The Heart System

Chapter 131: Chapter 131

I took another drag, exhaling slow, the smoke curling in the dim light. Delilah had helped me my whole uni life, and I’d just returned the favor. But she wasn’t gonna like this. She hated, and I mean HATED, anyone meddling in her business, always high and mighty, never the damsel in distress. That’s what I admired about her—her strength, her fire, always true to herself.

“How do I even explain…” I muttered, staring at the rain-streaked window, the cigarette burning low between my fingers.

Wow… I really did that, huh? Exposed Vanessa, got her and Sarah arrested. The old Evan would’ve sat back, thinking one guy couldn’t make a difference. But with this system… I helped Delilah. This whole thing wasn’t just about fucking chicks—it was bigger than that.

A sharp knock hit the door. Fuck. Delilah. She’d said she’d show up at ten, and it was just shy of that now, the clock ticking on the wall.

“Coming,” I muttered, crushing my cigarette into the ashtray, the smoke curling up. I stood, my steps heavy, and peered through the peephole. Shit, it was her, and she looked pissed—eyes narrowed, jaw tight, her arms crossed under her jacket.

I unlocked the door and opened it. Delilah stood there, glaring, her dark hair pulled back, her face all business. She didn’t wait for an invite, shoving past me, her shoulder brushing mine as she stormed inside, her heels clicking on the hardwood.

“I cannot fucking believe you, Evan,” she snapped, spinning to face me, her voice sharp enough to cut glass. “You think you can just meddle in my life like that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, ma’am,” I lied, keeping my tone calm, closing the door behind me.

“Oh, don’t play dumb!” she said, her eyes blazing, stepping closer, pointing a finger at my chest. “The whole thing with the gala? That was you, wasn’t it?”

“No,” I said, meeting her gaze, trying to keep my cool.

“No?” She yanked out her phone, her fingers moving fast, and shoved it in my face, a video playing. It was the gala clip taken by one of the guests—Vanessa on her knees, acting like a dog, drinking piss, the crowd gasping. The camera panned, and for a split second, there I was, arms crossed, grinning like an idiot, watching Vanessa’s humiliation unfold.

Shit.

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EVENT

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Delilah’s Interest -15

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Oh, come on. Minus fifteen? What the hell? I just wanted to help her, and I fucking did. This was her reaction? Prideful as ever, Delilah. Always so damn proud.

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WOMEN – INTERACTIONS

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Jasmine: Interest: 30 / 40★

Kayla: Interest: 5 / 20

Tessa: Interest: 22 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 22 / 40★

Delilah: Interest: 5 / 40★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 2/20

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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.

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“Did I ask for your fucking help, Evan?” Delilah hissed, her voice low, venomous, her hands on her hips. “Did I?”

“Ms. Komb…” I started, but she cut me off.

“I told you what was happening because I needed someone to listen, not to play fucking hero!” she shouted, her face inches from mine. “I thought you were my friend, someone I could trust. But you went behind my back!”

“I had to,” I said, my voice firm, holding her gaze. “It was for your own good.”

“My own good?” she scoffed, her laugh bitter, stepping closer, her eyes burning. “You think you get to decide what’s best for me now, Evan? You think I’m some damsel who needs saving?”

I felt my temper flare, my voice rising. “When you’re too damn blind to see what’s going on, yeah, I do!” I snapped. “Those bastards were talking about slipping a pill in your coffee, Delilah. Selling your body to co-workers. Sending you death threats! I saw you crying in the bathroom, saw it all! What was I supposed to do, stand there and let it happen?”

She froze, her lips parting, but no words came out, her eyes wide.

“Like it or not, Delilah, you’re important to me,” I said, softer now, stepping closer, my hand resting on her shoulder. “Without you, uni would’ve been hell. I wouldn’t be here. So yell at me, hate me, I don’t care. I’d do it again if it meant keeping you safe.”

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EVENT

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Delilah’s Interest +20

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“Hate me or not, Delilah,” I continued, my voice steady, “knowing you’re safe, that you’re not crying every night, that’s enough for me. I don’t need a thank you or a fucking gold star. If you’re okay, I’m okay, even if you’re pissed.”

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WOMEN – INTERACTIONS

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Jasmine: Interest: 30 / 40★

Kayla: Interest: 5 / 20

Tessa: Interest: 22 / 40★

Kim: Interest: 22 / 40★

Delilah: Interest: 25 / 40★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 2/20

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

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.

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Her eyes turned red, watering, her gaze locked on mine, vulnerable for the first time. Something stirred in me, a pull I couldn’t fight. She looked… fuck, she looked beautiful, fierce even in her anger.

Without thinking, I leaned in and kissed her, my lips pressing against hers, soft but firm.

