(Joyce's Perspective)
I was so nervous in the morning, a frantic, fluttering anxiety that had taken root in my chest and refused to leave. When I saw Adam walking towards me in the kitchen with that new, determined look on his face, my heart leaped into my throat. I knew he wanted to talk about that night on the balcony. A part of me—a terrified, desperate part—wanted to talk about it too. I needed to understand what had happened, what that earth-shattering kiss had meant, and why my body had betrayed me so completely. But whenever the memory even flickered in my mind—the feeling of his strong hands on my skin, the possessive heat of his mouth on mine—a wave of shame and panic washed over me, and my hands started to tremble.
Just seeing his face makes my composure crumble. He looks at me with an intensity I've never seen before, not like a son looks at his mother, but like a man. I am his mom, his stepmom, the woman who is supposed to guide and protect him. Yet, somehow, deep inside me, my heart flutters and I get so nervous I can barely breathe. My behavior is ridiculous; it's like a teenage girl experiencing her first crush, blushing and running away from the boy she likes.
But how is this even possible? This is Adam. My sweet, broken boy who has suddenly, impossibly, become this powerful, confident, and dangerously alluring man. Am I really falling in love with him? The thought is madness, a violation of every rule I've ever known, and yet… it feels terrifyingly true. Huh! I am totally clueless. My mind is a warzone of guilt, desire, and confusion. I need to sort everything out between us, but I don't even know where to begin.
I was so lost in this internal chaos at my desk that I didn't even hear him approach.
"What happened to you, Mrs. Wilson?"
The voice, a low, gravelly rumble, startled me. I looked up to see my boss, Oslo Park, looming over my cubicle. He was an old, huge man, with a frame that blocked out the fluorescent lights, casting a heavy shadow over me.
"Nothing, sir," I said, quickly composing myself. "Just thinking about a deadline."
He grunted, his eyes lingering on me for a moment too long. "Everyone," he announced, his voice booming across the office, "for our better-than-expected collection this quarter, we will be having a celebratory party this evening."
A wave of forced, polite cheers went through the department. My heart sank.
"But boss," I said, standing up, "I may not be able to go. I have to get home to my children."
He took a step closer, and a heavy, unwelcome hand landed on my shoulder. I could feel the heat of it through the thin fabric of my blouse. I instinctively flinched. "Joyce, you have to come," he said, his voice no longer that of a boss, but something else, something slick and pressuring. "You are the star of our department. The party wouldn't be the same without you." He was forcing me, and in front of everyone, I had no choice but to reluctantly accept his offer.
After work, the whole department went to a dimly lit, expensive-looking bar. I was seated at the main table with my boss, a position of honor that felt more like a trap. He was pouring drinks continuously, his hand always brushing mine as he refilled my glass.
"What happened, Joyce? You seem distracted," he said, his voice a low murmur. "Come on, drink up. Relax."
I took a sip, the strong liquor burning my throat. I was starting to get dizzy, the room spinning slightly. My thoughts, hazy and untethered, drifted back to Adam. To the feeling of safety I had felt in his arms after the attack in the parking lot. He was my hero, my protector. And here I was, trapped with this leering old man, feeling more vulnerable than ever.
(End of Joyce's perspective)
After all the deep conversations and strategic planning, we finally headed back home. The weight of the day's events settled on me, a heavy cloak of responsibility. When we walked in, the delicious, savory aroma of cooking filled the air. We found Aunt Chris in the kitchen, humming a cheerful tune as she expertly chopped vegetables.
"What are you making?" Isabel asked, her own mood lifting at the sight of her.
"I can smell something delicious," I added, leaning against the doorframe.
"Oh! You're both back," Aunt Chris said, turning to us with a dazzling smile. "Your favorite aunt is making Tartare."
"That's amazing," I said, my stomach rumbling in appreciation.
"But Auntie, where is Mom?" Isabel asked, looking around.
"Your mom said she'll be home late," she replied in a normal tone. "She has an office party tonight."
We had dinner together, just the three of us. The food was incredible, but my mind was elsewhere. I was curious about my aunt. The last few days had revealed so many hidden depths to the people around me. I activated my [Appraisal] skill, my gaze flickering over her.
Status:
Name: Christine Holmes Strength: 110 Agility: 87 Endurance: 93 Mentality: 202 Intelligence: 190 Mana: 0 Potential: SSR+ Skills: [Charming Banter], [Persona Weaver], [Idol's Intuition], [Honor's Resolve] Passive Skills: [Unwavering Dignity], [Charismatic], [Intoxicating Beauty], [Unyielding Dignity], [Polyxena] Superpower: [None] Soul Ledger: [Unwavering Love for Adam] & [The Man I Can't Have]
So many new skills. My own abilities, like [Chanakya] and [Experienced Strategist], were already working, connecting the dots.
