The Heart System

Chapter 597

Honestly, it almost threw me off a little. He looked way too normal to be related to Brok in any way. Friendly, calm, decent-looking. But people like Brok didn’t keep useless people around. If Dakota really was connected to him, then there had to be more under the surface.

”Huh.” I shrugged casually. ”Nice.”

”Nice indeed.” He nodded. ”People usually come here for phones and consoles. Nobody gives a damn about laptop coolers anymore unless their laptop sounds like it’s about to explode.”

”I know that feeling.” I lied. ”I’ll take this one. How much?”

”Twenty bucks.”

We walked back toward the counter. He rang me up while humming quietly to himself, then stuffed the cooler into a plastic bag and handed it over.

”Thanks.”

”No problem, friend. Have a good day.”

”You too.”

I left the pawnshop with the most unnecessary purchase of my life hanging from my wrist.

The moment I stepped outside, my expression dropped.

Alright. I finally had a face for Dakota. Now the hard part started. I needed information from him somehow, but I had no idea how loyal he was toward Brok.

Blackmail crossed my mind immediately.

With Time Stop, I could literally ruin someone’s life in minutes if I wanted. Strip the guy naked, take photos, plant stuff on him, make fake evidence. Easy.

But that would absolutely destroy my Bad Boy points, and I couldn’t afford another punishment from Mana. Losing my stats once was already bad enough.

”No...” I muttered while unlocking my car. ”Need another way.”

I tossed the laptop cooler onto the passenger seat and got inside. Just as I started the engine, my phone rang.

Cora.

I answered immediately.

”Hello? Cora?”

”E-Evan...” she muttered quietly. ”I heard movement through the camera.”

I straightened up in my seat immediately. ”What?”

”I think they arrived.”

”Really?” I asked quickly. ”You’re home, right?”

”Yes.”

Then I heard Esme yelling loudly from somewhere farther away.

”Pizza! Bring pizza!”

I couldn’t help smiling. ”Ninja Turtle over there wants pizza, huh?”

”You don’t have to bring any,” Cora said softly.

Then she suddenly went quiet.

”Oh... I hear them now. The microphone picked up voices outside. Oop... A car honked... I think.”

My heart immediately started beating faster. Good. Very good.

”I’m coming,” I said while putting the car into gear. ”Five minutes.”

”Okay.”

She hung up and I pulled away from the curb, starting driving through traffic.

Finally. Jack and Robert were at the house together.

If I managed to catch them together in bed, this whole mess with Nala could finally end. Jack would either stop bothering her quietly, or I’d ruin his life before he got the chance to ruin hers.

Honestly, the guy still confused me.

He apparently had a secret boyfriend, was terrified of his ultra-religious family finding out and spent his whole life hiding himself from the public. Yet somehow, he still found time to blackmail girls into sending him nude photos.

What the hell was wrong with him?

Maybe he just liked power. Some people got addicted to controlling others.

I stopped at a red light and glanced at my phone mounted near the dashboard. My finger hovered over Nala’s contact for a moment. Part of me wanted to call her just to make sure she was okay. But my pride got in the way again. It felt stupid, like I was fighting some imaginary war and refusing to lose.

In the end, I locked the phone again and exhaled.

”Naah... not happening.”

Instead, I called Kim.

She answered almost instantly. ”Yellow, this is Kim, Mr. Marlowe.”

”Hey, Kim.”

”What’s up?”

”Did you talk to Emma? Any news from her?”

”Nope. I texted her like five minutes ago.” She snorted. ”Did you develop psychic powers or something?”

”I was just checking.”

”Mhm.”

”If Emma says anything about Nala sending photos,” I said, ”call me immediately.”

”I will.”

I heard keyboard clicking from her side for a moment.

Then she spoke again. ”Oh, right. What about the camera thing with... wait, what was her name again? Creepy stalker girl?”

”Cora.”

”Right, right. Cora.”

”Apparently Jack and Robert arrived at the house.”

Kim gasped dramatically. ”Oh my god, please tell me they’re about to fuck like wild animals.”

”Kim.”

”I’m serious,” she laughed. ”You need good footage if you wanna blackmail the dude properly.”

”Please never become a criminal mastermind.”

”Too late.”

The traffic light finally turned green. I pressed the gas pedal and continued down the wet street.

”So what’s the plan?” Kim asked.

”I’m heading to Cora’s place first. We’ll watch the feed from there.”

”And if they start making out?”

”Then I finally save Nala from this mess.”

Kim hummed thoughtfully.

”You know... for a guy pretending he doesn’t care about her, you sure are risking a lot.”

I rolled my eyes. ”Goodbye, Kim.”

”Aww. Touchy.”

”I’m hanging up now.”

”Love you too, Evy.”

”Stop calling me that.”

She laughed loudly and ended the call before I could reply.

I shook my head and tossed the phone onto the passenger seat beside the laptop cooler.

Cars moved slowly through the evening traffic while pedestrians hurried across sidewalks with umbrellas. The weather was getting worse by the second.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.

Come on, Jack.

Please be stupid enough to screw your boyfriend right in front of that hidden camera.

⟁ ⟁ ⟁

I knocked on the door and stepped inside as soon as it opened, not even bothering to check who had greeted me. I placed the warm pizza box on the dining table and turned around.

Esme was closing the door, her eyes already locked onto the pizza box like it was her long-lost lover. She was wearing an oversized, faded gray t-shirt that barely reached the top of her thighs. The thin fabric clung to her body, clearly showing she wasn’t wearing a bra, her nipples poked against the material. Lower down, the hem of the shirt had ridden up just enough to reveal she had no panties on either. The outline of her pussy was clearly visible, forming a soft, plump cameltoe. She looked half-asleep as usual, eyes heavy-lidded, hair slightly messy, like she had just rolled out of bed.

”Mm... pizza,” she mumbled, already drifting toward the box.

”Evan,” Cora called, walking in from the hallway. ”I think they finally arrived.”

”That’s good,” I nodded. ”Let’s watch.”