The Heart System Chapter 775

We were stuffed. I couldn’t remember the last time I had eaten this much. Mendy had completely outdone herself, the kind of spread that felt more like a feast from some old royal banquet than a casual dinner. There were roasted chicken thighs glazed with honey and herbs, slow-cooked beef stew with root vegetables, buttery mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables with garlic and olive oil, warm fresh bread, and a large pasta bake with melted cheese on top. Everything was rich, comforting, and perfectly seasoned.

Since there weren’t enough empty seats left at the table, some of us had ended up eating in the living room, including me. Even so, it had been a deeply satisfying evening.

"Boy, am I stuffed," Tessa said, plopping down on the couch next to me with a heavy sigh. "Oh... phew. We should hire you, Mendy. And fire Minne."

"Hey," Jasmine called from across the room. "Minne can cook."

"Yes!" Minne agreed, currently helping Mendy clear the plates.

"Hey, if the pay is good I’ll take that offer," Mendy replied with a small laugh.

"Shame Esme didn’t come," Nala said quietly as she sat down on the other side of the couch. "She would’ve used the distraction."

"Yeah... I know," I nodded.

"You sure her sister just... kicked her out of the house?" Nala asked. "That’s crazy."

I nodded again. "Yeah. I’ll talk to Cora today before heading to the penthouse."

"Good idea," she said.

"How’s the project coming along?" I asked after a short pause.

Nala exhaled and leaned back. "I think Anotta is going to pull out and leave us hanging. Communication has been almost impossible. She insists on being involved in every single detail of the project, no matter how small."

"Hmm."

"What if she takes everything we’ve shared so far and launches her own version of Project Phoenix?" Nala continued, her tone more measured and serious. "Given how harsh the public backlash against the original was, a clean alternative under her name could easily be framed as the better solution. She might position herself as the responsible alternative while we take the fall."

"I couldn’t finish dessert," Mendy said as she came in from the kitchen. "Sorry, folks."

"It’s fine," Kim replied. "We really don’t eat that much dessert. The gym app won’t let us."

"Yep," Kayla added from the dining table. "No dessert. We’re full, right? So why eat more?"

I shook my head. "That app, man. That app."

A sudden buzz in my pocket made me pull out my phone. Cora was calling. Of course she would call now. Nala and Tessa leaned in to glance at the screen. Once they saw the name, they exchanged a look.

Tessa shrugged. "Fuck that chick. Don’t answer it," she said. "What she did to her own sister is just unacceptable."

"What?" Eleanor asked. "Another person putting her sister in a bad spot? Oh, I know how that feels."

"I don’t know," I said, standing up. "I’ll take this. I need to ask her what happened with Esme. Be right back, guys."

"Something wrong?" Mendy asked.

"I’ll explain," Jasmine said as I walked away. "So, there’s a girl named Cora. And she..."

I stepped outside, closing the door behind me, and answered the call while leaning back against the wall. On the other end I could hear water running, she was either washing dishes or drawing a bath.

"Cora," I said. "What a surprise."

"Um... h-hey," she replied. "How are yo..."

"Why?" I cut her off. "Why did you kick Esme out?"

"I told her not to call you..." Her voice shifted, turning sharper. "You wouldn’t understand, Evan."

"I think I can," I said. "Enlighten me."

"She needs to find herself another man," Cora said. "The first few times I was okay because it was her first time doing this. But now? It’s getting ridiculous."

"Esme is hurting," I said. "Do you have any idea how sad she is?"

"She’ll grow out of it," Cora replied. "She always does."

"You and I will talk, Cora. I’m coming over in two hours."

"Uuh... okay."

I hung up without another word and exhaled, staring up at the night sky. What a mess. Why would she do something like this? Esme needed to find herself a new friend? I was her friend. Why the hell would someone treat her own sister like that... just because Esme and I were sleeping together? I had to fix whatever this mess was.

My phone buzzed again. This time it was a text from Delilah.

I opened it.

She had sent a mirror selfie. She was standing in what looked like a bedroom, wearing a sheer black lace bodysuit that barely covered anything. The thin straps clung to her shoulders, the cups of the lingerie pushed her full breasts up and together, and the high-cut bottoms left most of her hips and ass completely exposed. The delicate floral pattern of the lace did almost nothing to hide her nipples or the soft curve of her pussy. She looked straight at the camera with a slightly parted mouth and heavy-lidded eyes.

The message underneath read:

Ivy is out. Wanna come for a quick fuck?

Well... shit. Two hours, right? I could swing by Delilah’s place and then go to Cora from there. Now that I thought about it, though... who would bring the girls back to the penthouse? We’d only have one car left if I went to Cora.

I stepped back inside the house. "Hey, Kayla," I said. "Can you bring the girls back to the penthouse?"

"Sure... but why?"

"Need to visit Cora. And ask her about Esme," I said. "Kind of... well, urgent."

"Yeah, sure."

"Let us know what happens," Jasmine said.

I nodded. "I will."

"You’re leaving?" Mendy asked, walking toward me.

"Yeah. Sorry for eating and running. This is something I have to handle."

"Jasmine explained it to me. Sounds serious," she said. "Hope everything works out for Esme."

I crossed my fingers. "Yeah... I hope."

⟁ ⟁ ⟁