Down on the court, a whistle blew. The volleyball teams started walking out, jerseys crisp, numbers bright. The crowd erupted into applause. People stood, clapping, cheering, whistling.

Cora clapped along, a small smile on her face. I joined in, tapping my palms together as the energy in the room picked up.

Esme didn't move. Not even a flinch. This girl... I swear to god.

Her shoulder pressed more firmly into my arm as she shifted in her sleep. I adjusted slightly, careful not to wake her. Her chest brushed my elbow, and I focused my eyes forward, pretending very hard that nothing was happening.

The announcer's voice echoed through the speakers, introducing the teams. More cheers. More clapping.

I leaned back, letting the noise wash over me.

For once, there was no urgency. No danger. Just a warm gym, a crowd full of noise, and a volleyball match about to start.

The whistle cut through the noise, sharp and clean, and the match finally started.

The ball flew up into the air, white and blue spinning fast, and the first serve cracked across the court. One team scrambled, arms out, sneakers squealing against the polished floor as they barely managed a save. The crowd reacted instantly—gasps, then cheers when the ball stayed in play.

I leaned forward a bit despite myself. The pace was fast. Back-and-forth volleys, clean sets, hard spikes that echoed through the gym when they slammed into the court. Every point felt like a little explosion of sound—clapping, shouting, parents yelling names like it actually mattered to the universe.

"Esme," Cora said, nudging her sister's arm. "Get up. The match started."

Esme lifted one hand lazily and waved it in the air without opening her eyes. "Mmm… later."

She immediately went still again.

I snorted. "Wow. She's really lazy, huh?"

Cora smiled faintly. "Not always. Believe it or not, Esme and I were in gymnastics."

I blinked, looking down at Esme's sleeping form, then back at Cora. "What? I mean—you, I can understand. But Esme too?"

Cora let out a small, awkward chuckle. "We're… really flexible."

I smirked. "Yeah. I know you are."

Her ears turned red almost instantly. She looked away, pretending to focus very hard on the court.

At the same time, a sharp sting flared through my left hand. The bandaged one. I sucked in a quiet breath through my teeth. "Damn…"

Cora noticed. Of course she did. She glanced at my hand for half a second, concern flashing across her face—but then she looked back to the game, jaw tightening like she'd decided not to push it. Smart. And terrifying.

The match kept going.

Time blurred in that comfortable way. We clapped when points were scored, groaned when a serve hit the net, cheered when a spike landed clean. The scoreboard ticked upward. Match point came fast, tension thick in the air, until one final rally ended with a brutal spike that the other team couldn't recover.

The gym erupted.

Whistles. Applause. Parents on their feet.

Esme finally stirred, blinking awake as the noise peaked. She yawned wide, stretching like she hadn't just slept through the entire thing. "Did I miss it?"

"Yes," Cora said flatly.

"Nice."

Cora exhaled and shifted in her seat. "Okay… now the family meeting will start." She hesitated, fingers fidgeting. "Uuuh… I don't like talking with other people."

"It'll be fun," I said, standing as people around us began to move. "Come on. Let's follow the crowd and see where they're herding everyone."

Cora nodded, taking a breath, and we joined the slow flow of families filing out of the gym.

❤︎❤︎❤︎

When I arrived at the penthouse, it was already ten o'clock.

The sun had dipped beneath the skyline, leaving the city washed in cold shadows. Dark clouds churned overhead, the air sharp with the promise of rain or snow. The weather was getting worse—but I didn't care. I'd rescued Kim. I'd pulled her out of that mess. No storm in the world was going to drag my mood down tonight.

The moment I stopped in front of the door, it opened.

Kim stood there.

Her eyes were red, lashes clumped just slightly, faint tear tracks dried on her cheeks. She'd been crying. Hard. And somehow, even like that—especially like that—she looked painfully cute.

"Evan," she said, and then she was already moving.

"Hey—"

She lunged forward and wrapped her arms around my neck, burying her face against me. "God. I'm so sorry."

