Sahara's words, declaring she was "ready," still echoed in Owen's head. He stood frozen, taking a deep breath to calm the turbulent emotions from the heated touch moments before. The sweet scent of sunscreen mixed with her unique body odor still lingered on his nose and palms.

He forced a slow nod before deliberately turning his back on her, breaking away from her seductive gaze to buy himself a moment to regroup. He walked back to the matte black aluminum camera case leaning against the terrace pillar. The two clicks of the latches unlocking in the silence were like a signal, calling him back to his mission.

The sight of the "ChronoFrame X-Pro" resting on the bright red velvet cushion helped pull his focus back to the true objective… Jace's insane mission.

After calming his turbulent emotions, Owen finally picked up the heavy camera. The cool touch of the titanium body and its solid weight effectively brought his senses back. He fully slipped into the role of a professional photographer to control the situation and his own wavering mind.

"Okay, Ms. Sahara," he began, his voice as formal and composed as he could manage. "We'll start with some casual wide shots first, to get a feel for the light and the atmosphere… You can start with a pose like you're reading on the lounge chair."

Sahara smiled, pleased with his (fake) professionalism. She elegantly lay back down on the lounge chair in the same position, picking up a hardcover book and pretending to read. But her eyes, hidden behind expensive sunglasses, were fixed on Owen's every move.

Click…

The shutter of the professional-grade camera sounded, soft yet crisp. It was the only sound that broke the silence amidst the rhythmic crashing of the waves. Owen started with wide shots to familiarize himself and regain his footing. He moved around her silently, changing angles to capture her beauty amidst the luxurious atmosphere of the private beach. The sunlight hitting the turquoise sea created a sparkling, beautiful bokeh in the background.

Sahara cooperated fully. She was a true professional. Every movement was natural and elegant, befitting a fashion queen. She shifted from a relaxed sunbathing pose to leaning against the large umbrella post, arching her body slightly to accentuate the curve of her hips, or walking along the shore, letting the foam of the waves touch her feet. Every pose was as beautiful as a shot from a high-fashion magazine.

Seeing Owen getting into the zone and focusing on his work, Sahara started to have fun with the game. She decided to tease and seduce her "photographer" to the absolute limit.

As she stood sideways to the camera, letting the breeze gently play with her hair, she pretended to stretch lazily. She slowly raised her arms above her head, twisting her torso slightly. The movement made her full breasts stand out, the fabric of the bikini pulling taut until the hard nubs of her nipples were clearly visible, pressing against it. Then, she deliberately arched her full, rounded hips towards the camera.

"Does this angle… please you? My personal photographer~" she asked, her voice syrupy sweet, glancing at him over her shoulder. The word "my" was clearly emphasized.

Owen almost dropped the camera. He swallowed hard, trying to focus on the composition and leading lines instead of the seductive curves before him. "P-Perfect," he answered, his voice trembling slightly, quickly firing off a series of shots to capture the incredible image.

She giggled, delighted to see him lose his composure, before walking a little deeper into the water. The waves splashed against her legs, soaking them. The wet fabric of her bikini clung to her buttocks, revealing their round shape even more clearly. Every groove, every curve was now even more pronounced than when it was dry.

Sahara could feel his focused gaze. She slowly turned to face the camera, a dangerous and seductive smile at the corner of her lips.

"Or… do you want a shot that's… a little more intimate?" she said, slowly running her hands over her smooth stomach and flared hips. Her fingertips traced the damp edge of her bikini, caressing her own skin as if inviting his lens to do the same. It was an act that was both innocent and lewd at the same time.

"Tell me, darling…" she whispered, as if the sound had drifted in on the sea breeze. "What do you want me to do next?"

Her question shattered the last of Owen's professional facade, like tossing a lit match onto a pool of gasoline. Owen could feel the blood rushing through his veins. The cock beneath his pants hardened until it ached. But he knew this was a test… a test of whether he would be consumed by his primal instincts or maintain his composure and professionalism.

He gathered all his remaining focus, suppressing his surging desire. His eyes looked deep into her challenging ones before a dangerous smirk appeared at the corner of his lips. He replied in a voice as steady and seductive as hers.

"Since you asked… I won't be shy~" he said, walking closer until he could feel the heat radiating from her skin. "I want to admire your body, this 'work of art'… from every angle."

He paused, letting his words hang in the heated atmosphere. "Let's start with… you turning your back to me slowly… and looking back… let me see the shadow cast upon your most beautiful curves."

Sahara raised an eyebrow, surprised by his boldness. She hadn't expected him to maintain control. She obeyed willingly, slowly turning her back to the camera, revealing her smooth back and rounded buttocks, which were now dotted with a few grains of white sand. Then, she turned her head to look back at him over her shoulder with a challenging gaze.

"Like this?"

"Yes! Perfect! Hold that pose!" Owen quickly fired off a series of shots. He zoomed in and out, changing the angle from straight-on to a slight upward angle, just as Jace had requested.

The image through the "Stellar Optics" lens was breathtaking. Her perfect buttocks filled the frame. The late-morning sun created highlights on her honey-colored skin, perfectly accentuating every curve and contour. The small grains of sand clinging to her cheeks sparkled like jewels.

