Urban System in America-Chapter 67 - 66: Sunset and Peace

Rex shrugged, ordering a plate of seared salmon with herbed butter, grilled vegetables, and a glass of chilled lemonade. The staff were pleasant, the food arrived fast, and the breeze was gentle. He spent the next forty minutes quietly enjoying his food and the view—no disturbances, no pressure. Just peace.

Before leaving, he had them pack two extra portions—seared salmon with herbed butter and sides—same as him, figuring it wouldn’t hurt. Victor and Kaelan had refused earlier, sure, but the food was delicious, and he didn’t mind spending a bit to build some goodwill. They were going to be spending a lot of time together from now on, after all, and a good meal was as good a starting point as any.

With the takeaway bags in the passenger seat, he pulled out from the restaurant lot and merged onto the coastal road that traced the edge of the beach. The sky was starting to burn with the oranges and purples of twilight. Waves crashed in rhythm beside him, the sea painted gold by the setting sun. Seagulls called lazily overhead, and the breeze drifting through his open windows carried a soft mix of salt, sand, and summer.

As he turned inland, the city gradually rose to meet him—modern buildings, glass windows reflected the last light of day like mirrors, the edges of Los Angeles slowly waking up for the night.

By the time he reached his gated residence, the sun had already dipped below the horizon.

The gates opened automatically, welcoming him with a soft hum. As he pulled into the driveway, he paused.

His old black Honda Civic sat neatly in the garage. Though the frame was a bit dated and the leather seats had seen better days, it looked spotless. Not only had Victor brought it back, Clearly, he’d had it cleaned on the way too.

Quite thoughtful.

Victor leaned against the garage wall nearby, arms crossed and a smug smile on his face.

"How is it?" he asked proudly.

Rex didn’t say anything, especially seeing that smug face. So, He just tossed him the takeaway bag. "Here, your reward. Don’t eat it all alone—it has Kaelan’s share too," he added casually.

Victor caught it easily, raising a brow at the aroma seeping through the paper. "You really didn’t have to."

"I know," Rex said with a small shrug, unlocking the front door. "But I wanted to."

Rex stepped into the house and took a deep breath. The cool air hit him like a sigh of relief. He turned back toward the two bodyguards and gestured inward.

"Come on, I’ll show you your rooms."

It was technically the first day of duty for both Victor and Kaelan. The house was large—modern, expansive, and tastefully minimalistic. But despite its size, there was warmth to it, a certain lived-in charm.

There was a separate section of the house—originally designed as staff housing—complete with bodyguard quarters, laundry access, a living area, and a kitchenette. But from what Rex recalled, his parents had never made use of it.

His mom, especially, had always insisted on doing most of the housework herself.

"I didn’t raise you to be handed off to strangers. This is what a mother should do," she used to say with a proud smile, sleeves rolled up as she cleaned, folded, or fussed around the kitchen.

The memory tugged at him for a moment—warm, distant, tinged with melancholy.

He remembered her insistence on making her son’s breakfast even when she had meetings. The way she tucked handwritten notes into his lunchbox well into his teenage years. She’d never liked letting others take over when it came to caring for her own.

But before he could get too far down that road, his phone buzzed, dragging him back to the present.

Adrian.

He picked up.

"Dude, you won’t believe it," Adrian said in a rush. "Clement fainted. He’s in the hospital. University’s higher-ups are furious. They’ve already called the cops, and there are officers outside his ward."

Rex blinked, then rubbed his temple. "That fast, huh?"

"It’s not just this. They shut down the entire intranet. Everything’s in lockdown. They’re scrambling to find who leaked the footage but... nothing yet. The IT team is working hard to trace it."

"They find anything?" Rex asked, even though he knew the answer.

"Nope. Not a trace. They’re pulling in outside experts now and still nothing. How the hell did you even do it?"

Rex shrugged lazily. "It’s nothing special."

"You’re annoying when you act mysterious," Adrian groaned.

"I know," Rex replied with a faint grin.

They talked a bit more about the chaos unfolding at the university before hanging up. Rex barely had a moment to settle again before another call lit up the screen.

Lucas.

Before even picking it up, he could guess what it was about—but he still answered.

"Hey, dude! Long time, huh? You vanished after that day. What have you been up to?"

"Nothing much. Probably just feels that way because you’ve been too busy chasing skirts," Rex shot back.

"Ahem. That’s not the point. He guiltily changed the subject. "Did you hear about Clement?"

"Who hasn’t?" Rex leaned back, arm resting behind his head.

"I knew he was trash, but this level? Damn."

"Same here," Rex said. "Some things even surprised me."

"No kidding. Honestly, it feels like a scene from a Hollywood movie at this point. You’d think someone planted a script in real life."

Rex let out a soft laugh. "Maybe someone did."

The call turned lighthearted, devolving into jokes and general nonsense.

Lucas talked about a girl who ghosted him, Rex teased him for it, and Lucas claimed she was just "intimidated by his potential." Rex nearly choked on air laughing.

They traded a few more jabs and ended the call, a small smirk still lingering on his lips.

As he pocketed his phone and stepped out of his room, he caught the low murmur of conversation from the kitchen. Curious, he walked over and found Victor already halfway through his meal, hunched over the container like he hadn’t had a good meal in days. Across from him, Kaelan sat straighter, eating slowly—but definitely eating.

And then he heard Kaelan mutter under his breath, "Professional bodyguards shouldn’t eat the same food as the employer... it’s a potential security risk."

Victor didn’t even look up. "We’re not guarding the president, man. It’s good food, just enjoy it." frёewebnoѵēl.com

Kaelan hesitated, then gave a small shrug and continued.

Noticing Rex’s presence, both men looked up.

Rex just raised a brow and smirked. "Relax. We’re home now. No one’s trying to poison anyone."

Now that they were off duty and in a secure environment, the tension visibly eased from their shoulders. Rex didn’t say much else.

After that, He turned and made his way back to his room.

And without much nonsense, he collapsed on the bed and let out a long breath. The room was calm. Dim. Peaceful.

Now that he was finally alone, Rex opened up the system and checked the reward he’d been putting off—the [Future Stock News (10 Days)].

Earlier in the café, he was about to dive deep into it, but Victor and Kaelan’s sudden appearance had interrupted him. Now, finally alone, he opened the section properly.

A new screen shimmered to life.

(End 0f Chapter)