Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

A woman with dark, straight hair, sharp eyes, and a presence that seemed to command the room without even trying. She didn't stand when Parker entered, but her gaze locked with his instantly. For a brief moment, Parker's pulse quickened, his instincts firing in a way that didn't make sense.

Her energy—there was something in it. No, not in it. Ether. It flowed through her like a second being, a current Parker had felt before but never this… alive, this raw.

Parker's eyes narrowed, his mind racing, but he couldn't look away.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Parker," Cassidy said, her voice smooth, but there was an underlying tension there. Like she was waiting for something. Watching him.

Ava glanced between them, the smirk on her lips barely hiding her own curiosity.

But Parker's thoughts were elsewhere, still locked on Cassidy, feeling that pulse of Ether in the air.

Ere hissed softly, a low, unmistakable warning.

His heart skipped a beat. Parker froze mid-step, his gaze locked on the woman standing by Ava's side. Cassidy Reed. Cassidy fucking Reed. He wasn't alarmed for just her powers, no...

He felt like the universe was playing some cruel joke on him. Out of all the people in the world, how did he end up in the same room as his aunt's friend from Korea? And how the hell had she gone from being the bubbly, half-Korean, half-American woman he remembered to... this?

Parker was a mess. His mind raced. What are the fucking odds? He swallowed hard, trying to act cool. Maybe she wouldn't recognize him. He'd grown taller, broader, and sharper in every sense.

The skinny, awkward kid she'd met in Korea was long gone.

How Small the World Was

Cassidy leaned back slightly, arms crossing as she studied Parker. The polished, confident man before her was a far cry from the scrappy kid she used to know.

Of course she had recognized him, she was an Ether being for crying out loud!

Back then, he'd been all awkward limbs and shy smiles, trailing after his aunt like a shadow. Now? Now he exuded an aura of power and wealth that didn't match the boy she remembered.

How small was the world?

She knew Parker's family had money—old money. His mother and father had left behind a fortune most people could only dream of. But back then, that fortune hadn't been his yet.

The Parker she knew had been a kid without a penny to his name, living off his aunt's generosity.

How the hell did he get here?

More than that, though, it was the power radiating off him. She wasn't imagining it—there was something unnatural around him, like the static charge before a storm.

When did that happen? How did that happen?

She kept these thoughts to herself, her expression unreadable as Parker finally moved to take a seat. He was playing it cool—too cool, she realized. His posture, his carefully measured responses—it all screamed of someone trying to control the narrative.

But Parker was lost in his own thoughts, completely unaware of her scrutiny.

How was he going to handle this? he wondered. The odds of Cassidy recognizing him seemed slim—he wasn't the skinny, wide-eyed kid anymore. His features had sharpened, his presence grown. Surely, after all these years, she wouldn't make the connection.

Right?

And yet, the way she looked at him—sharp, calculating—made him uneasy. He knew that look. It was the same one she used to give him when he tried to hide the extra candy she'd brought him.

Cassidy's voice broke the silence again. "You've changed, Parker."

His stomach sank. Shit. She knows.

Cassidy had been mentally preparing herself to meet Ava Klein's mysterious billionaire client. She expected some self-important old dude with too much money and too little personality. What she didn't expect was to walk in and find Parker-little Parker—the kid she'd known since he was seven, staring at her like he'd seen a ghost.

Her shock was well hidden, but inside, her thoughts were chaos. How the hell did this happen?

He had billions at his fingertips, a power she couldn't quite pinpoint radiating off him, and a presence that screamed he wasn't the same kid anymore. But Cassidy wasn't about to let her thoughts show. She had too many questions and not enough answers.

What an awkward reunion!

Parker felt like every eye in the room was on them, even though most of Ava's team was too busy analyzing spreadsheets or pretending not to eavesdrop. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that Cassidy's sudden appearance was about to blow up his carefully crafted world.

"Cassidy," he finally said, forcing his voice to stay calm. "Long time no see."

"Yeah," she replied, her tone even. "It's been, what, 7, 9 years?"

"Something like that," he muttered, his mind racing. What does she know? What does she think she knows?

Ava's team wasn't buying the casual reunion act. Alina, her sharp-eyed strategist, whispered something to Claire, her equally shrewd wife and tech expert. Both women exchanged knowing glances.

Cassidy Reed, his aunt's friend—the same woman he remembered from childhood when his aunt not only visited LA with her in tow. But also found her in Korean in his aunt's place when he visited with Helena.

But that was a lifetime ago. She was older now, but not by much. Still striking. But there was something else.

[Name: Cassidy Reed

Age: 32

Race: Human

Power Level: Ascended

Superpowers: Flames, Ashura Blessing.

Abilities: Bloodflame Manipulation, Body Reinforcement & Manipulation. ???(Unawakened abilities)

Strength: 400

Agility: 400

Stamina: 4000

IQ: 160

Charisma: 9/10

Corruption/Purity: 25% Heroine Traits | 75% Mate Obsession!]

Parker stiffened. What the hell?

She had Ether. Flowing in her like a second being, vibrant and alive. There was no mistaking it. That kind of power wasn't supposed to be in normal people—hell, even he wasn't normal anymore. Continue reading on My Virtual Library Empire

Even Ere shifted in his arms, the magical feline's fur prickling as its sharp silver eyes narrowed on Cassidy.

Ava blinked, glancing between them. Alina and Claire exchanged raised brows like they were smelling gossip from a mile away.

"How do you two—" Ava started, but both Parker and Cassidy answered at the same time:

"Old friends."

"Family friends."

The synchronized deflection only made it weirder.

Cassidy hadn't broken eye contact. Her expression stayed calm, confident.

And Parker? He could already feel the migraine forming.

Because somehow, someway, the universe had decided to shove someone from his past—someone tied to his family—directly into his path. And she wasn't normal.

This was bad. Real bad.

And worse? He hoped none.

Cassidy looked like she had questions too.

She kept her thoughts to herself, but her curiosity was growing by the second.

She'd figure out his secrets—eventually.

Parker's mind was a whirlwind of panic and strategy. What if she tells my family? He wasn't ready for them to know anything about his new life—or his powers.

Cassidy, on the other hand, was silently vowing to uncover whatever the hell Parker was hiding. He might've grown up, but she wasn't buying his nonchalant act.

As the two locked eyes again, it was clear neither was willing to back down. Whatever was coming next, it was going to get messy.

*****

Guys, I am damn sick😷