Nier exhaled through his nose, the faintest sigh of annoyance curling from his lips. Instead of answering Tanya's question directly, he gestured lazily toward the room.
"Before we get into that, all of you can have a seat if you want."
The group glanced around.
There were couches, armchairs, even a long table with velvet-backed chairs, but the polished marble bar caught their attention. It stretched wide, with more than enough room for all of them, lined with sleek stools. Without a word, they gravitated toward it, the soft leather creaking as they sat.
Nier already behind the counter eye them down. His tall frame, 6'5, lean muscle shown under a simple white shirt and black shorts was visible and it showed his body in teasing manner for the girls he was basically eye candy.
His maroon hair caught the chandelier’s light, his dark red eyes sharp yet almost lazy in the way they studied the women.
To Tanya and Imani, who both had husbands waiting at home, the sight of him, calm, commanding, yet casually dressed, pulled at something they weren't prepared to feel. A heat crept uninvited into their cheeks.
Nier’s tone was smooth, but his words cut through the silence.
"Tanya, do you drink?"
She straightened, brushing an invisible crease from her blouse, trying to mask the nerves in her chest.
"Only on Saturdays."
She admitted.
"I work all week on my online jobs mostly, sorting corporate emails. So I often time need a clear head most days."
"Mm."
Nier didn't even acknowledge the day of the week. He reached for some bottles, pulling ice into a shaker and began to mix her a drink regardless of what she said.
"So, a piña colada it is."
Tanya blinked.
"Wait, it's Monday...
But her words fell flat.
"Exactly the worse day of the week, and best time to get intoxicated."
He wasn't listening.
His hands moved swiftly, confidently, mixing the drink with the same professionalism as those private bartenders in mafia movies.
The sound of the shaker clicking against his rings, the scent of pineapple and coconut filling the air, it made the moment oddly intimate. Tanya swallowed hard, shifting on her stool just at the manly sight of him.
Imani, usually quick to snap, found herself staring at the way his forearms flexed with each motion. She caught herself biting her lip and immediately looked away, muttering under her breath.
"Damn man got too much swagger for his own good…
Marcy noticed both women's subtle reactions and smirked, though she kept it to herself.
When the glass touched the counter in front of Tanya, Nier finally spoke.
"Now. About the job."
He poured himself another glass of simple scotch on the rocks before leaning on the counter, his posture relaxed but his gaze sharp.
"The truth is… I’m retired."
That single word landed with weight. For a moment, the bar went quiet, only the faint clinking of glass as Nier continued preparing Tanya's drink. The women exchanged uncertain glances, trying to make sense of it.
Tanya leaned forward, her brows knitting.
"Retired? But… you look young. Weren't you and Imani around the same age? She is thirty-six, so you should be somewhere in that range too. Strangely, you don't even look like a man in his thirties. Honestly, if I didn't know your family as locals in this area, I would've guessed you were twenty-five."
Her voice trailed as her eyes lingered a little too long on him. It wasn't just curiosity... it was quiet and subtle interest starting to form. Imani noticed, her lips pressing tight, but she too found her gaze sliding over his frame.
Nier chuckled, the sound low and warm as he poured the last of the pineapple juice into the shaker.
"I get that a lot, actually. My mom, when she was alive, was nearing her mid-fifties, but she barely looked over thirty. My father was the same. Muscular, disciplined, always keeping his body sharp. I suppose I inherited a bit from both of them. Perks of good top tier genetics you could say."
He set the shaker down, the veins on his hands faintly rising against taut skin.
"Still, I don't just rely on blood. I train every day. Even if I am sick, even if I am exhausted. Discipline, consistency, those are non-negotiable practice I try to keep in my life."
Imani raised a brow, trying to sound unimpressed, though her tone betrayed a subtle curiosity.
"Every day? That sounds… excessive. Don't you think?"
Nier shrugged at her words, his maroon hair catching the soft light. His dark red eyes flicked toward her, holding just a beat too long before he returned to mixing.
"Excessive? Maybe. But I like being in control of myself. The body is a reflection of the will. If you can't master one, you'll never master the other."
His words carried a smooth confidence that didn't feel rehearsed, it was natural, and the tone of it made Tanya and Imani unconsciously sit straighter.
Tanya tilted her head, her voice softer now.
"Still, to already be retired at your age… that's unusual."
Nier's lips curved into a faint smile as he slid the glass toward her, the frothy virgin piña colada gleaming under the light.
