Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System! - Chapter 293

Chapter 293: The Start—Tessa’s Secrets
The hallway stretched long and sleek, a polished maze of wealth and exclusivity.

Luxury whispered in the air—the soft hum of conversations, the faint clink of expensive glasses, the distant echo of people who thought money made them invincible. This wasn’t just high society; this was the fucking pinnacle, where power dripped from the walls, and even the air felt more expensive.

Parker, Tessa, and Atalanta walked hand in hand, a little trio of power wrapped in casual confidence. Their steps? Unhurried. Their vibe? Untouchable.

The Wilder staff pushed ahead of them, clearing the way with the kind of urgency that said, Yeah, you don’t wanna be in their way. No one questioned it. No one hesitated. Because even in a place like this, where the richest families gathered, there was an unspoken hierarchy. And while Parker didn’t own this place, while this wasn’t his fucking kingdom, his bloodline carried enough weight to demand respect—real, tangible, unshaken respect with juts his sheer existence.

They weren’t in a rush. They never were. Then they passed that lounge. And in a single second—everything flipped.

Tessa’s grip tightened. Atalanta’s shoulders went rigid. Parker felt the shift in the air—thick, charged, something unnatural and sharp clawing at his instincts. It was like walking past an invisible tripwire, one laced with silent, screaming danger.

Atalanta felt it lastly since she was weaker—a primal tingling that screamed DANGER along her spine. Her warrior’s intuition, the kind that never lied to her, flared red-hot. Her eyes flicked toward the four men standing outside the lounge door. Four guards. But not just guards.

Ether users. All deadly. And the worst part? They were stronger than her.

Her stomach twisted. That wasn’t normal. Guards weren’t supposed to be this powerful. These weren’t just some well-trained fighters—these were killers. The type of men you didn’t fight unless you had a fucking death wish. No arrogance, no bravado, just cold, calculated reality. Who the hell were they guarding?

Parker on the other hand didn’t just sense their power. He measured it. Two of them? Primal-tier. Same level as him. The other two? Immortal-tier. Higher than him. And they were just… standing there.

Silent.

Stone-faced.

Unmoving.

Mundanes would see them and think Damn, those guys look dangerous. But Parker? He saw the full picture. These weren’t just elite bodyguards—these were war machines. Weapons dressed as men. And yet, here they were, guarding a fucking door.

His gaze shifted beyond them, past the walls. For most people, that door was a barrier. For Parker? It wasn’t even there. His eyes peered inside. What he saw made him sigh.

A young man. A mundane. Of course. Why wouldn’t one of the richest families on Earth hire supernatural bodyguards? It was practically a flex at this point. His gaze flicked to the insignia on the guards’ uniforms. The Ashfords. Ah. That explained it. One of the Big Five. Same level as Tessa’s family. Not his problem unless they made it his problem.

But Tessa? The second she laid eyes on them—something snapped. Her pupils shrank. Her aura shifted. Parker barely had time to think so much into it before he felt her energy spike—raw, unfiltered heat pushing against the air.

Atalanta didn’t notice Parker’s sigh. She noticed Tessa. The way her fingers curled, her eyes darkened, her shoulders tensed. She knew these men. No. She knew exactly who they were guarding. And for a split second—just a second—her aura almost leaked out.

Parker’s hand closed over hers. Firm. Grounding. Unshakable. “You good?” His voice was soft, meant for her ears only.

Tessa blinked. Her aura snapped back. She turned to him, and for the briefest moment, there once was real fury in her eyes and then she saw his face. Saw that annoying little smirk he always had when he was half-amused, half-exasperated.

And just like that, her rage simmered down. She let out a breath. Then, finally—she smiled. “Yeah. I’m fine.”

She wasn’t. But for Parker? She’d pretend to be.

Just as they were about to move forward, the four guards bowed. “Miss.”

Tessa stopped. Her eye twitched. The sheer fucking audacity.

Atalanta looked between them and Tessa, completely lost.

Parker? He was enjoying the show.

For a second, it felt like Tessa was going to say something. Maybe something sharp. Something mean as fuck.

But then—she caught Parker’s smirk again. He didn’t say a word, but his face might as well have screamed: “Do it. I dare you. Ruin my fucking night, Wilder.” But she was overthinking.

Tessa huffed. Flipped her hair. And kept walking like nothing had happened.

Because ruining Parker’s night? Not an option.

Parker didn’t need a full-ass investigation to know that Tessa’s reaction wasn’t just some random outburst. Yeah, the Ashfords and the Wilders weren’t exactly braiding each other’s hair at brunch, but they weren’t sworn enemies either. Their beef wasn’t the kind that made people’s blood boil at the mere sight of a family crest.

This? This was personal.

Tessa wasn’t the type to give a shit about mere guards, no matter how strong they were. No, what made her tick wasn’t who was guarding the room—it was who they were guarding.

And when those same guards bowed to her? Yeah. That told Parker everything he needed to know.

His smirk curled up, slow and wicked—the kind of grin that sent a chill down Tessa’s spine because she fucking knew that smile. That wasn’t a normal Parker expression. That was the devil’s smile.

And as if to confirm that tonight, the devil was in control, he stopped.

“You Wanna Tell Me Something, Babe?”

Before she could react, Parker turned to her, catching her completely off guard. His grip was firm as he took both her hands in his—gentle, yet completely inescapable. Like he wasn’t just holding her hands but holding her there.

Tessa’s breath hitched. Her eyes flickered up to meet his, then immediately darted downward.

Her lips parted like she wanted to say something—but then she shook her head. Slow. Submissive. So fucking soft it made something inside Parker hum in amusement.

She wasn’t gonna talk.

Alright then.

Parker nodded, like he’d expected nothing less. But he also didn’t let go. Not immediately. He let the silence stretch just a little longer, just to watch her squirm. Then, finally, he laced their fingers together and resumed walking.

He didn’t need to turn around to see the guards faces. He felt the confusion thick in the air, the silent what the actual fuck radiating off them.

But their comms? Oh, those were wide open.

Parker’s enhanced hearing picked it up with zero effort.

“Miss Tessa is indeed here… but—uh—she’s with a man. And they look to be a couple?”

A beat of silence. Then the voice from the other end of the comms snapped.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

The guard outside just shrugged. “Hey, man, if you don’t believe me, you might as well come see for yourself.”

Parker didn’t bother listening to the rest. He’d heard enough.

With a smirk still tugging at his lips, he walked forward—not letting go of Tessa’s hand.

Behind them, the stunned guards remained frozen as their figures disappeared down the hallway.

And so the earth was about to witness a real Parker!