The Heart System

Chapter 440: Chapter 440

I put out my cigarette and tossed it in the kitchen bin, then slid my jacket on and pulled up the zipper. I texted Cora that I would be back soon and left the apartment. Taking the stairs, I opened the building’s front door and stepped out into the rain.

I hurried to my car and unlocked it, then stepped inside and started the engine. Damn, the rain was bad. I had only opened the door for a few seconds, and the seat was already squelching wet.

"Shit," I muttered. "The things I would do for pizza, huh?"

I eased the car forward, checking my mirror twice just in case before merging into the lane. Then I turned on my GPS and made sure I remembered Renson’s place correctly—which was good because I was going the opposite way before the map loaded in. I managed to steer left just in time.

I parked the car right in the middle of the road, turned on my hazard lights, and headed inside the shop. I heard a few horns behind me, but I didn’t care. No way I was parking far away in this weather and walking. I’d be fucking drowned.

"Hey, I had one extra large pepperoni pizza," I said to the woman behind the counter.

"One extra..." She muttered. "Oh, yeah. Here it is."

She turned back and placed the pizza box on the counter. I quickly paid with my card and left the pizza parlor as if I’d just thrown a bomb in it and was running away. I hurried to my car and turned on the engine, moving slowly through the rain.

The rain hadn’t eased up at all on the drive back. If anything, it had gotten heavier, coming down in thick sheets that turned the streets into shallow rivers and made the wipers fight just to keep the windshield clear. I kept the heat cranked, but my jacket was soaked from the short dash into Renson’s and back out to the car. The pizza box sat on the passenger seat, wrapped in the extra plastic bag I’d asked for, still radiating warmth through the cardboard. The Coke bottles clinked gently in their carrier bag every time I hit a pothole.

I turned onto our street and immediately saw the problem. No spots anywhere close. I circled the block once, cursing under my breath, then spotted a narrow gap between two SUVs about half a block down. It wasn’t legal, but fuck it. I pulled in, tires crunching through standing water, and killed the engine.

I grabbed the pizza box in one hand and the Coke bag in the other, opened the door, and stepped straight into a wall of rain. The wind hit me sideways, instantly soaking what little dry parts of me remained. I hunched my shoulders, tucked the pizza box tight against my chest under my jacket, and half-jogged toward the apartment entrance, trying to shield it with my body.

I shook the rain from my jacket and stepped into the building, the heavy front door thudding shut behind me.

I took the stairs and when I reached our floor, I exhaled and then rubbed my face. Then I walked down the short hallway to the apartment and knocked.

Cora opened it almost immediately. She was still wearing my hoodie, the sleeves pushed past her elbows, her hair tied back now. Her eyes dropped to the pizza box, then lifted to my face, widening just a little.

"Why did you go out?" she asked, stepping back to let me in. "I thought you were just calling them."

"They weren’t taking phone orders because of the rain," I explained as I stepped inside and kicked off my soaked shoes by the door. Water poured out of them when I tilted them. "Some policy about delivery guys not going out in this weather. So I figured I’d just drive over and grab it myself. Wasn’t far."

Cora closed the door behind me and locked it. "You look like you swam here."

"Feels like it." I held up the box. "Still hot, though. Barely."

Esme appeared from the living room hallway, moving slowly, like she was still a little sore or shy. She wore a tight tank top that clung softly to her big tits, paired with tiny hotpants that barely covered anything. Her hair was still messy from earlier, falling in loose waves over her shoulders. She smiled—lazy, content, a little sleepy—and walked straight to me.

She took the pizza box and Coke bag from my hands without a word, carried them to the dining table, and set them down. Then she turned back, rose on her toes, and wrapped both arms around my neck in a tight hug.

I froze for half a second—surprised—then my arms came up automatically. I hugged her back, one hand between her shoulder blades, the other low on her waist. She smelled like soap and clean skin. Her body pressed warm against my wet jacket.

I looked over her shoulder at Cora, who was leaning against the wall watching us with a small, soft smile.

"If you think hugging me is gonna get you the slice with the most toppings," I said, voice low and teasing, "you’re wrong."

"Ouch. Really?" Esme mumbled into my neck, still holding on tight.

"Yep." I squeezed her a little harder. "You cheeky, cheeky girl."

❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎

I got up from my desk and walked to the window, folding my arms as I stared out at the rain sliding down the glass. Maeve was hiding something from us. The messages I read on her laptop made that obvious. Whoever this K person was, they weren’t just some random contact. I needed to find out who they were, and for that to happen, Maeve had to cooperate with me whether she liked it or not.

For now, I was keeping K from Nala. If she found out Maeve wasn’t being honest, things would spiral fast. The company was already drowning in problems, and the last thing we needed was a goddess-level confrontation layered on top of everything else.

"You look thoughtful."

I turned around. Amelia stood behind me.

"Oh. Hey."

I walked back and sat down in my chair. Amelia stepped closer and rested both elbows on the edge of my desk, leaning forward slightly. The desk surface was higher than where I was seated, so from my position I had to tilt my head up to meet her eyes. It put her slightly above me in height like that, her shoulders angled forward, chin tipped down as she looked at me through those oversized glasses.

And those glasses were definitely not hers.

They kept sliding down her nose every few seconds, forcing her to nudge them back up. The frames were too wide for her face, almost comically large, making her look like she had borrowed them from someone else in a hurry.

"Changed glasses?" I asked.

"They broke," she said, clearing her throat. "Are we going to drive again today?"

"Sure. Why not? You on break right now?"

"Yes, but only a coffee break. Five minutes."

"Call me when you’re free," I said. "I’ll be here."

She nodded and gently tapped the desk with her palm. "Alright. Thank you, Evan."

"No problem."

Then the familiar interface flashed in front of me.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 38 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 20 /40★

Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 /20

Minne: Interest: 38 /40★

Ivy: Interest: 7/20

Eleanor: Interest: 15/20

Amelia: Interest: 10/20

Esme: Interest: 60/80★★

╰───────────╯

Amelia’s interest ticked up by three points.

All because I agreed to another driving lesson.

Unexpected, but I wasn’t complaining.

"I know you probably have a lot going on," she said, shifting her weight slightly. "I just... thanks for taking time for me. Yeah. Bye."

"Oh. Yeah. Bye."

She left, and I leaned back in my chair, still processing that. Amelia thanking me like that felt strange. She usually carried herself like someone who would slam her hand on a table and tell everyone what to do.

I turned toward the window again and watched the rain. Yesterday was insane. Sleeping with Cora and Esme and the amount of EXP I gained from it made it clear the system was pushing me forward faster than I expected. Everything was accelerating.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out.

"Hey, Delilah."

"Hey, Evan," she said quietly. "I can’t talk long. Ivy’s home."

"Got it."

"How’s things going with Chase? Did you find anything?"

"Nope," I lied smoothly. "Not yet. I’m still digging. I’ll let you know."

"Okay. I’m just worried about her, Evan."

"I know, Delilah. I know."

I wasn’t telling her what I had found. Not until I had solid proof that Chase was exactly what I suspected he was. The less she knew for now, the safer she was.

"We can’t meet much lately, huh?" I asked.

"Yeah. My work, your work, and this Chase situation."

"Yeah." I leaned back further in my chair. "I kinda miss you."

"Kinda?"

I chuckled. "Slip of the tongue."

"Well, kinda fuck you, Mr. Marlowe."

We both laughed.

Then her tone shifted instantly. "Y-yeah, Adrian. I need that report by tomorrow morning. Bye."

"Ivy’s there?"

"Yep."

"Alright. Bye. Love you."

"Yes. Me too, Adrian."

The call ended.