The Heart System

Chapter 179: Chapter 179

I dialed Delilah and waited. Behind me, Minne was clearing the table, carrying the empty dishes to the kitchen. Dinner had been good, really good. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d eaten that well. No more noodles and beer.

The sun was going down, bathing the neon-filled city in a soft golden glow. The view from the penthouse was calm, almost too calm. As I watched the skyline through the window, the final beep sounded.

No answer. Shit. She didn’t pick up again.

I exhaled, putting the phone in my pocket. Damn it.

Tessa was lying across my legs, her head resting on my lap while she scrolled through her phone. On the other couch, Jasmine and Kim sat with Nala between them, all three hunched over their laptops. Looked like Nala was showing them something work-related, probably getting them ready for their first day at TechForge.

”I hope what’s under my head is your phone, Evan,” Tessa said with a sly grin.

”It is,” I said, pulling it out of my pocket.

”Wow. Miracles do happen.”

I leaned back against the couch, letting out a slow breath. I wasn’t in the mood for much of anything. All I could think about was Delilah. Where the hell was she? Was she okay? And why was everyone keeping me in the dark? Man... this sucked.

I tried to keep myself calm and behaved. When I’d moved my hand earlier, almost resting it on Tessa’s tits, I’d stopped midway and rubbed the back of my neck instead, pretending it itched. No need to give her another reason to call me a ’horny monkey.’

”You look stressed,” Tessa said, setting her phone on her stomach. ”Nervous about Delilah, magic fingers?”

”A bit,” I admitted.

”When Evan said he’d give us massages,” Nala said, glancing up, ”you girls were way too excited. Is he actually that good?”

”Oh, he’s good,” Jasmine said. ”Freaking perfect. He’s got some kind of secret technique, I swear.”

”Hence ’magic fingers,’ Nala,” Tessa added. ”Or, you know, ’Magic Boy.’”

”Cute.” Nala chuckled, turning back to the screen. ”Anyway, yeah, don’t click there, Jas. You want that folder instead.”

A buzz on my phone pulled me back. Hoping it was Delilah, I didn’t even check the screen—I just swiped up and answered.

”Hello?”

”Evan Henrik Marlowe.” A woman’s voice. Calm, steady, unfamiliar. ”Hey.”

”Who is this?”

”Sarah,” she said. ”Remember?”

”Sarah...” I exhaled, rubbing my face.

My hand brushed over Tessa’s head before I stood up. She felt the change instantly and looked up at me. So did Jasmine, Nala, and Kim. They all lifted their eyes from their laptops, watching, waiting.

”Missed me?”

”No.” I walked toward the dining table, leaning against the wall. ”What do you want?”

”Just checking in,” she said. ”Have you thought about my deal?”

”You’re crazy,” I said. ”Two million a month is too much.”

”Too much? With everything I have, that could cost your company dearly.”

”Look... let’s talk. Face to face. You, Nala, and me.”

”No negotiations,” she said sharply. ”I’m not backing down, Evan.”

”You... Jesus, how did you get this number?”

”Henrik, huh? Weird middle name. I don’t like it.”

”Stop changing the subject, Sarah,” I said. ”Let’s have a meeting.”

Silence. Then, ”Okay. Tomorrow. Nala’s office. Eight in the morning.”

”Hmm.” I muttered. ”Don’t call me again.”

”Can’t promise,” she sneered, her voice turning hard. ”After you humiliated me in that bar? You’re in for real shit, Evan. Real fucking shit.”

I hung up and shook my head. The girls were watching me, but no one said anything. I took a cigarette from my pocket, lit it, and stared out the window. Guy—this was on him. I had to tell Anotta what he was doing behind the scenes. If we could pressure Guy, maybe he’d call off his dog, Sarah.

”I gotta go,” I said, blowing out smoke.

”Where? Who was it?” Tessa asked. ”Another girl? You should just tell us, man. Come on.”

”Nala can explain,” I said. ”I need to meet with someone.”

Jasmine closed her laptop. ”Evan, are you okay?”

I shrugged, offering a faint smile. ”Eh. Five out of ten okay.”

”Don’t joke right now,” Kim said. ”You look pale. What did that person say? Sarah, was it?”

”Master,” Minne said, walking toward me. ”Did you talk to Sarah?”

I turned toward her, cigarette between my fingers. ”Yeah. Do you know her?”

She nodded shyly. ”She was the one who found my previous mast—Guy a p... pro—prost...”

”Pros?” I asked.

”A... an elite working woman,” Minne said, her face reddening.

”Hooker?” Jasmine asked.

Minne nodded. ”Yes. She found Guy an elite... woman. Her name was Eleanor.”

”Eleanor...” I muttered. ”Maybe Guy told stuff about work to her?”

Nala exhaled. ”No way.”

”Worth a try,” I said. ”The more dirt I find on him, the better. Where can I find this hooker, Minne?”