"Unusual, yes. But freedom has its price. I worked for years, pushed myself harder than I should've. Over time, the money stacked up. More than I could spend in a lifetime. So one day, I thought… why keep grinding for someone else"s approval? Why not live for myself?"
He leaned slightly closer as he placed the drink in front of Tanya, his scent brushing against her, subtle cologne mixed with clean soap and something more primal not that know it his passive pheromones.
Tanya's breath caught, and she quickly looked down at the glass, hiding the faint flush in her cheeks.
Imani noticed.
Her jaw tightened, but her eyes betrayed her as they flicked to Nier's broad shoulders, his easy poise. There was something infuriating about how effortlessly he drew attention, how her married friend was blushing like a schoolgirl, and worse, how a part of her felt the same pull.
Nier didn't press.
He didn't need to.
He leaned back, casual, almost bored, as though none of this fazed him.
"Retirement isn't about stopping. It is about shifting. Now, I choose my projects. I choose where my energy goes. Like fixing up my estate. Like investing in people who might surprise me."
His words hung in the air, deliberately vague, teasing just enough to stir curiosity.
Tanya sipped her drink, her lips parting slightly as the sweet mix touched her tongue.
"...This is really good."
"Of course it is."
Nier replied smoothly, flashing her a small grin.
"I don't do anything halfway... It is not really my style, you either go big, or go home."
Imani's cheeks warmed, though she quickly masked it with a scoff.
"Cocky much?"
"It is called Confidence, take a look in the dictionary if you don't know what that is woman."
Nier corrected, eyes sliding to her with quiet intensity.
"There is a difference between the two C's if you didn't know."
The way he said it, and the way he looked at her as if moments away from slapping the shit out of her made, her close her legs, she could feel her pussy starting to tingle.
'T-This isn't good.'
For that reason she didn't reply to his words. Tanya, meanwhile, looked down at her drink, her fingers fidgeting against the cold glass as if she couldn't trust her own hands.
Neither of them realized that he hadn't once tried to seduce them, and yet even faster than Lorrain, his corruption started to take root.
He didn't have to.
His presence did it for him.
And from here it will only get worse.
Satisfied, Neir lean back on the counter facing them.
"For years."
Nier continued, swirling the amber liquor in his glass.
"I worked, and work and work and work till it became my very sense of self. Harder than most of you could imagine. Always overtime, always grinding, barely any time to look after this estate. It wore on me slowly but I went day by day, not a single day, everyday for eleven years straight. Recently like I said earlier, I realized… what is the point of chasing more when I already have enough? Money, assets, passive income, I could live three lifetimes and not burn through a tenth of what I currently have on me at this very moment."
His eyes flickered briefly.
"So now."
He said simply,
"Like I recently said, I want to focus on myself. And this house. This place is my family's legacy, and believe it or not, I am turning it into a modern-day palace."
Imani scoffed lightly.
"Palace? You serious?"
Nier only smirked, sipping his drink.
"Just this morning, I had a meeting with Lorraine Zane. Yes, that Zane. Her company is handling the redesign plan as we speak."
The name dropped like a stone. Tanya's eyes widened, Imani stiffened, even Marcy lowered her phone for once. The Zane family was the kind of power name that rarely brushed against their lives.
"You... Ahh.. how, but.. wait, you don't just… call a Zane and get them to come to your front door."
Tanya said slowly.
Nier tilted his glass toward her, as if toasting.
"Apparently, I do...
The casual way he said it twisted something in both Tanya and Imani. To him it wasn't bragging, this was just his world, his standard. And that indifference only made it harder for them not to watch him, not to compare him to their husbands at home.
Tanya shook her head, grounding herself.
"And what does any of this have to do with the boys?"
Finally, Nier set the glass down. His red eyes pinned them.
"Simple. I am expanding. This estate will need staff. Me personally would need a personal maid, alongside a head maid to oversee things in my absence alongside an elite maid squad, and three combat butlers to manage affairs. If you use your head, you'll realize where this is going."
Imani's brows knitted.
She leaned forward, her tone sharp.
"So what I think you are trying to say, is that you want our kids to be your butlers? The hell kind of offer is that?"
"Yes."
Nier said without hesitation.
Tanya cut in before Imani exploded.
"That is not possible. First of all the are underage. And secondly they can't fight, nor can they handle that kind of responsibility. This isn't… realistic."
Nier's smirk widened.
He had been waiting for that, it was the reason he intentionally lead the conversation in this direction.
"I know they're underage. That is the point. I want them young, because I'll be sending them to the <Aeloria Academy of Attendants> The finest butler and maid school in the F.A.A. Starting tuition is four hundred thousand dollars. Spots are limited too as it is reserved for the wealthy, or those sponsored by them."
