She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother

A soft, discreet chime from the suite’s service bell broke the morning quiet.

Alex’s eyes opened instantly. He didn’t move right away, lying still as the golden morning light spilled through the sheer linen curtains, casting warm amber stripes across the bedroom.

A single glance around the room told the entire story of the night before.

The bedroom was a portrait of beautiful, unchecked ruin. Pillows lay scattered across the floorboards. Near the armchair, her delicate silk blouse and cardigan sat discarded where they had been stripped away in a fever. Even the heavy timber headboard rested slightly askew against the wall, while the tangled sheets bore silent testimony to a storm that had raged until dawn.

Beside him, buried deep into the feather pillows, Victoria was still fast asleep.

A single white sheet was pulled loosely over her hips and lower back, leaving the smooth, pale curve of her spine and bare shoulders exposed to the room’s gentle warmth. Her dark hair was spilled wildly across the pillow like raw silk, her lips slightly parted and softly swollen, and a faint, rosy flush still lingered on her skin.

For the first time since Alex had known her, there wasn’t a trace of tension in her brow, no guarded shadow in her expression, and no weight pressing down on her shoulders. She was sleeping with the total, undisturbed peace of someone whose soul had finally been set free.

Alex looked at her, remembering the fierce abandon of the night. She had been true to every single word she whispered on the mountain terrace.

The cold, untouchable Madame Blackwood had dissolved completely, clinging to him, crying out his name without a shred of shame, begging him to take her further until her voice grew raspy and her strength finally gave out in his arms.

A slow, deeply satisfied smile curved Alex’s lips. He gave a quiet shake of his head, feeling a profound, settled calm deep in his chest.

Moving with silent, practiced grace so he wouldn’t disturb her rest, Alex slipped out from beneath the covers. He grabbed a comfortable charcoal-silk lounge robe from the stand, slipping his arms through and tying the sash loosely around his waist.

He walked across the soft rug to the bedroom door, turning the latch and pulling it open.

Standing out in the corridor was Emma, balancing a silver tray bearing a steaming porcelain pot of freshly brewed coffee, a pair of matching cups, and light morning biscuits.

”Good morning, Sir,” Emma began with a polite, practiced smile.

Then her eyes shifted. She caught sight of Alex — bare-chested beneath the parted silk of his robe, radiating calm, relaxed dominance — and her gaze involuntarily flicked past his shoulder into the dimly lit bedroom behind him.

The overturned pillows, the rumpled bed, the clothes strewn across the floor, and the faint, unmistakable scent of spent heat hanging in the air struck her all at once.

A sudden, bright pink flush bloomed rapidly across Emma’s neck, rising straight to her cheeks.

Her mind couldn’t help but flash back to the previous night. She and Madison had tried to keep to their quarters on the lower floor, but the house had been dead quiet past midnight. Even through the heavy flooring and insulated doors, the muffled cries, ragged gasps, and uninhibited moans from Victoria had filtered down through the halls.

It had kept Emma tossing and turning for hours, stunned that the poised, terrifying woman who commanded billion-dollar boards could make sounds so completely raw and undone.

Emma swallowed softly, forcing her eyes back to the silver tray, doing her absolute best to maintain her composure.

Alex noticed the flush, a faint, knowing glint dancing in his dark eyes, though his expression remained perfectly composed. He reached for one of the porcelain cups and poured himself some rich, steaming black coffee.

?”How are you and Madison settling in?” Alex asked, his tone warm and easy. ”The house is large, and the hours can be unpredictable. Do you have everything you need in the lower quarters? No issues?”

?Emma blinked, momentarily caught off guard by the genuine care in his voice. The lingering embarrassment on her cheeks smoothed into a bright, sincere smile, her shoulders relaxing completely.

?”None at all, Sir,” she answered quickly, an unmistakable warmth in her voice. ”Everything is wonderful. More than wonderful, really. Madison and I were just talking about it this morning... we’ve never been treated so well, and the estate has everything we could ever ask for. We’re genuinely happy here.”

