The Heart System

Chapter 57: Chapter 57

Man. Those damn tits. Penelope... I shook my head, trying to push the thought out before it swallowed me whole.

Burney’s place was packed, like always. A modern sort of cozy—white walls, steel beams painted black, and plants hanging in woven baskets up near the ceiling. Right in the middle sat an aquarium the size of a coffin turned sideways, lit with a soft blue glow. Tiny silver fish darted around inside, weaving through fake coral, drawing the eyes of anyone sitting close enough.

Tables circled the tank in neat rows: polished wood slabs on black metal legs. Some college kids typed on laptops, headphones in, nursing iced coffees. Two guys in suits whispered numbers to each other by the window. A couple made out in a booth like the world didn’t exist.

Behind the counter, baristas barked out orders while the espresso machine screamed. And above it all, dangling from wires tied to the ceiling, were block letters spelling out SMILE. Cute. Burney always had some shit like that. Bathrooms were tucked down a hallway near the counter, a glowing sign pointing left. Thirty people easy in here, but it didn’t feel cramped—just alive.

I dropped into an empty table near the back and exhaled, letting the noise wash over me. Then I flicked the menu open in my head.

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Name: Evan Marlowe

Age: 21

Height: 179 cm

Weight: 73 kg

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Level: 4

EXP: 98 / 311

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”Good. Getting there. Slowly.”

Another screen blinked up.

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Daily Task:

Compliment 7 women

Reward: 32 XP

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”Sick of these daily tasks...” I muttered.

Seven women? Not today. Credit was what I needed, not XP. The massage promise weighed heavy—Susan had thrown me that bone, and if I didn’t pull it off, I was fucked. Literally out on the street. Oil wasn’t free either, and I had nothing but pocket lint.

I flicked the quests menu open, scrolling down with my finger. Except—halfway through, I realized I wasn’t touching the screen anymore. My thoughts were dragging it down by themselves. A couple people glanced my way, frowning.

”Shit,” I muttered, dropping my hands to my knees. Weird. But useful.

Then one popped up:

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Quest Available

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Title: Kiss on the cheek

Task: Kiss Ivy on the cheek

Reward: +10 EXP

20c

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Accept Quest? [Yes] [No]

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Kiss Ivy? That was tame. Hell, compared to some of the fucked-up quests I’d seen, this one looked innocent.

I hit [Yes].

And waited. Been a while since I last saw her—fresh face, but familiar enough to not feel like a stranger.

The door opened. Street noise spilled in before it clicked shut again. And there she was—Ivy. She stopped by the door, hair tie between her teeth while she gathered her hair into a ponytail, eyes scanning the café. Damn. Because of Kim, my eyes went straight to her armpit. Smooth, pale, too fucking sexy for something so ordinary. My brain was fried.

”Hey!” I called, raising my hand. ”Over here.”

Her gaze landed on me.

Ivy finally spotted me and made her way over.

She was hard to miss—short sleeveless t-shirt clinging to her chest, fabric stretched tight over tits that looked like they wanted to burst free. Big ass swaying in those light jeans, every step making heads turn her way. She didn’t even notice, or maybe she was just used to it.

When she reached the table, I stood up, leaning in. We hugged, her tits pressing into me just enough to make my cock twitch, and I planted a quick kiss on her cheek.

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Name: Evan Marlowe

Age: 21

Height: 179 cm

Weight: 73 kg

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Level: 4

EXP: 108/ 311

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”Wow, so European,” Ivy quipped, sliding into the chair across from me. ”What’s up?”

”Good, good,” I muttered, sinking back into my seat. ”How about you? Been a while since we met, huh?”

”Yep.” She rested her arms on the table, raising one eyebrow. ”So, will you tell me what happened with Kayla, please?”

”Oh, boy.” I smiled, shaking my head. ”It’s a long story. You ready?”

”Yep.”

So I started explaining—Richard screwing up, Mendy’s reaction, how I somehow got Kayla to swallow her pride and claim the videos were fake. I left out the messy details, of course, and the system stuff? That stayed buried. No one needed to know about that. If I told anyone, they’d just call me insane.

As I spoke, I caught her expression twisting more and more. Her nose wrinkled, lips tight. By the time I wrapped it up, she looked like she’d just swallowed something sour.

”So,” she said flatly, leaning back. ”You helped a cheater? Is that it? Helped a guy who cheated on his girlfriend.”

”Look, he’s my friend, okay?” I said, hands raised. ”I had to.”

”I cannot believe you.” She shook her head, eyes rolling. ”I cannot believe you, Evan.”

”Look, I’m not proud of what I did. But what’s done is done.” I shrugged. ”And plus—they’re happy now.”

”Yeah. A fake happiness.” She folded her arms. ”You’re an idiot.”

