Intergalactic conquest with an AI

Cleo was completely entranced, her hands resting gently on the edge of the container, her eyes glowing faintly.

Rex smirked. "Well," he muttered, "looks like Cleo's too busy being obsessed to explain it to us."

He turned to the twins. "Come on, let's leave her alone with it for now."

Before they could protest, he playfully nudged them toward the exit. "Let's go find something else to do," he said with a grin.

As they left the hangar, Cleo remained still with her gaze fixed on the shimmering liquid.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy…

Carlos found himself in what was easily the most uncomfortable situation of his life.

He sat at a massive dining table, so absurdly long that it felt like he needed a shuttle just to reach the other end. The surface was laden with exquisite dishes, their aromas mingling into a tantalizing blend of high-class cuisine.

At the head of the table sat an old man whose presence alone was suffocating. He radiated an overwhelming aura of raw power, a quiet menace that made Carlos' stomach churn.

And beside the old man, all smiles and ease, sat Sharon.

Carlos, on the other hand?

He was practically exiled to the far end of the table, feeling like an intruder in this opulent setting.

left alone with his thoughts.

{What the hell am I doing here? Why did I even agree to this?!}

His stomach twisted, not from hunger but from sheer awkwardness.

{This atmosphere is killing me! And seriously, what's with this ridiculously huge table? Do they need an intercom just to talk across it? And wait… is this table made of natural wood? Who the hell is this guy to afford something like this?!}

Before Carlos could spiral further into his internal complaints, the old man's deep voice cut through the silence like a blade.

"Young man."

Carlos nearly jumped.

"My little girl has been telling me all about you," the old man said, his piercing gaze locking onto Carlos. "Your name is Carlos, correct?"

Carlos swallowed hard.

"Y-Yes, sir. I'm Carlos. Nice to meet you." His words came out stiff, his voice cracking slightly under the weight of his nerves.

The old man hummed, leaning back slightly. "I see."

Then, with an almost casual air, he asked, "Tell me… how exactly did you and my daughter meet? Carlos felt a sudden pressure settle around him, with an invisible force pressing down on his chest.

It wasn't crushing, not enough to harm him, but just enough to make breathing difficult. Just enough to remind him who was in control here.

His body tensed. His throat tightened. He struggled to form words when....

"Father! Stop doing that!" Sharon's sharp voice sliced through the tension, her tone filled with irritation. "There's no need for you to be so rude!" She scolded her father.

The pressure immediately lifted after that.

The old man exhaled, shaking his head as if amused by his daughter's outburst.

"I'm doing nothing, sweetheart," he said smoothly. Then, glancing back at Carlos, he gave a knowing smirk. "He's just nervous. Isn't that right… Carlos?"

Carlos forced a shaky breath, nodding quickly. "Y-Yes, sir. Just a bit nervous about meeting you."

{A bit was the understatement of the century.}

The old man's gaze lingered for a moment before he gestured for Carlos to continue. "And to answer your question…" Carlos began, gathering his thoughts.

Slowly, he recounted how he and Sharon had met, from the camping event to the chaos aboard the cruiser, all the way to its destruction. As he spoke, he noticed something, the old man's expression darkened with every word.

By the time Carlos described the cruiser explosion, the air around them felt dangerously heavy. and it was clear that the old man was pissed.

Carlos finished his explanation, carefully choosing his words and omitting certain details.

{Of course, there's no way in hell I'm telling him I've already slept with his daughter… not once, not twice… but hundreds of times…}

His lips twitched slightly.

{Sharon is a wild kitty… hehe…}

But before he could get too lost in that thought, the old man's voice pulled him back.

The old man's gaze remained locked onto Sharon, his piercing eyes filled with an intensity that made the air feel like it was closing in.

"Sweetheart, is what he said true?" He asked with his voice steady but laced with an undercurrent of danger.

Sharon met his stare without flinching. "Yes, Father. He's telling the truth."

Carlos felt a flicker of relief, but it was fleeting.

"But… there's something else you need to know."

Carlos' stomach dropped. A cold bead of sweat trickled down his temple.

