The Heart System

Chapter 340: Chapter 340

The common bathroom door opened behind me.

Mendy stepped out, wearing only her bra—sweater gone, probably ruined from earlier. Cum stains, I remembered guiltily.

She froze when she saw me, eyes dropping to the floor fast.

I cleared my throat, stepped behind the kitchen counter to hide my lower half. ”Um... Mendy?”

”Y-yeah?” she said, voice small, still looking down.

”I hope we—I—you weren’t upset with me. For... staining your clothes.”

”It’s... okay,” she muttered, walking to the couch and sitting, knees together. ”This was... definitely an experience.”

”Hmm.” I leaned on the counter. ”So... what do you think?”

”I...” she started, fidgeting. ”I’m not sure.”

”You didn’t hate it?”

”No, no,” she said quickly. ”I think... I didn’t?”

”That’s good.” I smiled faintly. ”Oh, and... thanks for listening to me back there. For... lifting your sweater. That really... pushed me over.”

”My breasts?” she asked, glancing up briefly. ”There were several naked women in front of you, Evan. You don’t have to lie to get on my good side.”

”I climaxed the second you touched me,” I said honestly. ”You being there did something to me, Mendy. That’s not a lie. I... was glad you were there.”

”Mm...” She cleared her throat, cheeks pink. ”When do you think we can... go? I want to be home.”

”In this weather?” I gestured at the storm raging outside. ”Not possible tonight.”

”Oh...”

”You can stay as long as you want,” I said. ”Don’t worry—I’m not gonna peep or anything.”

”That’s not my concern,” she said softly. ”I trust you as a person. I know you’re not like Richard. You told me that yourself, right?”

”Oh... right.”

”I trust you,” she repeated. ”It’s just... this feels weird. I want to be somewhere else. Not... here.”

”I’ve got two more rooms downstairs,” I offered. ”One’s occupied—a friend’s staying. But you can take the other. Cool?”

”Yeah,” she exhaled, relief clear. ”Phew. Thank you.”

”Yup. I’ll probably take a bath, but Minne can show you the room. Just ask her.”

”Minne was the... maid, right?”

”Yep.”

Kayla came out from Minne’s room then, dry but completely naked—her outfit from earlier nowhere in sight. She paused when she saw Mendy.

Mendy turned, eyes widening. ”O-oh...”

Kayla smiled awkwardly. ”Hi again.”

”Hi...” Mendy said, looking away fast.

”Um... no clothes?” Kayla asked lightly, scratching her head.

”They... were... stained by Evan,” Mendy muttered. ”Um... I liked your cop outfit.”

”Uh... thanks.”

Awkward silence.

I cleared my throat. ”Welp, I’m off to take a shower.” I walked toward Minne’s room, pausing at the door. ”Goodnight, Mendy.”

”Y-yeah... goodnight,” she replied softly.

I smiled to myself and headed in. A warm shower was all I needed.

❤︎‬‪‪❤︎‬‪‪❤︎

Alright, this was going to be awkward.

The storm still hadn’t passed, the wind howling outside like it was personally offended by the city, and Mendy was... staying here for today as well. None of us went to work. Every single one of us was stuck inside the penthouse, snow piling up against the windows like the world had decided to press pause.

Minne was the only one not really present, at least not mentally. She kept checking her phone earlier, frowning harder every time the screen stayed dark. Her mother’s electricity was cut off. She’d sent one message before her battery died, saying she was okay, saying not to worry. But worry didn’t listen to logic. I could see it eating Minne alive.

We were all seated around the table.

I sat at the end, leaning back slightly, working through my breakfast. Delilah sat on the opposite end, arms crossed loosely, looking way too calm for someone who was currently hiding out at the place of the guy she’d been fucking while Ivy was losing her mind back home. Ivy had apparently yelled at her over the phone, demanding at least a warning next time she stayed over at a ”friend’s.” That word had done a lot of heavy lifting.

Kayla exhaled loudly, reaching for the olive plate and scooping a few onto her own dish. ”Wow. So we all just... have breakfast. Like it’s the most normal thing in the world.”

Tessa smirked, lifting her mug. ”We don’t get on our knees and worship Evan’s dick every morning. We prefer breakfast, believe it or not.”

Kayla choked on a laugh and waved her hand. ”That’s not what I meant. It’s just...” She glanced around the table, then shook her head. ”Never mind.”

Tessa smirked. ”Uh-uh.”

On the right side of the rectangular table, Kayla sat between Minne and Nala. On the left, Tessa was dead center, Kim and Jasmine flanking her. Outside, the storm roared and rattled the windows, but inside it felt warm. Cozy. Uncomfortably domestic.

Jasmine chewed thoughtfully, then pointed her fork at Kayla. ”Did you get your ass done? Because damn. I’m against surgery, but if that’s the result, I might reconsider.”

Kayla laughed, sitting up straighter. ”No. I work out. A lot.”

”Squats?” Kim asked, raising an eyebrow.

