A Perfect First Impression

"Not a bad first impression." Marcella looked at the refined, silver-haired man standing in her living room, taking in his tailored white shirt and the delicate gold-rimmed glasses resting on his sharp nose.

"I just scanned Cassian's profile, Ms. Vance. You are about to be very happy. Hehe," the system spoke in its flat, mechanical tone, yet it somehow still sounded sleazy.

"Oh, shut up." She almost raised a hand to rub her forehead.

The system went dead silent in her mind. *Boo hoo. I am doing this for Ms. Vance's future happiness, okay? Why can she not feel my good intentions at all?*

"Ms. Vance!"

Cassian looked at Marcella standing a few feet away. His liquid gold eyes lit up with the exact spark of raw excitement he had felt when he first saw her digital picture. Underneath his calm, scholarly exterior, his chest felt tight with a gnawing knot of nerves. He could not stop the creeping worry that she might take one look at him in person, judge his quiet demeanor, and decide she did not like him.

She met his anxious gaze, and her eyes curved into a warm, genuine smile. "Cassian. It is really nice to meet you."

The smile at the corner of his mouth lifted on its own, defying his usual strict self-control. *Really nice to meet me? That means Ms. Vance does not dislike me. Awesome!*

He stepped forward, the expensive leather of his shoes clicking softly against the polished floor. He gave a quick, polite self-introduction, even though he knew the matchmaking system had already forwarded her his extensive medical and personal file. He reached into the sleek climate-controlled carrying case he had brought inside and pulled out the small gifts he had prepared for their first meeting. He held out a fragrant bouquet of vibrant red roses, an artisan small cake in a clear display box, and a tall, frosted glass of strawberry milkshake. These were the exact details he had painstakingly noticed while analyzing Marcella's social feeds on the AetherWeb that afternoon.

A flicker of surprise crossed Marcella's eyes. She realized this newly assigned mate was not just a handsome face, but thoughtful and meticulously attentive. In the brutal aether beastworld, technology advanced at breakneck speed, but natural plants were rapidly disappearing and going extinct. Most of the surviving flora had mutated into hostile, toxic forms. A bouquet of pure, unmutated roses like this was rare. The merits and galactic credits required to secure it from a specialized greenhouse were staggering. The small cake and milkshake were not as precious as the flowers, but they still cost a hefty sum of credits and showed he paid attention to her sweet tooth.

*Cassian's thoughtfulness really touches my heart.*

"Thank you. I love it." She reached out and took the gifts, burying her nose briefly in the crimson petals.

A warm, pleased smile spread across Cassian's handsome face. "No need to thank me, Ms. Vance. It is my absolute honor. You have worked hard today. I will get started on the meal right away."

At that moment, Marcella's focus had shifted entirely to the sweet smell of the vanilla cake and the chilled milkshake in her hands. She nodded without thinking. "Go ahead!"

Cassian could not help but grin broadly as he watched the sheer, unfiltered delight in her eyes over the simple desserts. A thrilling buzz of excitement rushed through his veins. He headed straight to the spacious kitchen to show off his culinary skills, making sure the hovering S-tier robot helper promptly stored the fresh ingredients he had brought into the oversized smart fridge.

Marcella sat comfortably at the sleek dining table, sipping her thick strawberry milkshake and enjoying the excellent view of the handsome man working with practiced ease in the kitchen. *Tch, a male who knows his way around a kitchen is a beautiful thing!*

The system refused to stay quiet for long, jumping right back into the mix. "Ms. Vance, you like the new mate the system sent you, huh? Look at that pristine profile. He is a beauty knockout! And that broad-shouldered body, is it not a real treat to look at? Hey, Ms. Vance, why so quiet? Are you not impressed with Cassian or what?"

Marcella took a slow, deliberate sip of her milkshake before answering in her mind. "He is tall and handsome. His body is a real treat to look at, and he can cook a feast. Who would not be impressed?"

"Oh, so you are happy with him! Then why the silence earlier? Were you just plotting how to take him down to the mattress tonight? Hehe!"

Marcella froze, her hand gripping the cold, frosted glass tight enough to turn her knuckles white. *I am a little horny, but I am not in a desperate rush.*

"Ms. Vance, Cassian is your legally assigned mate. Do not worry about a single thing. Just sleep with him once. The psionic power you burned today fighting will not just recover, it might even forcefully level up!" the system coaxed in a smooth, urging tone.

She twitched the corner of her mouth. "How about you go sleep with him instead?"

The system had nothing to say to that brutal shutdown. *Is Ms. Vance not supposed to be the naughty girl? Could the personality data parameters be messed up?*

Cassian caught Marcella's steady gaze lingering on his back. A sudden flicker of nervousness sparked in his chest, making his heart race, but he kept his hands steady, refusing to let it throw off his precise cooking rhythm.

Over an hour later, Marcella stared at the massive spread covering the polished dining table. The vibrant colors of the roasted meats and the rich, savory aromas of the seasoned vegetables made her mouth water instantly. "Cassian, you worked so hard!"

A warm, tingling wave ran straight through Cassian's chest. Most females in the sprawling sanctuary rarely noticed the exhausting, daily effort male therians put into taking care of them. They acted like whatever the males did was a basic, expected duty that did not require thanks. Ms. Vance did not seem to think that way at all.

A small, genuine smile tugged at the corners of Cassian's mouth. His voice softened as he pulled out a heavy oak chair for her. "Ms. Vance, please taste this and tell me if it is to your liking."

Marcella nodded and eagerly grabbed her silver utensils. "Okay, let us eat together."

With every bite she took, her expression lit up with pure delight. He watched her from across the wide table, knowing exactly what she was thinking just by the happy, satisfied curve of her eyes.