{Please, for the love of all that is holy, do not tell him we've already slept together. This man will kill me. No... worse, he will do things to me that make death seem like a mercy! SHARON, THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK!}

Carlos' mind spiraled into panic, his internal alarms blaring as he braced for the worst.

The old man's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What is it, sweetheart? Did this bald bastard do something to you?"

Carlos nearly choked.

"W-W-WHAT?!" he sputtered, his voice cracking in sheer terror.

Sharon sighed. "No, Father! That's not what I meant!" She cleared her throat, regaining her composure.

"What I wanted to say," she continued, "is that there's a high probability that the person responsible for the destruction of that cruiser was none other than the CE—"

Sharon didn't even get to finish the name before her father's fist slammed into the massive wooden table, splitting it in half. The sheer force of the impact sent plates, food, and drinks crashing to the floor.

The room fell deathly silent.

Carlos, still frozen in his seat, slowly lowered his gaze to the wreckage of what had been a feast.

{Ah… what a waste… I didn't even get a single bite…}

Meanwhile, the old man's voice dropped into something far more serious. "Sharon," he said, his words calm but heavy, "even though you're my daughter… I can't protect you if you say something like this about the CEO."

He leaned forward, his dominating presence suffocating the air between them. "Look into my eyes," he commanded. "And tell me the truth. Why do you think he wants to kill you?"

The weight of his words pressed down on the room.

Sharon hesitated for the first time but she inhaled deeply, her expression momentarily faltering. Then, slowly, she locked eyes with her father.

"Father…" she began speaking with her voice being softer.

"I know you married me to the CEO so that I could have a secure life… in case something happened to you."

She clenched her fists slightly.

"But I…" She hesitated while glancing downward for a split second. "I overheard a conversation between the CEO and a woman."

Carlos felt the tension in the room tighten like a noose.

The old man's face didn't change, but his eyes sharpened.

Sharon swallowed before speaking once again. "They were talking about..." She fell silent.

Sharon's father took a deep breath, his fingers gripping the armrests of his chair as he fought to contain his simmering rage. His voice, however, remained eerily calm.

"What exactly were they talking about, sweetheart?"

Sharon hesitated, her hands tightening slightly in her lap. Then, with a steadying breath, she finally answered.
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"The woman said that her negotiations with NovaSyn Industries' CEO... regarding the marriage of her daughter to the Nexum CEO... were already settled." She swallowed hard.

"And with their combined influence… they planned to take you down." The words hung heavy in the air, each one echoing like a death knell.

Sharon didn't dare look up; she knew exactly what expression her father wore right now. A long, tense silence followed, the weight of her revelation pressing down on the room.

Then, her father let out a slow, deep sigh before standing from his chair. "The dinner is over," he said, his voice clipped. "If you're still hungry, feel free to order something to your rooms."

With that, he turned and left the dining room without another word. Carlos sat frozen for a few moments before finally exhaling loudly, slumping back in his chair.

"Damn," he muttered while running a hand through his hair. "I thought I was gonna die back there. Your father is… really something."

But Sharon didn't respond. She just sat completely still, her expression unreadable, lost in thought.

Carlos frowned and Slowly, he got up and walked toward her, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

"Sharon?" he murmured while resting his chin against her shoulder. "Are you okay?"

She blinked a few times, as if snapping out of a trance. Then, with a small smile, she leaned her cheek into his hand.

"Yeah… sorry, I just got a little lost in thought, hehe," she admitted softly. Then, nudging his hand playfully, she added, "Wanna go to my room and order some food? I saw you didn't even get to eat anything."

Carlos chuckled. "So you noticed that, huh?" He sighed dramatically. "Your dad really scares the hell out of me… but yeah, let's go. I'm starving."

With that, they left the dining hall together.

Meanwhile…

Sharon's father walked through the long, dimly lit halls of his estate, his mind racing. He entered his private office and, without hesitation, moved a set of books from a nearby shelf. With a soft mechanical hum, a section of the wall slid open, revealing a hidden passageway.

Inside, a sleek elevator stood waiting and without pause, he stepped inside.

The doors sealed shut behind him, and the elevator began its silent descent deep underground.