"System," I asked internally, "I have a question. Mom, my aunt, and Isabel have a few things in common, like their SSR+ potential and the [Charismatic] skill. Do you have any comment on that?"
'Host, it's because all three of them have similar genes, inherited from your maternal grandmother,' the System explained. 'Beauty and potential are sometimes inheritable traits.'
"I understand most of her skills are related to her modeling and acting career," I continued, my mind racing. "They're probably responsible for why she was a top model. And [Unyielding Dignity] must be the reason she left it all behind. But what about [Polyxena]?"
'I am impressed, Host. You are evolving,' the System replied, a rare note of approval in its tone. 'Yes, you are absolutely right. Now, let's talk about [Polyxena]. It is a unique passive skill, just like Isabel's [Chang'e] and your mother's [Aphrodite]. In a certain mythology, there was a queen who was so beautiful that her beauty caused a war. But instead of becoming a concubine or a slave, she chose to end her own life to protect her dignity.'
"Now I get it," I said, a wave of admiration washing over me. "She is very brave. Definitely." Why is it that everyone I meet is so unique in their own way? Tiffany's coldness, Stacy's manipulation, Lily's innocence, Anna's trauma, Mom's maternal love, my aunt's dignity, Isabel's caring nature…
'Now you are moving forward and looking at the big picture,' the System commented. 'Creating a company was a good decision. Giving Qasim a chance to prove his worth was also a very kingly decision.'
I was pulled from my daze by my aunt's voice. "Are you okay, Adam? You're staring off into space."
"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, quickly shaking my head. "I just went to another world after tasting your cooking."
She laughed, a beautiful, musical sound. "You are such a charmer. Okay now, eat."
After we finished eating, everyone went to their rooms. I lay down on my bed, feeling tired but unable to rest. I started scrolling through the System store, my mind buzzing with possibilities. I had 600 Prayer Coins and 1500 Fear Coins to spend. My first thought was to buy more Advanced Body Enhancement Potions for my team. I started counting: Maya, Chloe, Jack, Padro, Tiffany, Isabel, Anna, Stacy… there were eight of them now. It would be too expensive. I discarded the idea and started searching for a new skill or superpower.
And then I found it. For 600 Prayer Coins, a superpower called [Eternal Vow].
"System," I asked, my voice barely a whisper. "What is this? [Eternal Vow]? Sounds… intense."
'It is the ultimate expression of commitment, Host,' the System replied.
"Commitment how? What does it do?"
'It takes the mutual love between you and another and forges it into an unbreakable, soul-deep bond. They will have absolute loyalty. The very thought of betraying you will become a psychological impossibility for them.'
My mind instantly flashed to Lina. To the memory of her cruel, smiling face in that video. Absolute loyalty… no more betrayals. "What else?" I pressed.
'They will feel an inescapable bond to you. Leaving you for an extended period would cause them profound emotional and physical pain, like a homesickness of the soul.'
"So they can't leave me… ever?"
'Not without great suffering,' the System confirmed. 'They will also feel your strongest emotions—joy, fear, agony—through an empathetic resonance.'
A new problem immediately surfaced. "Wait… if I have this with multiple people… what about jealousy? That would be a disaster."
'That is the most unique aspect of the vow. It creates a Harmonious Heart. Their love for you becomes so absolute that they can find joy and serenity in seeing you loved by others who are also under the vow.'
My breath hitched. "So… it solves the harem problem?"
'It manages it. But there is a critical condition. This harmony only persists as long as you treat all bonded partners with equal love and respect. Any act of perceived favoritism from you will shatter the harmony, and jealousy and insecurity will return with a vengeance.'
"So the burden is on me," I murmured, the weight of that responsibility settling on my shoulders. "And what's the catch? There's always a catch."
'The bond is anchored by you, Host. If you were to ever betray or willfully harm one who is under your vow, the bond would shatter violently. The backlash would cause them immense and permanent psychological trauma. It could break their mind.'
I was silent for a long moment, processing the sheer gravity of it. This wasn't just a superpower; it was a sacred contract. It wasn't a tool for control, but a profound responsibility. It demanded a level of commitment and fairness from me that was almost terrifying.
This is a masterpiece, I thought, a sense of awe washing over me. This was the true path of a king.
"I'll take it," I said, my voice firm.
The 600 Prayer Coins vanished from my inventory. Afterward, I found a mana potion that would increase my mana pool by 200 for 100 Fear Coins. I bought that, too. Then, I finally used my previously saved 200 stat points, distributing them evenly across my own stats.
I was about to finally try and get some sleep when my door burst open. It was Isabel, her face a mask of pure panic.