”He would call the hotel reception from his bedroom phone,” Minne said. ”The number was #31. Then he would request Eleanor.”

I nodded. ”Hmm. Minne, I want you to request Eleanor. She needs to be here at ten, okay?” Then I turned toward the girls. ”Could you stay in the rooms below for the night?”

They all nodded.

”Alright. Let’s see what I can get from her...” I muttered.

”You look... determined,” Jasmine said. ”Not gonna lie, it suits you.”

”Being serious and nervous suits me?” I asked.

”You don’t look nervous.” Jasmine got up, set the laptop aside, and stood behind me, massaging my shoulders. ”Just determined.”

I smiled, turned my head, and kissed her. ”Thanks.”

Minne blushed at the sight, then quickly retreated to the kitchen. Cute.

Alright... first, I had to meet Anotta. Then this woman, Eleanor.

Man... a long day was waiting for me.

Tessa shifted on the couch, her eyes locked on mine, that sly grin fading into something more intense.

”You know, I’ve been teasing you since dinner,” Tessa said, her voice low and playful, but with an edge of frustration. She sat up fully now, swinging her legs off the couch and planting her feet on the floor. ”All those little touches, the way I leaned in, brushing against you... and you didn’t advance, didn’t touch me or anything. What’s the deal, Evan? Getting shy on us?”

I took a drag from the cigarette, exhaling slowly as I glanced at her. The others, Jasmine, Kim, and Nala, were still on the other couch, their laptops forgotten, eyes flicking between us. Minne was clattering dishes in the kitchen, out of sight but not out of earshot.

”I didn’t want to make you guys uncomfortable,” I said, my voice steady but my pulse picking up. ”I didn’t give that speech in the office for nothing.”

Tessa rolled her eyes, but there was a spark in them, a challenge. She stood up smoothly, crossing the short distance to me until she was right beside me, shoulder to shoulder, her body heat radiating through her shirt. Without breaking eye contact, her hand drifted down, fingers deftly finding the zipper of my pants. She tugged it down slowly and before I could react, my half-hard cock sprang free, thickening in the cool air of the penthouse. The sudden exposure made me twitch, but I didn’t pull away.

”Just fuck us, big boy,” Tessa whispered, her hand wrapping around my shaft, giving it a slow, teasing stroke that sent a jolt straight through me. ”Don’t be a wuss. If you want something...” She paused, her free hand moving to her own shirt, popping the buttons one by one, revealing the lacy black bra underneath, her full breasts straining against the fabric. ”...come and get it.”

The words hung in the air, igniting something primal in the room. Jasmine’s eyes widened, but she licked her lips, setting her laptop aside completely. Kim shifted, her cheeks flushing, while Nala let out a soft, breathy laugh, closing her own screen. My cock hardened fully in Tessa’s grip, throbbing as she pumped it lazily, her thumb circling the head.

”Shush, girls,” I muttered, glancing toward the kitchen. ”Minne’s in there. We can’t—”

Tessa smirked, not missing a beat. ”Minne!” she called out, her voice carrying just enough to summon the maid without shouting.

Minne appeared in the doorway a second later, wiping her hands on her apron, her eyes going wide as she took in the scene—Tessa’s hand blatantly stroking my exposed cock, my pants halfway down my thighs now.

Minne’s face turned beet red, her gaze dropping to the floor. ”Y-yes, Miss Tessa?”

Tessa’s grin widened, her strokes never faltering. ”You earned a break, honey. Go to your room.”

Minne nodded furiously, not daring to look up again, and scurried off down the hall, the door clicking shut behind her. The tension in the living room snapped like a rubber band, and just like that, we were alone—me, Tessa, Jasmine, Kim, and Nala, the city lights twinkling outside as the sun dipped fully below the horizon.

Tessa didn’t waste time. She shoved me back against the wall gently, her shirt hanging open, and dropped to her knees in front of me. ”See? Problem solved. Now, where were we?” Her mouth engulfed the head of my cock, sucking hard, her tongue swirling as she took me deeper. I groaned, my hand tangling in her hair, the cigarette forgotten as I stubbed it out in a nearby ashtray.

The others moved fast. Jasmine was the first to join, crawling over on all fours, her eyes hungry. ”Fuck, Tessa, share him already,” she purred, nudging Tessa aside just enough to lick along the side of my shaft. Tessa pulled back with a pop, smirking up at me as Jasmine’s lips wrapped around me, sucking greedily while Tessa’s hand cupped my balls, rolling them gently.

Kim and Nala exchanged a glance, then stood, shedding their clothes as they approached. Kim’s top came off first, revealing her breasts with hard nipples begging for attention. Nala followed, her skirt pooling at her feet, leaving her in just panties that she hooked her thumbs into and slid down slowly.

”You heard her, Evan,” Nala said, her voice husky. ”Fuck us. We’ve been waiting all damn day.”