Despite the magnetic attraction they shared, Edward could see in Jill's expression a deeper longing - a need for a respite, a safe haven from whatever demons haunted her. He didn't understand it, but his heart urged him to shield and care for this fragile woman.As Jill's shaking hands reached for Edward's arousal, he felt a surge of protectiveness that gave him pause. He gently grasped Jill's hands, stopping her. Jill looked up at him with confusion."Hey, let's slow down a bit," Edward said gently. "If there's anything you need to tell me... anything that's troubling you... please, I'm here to listen."Jill's smile faltered for a brief second, and her gaze flickered down before she quickly met Edward's eyes again. "I appreciate that. But tonight, I just want to feel alive and forget everything. Can you give me that?"Edward gazed at Jill, feeling a growing connection with her. In that moment, he made his decision. "Alright, but we won't just jump into bed. Let's talk first. Besides,
Adele furrowed her brow, deep in thought. "I hope it's nothing too big. By the way, do you think your grandfather has found our location yet?"Ivy hesitated before reluctantly nodding. "Well, yeah. I hate to admit it, but I think it's safe to assume that with my family's resources, they've most likely tracked us down here at Rich City. Heck, it's even possible that one of the workers here is a mole planted by my family."Brenda's stopped. Her eyes widened in alarm. "Are you serious? This is a huge problem!"Ivy sighed. "I know that. I just didn't want to bring it up because I didn't want to freak everyone out, but the reality is, we might be under constant surveillance. But don't worry. I doubt they would make a move without solid reason, especially with Edward around."Adele sighed, still mulling over the situation. "I think we should let Edward know about it when he comes out, just in case anything happens."Eva glanced at the clock, noting how much time had passed. She jokingly tur
Edward raised his hands in a placating gesture, trying to defuse the tense situation. "Wait a sec. Brenda, when I said 'find a way,' I meant finding a way to help Jill, not to continue a romantic relationship with her. You're jumping to conclusions."Brenda raised an eyebrow, not entirely convinced."Really? Because it sounded like more than just that to me." Her interrogative tone showed she wasn't going to let Edward off the hook without a proper explanation.Throughout the exchange, Jill remained silent, her mind racing with thoughts and questions she dared not ask. It seemed to her as if Brenda might be Edward's official partner, and if that was the case, she didn't want to cause any more trouble for either of them.Meanwhile, Brenda stared at Edward for a moment before finally deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Fine," she relented. "But you better not be lying to me. You know very well the kind of trouble that could arise if your words aren't true."Edward nodded in
Edward leaned back in his seat, looking uncharacteristically relaxed given the grave news Ivy had just shared. He casually pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and lit one, ignoring the "No Smoking" sign in the corner of the room. With just him and Ivy present, he didn't seem to care about any possible consequences.Ivy blinked in surprise at Edward's nonchalant attitude. "How can you act so calm about this, Ed? Aren't you…well, did you know about this beforehand?"Edward flicked the ashes from his cigarette into a nearby ashtray. "I didn't know for sure, Ivy, but I had my suspicions.""What do you mean by that?" Ivy pressed, crossing her arms.Edward stared into the distance, his eyes squinting slightly. "You see, with the Leo File gone missing, it's obvious that every Zodiac family out there would be scrambling to come to Chia. They might claim to be assisting the Drake family in finding the file or hunting down Cassius's murderer, but as you know, all of them have their own
A smirk appeared on Brenda's face as she stared at Edward. "You're really interested in her, aren't you? Just admit it."Edward shivered under Brenda's intense gaze and immediately denied the claim. "What? No, that's not it at all! I'm just... concerned, that's all."Brenda shrugged and rolled her eyes playfully. "Whatever you say. Anyway, let's head to the living room; everyone's waiting for you."With that, Brenda turned and started walking out of the room, casually adding, "And I hope this is the last time you smoke."Edward let out a small, awkward chuckle, hurriedly placing his cigarette case next to the ashtray.As they entered the living room, Edward noticed Adele and Eva sitting nearby, laughing together. It appeared they were deep in conversation about something funny. Whatever it was, Edward felt relieved that Eva seemed to be well-accepted by Adele. As for Brenda, he couldn't quite tell.Upon noticing Edward entering the room, Eva immediately turned to him with a teasing sm
The three women looked at each other, lost in their individual thoughts, pondering the immense weight of this decision. Eva, the most intelligent among them, couldn't help but wonder about certain limitations. "So, are there any specific limitations or restrictions on the abilities we choose? For instance, the power to manipulate time or space. Surely there can't be anything like that, right?"Edward nodded, understanding Eva's concerns about the seemingly impossible abilities. Although he was well aware of the existence of such skills within the System, their cost was astronomically high. They were priced at over 10 million Domination Points, making them virtually unattainable. "You're right. That is why I have prepared a list of abilities for you to choose from, but the number of options is quite large, almost a hundred, and I haven't had the chance to write them all down yet."The three women nodded in understanding, appreciating the thought Edward had put into preparing the list
Edward shifted uncomfortably in his seat.Eva always had the most bizarre ideas, and he couldn't help but wonder what kind of competition she had in mind this time.Finally, Eva stepped forward with a devilish grin plastered on her face. "Alright, here's the deal," she began, smirking mischievously. "We're going head to head in a competition to see who can make you, dear Edward, erect the quickest."Edward's eyes widened, his mouth dropping open in shock. "W-what the... you can't be serious, right?"Adele and Brenda glanced at each other, sharing the same look of surprise and disbelief. They all knew Eva had a twisted sense of humor, but this was completely unexpected."Are you fucking nuts?" Brenda exclaimed, visibly agitated. "I'm not gonna participate in that… that's just... that's just insane!"Eva chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the reaction her announcement had garnered. "Oh, but I am, darling. Still, hold on, there's a catch. None of us can actually touch his skin in the process
Brenda blushed deeply at Adele's suggestion, her nerves causing her hands to tremble. She tried to gather her thougths, but everything felt jumbled and unclear. What could she possibly do to compete with Eva's sultry performance? She was never the type to be forward or bold in these kinds of situations."Um, I don't know..." Brenda mumbled, her eyes fixed on the ground. "Why don't you take my turn? I... I need a moment." "Are you sure?" Adele asked. "I have a feeling that Edward might choose me, you know."Brenda blushed even more, shaking her head slowly. "I... I don't mind as long as it's not Eva."Eva, who had been watching the exchange with a catty grin on her face, suddenly chimed in. "Aww, Brenda, are you afraid I'll steal Edward away from you?"Brenda shot her a quick glance, her face flushing with anger.Eva smirked, playing with a strand of hair. "Oh, come now. You know you're just jealous of my talents. But don't worry, honey. I'll make sure Edward doesn't forget about you