Billionaire Reboot: Building A New World Order
Chapter 56: Like It 3

Chapter 56: Like It 3

His hands traced soft circles on her chest, feeling the warmth of her skin against his palms.

Their earlier intensity melted into something gentler, more intimate...and genuine.

"Anna..."

He gently held her face, gazing into her eyes with true affection.

The first kiss landed light, followed by another that deepened with patience.

It was less a rush of passion and more a vow to stay tender.

Slowly, carefully, he guided her back onto the side of the jacuzzi, positioning himself.

"Ahhhh." A quick breath slipped past her lips as he entered her.

This time, he moved with more control, watching her face for signs of discomfort.

"Just say if you want me to stop or slow down."

She shook her head slowly and kissed him, their tongues meeting in between.

Her hips began a subtle rhythm, rolling against him with increasing confidence.

The jacuzzi jets bubbled softly around them, creating a sensual background to their intimate connection.

"That’s the spot!" She arched her back slightly.

He began to increase his pacing, just enough to make her bite into his shoulder.

"TERRENCE!" A high-pitched cry escaped her lips, and a sudden gush of liquid burst forth, spraying across the Jacuzzi’s surface.

Breathless and spent, she collapsed against him, her skin flushed and glistening with sweat and water.

"Did you like it?" Terrence held her close, stroking her hair, giving her time to recover from the moment they had just shared.

"I love it," she replied, then pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Let’s go back to your room."

Lifting her into his arms, he stopped just outside the glass window to dry her with a towel before carrying her to the bed like a princess.

There, he used his mouth to pleasure her again.

She enjoyed being eaten more, and he indulged her tonight as a way to make up for what happened before.

They spent the rest of the time exploring which positions felt best for them both.

When every last bit of energy drained away, they finally fell asleep, still holding each other close.

.

.

.

Ring ring ring.

The alarm clock rang and dragged him from sleep. He reached out, but his hand touched only cold sheets.

"Where is she?" He rubbed his eyes and checked the clock.

The glowing numbers showed 4:00 a.m. It was too early, even for him.

A loose shirt lay draped across the chair, and he pulled it on before stepping into the hallway.

The place felt bigger in the early hours. This penthouse struck him as oversized, like it was built for a family that never showed up.

No sign of her on the veranda. Just a line of potted plants catching dew and the pale hint of dawn at the edge of the sky.

In the kitchen, the counters waited untouched, no cups or plates out of place.

He walked past each room, easing the doors open a few inches.

Most smelled faintly of varnish, everything tidy and unused.

Near the end of the hall, a thin line of light pressed against the floorboards.

His hand hovered at the door handle, hesitating.

"Anna." He called her name again and waited a moment before pushing the door open.

Inside, rows of glass tubes lined the far wall, each holding clear liquid that caught the lamp’s glow.

Shelves sagged under thick folders and small labeled vials.

At the center, Anna leaned over a microscope, pajama shorts and an oversized T-shirt slipping off one shoulder.

"Most girls do breakfast in bed. You go straight for the lab."

"I woke up feeling clearheaded and motivated. So I figured I’d do something productive for humanity," she teased, moving closer to him.

A few steps closed the space between them, and her arms circled his waist. At that moment, they looked like a newlywed couple.

The kiss she gave him was unhurried, as if they still lay tangled in the sheets.

A smile tugged at her mouth when they pulled apart.

"I’ll make you coffee," he offered.

"Thank you." Her hand rested against his chest before she turned to the microscope again.

Seeing how dedicated she was to her work made her even more attractive to him.

Unlike other girls who drifted in their earlier years without knowing what they wanted, Anna was different.

She knew exactly what she aimed for and would work nonstop until she reached it. Plain and simple. No drama, no self-pity.

Back in the kitchen, he pulled the bag of fresh beans from the shelf and filled the grinder built into the espresso machine.

BEEP!

Pressing the button, he set the burrs spinning, and a rich, warm scent filled the air, making the quiet feel less heavy.

"Brought you fuel," he said, setting the mug beside her elbow.

"Perfect timing." A small smile softened her face as she picked it up.

He lowered himself onto the other stool. A clutter of papers and samples crowded the tray between them.

"What’s the research this time?"

"Cell regeneration." Her elbows rested on the counter. "Trying to speed recovery in damaged tissue."

"So... like the same one you have in the lab?"

She shook her head. "That sample is new. This one is something I’ve been working on by myself for a long time."

He scratched his jaw. "That’s very complicated.

Even in the future, cell regeneration only worked by using certain materials that didn’t exist yet in this world. Those materials already carried mana with natural healing properties.

If he was being honest, he doubted she could make it work yet without higher-quality materials.

But once those resources showed up, she would have no trouble creating her miracle potion.

They kept talking, passing the time until the sun rose high enough to fill the room with light.

Eventually, Terrence told her he needed to go.

Anna asked him to stay a little longer, but there were other things he had to handle.

"I’ll text you later," He pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before turning away and heading back to his apartment.

What greeted him was the same tidy house and Effie moving the vacuum across the floor.

This time, she didn’t come over to kiss him or say hello.

She kept her eyes on her work, looking more like a maid than his lover.

"Stop doing that. We can just hire people," he tried to take the vacuum from her.

She pulled it back without meeting his eyes. The sight of her red, swollen eyelids made it impossible to scold her for being distant.

Anyone could see she’d been crying for hours.

Terrence set a hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her, but she didn’t respond.

Her gaze stayed fixed on the floor, and the silent treatment didn’t fade no matter what he said.

After a while, he let out a defeated sigh. No point in pushing it now.

Once he stepped inside his office, he moved straight to the open space and unwrapped the sealed glass case holding the moonstone.

crack!

crack!

Breaking it open finally let him feel the mana inside.

The amount was overwhelming—more than dozens, maybe even hundreds, of expensive stones combined.

’Let’s start’

Terrence broke into a cold sweat as an intense chill spread through his entire body.

It felt nothing short of extraordinary.

The mana flooding into his body was at least ten times more concentrated than anything he absorbed since having a second chance in life.

’I can do this... I can breakthrough’

Motivated by the thought, he drew in a slow breath and let it out, guiding the mana through his meridians. Each cycle cleansed and strengthened them little by little.

Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and then an entire day slipped by.

He stayed so focused on his task that he didn’t even take a break to eat. Instead, he kept himself fueled with mana.

crack!

crack!

crack!

A third of the moonstone crumbled into dust, and at the same time, his body began to release an intense, searing mist that filled the air.

Unlike the first breakthrough, no dramatic transformation took place. His meridians had simply widened, and the flow of energy moved faster than before.

On top of that, his total mana reserves had surged by at least 300%—a huge achievement by any measure.

’Second stage... finally’

A smile tugged at his lips, not only because of the breakthrough but also because he also gained the Lunar State he had been wishing for.

’Now I just need to practice more advanced techniques, and that mission will be piece of cake’

There was a problem, though.

A quick look around showed his office—and the entire apartment—was far too small to practice safely.

Stepping out onto the balcony wasn’t an option either, since release-type techniques tended to be flashy and made a lot of noise.

’I need to find a more open space. Somewhere private.’

After checking his phone, he picked a spot outside the city.

It wasn’t too far, just far enough to avoid attention without being a hassle to reach.

This was only a temporary fix. Renting an entire warehouse for himself would be a much better option.