Chapter 537
There is a common saying that women’s preferences often change with age.
In their late teens and early twenties, many women focus on attraction and excitement. Looks, confidence, and charm matter most.
In their twenties to early thirties, attraction is still important, but money, stability, and future plans start to matter more.
In their thirties to early forties, many women value a calm and stable life. Kindness, reliability, and emotional support become more important than wealth or status.
From the forties onward, companionship matters most. Many women want a caring, loyal partner to share life with peacefully.
Men, however, are a different species entirely.
Their preferences come with a lifetime subscription and no updates.
In their early twenties, they like young and beautiful women.
In their thirties, nothing changes. In their forties, still the same.
In their fifties? No difference.
And right up until the day they die, many men are still looking at the same type and saying, Yep… young and beautiful women still my favorite.
And now Alex was watching exactly that.
A young, beautiful woman stood in front of him, slowly undressing.
Pauline slipped off her top, then her bottoms. When she looked back at Alex, her face was flushed red, eyes bright with mischief.
“Do you like what you see p>
Alex cleared his throat and coughed lightly.
“I like young and beautiful women,” he said plainly. “And since it’s free, of course I like it. Anything free is good p>
She folded her arms, pride sharpening her voice. “Men like you always want more.” Pauline smiled, confident and teasing.
“But sadly, if you want to touch this body, you need to promise me a car. A VOXEN. Any generation is fine p>
“Fine,” Alex said casually.
He stood up and walked to the window. He opened it, letting the night air rush in, then smiled over his shoulder.
“Anyway, thanks. But since the free part is already finished, it’s time for me to go p>
With that, he stepped onto the sill and jumped.
Pauline froze, her mind blank as she stared at the open window.
“It’s the second floor!” she screamed, shock finally catching up to her.
She rushed outside.
The window gaped open. The night was empty. Alex was already gone.
“Damn it!” Pauline spat, fury burning her throat. “He’s running away p>
Alex was already airborne, cutting through the night like a shadow, when his bracelet began vibrating nonstop.
“What is it, Gaia?” he muttered. “You know I was supposed to at least touch a little. Maybe it was still free. How dare you keep calling me during my very important private time p>
“Master,” Gaia replied calmly, “you instructed me to monitor Renata Winter, since establishing a connection with Duke Winter is essential p>
“Yes.” Alex remembered. He had told Gaia to watch her closely. Renata wasn’t the only one-Sofina and several others were already on his list.
“She is currently in danger,” Gaia continued. “There is a high probability of severe injury. Possible death, if you do not intervene p>
“Send me the location,” Alex said without slowing down.
Coordinates flashed across his bracelet mid-flight. A second later, he frowned.
“Why didn’t you send a drone to her p>
“Master,” Gaia answered smoothly, “this is what humans call the heroic rescue of a damsel in distress. Such events often end in emotional bonding… sometimes even in bed. You should not miss this opportunity p>
“Can I choose not to save her?” Alex snapped. For the first time that night, he felt no desire to play hero.
“Yes,” Gaia replied. “However, you will miss a direct connection with Duke Winter. There is also a significant risk that Duke Winter will initiate conflict with Duke Silberkreuz p>
“Damn it,” Alex hissed.
“Master?” Gaia asked suddenly.
“What p>
“Your manhood is still standing proudly,” she said bluntly. “You can always use it on Renata later—after you finish saving her p>
“Shut up p>
Elsewhere—
Renata clenched her teeth as the man stepped closer. He reached up and removed his mask, revealing a leering, lust-filled face.
“Believe me,” Renata said coldly, her voice steady despite the fear burning in her chest, “you should put that mask back on. You’re a thousand times more handsome with it p>
Before he could react, she drove her foot straight into the golden eggs between his legs.
The man never saw it coming.
He let out a shrill, broken scream and collapsed onto the road, clutching himself in agony.
“Kill that woman!” one of the men shouted as Renata turned and ran, her heart pounding as survival took over.
Several of the young men hurled their weapons at Renata.
An iron baton slammed into her back. A knife struck deep into her hip. Pain
exploded through her body, ripping the air from her lungs, and she collapsed onto the road.
“Where do you think you’re going?” one of them sneered.
Nearly twenty young men closed in, forming a tight circle around her.
“We should share her,” one of them said casually.
