Demonic Po*nstar System Chapter 710: Big Dummies

Kaiden offered her a grin as he met her gaze.

"Alexandra," he stated. "I have reached the conclusion that you possess the most formidable weapon in existence."

She blinked in surprise. "Huh?"

"It is the absolute truth." He gave a nod, speaking with the grave weight of a commander analyzing a battlefield. "Nothing can compete with a woman’s tears."

Alexandra’s crimson eyes narrowed at him.

"How could you say that," she retorted, her voice vibrating with the suppressed fury of someone who had just sobbed uncontrollably on a live broadcast, only to have that raw display framed as a cold, strategic maneuver.

Then, she moved.

It was a chaotic, rapid motion, a split-second impulse that occurred before her conscious mind could caution her body. She closed the gap in a stumbling sprint, throwing her arms around his torso with a desperate grip that forced the breath from his chest.

Kaiden opened his arms, welcoming the embrace.

His hands settled firmly against her back—one pressed between her shoulder blades and the other against the small of her back—holding her with a steady, grounding strength he had provided once before.

"Thank you," she murmured against his shirt, her voice trembling and muffled. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

He returned the hug without the slightest hesitation.

"Are you not furious with me?" he questioned.

Alexandra loosened her hold just enough to tilt her face upward. "Angry?"

"You effectively became my proxy, Alexandra." His tone remained casual, yet the weight of his words remained. "We took your dark past, your trauma, and the agony you suffered under that creature, then broadcast it beside two women facing their own struggles so the audience would draw the parallels. We are weaponizing your pain to harvest clout."

The studio fell into a heavy silence. Several of his girls stood completely still.

Alexandra pressed her face back into his shirt, tightening her hold.

"You are such a dummy," she whispered.

Kaiden blinked, momentarily taken aback.

"A giant dummy who overthinks everything and constantly tries to carry the world on your shoulders," she continued, her voice now steady and clear despite being buried against him. "You didn't coerce me into anything, Kaiden. You didn't even ask. I heard what those two went through, and I volunteered. That was my choice, not yours."

"Is that so?"

"That is exactly so." She pulled back just enough to look him in the eye; while her lids were still red-rimmed, her jaw was firm. "My trauma and history are immutable, regardless of outside influence. I have made my peace with that. Therefore, the only viable option is to utilize it toward a meaningful end."

Her fingers dug into the fabric of his shirt. "You had better believe that if some heartless wretch ever tries to antagonize you, I will stand before the camera or do whatever is required to shift public perception. As you so crudely put it, I appear to be quite skilled at weaponizing my tears, so... it is the least I can offer to those who gave me a refuge."

Kaiden studied her.

He remained silent for a long moment, truly perceiving the woman standing before him for the first time.

She was a girl who had been shattered by a demon and had spent every morning piece by piece rebuilding her soul—a woman who flinched at the presence of men and struggled to even see her own family—who had just stepped into a studio to tear her heart open before millions of strangers because two women she barely knew deserved to be believed. Her bravery was irrational, the kind possessed only by those who had walked through the fires of true suffering.

"You are a dummy as well," he finally replied. "Bearing too much burden for the benefit of others."

Alexandra giggled against him; the sound was small, moist, and strangely warm. "Then I suppose we are both giant dummies. Because I certainly have no intention of changing who I am." She tilted her head. "And neither do you, do you?"

"Two giant dummies," Kaiden added with a chuckle.

He held her a moment longer, his voice softening unintentionally. "Thank you, Alexandra."

"No." She tightened her grip one final time. "Do not even say that."

Kaiden nodded, resting his chin atop her head.

He looked down at the girl in his arms, letting his appreciation deepen. The entire performance succeeded because Alexandra’s sincerity was absolute. Every tear was earned, every reaction authentic; the audience felt it because she was the internet’s darling, the girl millions longed to see smile again. The sorrow she felt for those women was tangible, and her horror at those predatory calls was genuine. It was all real.

"Blondie Bestie," a voice chimed from nearby. "Are you looking to secure the fourth Valkyrie position?"

"Kya!!" Alexandra shrieked, realizing for the first time in her life she had initiated a hug with a man—especially one with so many lovers—and was still nestled comfortably against him.

She attempted to scramble backward, but failed to put much distance between them.

Nyx had already arrived, crossing the room in a few fluid strides to wrap them both in a side embrace. Her arms circled Kaiden’s back and Alexandra’s shoulders, pulling them into a tight knot.

Kaiden felt the sudden impact. Nyx’s chest pressed against his arm with a soft, heavy warmth that completely shifted his focus to the room, while Alexandra remained pressed into his ribs on the other side. Caught between two such generous spirits and two such honest hearts, he felt almost overwhelmed by the sheer scale of it.

"You were magnificent, Alex," Nyx murmured against her hair. "Thank you."

Alexandra’s face flushed pink and her composure disintegrated, yet a smile managed to break through. "Hehe... I am receiving far too much gratitude today!"

Kaiden wrapped an arm around each of them, holding them tight. He caught a faint lavender scent from Nyx’s hair and noticed Alexandra’s maid outfit remained damp with tears; in that moment, he remembered precisely why all of this mattered.

He caught a flicker of movement over Nyx’s shoulder and realized they had an audience.

Tessa and Talia stood side by side, wearing the expressions of spectators who had stumbled upon front-row seats to the best show in the house and had zero intention of departing. Tessa’s grin was wide, while Talia looked composed, though her eyes danced with mirth. The other girls gazed on from behind, their expressions ranging from amusement to something decidedly more possessive.

Every single soul was watching.

With a firm, gentle pat to both girls' backs, Kaiden pulled away.

Nyx released them with a satisfied hum, stepping back. Alexandra immediately straightened her skirt and patted her cheeks, frantically checking to see if her blush was visible from a distance. Her face only deepened in color when she realized it was likely quite conspicuous.

She felt as though she were burning.

Soft footsteps followed.

Brittany and Trisha approached from the edge of the studio. They moved close together, shoulders brushing, with the hesitant gait of outsiders unsure of their place. Brittany’s face remained puffy, her arms wrapped defensively around her waist, while Trisha’s hands were clasped so tightly her knuckles had turned white.

"Are we..." Brittany whispered, her voice barely audible. "Are we in the middle of something?"