”That too,” Kayla said. ”I downloaded this app years ago. It gives workouts, meal suggestions, all that stuff. I owe my butt to it.”

”Which app?” Nala asked, curious. ”Working out wouldn’t hurt.”

Kayla set the olives down. ”Use my link. I get coins.”

I frowned. ”Coins for what?”

”Skins,” she said brightly. ”I have a pet duck in the app. You work out, you earn coins, you buy food for it.”

Delilah tilted her head. ”What happens if you skip a workout?”

Kayla dragged her finger across her throat. ”Dead.”

Jasmine went pale. ”I’d spiral. I can’t let a cute duck die because I decided to nap.”

”That’s the motivation,” Kayla said, shrugging.

I leaned back. ”Just trick the app. Say you did the workout.”

Kayla shook her head immediately. ”Tricking the app means tricking yourself. Then what’s the point?”

I nodded slowly. ”Yeah. Fair.”

That’s when I noticed Minne.

She wasn’t eating. Just poking at her plate with her fork, eyes unfocused. I lifted my glass of orange juice, took a slow sip, watching her over the rim. She looked small like that, shoulders slightly hunched, worry pulling her inward.

I leaned back further, full. The breakfast had been perfect.

Not just good. Perfect.

Freshly baked croissants still warm and flaking under my fingers, soft scrambled eggs with chives folded in, smoked salmon laid out neatly beside capers and cream cheese, bowls of mixed berries, thick Greek yogurt drizzled with honey, freshly squeezed orange juice that tasted like it had never seen a carton in its life. Even the coffee smelled expensive.

Once upon a time, breakfast for me had been instant noodles and a beer if I was lucky. This? This wouldn’t have even shown up in my dreams back then.

”Living room?” Nala asked, pushing her chair back.

”Yeah,” Jasmine said. ”I’m stuffed.”

”Same,” Tessa added.

Delilah stood. ”I’m washing my face. Again. The storm kept me up, couldn’t sleep. I feel so sleepy.”

”Right?” Kim said, getting up. ”That traffic light near TechForge fell again.”

”Again?” Delilah paused.

”Second time,” Kim said. ”Storm’s nasty.”

”Not like the one weeks ago,” Kayla said as she walked toward the living room. ”That nearly took my roof.”

Everyone moved except Minne.

I stayed seated.

Delilah noticed. She slowed, met my eyes. I nodded slightly, gesturing that I had it. She gave a short nod back and kept walking to the bathroom.

I cleared my throat.

Minne flinched slightly and looked up at me. Her eyes were glossy, worry sitting right at the surface. I didn’t speak right away. I didn’t need to. She understood. Her shoulders sagged. She set her fork down and started fidgeting with the hem of her freshly ironed maid outfit.

”Minne.”

”Y-yes, Master?” Her voice was small.

”I’ve got the dishes,” I said gently. ”Go to your room. Take a breather.”

”I can’t let you handle the dishes—”

”That’s an order,” I said, firm but calm. ”Change out of the outfit. Take the day off. Just relax, yeah?”

She hesitated, then nodded. ”Okay, Master.”

”Good girl.”

She stood slowly, bowed her head slightly, and left the room.

The girls were already settled in the living room.

The TV was on low volume, a weather forecaster standing in front of a massive digital map, red and blue streaks swirling behind her as she talked about wind speeds, snowfall, and how the storm was expected to linger through the afternoon. The sound blended into the background, more atmosphere than information.

Kayla was curled up on one end of the couch, knees tucked under her. Tessa lounged across from her like she owned the place, one arm draped over the backrest. Kim sat upright, focused on the screen, while Jasmine half-listened, half-scrolled through her phone. Nala was there too, calm as ever, legs crossed neatly, eyes occasionally flicking from the TV to the rest of us.

I started collecting plates.

One by one, I stacked the empty dishes, balancing them carefully in my arms, the clink of porcelain soft but constant as I carried them into the kitchen. The smell of coffee still lingered, warm and rich, mixing with the faint citrus from the orange juice.

As I set the first stack down, the bathroom door opened.

Delilah stepped out and she paused when she saw me, then tilted her head slightly.

”Hey,” she said. ”Did you talk to Minne?”

”Yeah,” I replied, sliding a plate into the sink. ”She was pretty down.”

Delilah nodded slowly, understanding immediately. She grabbed her empty glass from the counter and placed it beside the sink. ”Yeah... I get that.”

I glanced at her. ”How about you talk to her for a bit? She loves you. Like—really loves you. You’re her favorite.”

Her lips curved into a soft smile. ”Of course. I kind of find it cute, honestly. Dare I say I’m honored.”

I snorted quietly. ”I thought I was her favorite, not gonna lie.”

She laughed under her breath.

From the living room, Jasmine twisted around on the couch, looking over the backrest. ”Evan? You want help? I thought Minne would—”

”Nah,” I said quickly. ”I’m almost done.”

Kim leaned forward slightly. ”You sure?”

”Yep,” I said, stacking the last plate. ”Give me a second.”