Chapter 268: Chapter 268
Another fire put out. Now all that was left was the dinner with ndy. The one thing I dreaded more than a mob boss or a demon. If she confessed tonight, I’d have to turn her down, and there was no universe where she’d be fine with
sleeping with half the people she knew—especially Kayla.
I stepped outside, breathed the cool air, and rubbed my face.
"Oh boy," I muttered. "Long day ahead."
*I was on my way to the car when soone stepped directly into my path. Sophia appeared out of nowhere, tossing the last drag of her cigarette aside and grinding it into the slush with the heel of her boot. Her hoodie cast a shadow across her buzzcut, and the scars on her cheeks were barely visible beneath it. She stood with her arms crossed, looking like she’d been waiting there for a while.
I hadn’t even noticed her at first. She must’ve been leaning against the wall next to the exit, watching
leave.
"Evan," she said as her eyes narrowed on . "I see you here again."
"Sophia." I forced a small smile. "Hey."
"Why are you here this ti?" she asked. "Did you cause more trouble for the Stingy Ladies while I was taking a break?"
"Just ca to talk to Charlotte," I answered. "That was it."
"No ill intentions?" Her stare sharpened.
"No ill intentions," I repeated.
She looked
up and down slowly, sizing
up like she was evaluating whether I was lying. With those heavy black boots she wore, she actually stood a little taller than . Muscular legs, dark skin, sharp jawline—she fit the internet’s definition of a tomboy perfectly. And it worked on her. A little intimidating, a little dangerous, definitely attractive.
When she finally finished judging , she uncrossed her arms and jerked her chin toward my car. That was her way of telling
I could go.
I didn’t argue. I walked over, opened the door, slid into the driver seat, and started the engine. She watched
from the parking lot as I reversed, her hands tucked into her hoodie pockets while snowflakes drifted around her. She was intense, but not in a bad way. More like a locked diary you weren’t supposed to open.
And honestly, I kind of wanted to read every page.
╭────────────────────╮
- Quest Available
==========================
- Title: Mysteries
- Task: Fuck Sophia.
- Reward:
500 EXP, 350c
==========================
- Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]
╰────────────────────╯
"Yeah," I muttered ntally, selecting Yes. "You didn’t need to convince ."
??????????????????
I pulled up in front of the hotel and stepped out. The valet walked toward , and I tossed him the keys. He caught them cleanly and grinned.
"I caught it this ti, Mr. Marlowe," he said while flexing his arm.
"My man." I gave him a nod. "How are the kids doing?"
"They’re doing alright," he said as he got into the driver seat. "How’s work?"
"I’m hanging in there," I replied.
After going up the stairs, the lobby doors opened automatically. Warm air and soft lighting welcod . That’s when I spotted Eleanor standing near the elevators with several grocery bags at her feet. She looked exhausted—hair slightly ssy, eyes tired, and her coat barely hanging on her shoulders. The elevator opened, but it was too full for anyone to get in, so she just sighed and set the bags down again.
She had chosen the wrong elevator. That one was for regular guests, not the private floors.
I walked toward her, grabbed every bag before she could react, and said, "Hey, Eleanor."
She jumped a little, then let out a breath. "God, you scared . Hi."
"You’re using the wrong elevator," I told her. "Ours is over here."
"Oh." She blinked, a little embarrassed. "Right. Sorry. I’m just... all over the place today."
"Your head’s full, that’s all," I said, carrying the bags toward the correct elevator. "You doing okay?"
"I’m trying," she said as she followed behind . "But I can take so of the bags. You don’t have to carry all of them."
"It’s fine," I said while pressing the button with my elbow. "Co on."
The doors opened, and we stepped inside. I tilted my head toward my jacket pocket.
"Grab the keycard and swipe it?" I asked.
She nodded and reached into my pocket carefully, taking out the card. She swiped it under the button panel, the lights turned on, and soft elevator music started playing from above.
I pressed the P-1 button. The elevator began rising, the hum steady and quiet.
"Getting used to living upstairs?" I asked.
"I’m adjusting, slowly," she said with a small shrug as she put the card back. "It’s strange living sowhere new after... everything. But I’m trying."
"Good," I said. "I found a job for you. You know Stingy Ladies?"
She nodded imdiately. "Of course. Why?"
"You’ll be working there," I said. "They’re not sure if it’ll be bartending or waitressing yet, but you’re hired."
She stared at , surprised. "That’s... actually really good. I an, I can do that. I just don’t understand why you’re so against
continuing my old work."
"No particular reason," I said. "I just don’t want you going back to that."
Her eyes softened a little, like she wasn’t expecting that answer.
╭───────────╮
EVENT
===============
Eleanor’s Interest
5
╰───────────╯
Huh, that got a point from her? I’d take it.
