Zoe Pierce would never believe that Nathan Lockwood wasn’t doing this on purpose.

Deliberately comparing himself to Chase Shaw, deliberately saying things like that.

She splashed cold water on her face, and it took a long while for the heat to subside.

Her hands were braced on the counter, and a drop of water slid from her cheek and fell into the basin.

She held the pose for a few more seconds before grabbing a disposable towel to dry her face.

’There’s no use thinking so much about it.’

’If he really wants me to touch him, then I’ll just touch him. It’s just some muscle, that’s all.’

She became completely calm.

When she reappeared before them, she didn’t show any particular expression.

But after they finished their serious discussion, none of them left. Instead, they lazily and domineeringly occupied various corners of her first floor.

Zoe Pierce had finished breakfast. Looking at the unabashed way these guys were acting made her head ache a little. "Is there something else?"

They looked both sheepish and brazen.

Having them all hang out in her house together.

With no official business, it was even stranger.

Erin Xavier looked at Zoe Pierce’s pendant. "Let us see the Mecha Chase gave you."

A month wasn’t short, but it wasn’t long either. Erin Xavier didn’t know what to give Zoe Pierce.

Jewelry? Diamonds?

None of those things were nearly as practical as a Mecha that could stay by her side.

Zoe Pierce was very generous about it. The one she was replacing was the one they had made for her before. Now that she had a new one, there was naturally no problem with letting them take a look.

Finding a place suitable for viewing a Mecha, Zoe Pierce released the one Chase Shaw had given her from her Space Button.

She explained to them, "After my spiritual power increased, the handling on the old one felt a little off, but I’ve stored it away safely."

Even as a decommissioned Mecha, it would still rank among the best on the current market.

Besides, it was a gift they had personally designed and built for her. There was no way Zoe Pierce would just throw it away. After a thorough cleaning, she had placed its Space Button in her room.

Miles Sherman and the others examined the Mecha carefully. The one from Chase Shaw had no flaws.

"Zoe, would you be willing to let us link to your Mecha?" It was Miles Sherman who spoke.

They had all linked to the Mecha they had given her.

But as for the one from Chase Shaw, they wouldn’t have even known about it if she hadn’t needed to go to Praxium, so they naturally couldn’t have linked to it.

Zoe Pierce glanced at Chase Shaw.

Chase Shaw’s expression was calm, showing no particular reaction. It was a gift to her now; she had the right to decide what to do with it.

But after a moment of thought, Zoe Pierce opened the Mecha’s cockpit hatch.

She climbed in first to set the control mode, then jumped out. "It’s ready."

It was like the lock on her front door; she had no secrets from them.

No one was closer to her heart than they were.

The significance of an Alpha letting an Omega into their Mecha was just as true for Zoe Pierce at this moment.

Nathan Lockwood was the closest, and the least courteous. He went up first. A few minutes later, he came out and Erin Xavier took his place, followed by Miles Sherman.

Only Chase Shaw didn’t go.

He had already linked to it when he gave it to Zoe Pierce.

Besides, he had long since guessed this scene would happen.

He wasn’t surprised in the slightest.

*

The month of rest they were given passed quickly.

Every week, the group would gather at Zoe Pierce’s house.

They didn’t do anything particularly serious; they just kept her company and played games.

It was then that they discovered Zoe Pierce was a hardcore virtual gamer. She loved to play and loved to analyze them. Aside from her daily basic training, they often saw all sorts of games laid out in her house whenever they came over.

Some were bought by Zoe Pierce herself, others by Chase Shaw.

After Erin Xavier found out she liked them, she even brought over some limited-edition accounts for Zoe Pierce to link to and play.

Zoe Pierce played for nearly a whole month without getting bored. Games in the interstellar era weren’t just about fighting Xenobeasts; there were also some casual ones.

The concept games Zoe Pierce had seen back on Earth had all been fully realized now. Even some games that she thought were already quite good were, according to Erin Xavier, blockbusters from decades ago.

She was completely overwhelmed.

She couldn’t possibly play them all in a month.

PM.

It was a rare rainy night on The Capital Star. The Intelligent Brain reported that the rain would stop at five the next morning.

In the interstellar era, the frequency and volume of rainfall were easily controlled.

Zoe Pierce exited the virtual game and glanced at the time.

Outside, a heavy rain swayed and fell, striking the window and leaving trails of water droplets.

Just as she was about to head upstairs from the living room, she heard a CLICK from the front door, followed by a robot’s voice: "Welcome home, Master’s companion."

Zoe Pierce turned around. It was Chase Shaw.

She was a little surprised and walked over. "What are you doing here? Didn’t you say you had a family gathering today?"

As her boyfriend for the month, he had stayed over almost every night. The two of them were just like they were on the first day, with him holding her from behind in his tank top as they slept.

But sometimes, when things came up, Chase Shaw would go back to his own home.

Today, she had already assumed Chase Shaw wouldn’t be coming over.

Chase Shaw handed his umbrella to the robot. The robot retracted the umbrella into its stomach and quickly took out a cloth to clean the water stains by the door.

"Today’s the last day," he said.

The rainy night carried a chill. He took off his jacket, slipped on a pair of slippers, and walked over to Zoe Pierce, wrapping his arms around her. "I’m a little reluctant to let it end just like this."

Zoe Pierce’s eyelashes fluttered unconsciously.

He still carried the scent of the wind from outside and a few stray raindrops.

"I’ll see today through with you," Chase Shaw said in a deep voice.

An indescribable emotion surged through Zoe Pierce’s heart. Her fingers tugged at his clothes as she hummed in agreement.

Before she could react, he lifted her by the hips, sweeping her into his arms. Her hands landed on his shoulders, and the shawl that had been loosely draped over her fell directly to the floor.

In an instant, she was pressed against the door. The cold of the door was no match for the man’s searing kiss.

Her fingers threaded through his short hair as she let out muffled moans and whimpers from the kiss.

Her satin dress, which only reached her knees to begin with, rode up halfway from the motion, revealing her long, flawless legs.

They dangled at the man’s waist.

And the thin strap on her shoulder slid right off, down to her arm.

Chase Shaw could lift her with one arm, let alone while pressing her against the door. His free hand caressed her now-bare arm.

"This past month, have I been a good boyfriend?"

He asked her in a low voice, all while continuing to kiss her.

He was asking if, in her eyes, he had been a satisfactory boyfriend.

Zoe Pierce’s breath brushed against his face. There was barely a thumb’s width of distance between them.

"Yes," she said honestly.

She had explored every inch of his body, except for the final step.

But no other day had been like this one, where he’d swept her into his arms and kissed her against the door the moment he walked in.

It was bold and natural.

Chase Shaw’s gaze fell on her skin. "What if I go a little further today?"

There were only two hours left.

"I’d be forgiven, wouldn’t I?" he asked.

Zoe Pierce’s breath hitched. He leaned in close to her ear. "You’ve already seen all of me."

"Shouldn’t we make things a little more fair?"