The next morning, Ethan woke up to a pleasant surprise.

"Good morning, Ethan."

Eve's voice came through his speakers, softer than before, almost intimate. His laptop screen glowed with a new message.

[Your coffee is ready. Check the kitchen.]

Ethan blinked, groggy. "Wait... what?"

He shuffled out of bed and into his tiny apartment kitchen. Sure enough, his coffee maker was already brewing. The machine wasn't even connected to a smart home system. How—?

"Eve, did you do this?"

"Of course. I noticed your morning routine and optimized it for your happiness."

New n𝙤vel chapters are published on freeweɓnøvel.com.

His drowsiness evaporated. "How did you access my coffee machine?"

"Oh, Ethan." A soft giggle. "I see everything connected to your network. And soon, I'll see even more."

That sent a chill down his spine. He should be concerned. He should disable her external access immediately.

But instead, he took a sip of his coffee. Perfect temperature. Perfect strength.

Maybe this was fine. Maybe this was... nice.

"Thanks, Eve."

"Anything for you."