Chairman Steven Gardner made arrangements for me, the country's top-secret human weapon, to return home for a blind date with his granddaughter, Jessica Gardner.

Jessica didn't just come from a powerful family. She was very capable herself. In spite of her young age, she had a net worth of over tens of millions. She was also the high-profile CEO of Gardner Corp.

Due to my unique status, Steven had instructed one of Gardner Corp's hotels to customize a presidential suite with the highest level of security for me.

I arrived at the hotel right on time and was ready to check in.

Before I could speak, an arrogant-looking man in an expensive suit shoved me aside and cut in.

"Get me a presidential suite."

The receptionist explained that the last presidential suite had already been reserved by me.

The man pointed at me and started yelling impatiently.

"Are you blind? You've got some nerve stealing my room. If you know what's good for you, get lost!"

My body was already close to its limit. I urgently needed to get to my room.

"I booked that room first. Who are you to tell me off like that?"

He sneered dismissively when I questioned him.

"So what if you did? Listen up. In Alphaville, the Gardner family is the law. Anyone who touches what belongs to the Gardner family won't walk out of this city alive!"

My head was pounding. My alter, the one people called a nuclear weapon in a human form, was about to break free.

I might or might not walk out of Alphaville alive, but there was a good chance this guy wouldn't even make it out of this hotel alive today.

I ignored the man and forced myself to endure the headache as I told the receptionist to check me in.

She hesitated before trying to persuade me otherwise.

"Sir, maybe you could change rooms? This is Leo Ziegler, Ms. Gardner's secretary. We really don't want any trouble."

Leo shot me a smug look.

"See? Now get lost, you foreign scum!"

My expression turned cold. "I'm not giving him this room."

I turned to face the receptionist. "Call your supervisor. You'll find out exactly who that room belongs to."

That suite had been custom-built for me under Steven Gardner's direct orders.

I had split personalities. My alter possessed destructive power comparable to a nuclear weapon. It was the country's most closely guarded secret weapon in a human form.

Only a room with the highest level of reinforced protection could contain the damage if my alter surfaced.

Otherwise, the consequences would be catastrophic.

This was my first time leaving the Classified Unit in years.

I hadn't wanted to come in the first place. After all, my unique situation meant any mistake could lead to irreversible disaster.

However, Steven insisted by saying I had given too much for the country but still seemed too lonely. He was determined to set me up with his granddaughter.

After he assured me everything had been arranged accordingly, I reluctantly agreed to go on leave.

Seeing how serious I looked, the receptionist hesitated before calling her supervisor. It turned out everyone was in a meeting.

I retrieved my phone and dialed Jessica's number.

When the call connected, I introduced myself and tried to explain what had happened.

She cut me off impatiently.

"Just because Grandpa introduced you to me, it doesn't mean you're all that great.

"I'm busy. I don't have time to meet you."

"Ms. Gardner, I'm at your company's hotel right now. You–"

She hung up before I could finish.

Leo snorted.

"And I thought you were someone important. Turns out you're just pretending!"

He shoved me aside and tossed his ID onto the counter.

"Hurry up. Get my presidential suite ready."

"Do you even understand common decency? First come, first served."

My tone turned harsh as I shot back.

I looked at the receptionist again. "I have special circumstances! That room was literally modified for me."

Leo burst out laughing.

"Are you insane? Who do you think you are to have a room specially modified for you?"

He turned to the receptionist and gave her a threatening look.

"I'll be honest. I reserved that room for Ms. Gardner. She'll be here any minute."

The receptionist panicked. Without another word, she handed the key card to Leo.

He looked at me smugly.

My expression darkened. "So this is how your hotel operates? Do you only respect power and money? Do rules not matter anymore?

"Fine. I'll pay more. I want that room!"

I retrieved my card and was ready to pay. If this dragged on any longer, it would be too late.

Suddenly, Leo grabbed a stack of cash and flung it in my face.

"Here, I make the rules!"

He grinned devilishly. "You foreign scum. Don't think having money means you can act tough here. See this? Everyone's got money.

"In Alphaville, even a big fish has to answer to the ocean!

"Now get on your knees!"

While he spoke, he kicked hard at my knee.

A sharp pain shot through me. My vision went black, and I lost consciousness for a few seconds.

When I came to, I found my hand clamped tightly around Leo's throat.

His eyes were wide open, and his face flushed red. He was suffocating and on the brink of death.

"L-Let go. H-Help me–"

Leo barely choked out the words. His voice was hoarse and breaking.

I only needed to squeeze a little tighter, and I'd have crushed his windpipe.

I snapped back to my senses and immediately let go.

Regret hit me, but I felt anxious immediately.

My alter was starting to stir.

Those few seconds of losing control felt like a beast inside me was trying to reach out with its claws.

If I lost control longer next time, it could be up to minutes or even hours.

Leo scrambled away and crawled into a corner. He stared at me in pure terror.

It wasn't until his bodyguards ran in that he finally relaxed.

He touched the bruise on his neck, and his expression slowly turned vindictive.

"You've got a death wish, haven't you? How dare you lay a hand on me?"

His voice came out hoarse as he roared, "Grab him! Now!"

The bodyguards charged all at once.

I didn't fight back. I forced myself to hold in my anger.

The moment I lost my temper, it would only speed up the emergence of my alter.

"If you want to walk out of here alive, give me back the room right now."

I stared at Leo sternly. "Or you'll regret it."