I hugged her back, holding her tight as I exhaled. "Yeah," I muttered. "You should be. Taking off like that? Not cool, trouble."

"I—I thought I'd—"

"Protect us?" I cut in.

I stepped back just enough to hold her face between my hands, bending down so we were eye to eye.

"You thought surrendering yourself would protect us?"

She nodded, eyes glossy. "Yes…"

I bumped my forehead against hers—not hard, just enough to sting.

"Ow!" She hissed, stumbling back and rubbing it.

I smiled, stepped inside, and closed the door behind me. The girls were already in the living room, watching us with wide grins like this was front-row entertainment.

"You're dumb," I said, shrugging off my jacket.

"Aw… it hurt," Kim muttered.

"It hurt, huh?" I shot back. "Now you know how I felt reading that letter. Finding out you were pregnant with my kid. And then realise you took off."

She winced. "Okay. Okay. I deserved that headbutt."

"You call that a headbutt?" Tessa scoffed from the couch. "Pussy."

"Hey! It hurt," Kim protested.

"Since when?" I said, then paused, my tone shifting. "When… when did you find out you were pregnant?"

She inhaled slowly. "A few weeks ago. Remember when I told you I was on my period that night?"

"Yeah?"

"That was a lie," she admitted quietly. "I had a suspicion. Took a test. It came back positive. I just… couldn't get in the mood that day."

"But she didn't want to miss the action either," Jasmine chimed in with a grin.

I looked back at Kim. "You should've told me."

"You already had Delilah," she said softly. "I didn't know how to say it. I kept waiting for the right moment."

╭───────────╮

EVENT

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

Kim's Interest +75

╰───────────╯

We moved into the living room and took the last open spots on the couches. There weren't enough seats, so Tessa hooked an arm around Minne's waist and pulled her onto her lap. Minne flushed but didn't protest.

I sat beside Jasmine on the double couch. Across from us, Tessa, Nala, Kim—and Minne perched on Tessa's thighs—filled the middle one.

"Where were you?" Nala asked. "I thought you'd be back sooner."

"Had to deal with Tom and Carrie," I said. "Then Cora called. You remember her? Needed help with her sister's family meeting. Long story."

Kim hesitated. "How did you… handle Tom? And his mother?"

"He was involved in a car accident," I said. "Did you know?"

"What?" Kim blinked. "No. We dated less than a year... or, maybe less than that, actually. Can't remember."

"Happened three years ago," I continued. "He hit a pedestrian. Killed her. His mom covered it up—dashcam footage, hush money, the whole thing."

Kim's face drained. "He… killed someone?"

"Yeah. And I took the footage. He won't be walking free anymore."

"Hopefully," Nala said grimly. "I was there when Evan talked to the husband, Kim. The guy barely cared. Money was enough."

"And then there's Evan," Tessa smirked. "Picking a fight with one of the biggest names in the country just because Kim decided to disappear."

"I'm…" Minne spoke softly. "I'm glad Master isn't like that man. He is… kind."

I smiled faintly, then slapped my hands against my thighs and stood. "Alright. I'm starving. I don't know about you all, but I need food."

Minne hopped off Tessa's lap. "I'll set the table, Master!"

"And I—" Kim stood too, stepping closer. "I'm stealing Evan. For a bit. Alone."

Jasmine leaned forward and smacked her ass lightly. "Atta girl. Go drain him."

I smirked as Kim reached for me. I slid an arm around her waist and kissed her, slow and grounding. When we broke apart, she didn't hesitate—just turned and tugged me along by the hand.

Tonight?

Yeah.

Tonight was going to be a good night.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 20 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 27 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

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.

╰───────────╯

I walked toward the master bedroom, Kim's hand warm in mine, her fingers tight like she was afraid to let go. The penthouse was quiet, just the faint hum of the city outside. I pushed the door open, pulled her inside, and kicked it shut behind us.

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