The Heart System Chapter 499

Telling her was out of the question; the instant she vacated the vehicle, I planned to speed back to her mother to address that text in person. The image she sent had ignited a fierce, nagging heat within me. Though I desperately wanted to be inside that apartment minutes ago, the risk of our paths crossing was too great. It was imperative that Ivy was far away before I confronted the woman currently carrying my child.

Outside, the precipitation had eased slightly, even though the heavens remained a deep, bruised purple. We hurried toward the vehicle, the chilly, humid air biting at my skin. Once inside, the heavy doors thudded shut, sealing us within the dry, climate-controlled cabin. Ivy leaned back, brushing the stray raindrops from her shoulders.

"This wretched weather..."

"I hear you," I replied, igniting the engine. "Truly awful."

As I eased the car into traffic, I stole an upward glance to the left. For a fleeting second, I hoped to catch a glimpse of Delilah’s silhouette in that window, yet the glass reflected nothing but the dark, heavy clouds, despite the vibrant lights still glowing within. I switched gears, my thoughts already spiraling toward the coming hour.

"Evan," she murmured, her tone sounding fragile. "Was that 'Ivy' file on your laptop actually real?"

The inquiry caught me unprepared. Keeping my gaze locked on the road, I let the rhythmic sweep of the wipers provide the only answer for a tense moment. Eventually, I offered a slow, deliberate nod. She shook her head, pressing a palm to her brow, and muttered something sharp and bitter, too quiet for me to decipher.

At a red light, I cranked the air conditioning. The silence felt heavy and suffocating. What could I even say? That her boyfriend was a sociopathic manipulator while her own mother was pregnant with the child of the man driving her to the mall?

"I truly wish things had turned out differently," she remarked softly.

"Hmm?"

"The situation with Chase. My mother. I just don't know anymore..."

"Yeah," I agreed, struggling to find words that suited the moment.

"I believed Chase was 'the one,' you know?" she continued, staring out the passenger window. "Healthy job, handsome, seemingly kind. I was convinced he loved me. I thought this was the real thing."

"Ivy, I am truly sorry," I said. "I’m just relieved you’re safe."

The light signaled green, and I nudged the car forward, but the downpour had reduced the street to a crawl. The wipers struggled against the deluge as we crept toward our destination; what should have been a ten-minute drive was stretching into a thirty-minute ordeal.

"Evan," she said, reaching out to rest her hand over mine on the wheel. "Thank you for... well, for being by my side."

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WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60 ★★

Kayla: Interest: 38 / 40 ★

Tessa: Interest: 40 / 60 ★★

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100 ★★★★★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80 ★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100 ★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 20 / 40 ★

Nala: Interest: 100 / 100 ★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 / 20

Minne: Interest: 38 / 40 ★

Ivy: Interest: 40 / 60 ★★

Eleanor: Interest: 25 / 40 ★

Amelia: Interest: 12 / 20

Esme: Interest: 60 / 80 ★★

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Well now, I had reached 40/60 with her? That was a pleasant surprise. It meant another modest reward—not particularly spectacular, but a helpful boost of EXP. I would certainly take it.

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Evan Marlowe [Level 19]

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Age: 21

Height: 180 cm

Weight: 76 kg

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EXP: 5202 / 14504

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"Take it easy now," I said, withdrawing my hand and giving her shoulder a playful nudge. "You know me. Evan Marlowe: eternal gentleman. *tips fedora*."

She erupted into laughter, the strain in her expression melting away. "Did you really just voice the word 'asterisk' out loud?"

"I certainly did," I replied, flashing a grin. "Why? Was it lacking in class?"

"Your commitment to these geriatric-tier jokes is honestly cringeworthy," she chuckled, shaking her head. "They’re practically dad jokes, through and through."

Dad jokes? I tightened my grip on the steering wheel, a smirk playing across my lips.

If only you realized how literal that actually was, Ivy.

⟁ ⟁ ⟁

My heart drummed a wild, frantic rhythm against my chest as I knocked. Adrenaline coursed through my veins like electricity. The moment I’d seen Ivy vanish into the mall’s sliding doors, I’d swung a U-turn that would have likely cost me my license. A flicker of guilt nudged at my conscience, but it was quickly obliterated by a desperate, driving need to be near the woman who had dared to send that photo.

Moments later, the lock clicked. Delilah stood there, and for a short, breathless second, my mind went blank.

She was draped in a sheer, charcoal-grey lace bodysuit that hid absolutely nothing. The material was delicate and entirely transparent, highlighting the dark circles of her nipples and the gentle, rounded protrusion of her pregnant form. A silk robe hung haphazardly over her shoulders, held closed by nothing but luck. She exuded the aura of a goddess of domestic sin, her hair disheveled as if she had been waiting for me in that velvet chair all along.

Without a word, I stepped inside, slammed the door shut with my heel, and crashed my lips into hers. It was less of a kiss and more of a violent collision. A muffled moan escaped Delilah as she wrapped her arms around my neck, vaulting up to lock her legs around my waist. I caught her steady, driving my weight into her until she pinned against the foyer wall, causing the framed portraits to rattle.

"That image," I growled against her mouth, my voice raspy. "Do you have any idea what it did to my self-control? I nearly wrecked the car with your own daughter in the passenger seat."

Delilah let out a throaty, triumphant laugh, letting her head fall back against the wallpaper. Her hands roamed lower, her fingers finding the rigid, straining length of my arousal through my denim. She squeezed with a deliberate, sharp pressure that forced a hiss from my throat.

"I have a few ideas," she teased, her eyes burning with predatory intensity.

"Ivy is at the mall," I whispered, my breath scorching her sensitive neck. "I intend to spend every single minute until she calls me back for a pickup inside you. Your time is mine now."

"Excellent," she breathed, her grip tightening. "I truly hope you’ve recovered from those other girls, Evan. I’m going to exhaust you today. I am not good at sharing, even if I have to pretend otherwise."