?A faint, approving nod touched Alex’s chin. He liked knowing the people under his roof were secure and content.

?”Good. If anything falls short, let me know directly.”

?He paused, letting the domestic calm settle before his tone shifted into effortless focus.

?”Did the recruitment dossiers come through?” he asked casually, lifting the cup to his lips and taking a slow, steady sip.

Emma cleared her throat lightly, regaining her professional composure. ”Yes. The headhunters sent over six shortlisted candidates this morning. Two of them stand out in particular. Both have extensive experience and their backgrounds are clean.”

She lowered her voice, careful not to disturb the woman sleeping in the room behind him.

”Madison and I will be interviewing the shortlisted candidates this afternoon. We’ve already reviewed their profiles and narrowed the list down to the most promising applicants.”

”Good,” Alex replied, his tone calm and decisive. ”I want people who know their jobs and understand the importance of discretion. No gossip, no carelessness, and no incompetence. Make sure you and Madison are thorough. I don’t want to discover we’ve hired the wrong people after they’ve already settled in.”

”Understood,” Emma nodded, her posture straightening with quiet efficiency.

Alex finished the remaining coffee in a single, smooth draught and set the empty cup back down onto the silver tray with a soft click.

”Now go and prepare my bath,” he told her, glancing back over his shoulder. ”And let Victoria sleep. She isn’t to be disturbed for the rest of the morning.”

Emma blinked, a flicker of genuine shock parting her lips before she caught herself. ”Right away, Sir.”

Her voice trembled just enough to give her away.

Until then, drawing his bath had always been Madison’s task, but it was finally her turn. A fresh rush of nervous excitement and heat surged up her neck, staining her cheeks bright red.

Holding the silver tray steady, she dipped her head in a quick, respectful nod and hurried down the corridor toward the adjoining bath suite, her steps flustered and quick.

A faint, amused smirk tugged at the corner of Alex’s lips as he watched her scurry away.

He didn’t bother closing the heavy door. Instead, he turned back into the quiet room, his bare feet sinking into the plush rug as he walked over to the massive bed.

He sat down on the edge of the mattress, the wood giving a soft, familiar creak beneath his weight. His gaze softened as he looked down at Victoria, reaching out with an idle hand to brush a stray lock of dark hair away from her cheek. She didn’t stir, completely lost to the world in a deep, exhausted slumber.

Leaning back slightly, Alex focused his mind inward and summoned the interface.

”Lilith,” he called out silently, his tone calm and expectant. ”How many points did I rack up last night?”

A soft, theatrical gasp chimed in his head, followed by the familiar, sultry purr of Lilith’s voice dripping with pure mischief.

”Oh, good grief, Alex...” Lilith laughed, her tone full of playful mockery. ”Look at all those points! You two really fought in here like it was your last battle on earth, huh? Honestly, I didn’t know whether to tally your conquest or send for a medical team!”

The translucent blue interface flickered to life before his eyes, its numbers rolling in at blinding speed.

[Points Earned (Last 24 Hours): +52,530 System Points]

[Current Balance: 105,380 System Points]

Alex stared at the glowing numbers, his breath pausing for a brief second. Even with his ironclad composure, he couldn’t help a flicker of genuine shock from passing through his eyes.

”Speechless, are we?” Lilith’s voice purred with smug satisfaction, practically lounging in the back of his mind. ”Over a hundred thousand points, Master. You’re practically swimming in wealth.”

Alex stared at the glowing six-figure total for a moment longer before letting out a slow, measured exhale. The initial rush of satisfaction subsided, replaced by his usual cold, calculating pragmatism.

A hundred thousand points sounded like an astronomical sum on paper. But Alex wasn’t naive enough to let the number go to his head.

The early-stage perks had been cheap. But as his empire expanded, the demands of the System were shifting into entirely different leagues.

In this game, a hundred thousand points could disappear in the span of a single purchase if he wasn’t careful.

”It’s a solid cushion,” Alex replied calmly in his mind, his gaze hardening with quiet ambition.

”Nothing more. We’ve got bigger fires to feed.”