Another fire put out. Now all that was left was the dinner with Mendy. The one thing I dreaded more than a mob boss or a demon. If she confessed tonight, I'd have to turn her down, and there was no universe where she'd be fine with me sleeping with half the people she knew—especially Kayla.

I stepped outside, breathed the cool air, and rubbed my face.

"Oh boy," I muttered. "Long day ahead."

*I was on my way to the car when someone stepped directly into my path. Sophia appeared out of nowhere, tossing the last drag of her cigarette aside and grinding it into the slush with the heel of her boot. Her hoodie cast a shadow across her buzzcut, and the scars on her cheeks were barely visible beneath it. She stood with her arms crossed, looking like she'd been waiting there for a while.

I hadn't even noticed her at first. She must've been leaning against the wall next to the exit, watching me leave.

"Evan," she said as her eyes narrowed on me. "I see you here again."

"Sophia." I forced a small smile. "Hey."

"Why are you here this time?" she asked. "Did you cause more trouble for the Stingy Ladies while I was taking a break?"

"Just came to talk to Charlotte," I answered. "That was it."

"No ill intentions?" Her stare sharpened.

"No ill intentions," I repeated.

She looked me up and down slowly, sizing me up like she was evaluating whether I was lying. With those heavy black boots she wore, she actually stood a little taller than me. Muscular legs, dark skin, sharp jawline—she fit the internet's definition of a tomboy perfectly. And it worked on her. A little intimidating, a little dangerous, definitely attractive.

When she finally finished judging me, she uncrossed her arms and jerked her chin toward my car. That was her way of telling me I could go.

I didn't argue. I walked over, opened the door, slid into the driver seat, and started the engine. She watched me from the parking lot as I reversed, her hands tucked into her hoodie pockets while snowflakes drifted around her. She was intense, but not in a bad way. More like a locked diary you weren't supposed to open.

And honestly, I kind of wanted to read every page.

╭────────────────────╮

- Quest Available

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

- Title: Mysteries

- Task: Fuck Sophia.

- Reward: +500 EXP, 350c

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

- Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

╰────────────────────╯

"Yeah," I muttered mentally, selecting Yes. "You didn't need to convince me."

❤︎‬‪‪❤︎❤︎

I pulled up in front of the hotel and stepped out. The valet walked toward me, and I tossed him the keys. He caught them cleanly and grinned.

"I caught it this time, Mr. Marlowe," he said while flexing his arm.

"My man." I gave him a nod. "How are the kids doing?"

"They're doing alright," he said as he got into the driver seat. "How's work?"

"I'm hanging in there," I replied.

After going up the stairs, the lobby doors opened automatically. Warm air and soft lighting welcomed me. That's when I spotted Eleanor standing near the elevators with several grocery bags at her feet. She looked exhausted—hair slightly messy, eyes tired, and her coat barely hanging on her shoulders. The elevator opened, but it was too full for anyone to get in, so she just sighed and set the bags down again.

She had chosen the wrong elevator. That one was for regular guests, not the private floors.

I walked toward her, grabbed every bag before she could react, and said, "Hey, Eleanor."

She jumped a little, then let out a breath. "God, you scared me. Hi."

"You're using the wrong elevator," I told her. "Ours is over here."

"Oh." She blinked, a little embarrassed. "Right. Sorry. I'm just… all over the place today."

"Your head's full, that's all," I said, carrying the bags toward the correct elevator. "You doing okay?"

"I'm trying," she said as she followed behind me. "But I can take some of the bags. You don't have to carry all of them."

"It's fine," I said while pressing the button with my elbow. "Come on."

The doors opened, and we stepped inside. I tilted my head toward my jacket pocket.

"Grab the keycard and swipe it?" I asked.

She nodded and reached into my pocket carefully, taking out the card. She swiped it under the button panel, the lights turned on, and soft elevator music started playing from above.

I pressed the P-1 button. The elevator began rising, the hum steady and quiet.

"Getting used to living upstairs?" I asked.

"I'm adjusting, slowly," she said with a small shrug as she put the card back. "It's strange living somewhere new after… everything. But I'm trying."

"Good," I said. "I found a job for you. You know Stingy Ladies?"

She nodded immediately. "Of course. Why?"

"You'll be working there," I said. "They're not sure if it'll be bartending or waitressing yet, but you're hired."

She stared at me, surprised. "That's… actually really good. I mean, I can do that. I just don't understand why you're so against me continuing my old work."

"No particular reason," I said. "I just don't want you going back to that."