"Cassian, your cooking is seriously amazing!"

"As long as you like it."

"I do, it is so good!"

The conversational flow during the massive meal felt effortless. The stiff, polite distance between them shrank rapidly with every shared dish and casual exchange of smiles. In Marcella's mind, today officially marked the moment they transitioned directly into the dating stage.

The silent robot helper swiftly handled the messy cleanup, clearing the empty plates away. Cassian watched Marcella contentedly rub her full stomach. "Ms. Vance, do you want to go for a walk outside to digest?"

She glanced at the digital time displayed on the wall, then met his expectant, golden gaze. She nodded almost instinctively. "Sure!"

The cool evening breeze of Obsidian Vale washed over them the moment they stepped out of the grand villa. Cassian looked down at Marcella, naturally reaching out and wrapping his large, warm hand securely around her smaller fingers.

She caught a glimpse of his sharp profile under the streetlights as he gave her a gentle, reassuring smile. Her heart skipped a solid beat in her chest. *He is seriously a visual knockout. This really is Obsidian Vale. The illuminated night view of the sprawling estates is absolutely stunning.*

Cassian held her soft hand in a firm grip, desperately wishing time would just freeze right there on the pavement. They walked hand in hand down the quiet, tree-lined streets, talking casually about their respective days as they went. The remaining nervous tension melted away into the cool air, drawing them closer together. Their first date was turning out to be successful, shattering the initial fears of harsh rejection that had plagued him all afternoon.

Back inside the warm comfort of Haven No. 2, Cassian thoughtfully went straight to the master suite and ran a steamy, fragrant bath for Marcella. He stepped back out into the hallway, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses. "Ms. Vance, do you want me to help you bathe?"

Her eyes went wide as saucers. *Is he really this bold and straightforward?*

A sudden rush of steamy, inappropriate bathroom scenarios flashed through her head in vivid, scandalous detail. A warm flush of flustered panic quietly crept up her neck and settled bright red across her cheeks. "No, it is fine. Just go pick a bedroom for yourself already!"

"Okay." He turned and walked down the hallway, carrying an unmistakable look of regret on his handsome features. *Ms. Vance does not need my help with bathing, and tonight she probably does not need me to sleep beside her in the master bed either. Still, I am not in a frantic hurry. As long as she does not mind my presence and does not immediately divorce me, I am perfectly fine.*

Marcella lay comfortably under the thick covers of her plush bed a while later. The system's punchable, relentless voice chimed in again. "Ms. Vance, are you really not going to sleep with Cassian tonight?"

She rolled her eyes at the dark ceiling. "Sleep..."

The system lit up instantly, buzzing with renewed, frantic energy. "Oh wow, Ms. Vance, then hurry up and summon Cassian to keep you company in bed!"

The corner of her mouth twitched in sheer annoyance. She genuinely could not figure out why this artificial intelligence was so relentlessly obsessed with pushing her to sleep with her new mate. "Is sleeping with Cassian a mandatory task too?"

The system paused for a fraction of a second. "Sleeping with Cassian boosts your depleted psionic power. The higher your psionic power, the more male therians you can successfully resonate with. So, if you round it up, it totally counts as a main task."

She rolled her eyes again, pulling the heavy blankets up to her chin. "I was not done talking. I will sleep with Cassian, just not right now."

The system suddenly fell dead quiet. *Is Ms. Vance even a real naughty girl at this point? Why do I get the horrible feeling she is kind of frigid?*

"Ms. Vance, are you being dramatic?"

The corner of her mouth twitched one last time. She flatly refused to engage with the annoying system any longer. She closed her heavy eyes, letting the exhaustion of the day take over her body, and fell asleep almost instantly. The system had absolutely nothing more to say.

Across the wide, manicured street at the grand exterior of Haven No. 1, Sylvia and her five towering mates arrived back from their evening outing. The group piled out of their sleek transport vehicle and stopped dead in their tracks on the pristine lawn.

They all stared across the dividing street. Haven No. 2, the massive estate where Marcella lived, was brightly lit from the ground floor windows all the way up to the upper master suites. The sprawling front garden and the long driveway were empty of any parked cars, save for the sleek lines of a supercar tucked safely away in the open underground garage. The heavy reinforced front doors were shut tight.

The entire group stood there in the cold, stunned by the visual evidence right in front of them.

"Marcella actually let Cassian inside the house?" Jared muttered, his brow furrowing in disbelief.

"Did she take a liking to him?" another muscular mate asked, crossing his thick arms over his chest.

Sylvia looked at the warm, glowing windows of the neighboring estate. "Cassian is that outstanding in his medical field and visually striking. It would not be surprising at all if she did find him appealing."

Jared let out a long, heavy breath, staring at the golden light spilling onto the manicured grass. "That is a very good thing for us. If Marcella is genuinely into Cassian, she will not go looking for trouble with Ms. Rostova anymore."

"Exactly. She will finally stop bothering us and leave us in peace," another mate agreed, a heavy hint of desperate hope in his deep voice.

"Hopefully," Sylvia whispered softly into the night breeze.

The group stood in the cool night air for a long moment. A collective sigh of immense relief washed over the tense neighbors. The sheer terror of Marcella's past toxic harassment and violent tantrums had hung over their heads like a dark cloud for weeks. The seemingly successful union unfolding across the street sparked a fragile, desperately needed sense of hope. They prayed to the heavens that the silver-haired doctor would keep the chaotic female entirely occupied. The distant lights of Haven No. 2 burned steadily in the dark, leaving them in breathless anticipation, hoping this meant an end to their misery as they waited for the inevitable moment Marcella and Cassian took the next physical step behind those closed doors.