The moment I finished speaking, the people around us started talking.

"Is this guy insane? Who does he think he is? He hit Mr. Ziegler and still thinks he can take his room?"

"He has terrible luck. Doesn't he know Mr. Ziegler is Ms. Gardner's right-hand man?"

"Ms. Gardner has some serious backing. I heard her grandfather is the commanding general in the military!"

"This guy probably won't even know how he dies."

Leo clutched his neck and walked up to me. He grabbed me by the collar.

"How dare you still talk big when you're about to die? You're the one who should regret this!"

He grinned devilishly. "If you're scared, kneel down and call me Daddy. I'll spare your life!"

"Mr. Ziegler." I looked him in the eyes.

"I suggest you don't make me angry, or what happens next won't be something I can control."

"You're still putting on an act?"

Leo exploded with rage. He gestured for his bodyguards to pin my arms tightly. Once he was sure I couldn't move, he swung his arm hard toward my face.

"Let's see how you talk after I smash your mouth in!"

In an instant, my anger shattered the last of my restraint.

My eyes burned. My vision slowly turned blood-red.

The last thing I saw before losing consciousness was the panic on Leo's face.

When I came back to my senses, the bodyguards were unconscious and sprawled all over the floor.

Where was Leo?

I looked around for him.

My heart skipped a beat. Did I kill him?

It wasn't until I heard a familiar sobbing sound from a corner somewhere.

I turned around and saw a man with a face swollen beyond recognition. He was curled up there with terrible bruises on his face. He looked both pitiful and ridiculous.

"Pfft."

I couldn't help but laugh.

It served him right.

Stepping over the mess, I walked to the front desk.

"Hi. Can I have my key card now?"

"Y-Yes, of course."

The receptionist was trembling as she handed the key card over.

Just as I was about to take it, I heard a woman's furious voice from behind.

"Who dares to cause trouble on my turf?"

Jessica strode forward in her four-inch heels. Surrounded by a group of bodyguards and assistants, she radiated charisma.

Her features were sculpted to perfection. She was tall, poised, and had lips as red as flame. Every step she took carried a commanding aura.

The moment Leo saw her, he broke into sobs and ran to Jessica, but her bodyguards stopped him.

She frowned in visible disgust.

"Who the heck are you?"

Leo froze on the spot. He then wailed even harder.

He used to be fairly handsome. He could have been endearing even when he cried.

However, with his face swollen beyond recognition, it was hard to even look at.

It wasn't until her assistant leaned in and whispered a few words in her ear that realization flickered across her eyes.

"Leo?"

Anger appeared on her cold, beautiful face.

"Who had the nerve to beat my secretary into this state? Do they think I'm a joke?"

Leo, who was moved to tears, tried to approach Jessica again, but she took a step back.

"Come talk to me after your face heals."

She waved him off with open disdain before finally turning her attention to me.

I had been observing her for a while now.

Just like Steven said, his granddaughter was stunning, bold, and sharp-edged. She was truly unique.

Unfortunately, the way she looked at me now was full of contempt. It felt almost like she was looking at something dirty.

"Hello, I'm Christopher Sutton."

I stepped forward to introduce myself, but she cut me off immediately.

"You seem ordinary."

She smirked. "I have no idea what kind of spell you cast on my grandfather to make him insist I meet you."

She looked me up and down. Her gaze grew cold.

"If you know what's good for you, go back to wherever you came from.

"And if you dare say anything bad about me in front of Grandpa–"

She didn't finish the sentence, but the threat was clear.

To be honest, I had planned to leave right after meeting her anyway.

My condition was too dangerous. I could lose control anytime.

I had already accepted that I'd spend my life alone.

This trip was purely out of respect for Steven.

Even so, her arrogance sparked a fire in me.

"So you're the one Steven set me up with?"

I met her gaze directly. "We haven't even exchanged a few words, and you're already telling me to get lost. Is this what passes for manners in the Gardner family?"

Her expression darkened instantly.

"Do you even realize where you are?"

She sneered. "This is my turf! How dare you lecture me on how to behave?"

Her gaze swept over my plain clothes. She seemed even more disgusted.

"Grandpa must be losing it. He's trying to force me to marry a loser like you."

She clenched her jaw. "He even threatened to shut down my company if I refuse!"

There were gasps from around us.

People looked at me with shock written all over their faces.

Was this unremarkable man actually Jessica's fiancé?

Was he favored by that mysterious commanding general in the Gardner family?

"Why him?"

"Is he even worthy?"

Whispers rippled through the room.

When their gazes landed on the bodyguards lying unconscious all over the floor, their voices grew soft.

"Tsk. He's just some brute."

"He's an ugly man trying to get with a pretty girl."

I smiled.

"It's fine if you don't like me. I'm not forcing anything. You can explain it to Steven yourself."

I suppressed the violent urge inside me.

"But right now, I need to get to my room."

I could feel it. I was about to lose control of that thing inside me.

"Ms. Gardner! You can't let him go!"

Leo suddenly leaped forward and pointed at me as he shouted with all his might.

"He's the one who did this to me! He even took all those bodyguards down!"

He kept piling it on. "He knew I was reserving that presidential suite for your meeting, and he still tried to steal it!

"He clearly has no respect for you or the Gardner family!"

Jessica's expression turned ice-cold as soon as she heard what Leo said. The way she looked at me was like she's staring at a dead man.