Chapter 57: Chapter 57: Clouds of Steel and Flesh

The yellow taxi pulled up to the grand glittering entrance of The Grand Regency Hotel.

Alexander tapped his smartphone against the terminal to settle the fare stepped out of the vehicle and marched straight through the sliding glass doors.

The lobby staff didn’t even blink.

The receptionists and bellhops looked up their expressions completely indifferent as if they had seen far worse things walk through those doors on a regular Tuesday. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Alexander walked directly up to the polished marble front desk his bare chest glistening under the chandeliers his bare feet slapping softly against the clean floor.

"I need the key for room 815" said Alexander resting his forearm casually on the counter.

The front desk clerk smoothly tapped a few keys on his monitor without a single hint of surprise "Right away sir" replied the clerk his voice a flat professional monotone as he reached under the desk to program a fresh plastic keycard.

As Alexander waited two men in sharp tailored dark suits—clearly other high-ranking members of TMC operating within the hotel—walked past the lobby lounge.

They stopped for a fraction of a second taking in the sight of Alexander’s shirtless heavily bruised torso and the faint soot stains still clinging to his skin from the explosion.

"Busy night huh?" remarked one of the agents giving Alexander a casual knowing nod as if it were the most normal thing in the world to see a guy half-naked and looking like he had just crawled out of a drone strike.

"You have no idea" muttered Alexander not even turning his head.

"Hang in there 815" the second agent added with a faint smirk adjusting his cuffs before the two of them continued walking toward the executive elevators completely unfazed.

The receptionist smoothly slid the active keycard across the marble counter "Here is your key sir.

Enjoy your stay" said the clerk his face a perfect mask of corporate indifference.

Alexander snatched the card turned on his heel and headed straight for the lift.

He rode the lift up to his floor swiped his key and stepped into his suite.

The moment the door closed behind him Alexander paused.

Resting neatly on the main table was a brand-new set of clothes his tactical firearm and a familiar set of car keys.

The keys were entirely identical to the ones he had used that morning leading him to instantly assume that TMC had already recovered his BMW M4 and parked it downstairs.

Right next to the keys lay a crisp formal document bearing the corporate seal.

It was a formal apology letter from management for the day’s "inconveniences" explicitly stating that his assigned legal team was already dismantling the Sinclair network and that the afternoon’s ambush would absolutely not go unpunished.

Alexander picked up the heavy handgun checking the magazine before raising his arm and aiming the barrel straight at the ceiling.

He stared at the sights a bitter taste in his mouth.

Everything today had been completely out of his hands.

He had been paralyzed hunted and forced to play psychological mind games just to survive.

His mind instantly flashed to Stephen.

If that absolute mountain of a man had been in that basement he wouldn’t have stood there taking passive calculated risks.

Stephen would have used his massive fists to brutally crush every single one of those thugs into the concrete.

Alexander realized he couldn’t keep playing defense.

He needed to get moving.

He searched through the gear on the table found the specific business card and noted the address.

Hurrying into his new clothes he grabbed the keys and took the elevator straight down to the secure underground parking structure.

But when he reached his designated spot the matte-black BMW was nowhere to be seen.

In its place stood a brand-new metallic-gray Mercedes E-Class.

What Alexander didn’t know was that his pristine sports car was currently sitting in a high-end repair shop; despite his immaculate parking the sheer kinetic shockwave and flying debris from the Porsche’s explosion had completely shattered the BMW’s windows and severely damaged the paint and bodywork.

Alexander slid into the driver’s seat of the Mercedes and a low whistle escaped his lips.

The interior was pure unadulterated luxury.

As he shifted into drive and pulled out into the city streets the car moved with an unbelievable smoothness.

It felt exactly like driving a cloud.

He navigated through the midnight traffic following the coordinates straight to the gym’s address.

It was nearly twelve o’clock at night but as the Mercedes pulled up to the building the facility’s massive windows were completely illuminated casting a bright glow onto the empty street.

Finding the front doors completely unlocked Alexander stepped inside.

The reception desk was entirely abandoned "Stephen! It’s me Alex!" Alexander shouted his voice echoing off the metallic walls of the weight room "Is anyone back here?!"

Instead of a verbal reply a series of bizarre heavy rhythmic thudding sounds echoed from the back of the facility accompanied by high-pitched breathless gasps.

Alexander frowned walking cautiously past the rows of dumbbells and cable machines toward the noise.

As he rounded the corner into the main bench press area he stopped dead in his tracks.

Stephen was there completely drenched in sweat.

He had a mature incredibly voluptuous older woman bent over completely on her hands and knees right across a flat bench press station absolutely driving into her from behind while she gripped the steel bar screaming and groaning at the top of her lungs.

Stephen turned his head slowly looking over his massive sweating shoulder without breaking his rhythmic pace "Ah hello Alex" said Stephen his breathing completely steady despite the exertion "I thought you’d take a few more days to make up your mind since I didn’t see you early this morning. Bitch this is the one I was telling you about. He’s a promising kid I like him a lot. Say hello to him."

"Hello... Master forgive my posture..." gasped the woman her voice shaking violently as she gripped the cold steel of the barbell "My master is... educating me right now... ah!"