Owen slowly lowered himself… lower and lower… until he was kneeling on the hot sand. He was now looking at the masterpiece through the angle of Jace's dreams… the upward angle that made her buttocks look as grand and formidable as twin mountains waiting to be conquered.

Owen had finally captured the most perfect "work of art." But that wasn't enough for Jace, and it wasn't enough for him right now either…

"Excellent," he praised, walking to the other side. "Now… I want a slightly different angle. Use both hands to hold the umbrella post, and lean forward until your torso is parallel to the ground."

Sahara smiled, knowing exactly what he was doing, but she complied. She walked to the umbrella post and leaned forward as he instructed. The pose deliberately accentuated and lifted her buttocks. The still-damp fabric of her bikini clung to every curve, clearly revealing the groove between her two ass cheeks.

Owen swallowed hard. This was an extremely dangerous image…

Click! Click! Click! Click!

He shot frantically, capturing every detail… from the shadow cast in the deep groove to the droplets of seawater slowly trickling down the curve of her ass cheeks. It was a sight that was both sacred and profane at the same time.

"Are you satisfied yet… my photographer?" Sahara's voice sounded, pulling him from his trance.

Owen took a deep breath and slowly stood, brushing the sand from his knees. "The best shots of the day," he answered truthfully.

The photoshoot ended with a more relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Owen walked over to thank her formally.

"Thank you for today. You truly are the best model."

"Of course, darling~" she smiled, gracefully picking up her robe and putting it on. "I hope you got the shots you were 'satisfied' with."

Owen chuckled softly. He felt that after passing this heated test, their relationship had become closer and more casual. He felt he was beginning to understand this complex and intriguing woman a little better.

…..

Two hundred meters away…

Behind a large granite rock formation, eroded by wind and waves into a strange shape resembling the claws of some monstrous beast, the atmosphere was the complete opposite of the paradise-like beach. There was no relaxation or thrill here, only tension, malice, and danger lurking in the shadows.

The bright sunlight only made the deep shadow behind the rock seem darker and more menacing. The heat radiating from the sun-baked rock caused sweat to bead on the hairlines of two men, mixing with the damp, salty air and the faint smell of rust from the pocketknife at their waists.

The two men, dressed in black long-sleeved t-shirts and cargo pants, were crouched in silence, like predators stalking their prey. One of them, who had an ugly scar across his left eyebrow, was using binoculars to watch the scene on the beach intently. The lenses reflected a clear image of Owen and Sahara enjoying their photoshoot.

He saw everything… from the scene where Owen carefully rubbed sunscreen on Sahara's back and seductive buttocks, to the heated poses and the intimate teasing that went beyond a typical photographer and model.

"Look at that… the queen is having fun with her man," the scarred man said in a flat, cold voice. He lowered the binoculars and turned to his partner, who was carefully wiping a silenced pistol with a small cloth. "It was worth the wait, hiding out here every day. She finally let her guard down."

"Yeah…" his partner, who had a spiderweb tattoo on his neck, replied without looking up. "I was bored to death staking her out in the city. At least the view is better here." He smirked. "We haven't seen her go anywhere alone for weeks. She's been on high alert, like she knows someone is after her. I can't believe she'd come out today with just one guy… This is our golden opportunity."

"Stick to the plan," the scarred man said, his eyes narrowing menacingly. "We take out the pretty boy first, make it quick. Then we have some fun with our target."

He gave a wicked smirk, licking his dry lips. "The client wants her destroyed—reputation, social status, body, and soul. But she has to be alive to see it… So, we'll rape the fashion queen, film it from every angle, and release it all over the internet… That's it, job done. The reputation she built her whole life will crumble in one night."

"Just to be sure," the tattooed man interjected. He looked up, meeting his partner's eyes, his own gaze colder and more cautious. "We need to check that guy out first. He could be a high-rank Awakened hired as a bodyguard. Let's not be careless. It's not worth it if the job goes south."

The scarred man nodded in agreement. He took a high-tech device that looked like a pistol from his shoulder bag. The device looked old and heavily modified, with some wires wrapped in electrical tape, but he handled it skillfully. It was a long-range mana scanner, the kind you could only buy on the black market. He slowly extended it from the shadows, aiming at Owen, who was packing up his camera equipment with a relaxed posture.

A faint red beam, invisible to the naked eye, shot out and hit Owen in the middle of his back. Numbers and letters appeared on the device's digital screen…

[Mana Level Detected: F]

Seeing the pathetically low result, both men let out a sigh of relief. The tension on their faces vanished, replaced by cruel and disdainful smiles.

"Hmph… his mana level is only F. What a weakling," the scarred man said contemptuously. "Must be some trash who just awakened. His Awakened rank can't be much different."

"Even better," the tattooed man added. He stood up, stretching until his bones cracked. "Means we don't have to waste our energy. Let's take him out and go have fun with the fashion queen."

The two men looked at each other and nodded. They packed their gear and checked the silenced pistols at their waists one last time before rising and stepping out from the shadows. They moved like leopards, their feet making almost no sound on the hot sand, heading towards their targets, whose fun was about to come to an abrupt end…

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