Mendy's smile vanished instantly, her shoulders tensing, color draining from her face. Yeah. She still did that. Anything unexpected and she braced for impact. Richard had really done a number on her. Fucking idiot.

Kayla and I exchanged a quick look while Mendy stared at the door like it might bite her. I cleared my throat and walked over, peeking through the peephole.

Huh.

I opened the door.

Three kids stood there—maybe ten, twelve at most—bundled up in coats, holding stacks of cookie boxes. The boxes were still full. Definitely their first stop.

"Hello, sir," one of them said brightly.

"We're students from Melcuin Primary School," another chimed in.

"School's out today because of the storm alert," the third added quickly, "and we're raising money so our school dog can get medical treatment. Any donation helps!"

I smiled without thinking. "Yeah, sure. How much for three cookies?"

"W-would you like to buy a whole box, sir?"

"Naah. I'm good. Thank you, though."

"Um. Three dollars, sir."

I reached into my wallet and pulled out a crisp hundred, holding it out. "Take this. Keep the rest."

All three of them froze.

"W-wow…"

"Thank you, sir!"

"Thank you so much!"

Huh. That got me five points for each woman, Kayla and Mendy. Nice, I was now 21/40 with Mendy, that meant I hit another milestone.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 25 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 27 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 21 /40★

Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 /20

Minne: Interest: 38 /40★

Ivy: Interest: 12/20

Eleanor: Interest: 15/20

Amelia: Interest: 5/20

Esme: 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 boy holding the cookie box stepped closer, and I quickly grabbed three. The group exchanged a glance, nodded at me, and moved on to the next door.

That small interaction earned me twenty positive reputation points—but that wasn't the end of it. Because my reputation was set to Villain, doing good deeds could trigger a random punishment. And this time, it did.

The punishment was brutal.

╭────────────────────╮

VILLAIN PUNISHMENT

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

-1000c

╰────────────────────╯

My hard-earned credits vanished in an instant. Gone.

Damn it. If I didn't get rid of this reputation soon, I'd be completely broke by the end of the day. The plan had been simple: stay a Villain, abuse the passive bonus, and rack up credits. Instead, it had backfired. I wasn't earning anymore—I was bleeding money.

I mentally pulled up the shop screen, annoyance simmering.

╭────────────────────╮

SHOP [Page 2]

• Hypnotic Perfume (40c)

• Time Stop (90c)

• 500 Dollars (50c)

• 1 Ability Point (150c)

• 1 Mastery Point (160c)

• Desire Aura (100c)

• Reputation Point +30 (200c)

• Mastery Evolve (1500c)

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

Credits: 982c

╰────────────────────╯

Great. Absolutely great. Eh… at least I had my milestone reward from Mendy, which was 100 credits. But, still. It hurt.

I shut the door and turned back to the girls.

Mendy smiled. "Wow. Can I charge you a hundred bucks for that orange juice too?"

I snorted. "How about I pay in prayers?"

"I'd really prefer cash."

"Too bad."

We all chuckled, the tension easing just a little, when Mendy's phone alarm beeped. She muted it, headed back to the kitchen, and pulled open the oven.

The smell hit immediately. Homemade bread, huh?

"Bread," she said, walking back out, proud. "Trying to find hobbies."

"Homemade bread is elite," I said honestly. "My mom used to make olive bread."

Her eyes lit up. "These have olives too!"

I set the glass down. "On second thought, I'm staying for breakfast."

She smiled. "Alright. But we gotta wait—it's still crazy hot."

"Works for me," I shrugged, putting the cookies on the table. "Mind if I smoke in the back garden?"

"Go ahead."

I grabbed my juice, walked toward the back garden and slid the glass door open, stepped outside. I closed the door behind me with a sigh. Cold air kissed my face. I lit a cigarette and leaned my shoulder against the wall, watching the smoke curl upward.

At least Kayla was okay. Mendy too. I'd honestly expected this whole thing to blow up—Kayla confessing she knew about Richard, everything falling apart. Turns out… Mendy already knew. What a mess.

My phone buzzed. Cora.

