The Heart System Chapter 531

A soft knock echoed at the door, prompting my eyebrow to arch. This late? Nearly ten o'clock, and no one was anticipated.

Rising from my seat, I approached the door and peered through the peephole.

Eleanor.

Her condition seemed even poorer than the day before.

A dark, swelling bruise marred her left eye, grotesque and fresh, as though struck with brutal force. My stomach knotted instantly.

The lock clicked open, and I swung the door wide.

Her eyes met mine briefly before dropping away. Lips quivering, she crumbled before uttering a word, stumbling into my arms in tears.

Instinctively, my arms encircled her, steadying her trembling frame. Tears drenched my shirt amid her muffled sobs echoing down the hall.

"Eleanor?" My voice stayed hushed.

"Evan..." she sobbed. "Oh god... Evan..."

Gently, I led her indoors and closed the door. The sounds drew attention—Jasmine glanced from the master bedroom, while Tessa emerged from the kitchen hallway. They halted, eyes widening at her desperate hold on me.

Into the living room we went, where I eased her onto the couch. Jasmine and Tessa trailed right after. Once they glimpsed her face clearly, a shared look passed between them.

Indeed. The mark was unmistakable.

"The hell happened?" Tessa demanded, tone sharpening. "Who did that to you?"

Eleanor attempted words, but they fractured. "My... he... I just... god..."

"Alright, hold on," I interrupted. "I’ll get water and tissues."

To the kitchen I went, fetching a glass of water and snatching tissues from the counter. Returning, I found Jasmine already in motion.

She vanished into the bathroom momentarily, reappearing with a damp towel enclosing something icy. Kneeling before Eleanor, she applied the cold pack tenderly to the bruised eye.

"This might sting a little," Jasmine murmured gently. "Just hold still."

Eleanor gave a faint nod, nose still running.

Water and tissues placed on the coffee table, I observed silently. Tessa settled beside Eleanor, resting a solid hand on her shoulder in comfort.

"You’re safe here," Tessa assured. "Take a breath first."

Jasmine tended with precision, shifting the compress and wiping the puffed edges.

Moments later, she eased back. "That’s the best we can do for now. It’ll need time."

Drawing nearer, I perched on the coffee table's edge facing her, tilting her chin softly to meet my gaze.

"What happened, Eleanor?"

She gulped, eyes glistening.

"My brother..." Her voice quavered. "He lost all the money."

My jaw clenched.

"And those men came while I was at work," she pressed on. "They said they couldn’t find him... so they came to me instead."

"What?"

"They grabbed me," she whispered, voice cracking anew. "They said I could pay it back with my body..."

Silence gripped the room.

"Our security stepped in. Sophia handled them," she added. "She beat them, but... one of them still managed to hit me before they got dragged out."

"Shit," I breathed. "Who the hell are these guys?"

"I don’t know," she replied, head shaking. "I’m so tired of this... I’m just done..."

Details on those thugs were essential. With Melvin and me headed to Stingy Ladies over Isabella, chatting with Sophia there could yield more. As if my troubles weren't piling high enough already.

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NEW MAIN QUEST

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Title: Gamble Away

Task: Deal with the thugs.

Reward: 20000c

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Shaking my head, I stood and moved to the window by the dining table. Tomorrow loomed as an endless ordeal. Utterly exhausting. No solid plan yet for the thugs, but I'd improvise. The system was mine, plus Crushing Presence now. That had to matter.

Another knock rapped at the door. Frowning, I pivoted toward it. Who this time? Thugs were impossible—security barred them from this level. Briefly, Nala crossed my mind, perhaps returning to mend fences.

Over I went, opening the door.

"Huh?" I stared. "Emma?"

"Yo," she greeted casually, glancing up as if routine.

Emma. Nala’s friend. Short green hair, lazy-lidded eyes, perpetual blank stare. Her late-night arrival surprised me.

"What are you doing here?" I questioned.

"Nala sent me," she answered. "She wants some of her stuff. You two broke up, huh? That was fast."

"Yeah... something like that."

Emma tilted her head a touch and peered beyond me. Her gaze settled on Eleanor perched on the sofa, visibly trembling, with Jasmine right next to her and Tessa lingering close. That bruise stood out plainly.

Emma arched an eyebrow. "Damn. Bad timing?"

"It’s fine," I replied, moving out of the way. "Come on in. Master bedroom’s on the left."

"Got it," she grumbled, striding inside without pause. "She said charger and some clothes. I’ll grab them and leave."

After her, I shut the door and released a soft breath.

To be honest, I’d never fully grasped how she and Nala ended up as friends. Emma hawked feet pics online and devoted half her days to cosplaying, whereas Nala helmed a company. Yet it somehow clicked for them. Not my issue at this moment, regardless.

I turned my eyes back to the living room, where Eleanor struggled to steady herself as Jasmine examined her eye once more.

"Yeah..." I whispered to myself, scratching my neck’s nape. "One step at a time."

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