"From now on… you carry my mark."
Peter grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
The shared spider-sense, the subtle resonance between them—it overwhelmed everything else. Gwen didn't think about anything anymore. She simply threw herself into his arms.
"Wow—this feels incredible!"
Her strength had increased dramatically, but Gwen didn't realize it yet. When she lunged forward, she slammed straight into a chair, shattering it instantly as both of them tumbled to the ground.
"Ah! I—I didn't mean to!"
Flustered, Gwen tried to get up—but in her panic, her hand stuck to Peter's clothes.
Her enhanced adhesion kicked in.
Even several tons could be lifted by that force—
Let alone a few pieces of fabric.
With one sudden movement—
Rip!
Peter's clothes were completely torn apart.
"Well… I hadn't even made a move yet, and you've already stripped me," Peter said with a crooked grin. "Looks like someone's a bit impatient."
Since his clothes were already ruined, he simply removed the rest. Before Gwen could react, he pulled her into his arms.
"Ah—pervert!"
Crash!
…
The hotel bed gave out under the strain, collapsing instantly—but neither of them stopped.
They were young.
Passionate.
And Peter, having just tasted this kind of intimacy, wasn't about to hold back now that the fire had been lit.
Gwen wasn't any better.
Under his teasing, her resistance crumbled quickly.
And so—
A fierce, overwhelming storm unfolded.
From sunset…
To deep into the night…
Only when midnight had long passed did everything finally settle.
…
After being enhanced by the spider serum, Gwen's stamina and strength were no less than Peter's. For the first time, he felt like he had met a true equal.
At the same time—
He quietly made a mental note.
I need to get even stronger.
"Running a 'harem' is one thing… but if I can't keep up in bed, that's just asking for chaos at home…"
-----
The next day, after spending time with Gwen, Peter watched her sleeping peacefully on the mattress.
Then—
He walked to the door and opened it.
"…Why is it you?"
Outside, Felicia stood there, clearly having waited all night. There was a trace of resentment in her expression.
"Here."
She handed him a set of fresh clothes—meant to be delivered by hotel staff.
Peter took them, looking slightly awkward as Felicia stepped inside without hesitation.
"Well… looks like things got pretty intense in here."
She glanced around at the nearly destroyed room, amused—but also strangely satisfied.
Peter's "combat strength" was clearly terrifying.
Yet when he was with her, he had never gone this far.
Which meant—
He had been holding back.
Did that mean… she had never truly satisfied him?
That thought made her glance at Gwen, still asleep, a little longer.
I won't lose to her.
The unfamiliar presence eventually stirred Gwen awake.
Having already gained some control over her new abilities under Peter's guidance, she instinctively searched for him—
But when she saw Felicia—
Her gaze paused.
Then shifted to Peter.
"…Peter?"
"Uh… this is my assistant, Felicia," Peter said quickly as he got dressed, carefully watching Gwen's expression. "She's extremely capable—honestly, more than qualified to be a top executive. She helped me a lot while building Umbrella."
Felicia remained composed.
She didn't deliberately act close to Peter.
But she didn't hide anything either.
…
After all—
When she walked in, Peter hadn't been wearing anything.
If Gwen thought about it carefully…
She would realize everything.
"Peter."
Gwen's voice was calm.
Too calm.
Peter couldn't read her thoughts—he deliberately avoided probing her mind.
But that only made him more uneasy.
No matter what happened next—
He could only face it.
After all, what he wanted wasn't a puppet.
Not a lifeless shell that obeyed him without question.
He wanted real people.
Real emotions.
Even if it meant facing moments like this.
"Can we… talk alone?"
Gwen sat on the mattress, wrapped in a bedsheet, her gaze fixed on Felicia.
Felicia smiled faintly.
"I'll wait outside."
She turned and left.
…
Now—
It was just the two of them.
Peter walked over and stood in front of Gwen, meeting her eyes directly, bracing himself for whatever storm might come.
But—
What happened next…
Wasn't what he expected.
"Hey—don't cry. I messed up, okay? I know I'm a jerk, but I swear—what I feel for you is real. There's nothing fake about it."
It happened almost instantly.
Gwen's eyes turned red.
And then—
Tears fell.
One by one, like the most delicate pearls in the world, they slid down her cheeks and shattered softly against the bedsheet.
Her trembling lips.
Her stubborn silence.
Her quiet heartbreak—
…
In that moment—
Peter lost.
Completely.
Tempered steel could withstand a thousand trials.
But even the strongest steel…could not resist the softness of a single tear.
--------------
T/N:
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