The room froze.
Even Imani's sharp tongue fell silent. Tanya's glasses slipped slightly down her nose as she stared with a shock expression.
"Four… hundred… thousand?"
She whispered.
"Chump change."
Nier chuckled at their responses, a small glimmer of amusement in his crimson eyes.
"Lisa, be a sweety and do me a favor. Guide the boys to the game room. For the rest of the day, they're allowed to buy or play any game they want."
"Wait...what!?"
The boys shouted in unison, their disbelief quickly exploding into excitement.
Before Nier could respond, a warm, feminine voice rolled through the villa's hidden surround-sound speakers, smooth and playful in tone.
[As you wish, Master… Now then, little bibis, you heard the boss man. I've already logged you into the home system. Check your phones and follow the villa map, your game room is waiting on the other side of the house. Come along now, and let the adults talk and have fun]
The boys whipped out their phones immediately, faces lighting up when they saw the new notifications.
"Who was that!?"
Tanya asked, wide-eyed, as the kids practically bolted off their seats, already familiar with Lisa.
Her question fell on deaf ears for the boys. Any lingering fear or caution they had about Nier melted instantly as they sprinted through the hall, their laughter echoing down the corridors toward whatever paradise awaited them.
"That."
Nier explained, turning back to the women.
"Was Lisa. My home's AI system."
He let the words hang for a moment before adding with quiet pride.
"Extremely advanced. My mother designed her personally, and basically taught her to mimic human behavior, she is constantly adapting and learning with each interaction, voice inflection, even emotional cues. To most, she would easily pass as a living assistant rather than a program. Although my mother like to joke, her program is basically an artificial soul trap in a digital world."
Imani raised her brows, skeptical but impressed.
"Your mom built that? That is… way beyond Siri or Alexa."
"Lisa is on another level entirely."
Nier said with a casual shrug, as though it weren't such a massive flex.
"She runs the estate, manages everything from finances to maintenance schedules. Even is even keeping track of the kids now, and will do her job to absolute perfection."
Tanya exhaled slowly, shaking her head with a half-smile.
"That is crazy. She literally like something out of a scifi movie."
Nier chuckled softly, as if their amazement amused him.
"You'll get used to it."
Nier said, his voice carrying a reliable calm, as he had a level of certainty of a man who believed every word.
"I live here, so my way of living is just like yours in principle. You get used to your reality, your daily life, whatever it looks like."
Imani let out a low laugh, shaking her head.
"Your daily life is just next level though. Hah… if I lived like you, I might as well be a queen."
It was meant as a joke, something light to ease the tension. But before anyone could chuckle along, Nier moved, smooth, and deliberate. His arm slid around Imani's waist, pulling her slightly closer, his warmth undeniable against her side.
"What are you!?"
"I am just trying to be friendly, I feel like me and you get off at the wrong foot."
Nier admitted giving her seductive smile.
She could feel her heart beating.
As she whispered in a submissive tone.
"Ok, j-just don't try anything funny ok hehehe...
Her laugh caught in her throat trying to hide her embarrassment. Tanya's eyes widened, her glasses slipping slightly down her nose.
"Well."
Nier said smoothly, his crimson gaze shifting between them.
"While the boys enjoy my mother's VR room… why don't I give you ladies a tour of the house?"
His voice dropped lower, carrying a soothing edge to his tone.
"Tell me, have you eaten anything since this morning?"
"W–What!?"
Tanya blurted, her composure slipping for the first time.
"I, uh… yeah, I had pancakes."
Imani admitted, her tone defensive, though her body didn't pull away from his arm.
"Just… a cup of coffee."
Tanya murmured.
"I don't usually eat in the morning."
Nier's lips curved into a slow smirk. He squeezed Imani's waist just slightly before letting go, stepping past them with an easy confidence.
"That is not good."
He said, his words smooth, but carrying the authority of someone who is used to being obeyed.
"Skipping breakfast weakens the mind, dulls the body too, you guys need all the energy you can get."
He glanced over his shoulder at them, eyes glinting with subtle lust, and it made Tanya hot and bothered all of a sudden.
"Follow me. I'll cook you something. You won't regret it."
Imani blinked, stunned, not by the offer, but by the fact that a man of his wealth and status would personally cook for the likes of them.
Tanya hesitated, lips parting as if to object, but no words came.
The air between them shifted, his casual dominance settling in just nice.
With that Nier grabbed them both by the waist as he lead them to he kitchen.