Alex had no words for what his eyes were seeing.
And what exactly was he seeing?
You can probably guess.
Yes. Nudes.
And not just any nude. A full-body, high-definition, expertly angled, heart-pounding nude.
The caption?
"Good morning, my love. Hope you slept well. Just checking in."
Okay. That didn't sound so bad… at first.
Most guys might dream of waking up to that. Some or most might have even experienced it once or twice.
But that wasn't why Alex was frozen.
It was what came next.
Because the next message?
Was a video.
A video of her masturbating—eyes half-lidded, mouth open, moaning his name like a spell being cast.
The messages that followed?
"Daddy, it's been two days now. I really need my weekly dose of vitamin D."
"I couldn't sleep last night. My body wants you. My pussy is twitching uncontrollably and gushing like a fountain for you. Please come and stuff it with your holy rod."
Alex's jaw fell open.
"What the actual fuck…"
And when he backed out of the chat?
His inbox was filled. Dozens. No—hundreds.
More women. More videos. More captions. All of them eager. Desperate. Explicit.
"What have you done, Alex Palmer?" he muttered to himself, collapsing backward into the pillows.
He couldn't live like this.
Not just because it was obscene—but because he's not the previous Alex. Even he tries to pretend, he will fail miserably.
Also, he didn't feel anything for these women. No connection. No history. No shared moments.
These weren't his girlfriends.
And as tempting as the "weekly dose of vitamin D" situation sounded… Alex wasn't interested.
He didn't care if they called him daddy, master, or honey bear. He wasn't about to pick up where the old Alex left off.
But he wasn't stupid either.
He wasn't going to block them. Or delete the content.
Why go through the stress? The video gallery alone looked like a curated selection from a high-end subscription site.
Besides, he knew—blocking them was dangerous.
The previous Alex had tried it once.
One woman—just one—went full meltdown. She'd forced her way into his penthouse, apologizing profusely.
Naked.
The scandal was loud enough that the family took notice. It was one of the final nails in the coffin.
After that, the old Alex banned all the girls from visiting. Ghosting became the strategy. Radio silence.
"So this is what I'm inheriting," Alex sighed.
He glanced at the device in his hand. A sleek, cool slab of future luxury.
iPhone 16 Pro.
Technically unreleased. But when your family owned controlling stakes in half the Fortune 500? Release dates were flexible suggestions.
"Sure, I could buy a second phone. But why waste money when this one's perfect?"
He dropped it on the nightstand and rolled over into the plush bedding.
The girls were the least of his problems.
Because now… he remembered why he died.
The original Alex didn't go out in a blaze of glory.
He died in bed.
Not peacefully.
But from pure exhaustion. Too much sex. Too much alcohol. Not enough food. Days of nonstop partying. His heart gave up.
A lot of people are hyping the situation of death by any snu. But Alex can tell you that it isn't that great.
"He really did himself in…" Alex muttered.
And now he, the new Alex, had to live with the consequences of that wild legacy.
At first, Alex thought this new life would be easy. Luxury. Money. Status.
But no. As his siblings weren't done with him.
Even though he'd been cut off, even though the patriarch had severed direct financial support, the Palmer blood still flowed through him.
And that made him dangerous.
To them, he was:
A threat to public sympathy if he ever turned his image around.
A possible asset magnet for outsiders looking to invest in a "redeemed heir."
A ticking time bomb that could trigger old clauses in the family trust or inheritance system.
A wildcard in political marriage deals or asset succession planning.
In other words: they weren't going to let him be.
"Even exiled, I'm still a threat to them. They don't want me to rise. They want me erased."
Alex knew that he couldn't sit back and enjoy his money.
They'd come for him.
Eventually.
Which left him with one conclusion:
"The System is my only real option."
He sat up slowly, groaning as he massaged his temples.
According to what he knew, it would take $27 million to unlock one core knowledge, one primary branch, and purchase a single specialized knowledge set.
His current bank balance?
Just over $2 million.
Still impressive… but a long, long way off.
"I'm not selling my assets either. That's my lifeline."
Just as he sank into frustration, the System spoke.
[Host has a Starter Pack that has not yet been claimed. Would you like to draw it now?]
His eyes widened.
"Absolutely. Do it."
[Starter Pack Drawn.]
[Reward: Free Pass — Unlock a Core Knowledge and receive one Primary Knowledge Branch (and all its internal specialized knowledge) for free.]
Alex blinked.
Then grinned.
"Finally, something reasonable."
This wasn't just a discount—it was a launchpad. Once he got the $10 million to unlock a core knowledge, the rest would snowball.
"Alright, System," he said, "show me the core knowledge categories. Let's see what I'll invest in first when the time comes."
A translucent window opened in front of Alex, expanding slowly until it formed a neatly organized list of glowing categories.
[System Store: Core Knowledge Catalogue]
Unlock any Core Knowledge to reveal its Primary Branches.
Cost per Core Knowledge: 1,000 System Points ($10,000,000)
[Mathematics] – 1,000 SP
[Biology] – 1,000 SP
[Chemistry] – 1,000 SP
[Physics] – 1,000 SP
[Note: Unlocking a Core Knowledge does not grant direct knowledge. It reveals associated Primary Branches available for further exploration.]
[Starter Pack Bonus Active: Unlocking any Core Knowledge will grant one full Primary Branch—including all internal specialized knowledge—for free.]
Alex narrowed his eyes, scanning the list.
Only four fields. Clean. Core. Fundamental.
"Math, biology, chemistry, physics..."
"Everything the world runs on… and everything this system is offering at its highest level."
Now the question was—which one to unlock when the time came?