Now that Xavier had gotten the info he wanted, it was time to settle another matter. He leaned back in the chair, watching Waller still flick through the listings like he was waiting for an award.

"Waller," Xavier said, snapping him out of it.

"Yeah?"

"I wanna clear my rent."

Waller blinked. "Wait, rent? Bro, I'm the middle section's collector. Your unit's in the upper section, that's handled by my cousin. You gotta pay him, not me."

"I don't care," Xavier replied. "I'll pay you. You can handle it however you want later."

Waller stared at him for a second, trying to read his tone. The calmness in Xavier's voice didn't sound like a request—it sounded like a transaction already decided. He hesitated for a few beats, tapping his finger against the desk before sighing. "Alright, fine. I mean, as long as the credits hit my end, I can pass it on."

Xavier pulled up his wrist console, scanned Waller's ID, and transferred the credits. Since his daily limit capped at ten mil, he sent two months' worth, which was a ten million credit transfer.

[Cashback rebate has been added to your account.]

The confirmation chime echoed between them. Waller's eyes widened as the numbers flashed across his screen. "Holy—bro, where the hell'd you get that kinda money all of a sudden?" He leaned closer, grinning. "You running something I should know about? Hook me up, yeah? Put me on check too, man."

Xavier smirked faintly. "Odd jobs," he said. "The kind that don't get posted. Nasty ones. Dirty ones. The kind you don't walk out of clean."

Waller's grin faltered for half a second before he forced a laugh. "Yeah, uh… right. Nasty jobs. Got it." He tucked his tablet back under his arm, pretending he wasn't slightly unsettled.

Ryn just glanced at Xavier, recognizing that tone. Whenever Xavier called something "dirty," it usually meant blood was involved.

Just as Xavier was about to stand, the office door slammed open so hard it nearly ripped off the hinge.

A man in his late twenties stormed in—tan skin, sharp jawline, same bloodline resemblance as Waller but with the kind of face that screamed loudmouth. He was already cursing before he even saw who was inside.

"WALLER, YOU PIECE OF SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" he barked, stomping over with a data tablet in hand. "You're middle-section management! Why the hell are you accepting upper-section payments?!"

Waller didn't even flinch. He just turned slightly in his chair, leaned his elbow on the table, and smirked. "Relax, Kade. He wanted to pay me. I was gonna forward it to the main system anyway."

"The main system?" Kade spat, pointing a finger at him. "You just robbed me of my cut, dumbass! That's a ten-million payment—means I just lost my one million commission to you!"

Waller raised a brow, like he was actually entertained. "Oh no, one million credits," he said mockingly, dragging out the words. "Guess you'll have to downgrade your stupid gold-plated drone."

Kade looked like he was gonna explode. His jaw clenched as he spun toward Xavier. "You—yeah, you. Why the hell'd you pay him? You know I handle the upper section, right?"

Xavier leaned against the counter, arms crossed. "Didn't know. Don't care."

"The hell you mean you don't care?" Kade snapped.

Xavier's gaze hardened. "You never showed up. Never introduced yourself. Never even asked about the apartment you're supposed to manage. So, tell me—why the fuck would I care who you are?"

Kade blinked, caught off guard by the bluntness.

"I pay for a service," Xavier continued, tone calm but cold. "You didn't provide one. That makes you worthless to me."

For a moment, the room went silent. Then, Kade scoffed, trying to salvage his pride. "I don't disturb my upper tenants. I let them live free. No inspections, no questions. I give them space—"

"Yeah," Waller interrupted, grinning. "Space to forget you even exist."

Kade glared. "Stay out of this, Waller."

"Hey, I'm just saying," Waller shrugged. "Even in the middle section, tenants pay me on time. I barely have to remind most of them. But back when I was handling the lower section? Damn, that was hell. Half of them didn't pay for months. I was running door to door every week, getting chewed out by the boss, threatened with replacement and shit."

He leaned back with a smug grin. "Compared to that, this gig's peaceful. So if I get an extra million off your lazy management, I'm not losing sleep."

Kade's nostrils flared. "You're lucky we share blood, or I'd—"

"Or you'd what?" Xavier cut in, voice quiet but slicing through the room like a blade.

Kade froze.

Ryn, standing at the side with arms folded, let a small smirk creep up his face. He didn't say anything—but it was clear he was enjoying this far more than he should've.

Xavier straightened and brushed off his sleeve. "We done here?"

Waller nodded. "Yeah, we're done."

Xavier gave him a look of approval before walking toward the elevator, Ryn following right behind.

Kade just stood there, fists clenched, fuming in silence. Waller turned to him with a grin and said, "Thanks for the rent, by the way?"

As Xavier reached the elevator and pressed the button, he glanced over his shoulder with that lazy smirk of his. "Careful, Waller," he said, voice calm but sharp. "Before this clown steals your girl again."

The line hit like a stun shot.

Kade blinked, caught mid-anger. "What the—what'd you just say?"

Waller froze halfway through leaning back in his chair. "Bro, don't even start—"

Kade let out a laugh—one of those forced ones that hide a sting. "Ah, now I get it. That's what this is really about, huh?" He pointed between the two. "You and your little tenant here are buddies now. Figures."

He jabbed a thumb toward Waller. "FYI, it was your girl who came to me. Not the other way around. She was a gold-digging little leech—you should be thanking me for taking her off your hands."

Waller's face hardened, his usual smug tone gone. "She wasn't a gold digger," he said quietly but firm. "She was kind. Loyal. She stuck by me when no one else did. You didn't take her because she wanted you—you stole her because you couldn't stand seeing me happy."

Kade's grin widened. "Stole her? Really?" He stepped closer, voice rising. "Tell me, how exactly did I 'steal' her?"

Waller opened his mouth, but his eyes flicked away just for a second.

Kade chuckled, knowing he already won. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Xavier scoffed, leaning on the elevator frame. "Guess you just proved him right, Waller."

Waller frowned. "What?"

Xavier shrugged. "Girls only cheat for a bigger dick or bigger bucks. Either way, you were short on something."

Ryn—still leaning by the wall—let out a quiet laugh under his breath, not helping the situation at all.

Kade smirked wider, throwing his hands out dramatically. "See? Even your rich boy friend here gets it. I didn't steal anything. I saved you." He jabbed a finger toward Waller's chest. "If you'd stayed with her, you'd be broke, homeless, and crying into your rent ledgers by now."

Waller clenched his jaw, looking like he wanted to punch his cousin straight in the teeth.

Xavier glanced between them, almost bored. "Alright, lovers' quarrel's over," he said, stepping into the elevator with Ryn. "I've got places to be."

The doors began to close as Kade shouted after him, "Yeah, keep your rent boy in check next time!"

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