my head. But I swear on my mother's life, if I'd known who you were, none of that would have happened."
He wasn't entirely lying. Paul genuinely loved Fast and Furious, had spent countless hours perfecting routes and discussing theories in forums. Discovering that his gaming rival was also his favorite developer felt like a cosmic joke with him as the punchline.
"Mr. Morrison, I was an idiot who didn't recognize greatness. I'm here to make things right. I've restored your old account to its original state—even improved some of the gear. Added some items that dropped after you sold it. It's yours again if you want it."
"Are you done?" Alex's voice was ice, though he found the groveling oddly satisfying. "I don't want that account. Keep it as a reminder of what happens when you let ego override common sense."
"I deserve that," Paul nodded rapidly, sweat beading on his forehead despite the air conditioning. "Listen, I know I acted like a complete ass. I do stupid things without thinking—always have. My money made me think I was more important than I am. But I'm serious about making amends. From now on, I'll follow your lead in Infinite Realms. East, west, whatever direction you point. My entire guild is at your disposal. Hell, if it makes you feel better, take my current account and delete it. Whatever brings you peace."
Alex's frown softened slightly. He hadn't expected such complete capitulation. The saying about not hitting someone who's surrendering came to mind. Paul Gutierrez might be an idiot, but he was apparently a self-aware idiot.
"Go home," Alex said finally. "We'll settle our issues in the game where they belong. I don't mix virtual grudges with real life."
It was true—despite his anger, Alex had principles about keeping game conflicts in the game. The real world had enough problems without importing virtual ones.
Paul considered this, then nodded slowly. "Fair enough. That's... actually really mature of you. But... I have one small request."
Alex's expression darkened again. Here it comes—the real reason for the visit. "What kind of request?"
"Could I get a photo with you? Just a fan thing, you know? To prove I actually met the legendary developer?"
"A photo?" Alex couldn't believe the audacity. After everything—the account stealing, the mockery, the guild drama—this guy wanted a selfie?
"Or just an autograph?" Paul backpedaled quickly, seeing Alex's face. "Something to prove I actually met you? My friends will never believe I apologized to Alex Morrison in person. They think I'm still hiding in my apartment!"
Plz THROW POWER STONES.