She gasped, eyes widening, and stumbled back, her cheeks flushing red, embarrassment flashing across her face. She looked down, her hands trembling, then turned without a word, opened the door, and left, the slam echoing in the quiet apartment.

“Ah, fuck,” I muttered, running a hand through my hair. “That could’ve gone better, huh?”

‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬

That night, I saw another dream. There I was again, in that green field, naked, the grass soft under my feet. The woman with the umbrella stood there, her back turned, her silhouette sharp against the bright sky. I took a step forward, and she flinched, her body tensing. Slowly, she turned her face toward me.

The air shifted, heavy, like something snapped awake or broke free. Just as her face started to come into view, everything went black.

“Sv hslfowm’g yv sviv,” a voice said in the darkness, low and strange, impossible to pin as male or female.

“Vezm Nzioldv. Lmv lu Pziznrmv’h hfyqvxgh,” another voice answered, just as eerie, twisting through the void.

“Pziznrmv, sfs?”

“Tvg srn lfg lu sviv.”

I woke up, drenched in sweat, my chest heaving like I’d run a marathon. Kim was asleep next to me, one leg dangling off the bed, her tits spilling out of her loose pajama top, her short brown hair splayed on the pillow.

I wiped the sweat from my brow and got up, standing frozen for a few seconds, my head spinning. What the fuck did I just see? That woman again, those creepy voices. This was beyond strange—fucking unsettling.

I grabbed Kim’s leg, gently lifting it back onto the bed, her soft breathing uninterrupted. I shuffled to the living room, flicked on the light, and grabbed my cigarette pack from the table. Opening the fridge, I snagged a cold beer, took a big swig, the chill grounding me, and walked to the window. Rain fell lazily outside, neon city lights flickering through the haze.

“What was that…” I muttered, lighting a cigarette, the flame flaring briefly. I took a deep drag, blowing the smoke upward, watching it slip through the window’s tiny gaps.

“It’s a side effect.”

I jumped, my heart lurching, the beer bottle slipping from my hand. Spinning around, I saw her—Dierella, leaning forward, catching the bottle just before it hit the floor. She smiled, sauntering to the kitchen counter, hopping up to sit, legs crossed. Her short skirt rode up, her white shirt clinging to her curves, and fuck, no panties—her pussy visible, glowing in the dim light. My cigarette burned between my fingers as I stared, stunned.

“How’d you… get here?” I asked, my voice shaky, taking a cautious step toward her.

“How?” She smirked, sipping my beer, her eyes glinting with mischief. “I own you, Evan Marlowe. Everything about you.”

I swallowed hard, nodding. “W-what’d you say about a side effect?”

“You’re my subject, Evan Marlowe, Goddess of Dreams,” she said, her voice smooth, almost teasing. “It’s normal to dream things you shouldn’t see.”

“Normal?” I asked, my brow furrowing.

“You’re tied to my being,” she said, letting her legs dangle, her skirt shifting higher. “You glimpse what I experience, but not fully. You’re still mortal, after all.”

“This… system,” I said, stepping closer. “That’s you?”

She nodded, her smile sharp. “Before you, I gave it to a man in his thirties. Seemed decent. Know what he did?” Her voice turned ice-cold, her legs swinging. “Used Time Stop, walked into a kindergarten, pants off.”

“What?”

“Know what I did?” She asked, rubbing her belly. “Ate his dick off.”

I froze, my cigarette trembling in my hand. I remembered that news—a guy found in a kindergarten bathroom, dick gone, panicked, saying he didn’t remember anything past leaving his house.

“I made him forget,” Dierella said, her tone biting. “Aren’t I generous?”

“Fuck…” I muttered, my stomach twisting.

“But you,” she said, her voice softening, “you used Time Stop for a cause. Helped someone. I half-expected you to whip it out and fuck Vanessa at that gala. I wouldn’t do anything, mind you. But you didn’t fuck her. And you didn’t use Gaslighting on Kim. Why?”

“She’s important to me,” I said, my voice steady.

“Lm blfi pmvvh,” she murmured, her eyes flashing.

Suddenly, I dropped to my knees, my body locked, unable to move, my eyes wide with panic. I couldn’t blink, couldn’t speak, just stared as she smirked down at me.

“That deserves a reward,” she said, hopping off the counter, her skirt swaying. “One-time deal, Evan. Don’t get used to it.”

“W-what?” I managed, my voice strained.

She tugged her skirt up, stepping closer, her pussy inches from my face. It was perfect—pink, glowing, the folds flawless, her slit glistening.

When my mouth connected with it, and I licked instinctively, slurping like it was the best meal I’d had in years. Her juices flowed, sweet and warm, and she moaned softly, her hips shifting. My tongue plunged inside, then flicked her clit, circling fast, her moans growing louder.

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EVENT

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Reward: +5 Ability Point

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