Antony had to think about public opinion, about his image, about the feelings of the CP fans!
Right now, official media and self-media alike were hyping up his "relationship" with Jessica.
"The Domineering Homelander × The Tsundere Jewel."
That was the persona Vought's PR department had been carefully maintaining.
Fans ate this stuff up.
That CP vibe brought him a steady stream of popularity points.
But if, at this moment, a "close personal female apprentice" suddenly appeared…
And one of the pure, innocent, white-lotus type at that—
Public opinion could easily spiral out of control.
How would the gossip rags write it?
"Homelander's Heart Changes? Jessica Blocks the Door at Midnight!"
"Jessica Dumped? Third Party Turns Out to Be a Hero Trainee!"
"Homelander's Open Relationship: Dating Jessica and the Scarlet Girl at Once, Exposed Using Contraceptive Bracelets!"
Sure, scandals like that could still bring traffic.
But that would be black popularity—easy to lose fans.
Especially the high-quality ones: the mom-fans and the CP diehards.
That said…
At present, Homelander had never publicly confirmed a relationship.
Everything was just speculation.
If a "powerful competitor" suddenly entered the picture…
It'd be like Detective Conan: Shinichi × Ran is the official pairing, but Haibara's appearance sent the fandom into civil war—and the hype exploded.
If the fans split into "Homander–Jewel" and "Homander–Witch" factions…
Well.
That wasn't entirely impossible to manipulate.
While Antony was thinking—
Jessica was staring straight at him.
Her eyes clearly said: "Try saying yes. I dare you."
She might act carefree most of the time, but when it came to territory, women were all the same.
Seeing Antony stay silent—
To Wanda, that silence felt like rejection.
Her gaze dimmed slightly.
But to Jessica…
That silence meant hesitation.
"This old pervert…" Jessica cursed inwardly.
"Did he seriously fall for this girl?"
No.
Absolutely not.
For the sake of the company image—
Jessica suddenly stepped forward, deliberately placing herself between Antony and Wanda.
"Uh, Wanda, right?"
Jessica wore a professional smile she clearly wasn't used to, her tone firm.
"Homelander is very busy. He saves the world, shoots commercials, and has dinner with the President. He doesn't have time to personally train newcomers."
"And besides," she said, scanning Wanda from head to toe, "your foundation is too weak. You've never even done proper physical training, have you? Following Homelander would only make you a burden."
"But…" Wanda tried to argue.
"No buts!"
"Listen to your big sister—train with me first."
Jessica didn't give her a chance to finish. She grabbed Wanda by the wrist.
"We'll put together a very, very intense special training plan. I'll train you into the best female hero there is."
"Wait—" Wanda tried again.
"No waiting! This is for your own good!"
Jessica dragged her toward the door without mercy.
"Let's go, uniforms first, then physical assessments. Pietro, you too! Don't use your injured leg as an excuse—go do upper-body training!"
"Huh? Me too?" Pietro looked utterly lost.
"Obviously! Move it!"
Like a hyper-responsible sheepdog, Jessica herded the two "lambs" out of the office.
Before leaving, she turned back and shot Antony a fierce glare—pure warning.
Bang.
The door shut.
The office fell silent again.
Antony stood there, stunned for two seconds.
Then he shrugged and returned to his most important dilemma.
"So… save up for a ten-pull?"
"But damn, my hand's itchy…"
Just as he was torn between becoming a gambling addict or a hoarder—
BOOOOM—!!
Outside the window, the sky suddenly darkened.
Thunder rolled. Lightning split the clouds.
BOOOOOM——!!!
A massive bolt of lightning struck directly onto the terrace outside Antony's office.
Antony raised an eyebrow and looked out.
Through the pouring rain, a blond, hammer-wielding man was half-supporting a red-haired woman in a tight suit as they staggered in through his terrace.
Thor and Natasha.
Thor looked gloomy, scorch marks from repulsor blasts still visible on his armor.
Natasha looked exhausted, rain-soaked hair clinging to her face.
"Antony!"
Natasha saw him like she'd found a lifeline.
Antony crossed his arms, wearing his usual smile.
"Well, if it isn't His Thunderous Highness and the Black Widow."
"What is this? A new kind of wet-look roleplay? Rainy seduction?"
He pointed down at the floor.
"And Thor—that's my terrace. Remember to pay for the tile repairs."
"Now's not the time for jokes, Homelander!"
Thor strode forward, face grim.
"This is serious."
"Avengers Tower has fallen."
"Tony, Banner, Barton… all of them have been controlled."
Antony put on an exaggerated look of surprise.
"Wow. Hydra's gotten pretty hardcore?"
"It's not Hydra."
Thor ground his teeth and said the name.
"Lorelei."
"An enchantress… from Asgard."
"She's turned Avengers Tower into her personal harem."
Antony froze—then burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! What did you just say?"
"Iron Man? Hulk? Turned into a harem?"
"Oh my god—this plot…"
He laughed so hard he nearly teared up.
"…is better than any movie I've starred in."
"Alright, start from the beginning."
"Ashley! Get me popcorn—no, three buckets!"
-----
At the Same Time
Avengers Tower – Top Floor, Tony Stark's Private Space
The sleek, high-tech party hall had been completely transformed into a palace of decadence.
Red drapes hung from the ceiling. Incense filled the air.
Lorelei lounged lazily on a custom-made iron throne draped with furs, gently swirling a glass of red wine.
At her feet, Clint Barton knelt obediently, holding a tray of freshly cut fruit.
"Grapes," Lorelei commanded.
Barton immediately picked one up and fed it to her, eyes filled with worship.
"Mmm… not bad."
Lorelei turned her gaze to the other side.
Tony Stark and Bruce Banner were hunched over a cluster of complex instruments, hands flying across holographic keyboards.
"How's the progress, my craftsmen?" Lorelei asked lazily.
Tony stopped and turned around, excitement lighting his face.
"Eighty percent complete, my Queen."
He pointed to the center of the lab.
The Mind Stone Scepter was mounted in an energy-confinement rig.
Above it floated a metallic structure shaped like a brain.
"By combining the scepter's psychic frequency, we discovered internal neural-link signals—which means—"
Tony launched into a rapid-fire explanation, like a student proudly showing off his project.
"Stop."
Lorelei cut him off impatiently.
"I don't care about boring theory."
She stepped closer to the device.
"Tell me what it does."
"It can interpret and amplify your will," Tony replied.
"Once activated, your will can be broadcast through Stark's global satellite network—instantly covering every corner of the Earth."
"Everyone will hear your call."
Tony spread his arms, painting a grand vision.
"Every man on this planet… will become your subject."
--------------
T/N:
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