Chapter 12 Spy Codes & Sweet Bots
Back at the Dreamscape Manor, Cameron was already waiting at the villa entrance.
When he saw Tristan and Megan walking hand in hand, he gave a respectful bow and handed over a sleek black laptop bag.
Tristan took it and led Megan into the house.
Inside the room, Tristan placed the laptop bag on the desk, gently held Megan's shoulders and guided her into the leather chair.
He unzipped the bag and pulled out a brand-new Luvaglio laptop.
This one was a real luxury—at least a million-dollar price tag, and the lid had a sparkly pink heart design made out of tiny diamonds.
"Like it?"
Megan softly ran her fingers over the heart, then opened the laptop. Programs like CorelDraw were already installed—perfect for her fashion design work.
"Thank you, honey."
Tristan leaned down and kissed her smooth forehead. "Your smile's my receipt, sweetie. I'm heading out for a bit; eat something if dinner's ready. I'll have someone stay with you, okay?"
With that, he turned and headed toward the door.
"I'll wait for you," Megan called out, eyes glued to his tall figure.
He smiled faintly, his deep voice low and warm, "Okay."
Megan stood by the tall, clean window, watching the black Maybach disappear down the driveway. She sighed, feeling a little hollow.
Turning back, she nearly jumped out of her skin.
A white robot about 1.8 meters tall was suddenly standing right in front of her.
It let out a creepy "Ke-ke-ke" laugh. "Dearest, most admirable, stunning lady boss, I'm Zeta Prime. So thrilled to be at your service."
Megan twitched her lips. "So, you're the 'person' Tristan said would keep me company?"
Zeta's optical sensor bloomed a holographic heart. "Call me the galaxy's favorite bot! No blood? My hydraulic fluid pumps hotter. No muscles? Titanium limbs snap asteroids. No brain? This quantum core outthinks supernovas. Zeta Prime: unbeatable. Undefeated. Un-skip-able!"
Megan walked a couple of circles around it. Something like this—with genuine self-awareness—wasn't even on the market yet.
She tilted her head, thoughtfully rubbing her chin. "So, which genius cooked you up?"
Again came that "ke-ke-ke" laugh. "Made by Professor XAL, dear and dazzling lady boss."
Professor XAL?
Even though no one had ever seen the man, his name was a legend in the scientific community—basically a myth.
"Is XAL a he? A she? Cute or creepy? How come I've never heard of someone inventing you?"
Zeta shook its head dramatically. "I've been alive for one hundred days now, living in the room on the far east side of the first floor. My master said, whatever the beloved Megan wants—just tell me."
Megan had a strong suspicion the robot had a serious chatterbox circuit. She cleared her throat. "From now on, just call me Goddess."
"As you wish, Goddess."
Megan sat back in the leather chair and opened her laptop. Her fingers hovered above the keyboard—then she suddenly paused.
Zeta was still standing behind her.
She glanced back. "Zeta, go to the kitchen and help Mrs. Jones with dinner."
Zeta's eyes spun. "On it!"
It zoomed off with a click of its wheeled feet and gently closed the door behind it.Megan turned her head and her fingers started flying across the keyboard. White lines of code scrolled down the black screen. She had hacked into the national communication satellite system, trying to intercept Molly 's phone calls.
She flipped open her phone and checked the internal chip, scanning through the data.
Nothing unusual popped up.
Megan locked the screen, stood up, and headed to the kitchen.
Inside the kitchen, Zeta was hovering by Mrs. Jones, blurting out nonsense like, "You got this, Mrs. Jones! You rock! You're unbeatable! Muah muah~"
Megan rubbed her forehead. She knew this droid wasn't just here to "keep her company." Tristan had clearly stationed it here to keep tabs on her.
Honestly though, couldn't he have picked a quieter model? This one never shut up.
As soon as Zeta detected footsteps, its body stayed still but its head spun around like an owl, eyes lighting up with red hearts. "Here comes our goddess! So fierce, so fabulous!"
Megan lightly patted its metal arm. "You see that bowl of potatoes? Take it over to the trash can and start peeling."
"Got it!"
Zeta obediently carried the bowl over, squatted beside the trash can, and started peeling while babbling nonsense, "Zeta is smart, Zeta is cool, Zeta is goddess's fave lil bot..."
Megan couldn't help but laugh in frustration. What kind of weirdo robot did this XAL professor create?
She sighed deeply. "Starting right now, zip it. Selective hearing mode, okay?"
"You got it, Goddess!"
Megan turned to Mrs. Jones. "Mrs. Jones, remember you once mentioned Tristan's past? Can you tell me the full story?"
Setting down the knife, Mrs. Jones's expression turned wistful as old memories crept back.
Turns out, Tristan's mother wasn't Mrs. Reid—but Nathan Reid's first love, Henrietta.
Back then, Nathan and Henrietta had secretly registered their marriage. But because Henrietta came from a poor background, the Reid family refused to accept her. They arranged for Nathan to marry Sophia instead, the current Mrs. Reid.
To break them apart, the Reid matriarch threatened her own life. In the end, Nathan divorced Henrietta, and the family offered Henrietta two million as hush money.
Heartbroken, Henrietta didn't take a single cent. She left the Capitol City and moved to a remote rural area to teach.
Soon she discovered she was pregnant and raised the child alone.
When Tristan was eight, Henrietta was diagnosed with lung cancer. Knowing her time was limited, she sent the boy back to the Reid family.
Three months later, that poor woman passed away.
Mrs. Jones' sigh trembled like old parchment. "If only you'd seen it, Madam… Since Master Tristan was reclaimed by the Reids, he'd turn to ice in that gilded cage. Mrs. Reid's barbs and young Master's little cruelties—he bore them all without a murmur."
She paused, her tone softening with pride. "But he's smart, you know? In those seven years, he finished elementary, middle, and high school. Got into Harvard's finance program and wrapped up his bachelor's, master's and PhD all in six years. Came back and took over the whole Reid Group. None of them could say a single word against him."
Megan listened in pained silence, her rib cage aching with each word.
Suddenly Zeta whirred, optic sensors flashing pink: "Adoring the boss = optimal life choice! Sweetness factor: 98%! Next phase: procreation protocol activated—prepare heir production!"