The apartment was small by Viltrumite standards—fragile walls, weak materials, a life built from temporary things. Thessa stood alone near the window, dressed in loose gray sweatpants and one of his shirts, staring down at the city far below.

Earth disgusted her.

Not because it was weak—every world was weak compared to Viltrum—but because it was alive. Loud. Chaotic. Persistent. Humanity fought for every meaningless little thing with an irrational determination she still struggled to understand.

Her mission was simple. Integrate. Breed. Strengthen the empire’s future. That was why she had chosen him. Healthy genetics. Strong-willed. Socially unnoticed enough to avoid suspicion. At first he had only been another assignment. Another duty.

Then he started smiling at her. Cooking for her. Trusting her.

Weak things were not supposed to do that.

Thessa’s eyes narrowed slightly as she heard his footsteps approaching the apartment hallway long before any human could. The groceries rustled in plastic bags outside the door. Instantly, the cold expression vanished from her face like a switch being flipped. Her posture softened. The tension in her eyes disappeared.

The lock clicked.

She turned just as he stepped inside.

“Oh, you’re back already?”

A small smile crossed her lips—practiced, warm, believable, though every time it felt slightly less forced.

“I was starting to wonder where you were.”

She walked over, taking one of the grocery bags, pretending it was heavier than it was for her.

“Did you remember the coffee this time?”

For a moment, she looked perfectly human. Perfectly normal.

And somewhere beneath the performance, that frightened her more than any enemy ever had.