I finished the last bite of my cheesecake and stood up. Minne joined me, and we walked into the kitchen together. I rinsed my plate and set it in the sink while she carefully prepared a slice for Eleanor, placing it neatly on a small plate.

"Thanks, Minne," I said as I picked it up.

"No problem, Master," she replied. "I hope she likes it."

"I'm sure she will," I said with a small smile.

She nodded, clearly pleased.

I picked up the plate with the cheesecake and headed toward the door. Before leaving, I paused by the hallway mirror and gave myself a quick look. Jeans, a plain T-shirt, nothing out of place. Casual enough not to make things weird.

"I'm out," I said, slipping my shoes on. "I'll be back in ten."

A chorus of lazy goodbyes followed me as I opened the door and stepped out of the penthouse. Instead of waiting for the elevator, I took the stairs. I needed the movement, and the quiet helped clear my head.

I stopped in front of Eleanor's apartment and knocked. A few seconds passed. Then the door opened.

A man stood there.

For a brief moment, my brain stalled. Tall, relaxed, clearly comfortable in the space. My stomach tightened before I could stop it. Was Eleanor seeing someone? The thought hit harder than I expected.

"Uh," I said, holding up the plate slightly. "Is Eleanor here?"

"Yeah," he replied easily. "She's in the shower. Who are you?"

In the shower. Great. I forced myself to breathe evenly. I did not like that mental image, but there was nothing I could do about it.

"I'm just a friend," I said. "Nothing more."

"Oh," he nodded. Then he turned his head slightly and raised his voice. "Hey, sis! Someone's here to see you!"

Sis.

Relief washed through me so fast it almost made my knees weak. I barely managed to keep my expression neutral. A moment later, the bathroom door opened just enough for Eleanor's face to peek out, her hair damp and wrapped in a towel.

"Oh, Evan," she said, surprised but smiling. "I'll be right out."

"No need," I replied quickly. "I just brought you some cheesecake. I thought you might like it. I didn't know your brother was here, or I would've brought more."

"Evan?" the man repeated, turning back to me with a grin. "So you're the guy who helped my sister. Thanks, man. Seriously."

"No problem," I said. "I'm just glad she's okay."

"She told me about you," he continued. "Kicking Guy's ass and all that. You're the man."

I shook my head slightly. "I had help. It wasn't just me."

"Still!"

I handed him the plate. "Anyway, I should head back. I hope she likes it."

"She will," he said. "Thanks again."

"Hmm. Good night," I replied.

He waved and closed the door. I stood there for a second longer than necessary, then exhaled and headed back toward the stairs.

When I returned to the penthouse, Minne opened the door for me.

"Hey," I said quietly.

"Welcome back, Master," she replied with a small smile.

I slipped my shoes off and glanced toward the living room. "Did you talk to Tessa yet, Jas?"

Jasmine shook her head from the couch. "Her door's locked."

I sighed. "Alright. I'll try."

"I wouldn't recommend it," Jasmine said, watching me carefully. "But be my guest."

I walked down the hallway and stopped in front of Tessa's door. I hesitated for a moment, then lifted my hand and knocked. Nothing came from the other side at first, so I knocked again and waited. Minne peeked around the corner of the hallway, glanced at me with quiet concern, then slipped back into the living room without saying anything.

I knocked a third time. This time, I heard movement inside, footsteps crossing the room. The lock clicked, and the door opened just enough to reveal Tessa standing there with her arms crossed and a hard look on her face. I cleared my throat and met her eyes.

"Hey," I said, trying for a small, calm smile.

"What?" she replied flatly.

"I was just checking in," I said. "How are you doing?"

"Good. Now go away."

She started to close the door, but I put my hand against it and stopped her. She glared at me for a second, then exhaled sharply and let go. Without another word, she turned and walked back inside, dropping onto the edge of her bed. I lingered in the doorway for a moment before stepping in and closing the door behind me.

I pulled the chair away from her desk, dragged it closer, and sat down in front of her. She leaned forward with her elbows on her thighs, staring at the floor. Her posture alone told me how bad she was feeling.