╭───────────╮
WON - INTERACTIONS
===============
Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★
Kayla: Interest: 23 / 40★
Tessa: Interest: 27 / 40★
Kim: Interest: 35 / 40★
Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★
Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★
ndy: Interest: 6 /20
Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★
Penelope: Interest: 5 /20
Minne: Interest: 28 /40★
Ivy: Interest: 2/20
Eleanor: Interest: 10/20
===============
Progress:
★☆☆☆☆ - 20 Interest: Milestone reward
★★☆☆☆ - 40 Interest: Milestone reward
★★★☆☆ - 60 Interest: Milestone reward
★★★★☆ - 80 Interest: Milestone reward
★★★★★ -100 Interest: Milestone reward
===============
Select a woman to track progress.
╰───────────╯
The elevator kept gliding upward, warm lighting reflecting off the mirrored walls. Eleanor looked down at her gloves, then at her bags, then finally back at . She looked calr than she had when I first saw her at the lobby.
A little hope went a long way.
The elevator doors slid open and we both stepped out. Eleanor led the way down the quiet hallway, rummaging through her pockets as she walked. When we reached her door, she patted herself down again, then let out a frustrated groan.
"I forgot the card inside."
"Got it," I said as I set her bags down. I pulled my own card from my pocket, tapped it against the lock, and the LED turned green.
"Thank you," she breathed with a relieved smile.
"No problem."
I picked the bags back up, and we went inside. I carried them to the kitchen and set everything on the counter. Eleanor slipped out of her coat and hung it neatly on the rack before moving beside . She gave a small, warm nod, the kind of grateful smile that made her look years younger.
"Really," she said softly, "thank you."
I shrugged lightly. "Mm. I should go. Take care, okay?"
"Hey," she said quickly, stopping
mid-turn, "would you... mind having a drink with ? Just a glass of wine?"
I checked my phone. I still had ti before eting ndy. "Sure. But if you’ve got beer, I’ll take that."
"You don’t like wine?"
"Wine tastes like wet wood," I said. "Sorry."
She let out a breathy laugh and opened the fridge. "I have beer. Not sure if it’s your kind, though."
She pulled one out, then froze when she realized it needed a bottle opener. She glanced around the kitchen, patting drawers, checking behind jars.
"God, I’m really all over the place today," she muttered.
"It’s fine," I said, taking the bottle from her. I wedged my lighter under the cap, popped it clean off, and tossed the cap neatly into the trash by the counter.
Then I walked to the living room and dropped onto the couch. Eleanor poured herself a glass of warm wine and joined
a mont later. She sat close, not touching, but close enough that I could sll her perfu, soft and warm like vanilla with sothing darker beneath.
She took a small sip. The curve of her lips and the way her throat moved made it hard not to look. Her body didn’t match her age at all; she was stacked, curvy, and the way she settled into the couch made her chest rise and fall in a way that made my brain hiccup.
"Your surna was Marlowe, right?" she asked.
"Yeah," I said, raising my beer. "Yours?"
"Katelm."
"Weird surna," I teased as I took a drink.
"As if Marlowe is normal," she laughed.
"Hey, Marlowe sounds good."
"I’ll give you that," she said with a smirk.
I reached into my pocket, pulled out a cigarette pack, and offered her one. She took it delicately and placed it between her lips. I lit hers straight from mine, then lit my own after. We both inhaled slow and exhaled at the sa ti, the smoke drifting upward in lazy spirals.
"You really took down Guy," Eleanor said, her eyes narrowing a little. "That still blows my mind."
"I did," I said. "Wouldn’t have managed without you."
"?" She blinked, genuinely surprised. "I just gave you a na."
"You pointed
to Charlotte and Emilia," I reminded her. "If you hadn’t, I’d never have found that video."
She grimaced. "So you watched it."
"Unfortunately."
"So pathetic, right?" she muttered.
"Completely," I said. "But it’s done now."
"Yeah... finally." She leaned back, letting her head rest against the couch cushion. "His sister can actually breathe now."
"Nala," I said. "And Minne too."
Eleanor nodded slowly. "Minne... poor girl. I saw her a few tis back when Guy was still around. She looked like she was fading. Like she wasn’t even present."
I humd in agreent and took another sip of my beer.
"But now?" Eleanor continued. "She looks alive. Happier. Like soone finally opened a window in a stuffy room." She glanced at
with a warm, thoughtful look. "You’re good for her. I can tell."
"I try," I said quietly. "She deserves better than what she went through."
My phone buzzed in my pocket. When I checked the screen, Minne’s na flashed across it. She must’ve been wondering where the hell I was; I’d told her to prepare sothing for
until dinner with ndy.
"Hey," I answered. "Sorry, Minne. I’ll co now."
"T-there’s a lady here, Master," she said in a tiny, nervous voice. "She wants to talk to you."
My stomach tightened. "Who is it?"
"Umm... Carrie."
"Never heard of her," I said.
"She told
she is... Tom’s mother."
Oh, fucking fantastic.
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