"What happened?" I asked, sitting up instantly.
"Adam, it's already 9 o'clock!" she cried, her voice trembling. "Mom isn't home, and she's not picking up her phone!"
I was on my feet in an instant, the knot of unease tightening into a cold, hard dread. We rushed to the living room, where Aunt Chris was pacing nervously, a glass of water untouched in her hand.
"We should contact the police," she said, her voice tight with worry.
My mind, however, was already racing. [Chanakya]. [Experienced Strategist]. An idea, clear and sharp, cut through the panic. I pulled out my phone and dialed a number.
The call picked up on the first ring. "Hello? Anna? Are you asleep?"
"Good evening, Leader," she replied, her voice alert. "No, I'm working on the report you asked for."
"I need you to do something for me, and it's urgent," I said, my voice intense. "Can you track a phone and a car?"
There was a brief pause, then, "Yes, I can."
"I'm sending you a phone number and a car number. Tell me how much time you need."
"Leader, it will take five minutes. You should leave now if it's an emergency."
"Isabel, Aunt Chris, both of you, wait here," I commanded, grabbing my keys. "I'll go find Mom."
"Kid, you may be an adult, but you're still my nephew," Aunt Chris said, her own fear replaced by a fierce resolve. "I'm coming with you."
"I'm not waiting here, either," Isabel added, her jaw set. "I'm going to help."
There was no time to argue. The three of us piled into my aunt's car, and I took the driver's seat. As I pulled out onto the street, my phone rang. It was Anna.
"The car is in the parking lot of a restaurant in downtown Grand Metropolis," she said, her voice a rapid-fire stream of information. "But the phone is locating to the Sky Paradise Hotel in central Grand Metropolis. The phone's location is the latest, from twenty minutes ago."
"Anna, stay on the call," I ordered. "Give the police the location of the Sky Paradise Hotel, and guide me there."
"Roger, Adam," she replied.
I turned to the two women beside me. "Put on your seatbelts. We're going to go fast."
I slammed my foot on the accelerator, and the car shot forward. We tore through the city streets, a blur of motion and screaming tires. We covered a twenty-minute distance in just ten.
"Anna, which floor?" I demanded into the phone.
"Fourth floor, Adam."
We screeched to a halt in front of the hotel and ran inside, ignoring the shocked looks of the staff. We took the stairs, my own enhanced stamina carrying me up the four flights without breaking a sweat. We burst out into the fourth-floor hallway.
"It's very tough to know which room," Isabel said, her voice breathless.
"We should start knocking," Aunt Chris suggested.
Then, Anna's voice came through the phone, calm and precise. "Adam, you are standing directly in front of it."
I looked at the door. Room 356. "Make sure to grab any details that will prove our innocence to the police, am I clear?" I said into the phone.
"Yes, Leader," Anna replied.
I took a deep breath and knocked on the door. After a second, it opened, and a man with a fat belly and a leering grin stood there. Over his shoulder, I saw her. My mom. She was unconscious on the bed, half-naked, in nothing but her underwear.
A furious, primal roar ripped from my throat.
"What the hell do you want, boy?" he sneered.
I didn't answer with words. I answered with a kick, my foot connecting squarely with his face. He flew backward into the room, and the three of us stormed in.
Aunt Chris and Isabel rushed to Mom's side. "Sister, wake up! Are you okay?" Aunt Chris cried.
The bastard, recovering from the initial shock, tried to attack me. But Isabel was there. She delivered a vicious kick to his crotch. "You bastard! You scumbag! How dare you touch my mom?!" she screamed, her voice filled with a rage I had never heard from her before.
The man crumpled to the floor, howling in pain.
"Izzy, step aside," I said, my voice dangerously low. "I will handle this man. Both of you, take Mom out of here. I will manage everything."
I got close to the bastard on the floor and kicked him in the nose. He started bleeding, his eyes wide with a mixture of pain and disbelief. "You brat! Your career is finished! Your family is finished!" he spat.
He said my family was finished.
This was different from the thugs in the parking lot. This was personal. I was accurate this time, not breaking his bones, but inflicting the maximum amount of pain possible. I started by continuously stepping hard on his scumbag face, grinding it into the carpet.
"All of you, go!" I shouted to my aunt and Isabel, who were watching in horror. "I will handle everything. Don't worry."
He was crying now, begging for mercy. "I'm sorry," he sobbed.
"You don't deserve mercy," I snarled, kicking him in the crotch again. "I will make you feel hell."
I knelt down and started punching him in the face, again and again and again, until he finally, mercifully, fainted.
I sat there in the silent hotel room, my knuckles bloody, my chest heaving, and waited for the police to arrive.