"Hey," I answered, smiling. "How're you, Cora?"

"G-good, Evan," she said softly. "I… wanted to thank you again. For helping me find Esme. I don't really know how to repay you."

"No need," I said. "You'd do the same. How is she?"

"She's better," Cora said. "But… she regrets running to her room like that. She thinks she made you uncomfortable."

My chest tightened. "No. That was on me. I need to apologize properly."

"You don't have to—"

"I do," I cut in gently. "Would it be okay if I stop by tonight?"

A small pause. Then: "S-sure. I'll tell her."

"Thanks, Cora."

"N-no. Thank you."

I took another drag, exhaling slowly. "See you tonight."

"Y-yeah. See you."

I stayed out there a little longer, leaning against the railing, smoking. I took a sip of the orange juice. Cold, sharp. It helped.

Through the glass, I could see the girls moving around the kitchen—Kayla pacing barefoot, Mendy hovering near the counter, oven mitts on, checking the bread like it might explode if she looked away for too long.

Another drag.

My mind drifted, unwanted, to that fight with Richard. Right here. In this house. I still couldn't wrap my head around it—how someone I'd known could turn into an obsessive, entitled creep. The way his eyes had looked that day. Like everything he wanted was owed to him.

I exhaled slowly.

One last drag. I flicked the cigarette over the wooden railing, watching the ember arc into the snow-covered yard below before dying out.

I finished the juice, wiped my mouth with the back of my hand, and slid the glass door open.

Warmth hit me immediately.

Kayla was leaning against the counter, chewing on one of the cookies. She paused mid-bite, eyes widening just a little.

"…Huh," she muttered. "That's actually really good."

"Of course it is," I said, walking in. "I paid a hundred bucks for those."

She glanced over her shoulder at me and cracked a sheepish smile. "Worth it."

Mendy came out of the kitchen then, holding a thick kitchen towel folded over both hands. She'd balanced the bread on a wooden board, steam still rising from the crust. She set it down carefully in the middle of the table, peeling the towel back like she was unveiling a prize.

I rubbed my hands together. "Wow. Look at that."

"Right?" she said, clearly proud. "God, I'm such a perfect chef, I swear."

I leaned in, breathing it in. "That… might actually be true."

She laughed. "Come on. Sit before I burn myself again trying to show off."

We were just about to sit when my phone buzzed weakly in my hand, the screen dimming.

"Hey," I said, holding it up. "Would it be cool if I borrowed your charger? My phone's about to die."

"Sure," Mendy said easily. "It's in my bedroom."

I nodded and headed down the short hallway.

The moment I stepped inside her room, my pace slowed.

The bed was right there. Same sheets. Same place. I swallowed and shook my head, forcing my gaze away. Not the time. Not helpful.

I found the charger plugged into the outlet near the nightstand, unplugged it, and connected my phone. As the screen lit up, my eyes flicked back to the bed again, uninvited memories pressing in—her breath hitching, her hands gripping the sheets…

I exhaled sharply and shook my head again. Enough.

I unplugged the phone and left the room.

Back in the dining area, Kayla and Mendy were already seated. I slid into the chair next to Kayla, the warmth of the kitchen settling over me as Mendy started slicing the bread.

I tore a piece of bread off, steam still faintly rising from inside, the crust crackling softly between my fingers. God, it was good. Crunchy outside, soft inside, olives scattered just right. I took a bite and let out a quiet hum before I could stop myself.

"Okay," I said around the mouthful. "Yeah. This is criminal."

Mendy beamed like she'd just won an award. "See? I told you."

I washed it down with a long sip of orange juice, the cold sweetness cutting through the warm bread perfectly. Whoever decided breakfast should be a thing deserved a statue.

Across from me, Kayla reached out and grabbed another cookie. She took a big bite, crumbs dusting her fingers.

"Hey," I said, pointing at her. "That was mine."

She froze mid-chew, eyes sliding toward me. "You bought three. Should've gotten four."

I shook my head, laughing under my breath, and went back to the bread. Honestly? Worth it. Even if she ate the whole box, it'd still be worth it.

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