Aetheris had no one to blame but himself for being too damn irresistible.
"Betty, sweetheart, is something wrong?"
"No, I just miss you," Betty Ross murmured. "Your secretary was so mean earlier. I was honestly scared."
"She's always like that. Don't take it personally."
"No way! How could a woman that fierce be at your side? Unlike me… I only feel sorry for my geigei!"
Aetheris gave a dry chuckle.
Both women were his. Picking sides wouldn't end well.
"Yes, yes, you're right. I'm in the shower now, so I'll hang up."
Before the ever-clingy Betty could respond, he quickly ended the call.
Playtime aside, there was a stunning woman waiting just outside for him. Who had time to talk about feelings?
After a quick rinse, Aetheris hurried out of the bathroom—only to find the room completely empty.
"What?" he muttered. I already took off my pants and this is what I get?
"Pepper?" he called, stepping out into the living room. But it too was deserted.
Strange. Just a moment ago, everything had been fine. Where had she gone?
The roar of a sports car echoed from below.
He rushed to the window just in time to see a red blur disappearing down the street.
Nick Fury stood nearby, bewildered by Aetheris's sudden reaction.
He motioned to Black Widow. He hadn't meant for things to spiral like this—just to knock Aetheris down a peg, not drive him away.
Natasha got the signal and ran after him.
"Tony! Tony!" she shouted, grabbing him by the arm.
"Damn it! The duck was already in the pot, and it still flew away," Aetheris growled in frustration.
The situation wasn't hard to figure out. Betty must've said something to Pepper during their call. That probably turned her, who had just been ready to offer herself, into someone storming off in a fury.
That damn Betty. She wasn't getting off easy.
No—she deserved more than a lesson. He'd have to show her the carrot and the stick until she was begging for mercy.
With nothing better to do, Aetheris returned to the bathroom.
"Rinse up, wash down, scrub left, rub right…"
Sigh. Guess I'm giving myself a day off today.
The next morning, Aetheris was jolted awake by a call from Nick Fury.
"Come on, it's Sunday! Can't a man get some rest?"
"This is about the survival of the human race. Don't you think that deserves a conversation?" Fury replied flatly.
"All I know is that last night, I failed to contribute to the continuation of mankind. That may be the greatest tragedy in evolutionary history," Aetheris muttered, staring at the empty spot beside him on the bed, still not used to it.
Ever since he'd arrived in this world as Tony Stark, he hadn't spent a single night alone.
"Alright, enough nonsense. The meeting's set. The location is..."
After hanging up, Aetheris made himself a fried egg and a bowl of lean pork and century egg congee.
What could he do? Even billionaires didn't wake up to caviar and bluefin tuna every day.
Feeling the quiet, aimless solitude of the super-rich, Aetheris figured it was time to get himself a housekeeper—someone who wouldn't throw tantrums, take his sports car, and vanish.
Preferably someone from the East.
With that in mind, he dialed an old friend: Vincent.
Now, about Vincent—anyone in Hong Kong, one of Asia's Four Little Dragons, knew his name. Half the city's industries were under his control. People called him "Vincent 'Half-the-City'".
"Hey, Vincent, it's me. Got any good candidates you can recommend? I'm not asking for much—just someone fair-skinned and pretty. Age-wise, under thirty-five is best. Education isn't important. Most of all, she has to be obedient. Alright, send me some photos and I'll pick one." He ended the call.
Vincent was efficient. He promised to sort it out and email options by the next day.
After breakfast, Aetheris selected a low-key sports car—an Audi Pikes Peak.
Why not use the Hellfire Armor?
Sigh. The whims of the rich. Just because you own a car doesn't mean you have to drive it. Sometimes you just feel like taking it easy.
"Damn it! That bald guy told me to be here at ten. It's nearly noon—where is he?" Aetheris snapped at Natasha, seated across from him.
"I deal in hundreds of thousands every minute, and he expects me to wait? Call him now and tell him if he doesn't show soon, I'm out."
He crossed his legs, visibly irritated. Natasha might be stunning, but beauty without substance didn't impress him anymore.
If you could only look but not touch, it was no better than smearing feces on top of ice cream.
"Calm down. The Director's still dealing with the mess you caused last night," Natasha said, pouting slightly, her voice filled with unspoken blame.
If you hadn't stirred up all that trouble, would S.H.I.E.L.D. be stuck cleaning up after you?
"What's this?"
Aetheris took the folder she handed him.
"Avengers Initiative Preliminary Report?"
His pulse quickened. The real game was about to begin.
So this is why they dragged me out so early. Trying to rope me into this?
Just then, a bald man in a black trench coat entered the room—it was Nick Fury.
"To be honest, I didn't want you to see that report. I'm not even sure it applies to you," Fury said, sitting down. "It's Agent Romanoff's assessment of you. Read it and judge for yourself."
Aetheris opened it to the first page.
Personality Analysis — Stark frequently acts impulsively and exhibits self-destructive tendencies.
He shrugged.
"That was the old me, not the current version. And really, isn't that just human nature?"
Diagnosis — Classic narcissist?
He nodded. The original Tony Stark from the source material? Sure, narcissistic. But that wasn't him.
Avengers Recruitment Evaluation — Tony Stark — Not recommended!
Heh. You don't approve of me?
Well, I don't approve of you either.
"Alright then. I guess there's nothing more to say." Aetheris tossed the report onto the table.
"So I'll be going now?"
Nick Fury hadn't expected Aetheris to fold so quickly. Just a little pushback and the guy was already walking.
"Even though you're not on our recruitment list, you could still serve as a consultant," Fury said, trying to salvage the moment.
Aetheris stood up and extended his right hand. Thinking he'd changed his mind, Fury reached out to shake it.
But Aetheris smirked and said, "Good luck with that. I'm out."
Then he turned and walked out without hesitation.
"What now? Can't convince me with words, so you'll use force?" he muttered as Natasha's soft hand tried to stop him.
(End of Chapter)
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