We moved to the dinner table one by one. Chairs scraped quietly against the floor. No one spoke. Nala placed the photo at the edge of the table, face-up, like a silent threat watching over us.

Minne served dinner without a word, her movements careful, her eyes downcast.

I stared at the photo as the plate was set in front of me, my jaw tightening until it hurt.

Fucking whore.

This wasn't just intimidation anymore.

This was war.

As Minne set my plate down in front of me, my phone buzzed against the table. The sound felt too loud in the silence. I frowned, picked it up, and saw Kayla's name flashing on the screen.

Bad timing. Really bad timing. But with Carrie already crossing lines, I couldn't afford to ignore anyone close to me.

I pushed my chair back and stood. Without a word, I walked to the balcony, slid the glass door shut behind me, and let out a heavy sigh before answering.

"Hey," I said, forcing my tone to sound lighter than I felt.

"Evan," Kayla said. "Hey. How did the… dinner go?"

I leaned my forearms on the balcony railing, staring out at the city lights. "Complicated," I said honestly. "I went down on her. And after that… she told me we should just be friends."

There was a pause on the line.

"Wow," Kayla said softly. "My god. That was unexpected."

"Yeah." I nodded even though she couldn't see it. "Look, I gotta go. I'm dealing with too much shit right now."

"Wait," she said quickly. "Aren't you going to call Mendy? You two should at least talk and—"

"She wanted to stay friends," I cut in, irritation creeping into my voice. "So we're staying friends. I'm done worrying about her. Now, bye, Kayla."

I ended the call before she could respond. A second later, the familiar translucent UI slid into view.

Minus three points from Kayla.

I stared at the numbers, jaw tightening.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

===============

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 20 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 27 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 35 / 40★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 11 /20

Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 /20

Minne: Interest: 28 /40★

Ivy: Interest: 2/20

Eleanor: Interest: 10/20

Amelia: Interest: 5/20

===============

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.

╰───────────╯

Man… fuck me. I was already on edge, and I'd managed to hurt her on top of everything else. I dragged a hand through my hair, frustration buzzing under my skin. I'd fix that later. I had to.

Right now, Carrie was the real problem.

I rubbed the back of my head angrily, turned, and kicked the sunbed hard enough that it scraped across the balcony tiles. Then I went back inside.

The living room felt heavier than before. Jasmine and Tessa glanced at me from the table, exchanging looks. Nala didn't look up at all. Minne focused on the plates like I wasn't there.

The tension was thick, pressing in from every side.

"I promise," I said as I dropped back into my chair. "I'll handle Carrie."

Tessa tilted her head, one brow lifting. "By kicking sunbeds?" she said with a half-smirk. "I doubt it."

"We need to think of a plan," Jasmine said calmly. "We shouldn't rush this."

"Especially when Kim is in danger," Nala added quietly. "And the company."

I nodded, gripping my fork a little too tightly. My mind raced through names, options, favors. Maybe Cora? No. This wasn't some back-alley problem or a quick scare. This was Carrie. Money, connections, influence.

I had to think bigger. I had to get dirty. If she was digging up dirt on me, then I'd do the same to her.

"Nala," I said, meeting her eyes. "Where can we learn more about Carrie?"

She hesitated, then swallowed. "Only one name comes to mind. Anotta."

"Anotta," I repeated, grimacing. "Why her?"

"She's always beside Carrie at charity galas," Nala said. "The one you told me about. The night you exposed Vanessa? She was there too."

"So she's my only option," I muttered.

"Probably," Nala said. "I'm sorry. I can't think of anyone else."

I exhaled slowly. "Great."

Fucking Anotta. Of course our paths weren't done crossing.

I looked down at the plate Minne had prepared. Grilled chicken laid over a bed of warm rice, lightly glazed, with vegetables arranged neatly on the side. Normally, I'd be starving.

I took a bite, chewed, then realized my stomach wasn't in it. The food tasted fine. I just didn't have the energy to care.

"Jasmine," I said, setting my fork down. "Can you call Kim after dinner? Make sure she's okay?"

She nodded immediately. "Yeah. I was going to. She's probably still at the hotel. Maybe at the bar."

"If she is, I'll go meet her," I said. "She shouldn't be alone. I don't know why you stopped me earlier."

"She should be alone," Tessa said gently. "At least for a bit. I know I would."

I leaned back in my chair, jaw tight. She wasn't wrong. I just hated the idea of Kim thinking I didn't care.

I forced myself to take another bite.