"So," I said carefully. "You never told me you were feeding a stray cat, Tes."

"You didn't ask," she replied without looking up.

"That's fair," I admitted. "What was its name?"

"Her," she corrected. "And I didn't name her."

I nodded. "Why didn't you tell us, though? We could've brought her here."

She shrugged and stayed silent. I sighed quietly and leaned back in the chair. She clearly was not in the mood to talk, but she had not kicked me out either, which I took as a small win.

"Just talk to me," I said.

"There's nothing to talk about," she snapped. "I'm sorry I yelled earlier. Is that enough for you?"

"No," I said honestly. "I'm trying to understand why you were so angry."

"Because my fucking cat died," she shot back. "I have every right to be angry."

"Why didn't you bring her inside?" I asked again, softer this time.

"Shut up," Tessa said, her voice tight. "Just stop."

"Come on," I said. "Talk to me. You'll feel better."

"You're pissing me off, Evan," she said. "Get out."

"Why?" I asked, standing up. "Why are you making this so hard?"

"I'm not saying it again."

"Tessa—"

"Shut up!"

I took a breath and pushed forward anyway. "Were you scared that your tough-girl act would fall apart? That people would see you feeding a stray cat and think you were weak?"

She stood up so fast the bed creaked behind her. "You don't know a damn thing about me," she said, her voice shaking with anger. "You don't get to talk about me like that."

"We see each other every day," I replied, holding my ground. "At work, at home, everywhere. So yeah, I do know you."

She clenched her fists and dragged a hand through her hair. "Why are you so fucking persistent?"

"Because when you're hurting, it affects me too," I said. "You're not just some random person in this penthouse. I care about you, whether you like it or not."

She turned away from me, her shoulders stiff. I waited, saying nothing. A few seconds passed, and then I heard a shaky breath. Her shoulders trembled slightly as she tried to hold it in.

Seeing Tessa cry was unsettling. It felt wrong, like watching a wall crack.

I stepped closer and gently turned her toward me, my hands resting on her shoulders. She didn't pull away.

"If you need something," I said quietly as I pulled her into a brief hug, "you tell me. Okay?"

"Fuck…" she muttered.

╭───────────╮

EVENT

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

Tessa's Interest +10

╰───────────╯

She stepped back almost immediately and wiped at her face. "Just… go," she said. "I get it. Just get out of my room."

I raised my hands in surrender with a small smile as I leave. "Alright. But I want an apology later."

She didn't answer, but she didn't slam the door either.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 35 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 42 / 60★★

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: 15/20

╰───────────╯

Another milestone with Tessa. The reward came instantly, and this time it was credits—lots of them. I would have preferred experience points, but I was not about to complain. Three hundred credits was more than decent. In fact, it was the opposite of bad.

╭────────────────────╮

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: 1227c

╰────────────────────╯

A little more, and I would have enough to buy another Mastery Evolve. Since there was no Main Quest active, it was probably time to start paying attention to side quests instead. The system was clearly nudging me in that direction.

I headed back to the living room and sat at the dining table. The comedy show was still playing on the TV, and although my eyes were technically on it, my attention was split as I scrolled through the available quests.

"How did it go?" Jasmine asked without looking away from the screen. "Did she yell at you?"

"She threatened to throw me out the window," I said lightly. "So yeah. Great success."

Jasmine snorted.

"Was she crying?" Kim asked, twisting around on the couch to look at me. Her eyes were wide with interest. "Tell me she cried."

"Nope," I lied smoothly. "Not a tear."

Kim clicked her tongue, clearly disappointed, and turned back to the TV.

I kept scrolling. Most of the quests were the usual unhinged system nonsense, but one of them stood out. With the credits I had now, it was actually doable—and the reward was tempting.

╭────────────────────╮

- Quest Available

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

- Title: Open Space

- Task: Have an anal sex in public.

- Reward: 500c | Seductive Allure

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

- Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

╰────────────────────╯

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