Another laughed, eyes crawling over her body. “I can’t wait to throw her on a bed p>
“I’ll take her mouth,” someone else added, laughing loudly.
One man grabbed Renata by the hair and yanked her head back, his grin twisted and cruel.
“Congratulations,” he said mockingly. “You’ve triggered me. My brothers and I will take very good care of you tonight p>
Tears streamed down Renata’s face, soaking her cheeks.
In her heart, she had already seen her own death.
She knew these people would never let her go. She was terrified that ber life would end here-worse, that her body would be defiled by them. This body she had kept only for her future husband.
Despair crushed her. She could no longer hold it back. Tears kept falling, unstoppable.
“Hey,” a voice called out calmly. “That woman is a duke’s daughter p>
A young man stepped forward, facing the group of thugs.
“Do you know the law?” he continued. “Do you understand the consequences of harming—or even having improper intent toward—a duke’s daughter p>
The twenty men turned and looked at Alex, who was walking toward them alone.
“You know this is a death sentence, right?” Alex said casually, never stopping.
The men glanced at each other. Then three of them stepped forward, raising their iron batons as they charged.
“You’re the one who’s going to die!” one of them shouted.
Alex watched them rush toward him.
He lifted one hand.
Then he slapped one of the young men across the face.
The impact was brutal.
So violent that the man’s face twisted unnaturally backward, his body spinning as he
flew away.
The remaining thugs froze in shock, staring in disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
Alex moved to the next one.
He raised his leg and kicked.
The thug was launched backward like a rag doll, smashing into the nearest car.
Metal crumpled on impact.
The man hit so hard that his body folded against the vehicle and dropped to the
ground, completely broken, unable to move.
Another thug swung an iron baton at Alex.
Alex stepped in and struck first.
His blow crashed into the man’s stomach with terrifying force. The thug was lifted off
the ground, flew nearly six meters through the air, and slammed down headfirst onto
the road.
Silence fell.
The remaining seventeen thugs stared at Alex in horror.
Three of their men were down-completely destroyed in the span of just a few
seconds.
Some of them finally broke. Some young men threw their iron baton away and turned to run.
But their leg wouldn’t move.
Panic flashed across their face as they realized their body no longer obeyed them.
Alex walked toward Renata.
The seventeen men stood frozen, unable to move. Their bodies were stiff, locked in
place, paralyzed by pure fear.
“Alex Renata looked up at him, her face soaked with tears.
“Renata,” Alex said softly as he knelt beside her and helped her stood up.
“Eat this,” Alex said. “It will heal you p>
He placed a small potion pill into Renata’s hand. It would close her wounds and stop
the bleeding.
Renata swallowed the pill, but her body was still trembling violently, fear running
through her even as the pain began to fade.
“These people wanted to rape you.
Then they planned to kill you. They thought you were easy to handle. I guarantee they’ve done this
many
times before-to other women and maybe men p>
He picked up a knife from the road and placed it gently in Renata’s hand.
“Now,” he said calmly, “do to them what they wanted to do to you p>
Renata gripped the knife.
She looked at the young men who were staring at her now-not with lust, not with
arrogance, but with terror.
Their smug smiles were gone.
Their bullying confidence was gone.
Only fear remained.
Total fear.
Renata’s hand shook as the knife rested in her palm.
“I… I can’t,” she whispered, tears falling again.
“Renata,” Alex said, his voice low but
carrying clearly to everyone around them, almost like a whisper. “When
they had power over you, they wanted to ruin you and kil you ever while you begged for
mercy. Now you hold the power, and they’re the ones begging What do you think you should do to them p>
Renata stepped closer. She pressed the knife’s tip against one of the young man’s
stomach.
“Please,” the young man begged, his voice shaking. “I—I was just following my friends. I didn’t hurt you p>
“Then next time,” she said coldly, “don’t follow the wrong people p>
The blade slowly pushed into his stomach.
His face drained of all color. He began to cry, sobbing uncontrollably.
Nearby, other young men watched in horror—some trembling, some already wetting
themselves in sheer panic.
“Please please please forgive us,” they begged, their voices breaking.
Their bodies wouldn’t move. Terror had locked them in place as they watched death approach-slow, inevitable.
They knew their lives would end here today, all because of things they once thought
were fun, harmless, a joke.
“To show kindness to the cruel is to betray the innocent p>