Minne returned from the kitchen and poured me a glass of orange juice. I looked up at her and smiled faintly. For a second, she smiled back.

Then she spoke.

"Master," she said softly. "I'm sure you can deal with that woman. I trust you."

Something in my chest tightened at that.

"Thanks, Minne," I said, nodding. "I'll never abandon Kim. Or any of you."

And I meant it.

Not Jasmine. Not Kim. Not Nala. Not Tessa. Not Minne.

Carrie had picked the wrong people to threaten.

❤︎‬‪‪❤︎❤︎

I stepped out onto the balcony of the penthouse, the cool evening air brushing against my skin. The city lights below flickered like a sea of stars, distant but constant. I took a deep drag of my cigarette, the smoke curling up and dissipating into the night, my mind still lingering on the events of the night. Mendy. She was... something else. The way she had opened up to me, the way we'd connected—physically, yes—but there was more beneath that, something I couldn't quite put my finger on.

I exhaled slowly, sitting on the sunbed, lost in my thoughts when my phone buzzed in my pocket.

I pulled it out, seeing Mendy's name on the screen.

I almost smiled. Almost.

"Hey," I answered, trying to keep my voice light, like everything was fine. I wasn't sure what kind of mood she was in after what had happened between us, but the last thing I wanted was to make things awkward.

"Hey," she replied, her voice soft. She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "I'm... I'm sorry about earlier."

I blinked, surprised by the apology. "Mendy, don't apologize," I said. "You don't need to. We're fine."

She was quiet for a moment. I could practically hear her chewing on her words, unsure how to say what was on her mind. When she spoke again, her voice was tinged with uncertainty. "I just… I don't know. I feel like I made a mistake. It was a moment of weakness, and I don't want it to mean anything. Or, rather… just… I don't want to be another girl in your bed, Evan."

"Mendy," I said softly, my voice lower now, more serious. "This… this thing between us? It's not just about sex. It never was. And I'm not trying to make you feel like you're just another... another conquest or whatever. That's not who I am."

She sighed, and I could tell she was still unsure. "I don't want to feel like I was just... a moment of convenience for you."

My hand tightened around the cigarette. "You're not a convenience, Mendy," I said firmly. "You never were, and I'm not gonna treat you like that. If you want to be friends, if that's all this is, I can respect that. But don't think for a second that it wasn't real, because it was. And it still is."

Another pause. I could hear her breathing, like she was trying to process what I had said. Her voice came back quieter, almost like she was talking to herself. "You were really good, you know? I haven't felt like that in... months. Maybe even longer. But... I don't know. It feels like it was a mistake. Like I said, a moment of weakness."

I let her words settle for a moment, the sting of them hitting harder than I expected. It wasn't about the sex. I wasn't bothered by that. It was the doubt in her voice, the way she was second-guessing everything that happened between us.

"Listen to me," I said, my voice softening. "It wasn't a mistake. And I'm not going to let you believe that. It wasn't some moment of weakness. It was real. And I think you felt that too. If it was a mistake for you, then I've got no business trying to convince you otherwise, but I don't think that's it. You don't have to be ashamed of it. I'm not."

There was silence on the other end for a long beat, and I wondered if I had said the wrong thing, if I had pushed too hard. But then she spoke again, this time her voice a little steadier, a little more grounded.

"I don't know what to think right now. I just... I don't want to feel like I'm just another girl in your life, Evan. I don't want to fall into something and then wake up and realize it doesn't mean anything to you."

I let out a quiet breath, letting the weight of her words sit between us for a moment. "Mendy," I said, the words coming out more gently this time, "you're not 'just another girl.' You're... you're important to me. Don't start second-guessing everything just because of a moment. Don't do that to yourself. We'll figure this out, one step at a time. No pressure. No rush. If you want to be friends, we can do that. But don't make yourself feel bad about this."

Huh… five points from her. Nice.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

===============

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 20 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 27 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 35 / 40★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 16 /20

Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 /20

Minne: Interest: 28 /40★

Ivy: Interest: 2/20

Eleanor: Interest: 10/20

Amelia: Interest: 5/20

===============

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.

╰───────────╯

"Thanks, Evan," she said softly. "For... for being patient with me. I just needed to hear that."

I leaned against the railing again, a small smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Anytime, Mendy. Anytime."

With that, the call ended, and I stood there for a long time, staring out at the city below, the weight of the conversation still heavy on my shoulders.

I took one last drag from a new cigarette, tossed it into the ashtray, and went inside, ready to figure out what came next.

"Now… I have to meet Kim…"

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