His Cybernetic Secretary

10. Xavier

The call came at precisely 8:17 p.m.

Xavier stared at the screen for half a second before answering.

“Dante.”

“She cleared customs.”

Xavier leaned back in his chair.

That was it. Three words. Yet something shifted inside his chest.

“Already?”

“Her transfer was expedited. She’ll be wheels-up within the hour. Once she lands, she’ll be transported directly to you.”

Xavier said nothing. On the other end of the line, Dante chuckled.

“You sound excited.”

“I’m not.”

“Of course you’re not.”

Xavier’s jaw tightened.

“Anything else?”

“She’s ready. Her systems are stable. Her integration is complete. Everything we discussed is functioning exactly as promised.”

“Good.”

“Xav—”

He ended the call.

The silence returned immediately.

Xavier stared through the wall of windows overlooking the city. Thousands of lights glittered below him, stretching toward the horizon like a circuit board.

His assistant was coming.

Not an ordinary assistant. A weapon disguised as a woman. A machine designed to anticipate, calculate, organize, manipulate, and execute at a level no human employee could possibly match.

She would have access to information his competitors would kill to possess. She would process contracts in seconds, identify market fluctuations before they became trends, analyze geological data, track supply chains, predict negotiations, and help him dismantle every major mineral company standing between him and complete dominance of the western and southern hemispheres.

That was what mattered, he constantly reminded himself. Like a mantra.

Efficiency.

Power.

Control.

And yet… He felt something. Something he couldn’t immediately categorize. Anticipation, perhaps, curiosity, or maybe even excitement.

Xavier dismissed the thought immediately. Emotions were distractions, and distractions created weaknesses. He had spent his entire life eliminating both. He rose from his chair.

“Get the car.”

────────

The cyberbar was nothing like the establishments he had visited in Asia.

That was the first thing Xavier noticed.

This place was dark and private, more his style.

He stood just inside the entrance, immaculate in a black suit, his expression carved from stone.

The entrance was discreet, the lighting low and sophisticated. Conversations happened in quiet booths beneath floating displays of digital art. Servers moved through the room with practiced confidence, most of them visibly enhanced in some way.

And the women—

They weren’t being paraded. They were working.

Beautiful, augmented women moved between tables with the ease of people completely comfortable in their own bodies. Some had subtle enhancements: silver filaments at their temples, nearly invisible ocular implants, delicate plates beneath the skin.

Others were far more advanced.

One woman had a metallic spine visible through the open back of her dress, each segment moving seamlessly beneath translucent synthetic skin.

Another had an intricate mechanical hand resting around the stem of a champagne glass.

Good evening, Mr. Holden.”

He glanced at her.

“You know who I am.”

“We know who everyone important is.”

There was no flirtation in her tone, just confidence.

“I need information.”

“Of course.”

“What do you offer?”

“Private consultations. Demonstrations. Companionship. Educational sessions. Enhanced sensory experiences. Behavioral and cognitive consultations.”

“I want to understand cybernetic integration.”

Her eyes flickered briefly toward the room.

“Professional or personal?”

“Professional.”

“Then I can arrange a private consultation.”

“Someone experienced.”

“I know exactly who to send.”

She smiled.

“And Mr. Holden?”

“Yes?”

“Our consultants aren’t equipment.”

Xavier’s expression hardened slightly.

“I didn’t suggest they were.”

“Good.”

She turned.

“Then I think you’ll enjoy the evening.”

⸻

The private room was quieter than the main floor. Dark wood and black leather. A wall of glass overlooking the city. No flashing lights, no futuristic gimmicks, just understated luxury.

The woman who entered a few minutes later was unlike anyone Xavier had expected.

She was stunning.

Not because of obvious modifications, although there were plenty. A narrow metallic plate curved from behind her ear and followed the line of her neck before disappearing beneath the collar of her dress. Fine silver lines traced beneath her skin at her collarbone, glowing faintly whenever she moved.

Her eyes were almost unnaturally bright blue. They were slightly unnerving to look at.

She sat across from him.

“You’re Xavier Holden.”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard of you.”

“I doubt that’s flattering.”

A faint smile touched her lips. “I didn’t say it was.”

Xavier almost smiled.

“What would you like to know?”

“Cybernetic enhancement. Particularly advanced cognitive systems.”

“That’s a broad subject.”

“Then start with the basics.”

She did.

For the first twenty minutes, it was exactly what he’d wanted. She explained neural interfaces, memory assistance, predictive algorithms, sensory enhancement and emotional regulation.

Xavier listened carefully.

Asked precise questions, took mental notes. And then he noticed something. She was watching him. Not staring but assessing…

“You’re analyzing me.”

“I am.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re analyzing me.”

His gaze sharpened.

“Occupational habit?”

“Partly.”

“And the other part?”

She leaned back.

“Curiosity.”

That word again. He didn’t like it.

“Can your systems predict behavior?”

“To a degree.”

“Mine?”

“Probably.”

“Probability?”

She studied him for several seconds.

“Seventy-eight percent.”

“That’s high.”

“You’re very predictable.”

Xavier gave a quiet laugh.

“That may be the most insulting thing anyone has ever said to me.”

“I don’t think you found it insulting.”

He didn’t answer.

She shifted closer. Not enough to touch but

enough that he noticed.“The interesting thing about advanced cybernetics,” she said softly, “is that people think the technology is what makes us dangerous.”

“And it isn’t?”

“No.”

Her eyes held his.

“It’s what we can perceive.”

Something tightened low in his chest.

He remained perfectly still.

“What can you perceive?”

“Changes in temperature. Heart rate. Muscle tension. Breathing patterns.”

Her gaze dropped briefly toward his hand.

“You’ve been tapping your thumb against your finger for the last six minutes.”

Xavier stopped.

She smiled.

“You stopped.”

He leaned back.

“Anything else?”

“Your pulse increased when I moved closer.”

Silence.

Xavier’s expression didn’t change. But inside, something shifted. This was no longer an interview. He knew it. She knew it. And somehow, that knowledge made the room feel smaller.

She rose and moved around the table. Xavier watched her approach. She stopped beside him.

“Would you like to know what else I can perceive?”

“No.”

The answer came too quickly.

Her eyebrows lifted. For the first time that evening, Xavier saw surprise in her expression.

He stood, quickly. They were suddenly far too close. Her scent was subtle—warm, expensive, impossible to ignore.

She looked directly into his eyes.

“You’re afraid.”

His jaw tightened.

“I don’t do afraid.”

“Everyone does.”

“I don’t.”

“Then perhaps you’re afraid of something else.”

“What?”

“Losing control.”

The words landed harder than they should have. Xavier stared at her. For one dangerous second, he considered proving her wrong.

That was the problem. He wanted to. And wanting anything was a liability, especially something like this.

He stepped back. She didn’t follow and that somehow made it worse.

“Interesting,” she murmured.

“What?”

“You’re not attracted to me.”

His eyes narrowed.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You didn’t have to.”

She smiled—not cruelly, not arrogantly. Almost sympathetically.

“You’re attracted to the possibility.”

Xavier said nothing.

“To what I represent,” she continued. “The technology. The unknown. The idea that someone could see things about you that you can’t hide.”

She tilted her head.

“But you don’t actually want me.”

His expression hardened.

“No.”

The word was quiet. Absolute. He reached for his jacket.

“I’ve learned enough.”

She nodded.

“Then perhaps you learned exactly what you came here to learn.”

Xavier paused at the door.

“What did I learn?”

“That you can control everything around you.”

She looked at him.

“Until someone can see through you.”

He left without answering.