”Yeah, yeah.” I sighed, reaching for the glass of water the waiter had left on the table.

As she sipped her water, I flicked my eyes down at the menu, opening up the shop.

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SHOP

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• Aphrodisiac Drink (10c)

• Silk Lingerie Set (25c)

• Sensual Massage Oil (15c)

• Mystery Pleasure Toy (30c)

• Flirt Potion (20c)

• Hypnotic Perfume (40c)

• Time Stop (90c)

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Credits: 20 c

Select item to purchase.

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Good. The reward had been added. I really needed that Sensual Massage Oil if I was gonna massage that CEO like I promised Susan. Without it, there was no way I’d pull it off. Still... couldn’t help wondering what the other items did. Hypnotic Perfume? Time Stop? Maybe one day, when I was swimming in credits. For now, I had to keep it practical.

I closed the screen just as Ivy set her glass down, brushing her hair back.

”So,” she began, almost casually. ”I broke up with my boyfriend.”

”Oh,” I said, blinking. ”You... why? Don’t tell me he cheated on you, please. I’d feel like a jackass.”

”No, no.” She shook her head, lips curling into something between a smile and a sigh. ”We broke up willingly. Like... we decided it was best for us.”

”Okay...” I leaned forward. ”Why?”

She coughed into her hand, lowering her voice. ”He... you know, turns out he—” she hesitated, then blurted—”he’s gay.”

I froze mid-sip, glass still hovering near my lips. Let the silence hang a second before swallowing and setting it back down. That... wasn’t what I expected. But at least he hadn’t broken her heart cheating. She didn’t look hurt. If anything, she looked relieved.

”Huh,” I said finally. ”You were that bad at sex he turned gay?”

”Ah, shut the fuck up.” Ivy groaned, cheeks flushing as she slapped my arm. ”You can’t joke about this shit.”

”Fine, fine.” I lifted my hands in mock surrender. ”Sorry.”

”Mmph...” She narrowed her eyes at me, but I could see the corner of her mouth twitch like she was holding back a smile. ”What about you?”

”What about me?”

”You still single?” she asked.

”I’m working at a gas station, Ivy,” I said flatly. ”Who the hell would want me?”

”Hey, you never know.” She leaned back with a sly smile. ”Last time I saw you, you were like—meh. But now? I swear you’re glowing. You started some skincare routine, right?”

Thank you, Charm. A million times over. No way in hell I’d ever reset that skill—it was sitting at ten and paying for itself every day. I kept wondering how people would see me once I pushed it past that. Over ten. Had to try it. Had to level up.

”Yeah, thanks,” I said, smirking. ”Hey, you don’t look bad yourself.”

”The compliment of the year.”

”Yup.”

The silence hung heavy for a moment, just the clink of glasses and the low hum of conversation in the café. Then Ivy cut through it.

”So you massaged Kayla and convinced her.”

”That’s what I did.”

”How?”

”With... my awesome massage skills?”

Her eyes narrowed. ”Tell me the truth.”

Nope. Not happening. There was no universe where I told Ivy I bent Kayla over in that spa room and fucked her until she begged me to finish her. Some details stayed buried.

”Like I said, I’m good with my hands.”

Ivy tilted her head, her brows lifting. ”How come I never knew that?”

I shrugged, letting my hand drum lightly against the table. ”You never asked for a massage, did you?”

She narrowed her eyes at me, leaning forward on her elbows. ”Because you never told me you were good at it.”

”Hey, that’s not all,” I said, straightening up and puffing my chest a little, trying not to grin. ”You know a woman named Anotta?”

Her lips parted slightly, and she set her glass down with a soft clink. ”Of course. Russian businesswoman. CEO of Nuppia. That’s a good brand.”

”I’m going to massage her.”

Her eyes flicked up to me, skeptical. ”You’re joking.”

”Nope. I know the boss of Velouria Retreat. She practically begged me to take the job.”

Ivy leaned back in her chair, arms crossing under her chest. A slow smile tugged at the corner of her mouth. ”I thought you didn’t work there.”

”She’s... outsourcing.”

The waiter appeared out of nowhere, pen poised. ”Can I get you folks something to drink?”

”Black coffee,” I said, tapping my fingers on the table.

Ivy tilted her head and smiled faintly. ”Mocha for me, thanks.”

”Coming right up,” the waiter said, scribbling down our orders before disappearing back toward the counter.

I reached for my phone and, as usual, it buzzed almost immediately. Unknown number. I frowned, raising an eyebrow.

”Excuse me a sec,” I muttered, standing up. Ivy nodded, her attention drifting toward the large aquarium in the middle of the shop, fish gliding lazily past the colorful coral and smooth stones. I stepped outside, the cool air hitting me as I pulled my phone up.