Her eyes softened a little, like she wasn't expecting that answer.

╭───────────╮

EVENT

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

Eleanor's Interest +5

╰───────────╯

Huh, that got a point from her? I'd take it.

╭───────────╮

WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 23 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 27 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 35 / 40★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 6 /20

Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 /20

Minne: Interest: 28 /40★

Ivy: Interest: 2/20

Eleanor: 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 elevator kept gliding upward, warm lighting reflecting off the mirrored walls. Eleanor looked down at her gloves, then at her bags, then finally back at me. She looked calmer than she had when I first saw her at the lobby.

A little hope went a long way.

The elevator doors slid open and we both stepped out. Eleanor led the way down the quiet hallway, rummaging through her pockets as she walked. When we reached her door, she patted herself down again, then let out a frustrated groan.

"I forgot the card inside."

"Got it," I said as I set her bags down. I pulled my own card from my pocket, tapped it against the lock, and the LED turned green.

"Thank you," she breathed with a relieved smile.

"No problem."

I picked the bags back up, and we went inside. I carried them to the kitchen and set everything on the counter. Eleanor slipped out of her coat and hung it neatly on the rack before moving beside me. She gave a small, warm nod, the kind of grateful smile that made her look years younger.

"Really," she said softly, "thank you."

I shrugged lightly. "Mm. I should go. Take care, okay?"

"Hey," she said quickly, stopping me mid-turn, "would you… mind having a drink with me? Just a glass of wine?"

I checked my phone. I still had time before meeting Mendy. "Sure. But if you've got beer, I'll take that."

"You don't like wine?"

"Wine tastes like wet wood," I said. "Sorry."

She let out a breathy laugh and opened the fridge. "I have beer. Not sure if it's your kind, though."

She pulled one out, then froze when she realized it needed a bottle opener. She glanced around the kitchen, patting drawers, checking behind jars.

"God, I'm really all over the place today," she muttered.

"It's fine," I said, taking the bottle from her. I wedged my lighter under the cap, popped it clean off, and tossed the cap neatly into the trash by the counter.

Then I walked to the living room and dropped onto the couch. Eleanor poured herself a glass of warm wine and joined me a moment later. She sat close, not touching, but close enough that I could smell her perfume, soft and warm like vanilla with something darker beneath.

She took a small sip. The curve of her lips and the way her throat moved made it hard not to look. Her body didn't match her age at all; she was stacked, curvy, and the way she settled into the couch made her chest rise and fall in a way that made my brain hiccup.

"Your surname was Marlowe, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said, raising my beer. "Yours?"

"Katelm."

"Weird surname," I teased as I took a drink.

"As if Marlowe is normal," she laughed.

"Hey, Marlowe sounds good."

"I'll give you that," she said with a smirk.

I reached into my pocket, pulled out a cigarette pack, and offered her one. She took it delicately and placed it between her lips. I lit hers straight from mine, then lit my own after. We both inhaled slow and exhaled at the same time, the smoke drifting upward in lazy spirals.

"You really took down Guy," Eleanor said, her eyes narrowing a little. "That still blows my mind."

"I did," I said. "Wouldn't have managed without you."

"Me?" She blinked, genuinely surprised. "I just gave you a name."

"You pointed me to Charlotte and Emilia," I reminded her. "If you hadn't, I'd never have found that video."

She grimaced. "So you watched it."

"Unfortunately."

"So pathetic, right?" she muttered.

"Completely," I said. "But it's done now."

"Yeah… finally." She leaned back, letting her head rest against the couch cushion. "His sister can actually breathe now."

"Nala," I said. "And Minne too."

Eleanor nodded slowly. "Minne… poor girl. I saw her a few times back when Guy was still around. She looked like she was fading. Like she wasn't even present."

I hummed in agreement and took another sip of my beer.

"But now?" Eleanor continued. "She looks alive. Happier. Like someone finally opened a window in a stuffy room." She glanced at me with a warm, thoughtful look. "You're good for her. I can tell."

"I try," I said quietly. "She deserves better than what she went through."

My phone buzzed in my pocket. When I checked the screen, Minne's name flashed across it. She must've been wondering where the hell I was; I'd told her to prepare something for me until dinner with Mendy.

"Hey," I answered. "Sorry, Minne. I'll come now."

"T-there's a lady here, Master," she said in a tiny, nervous voice. "She wants to talk to you."

My stomach tightened. "Who is it?"

"Umm… Carrie."

"Never heard of her," I said.

"She told me she is… Tom's mother."

Oh, fucking fantastic.

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