The Heart System Chapter 937

I stood in front of the flat’s door while Tuck knelt with his lockpick set. I kept watch down both ends of the hallway. The corridor was narrow and quiet, beige walls, cheap carpet that had seen better years, and the faint smell of someone else’s cooking drifting from a neighboring unit. A single fluorescent light flickered overhead. No cameras that I could see. No neighbors stepping out.

Tuck kept working the lock, tools making soft metallic clicks.

"Be quick, man."

"Hey, I got rusty, man. Chill. Let me work on this."

"I’m chill. You be quick."

"Man, shut up!"

He kept at it for another half minute. Then the lock gave a clean, solid click.

I patted him on the back. "My guy."

"Yeah, yeah. Now be quick. I’ll wait outside. Close the door."

I stepped inside and shut it quietly behind me.

Even though the flat itself was small, everything inside looked expensive. The living room had dark hardwood floors, a low black leather sofa, a glass coffee table with nothing on it, and a large television mounted on the wall. Minimalist art prints hung in thin frames. The lighting was warm. It felt like someone with money had tried to make a studio apartment look like a designer loft.

I moved through the living room first. Nothing useful. No obvious hiding spots. I opened the first door I saw and stepped into a bedroom.

The bedroom was a different story.

Pink padded handcuffs hung from a wall hook. A leather gag with a red ball sat on a shelf next to a row of neatly arranged silicone toys. Restraints, spreader bars, and more gear I didn’t want to examine too closely decorated the walls and the top of the dresser. The bed itself was made with black sheets and had metal rings bolted into the frame. The whole room looked like a private dungeon that someone cleaned regularly.

I started searching the drawers. Condoms in various sizes. Lube. A couple of strap-ons still in their packaging. I paused for half a second, why would a gay couple need strap-ons... then decided I didn’t actually want the answer and kept going.

In the lower compartment of a tall shelf I found a collection of clear plastic bags. Each one held a pair of women’s underwear. Some were folded neatly. Others were clearly used, discolored, stained, a few with dark period marks still visible. I grimaced and didn’t touch any of them. Just kept searching around the bags.

In the same drawer, pushed toward the back, I found three digital cameras.

I pulled them out, carried them to the bed, and set them down side by side.

The first one powered on immediately. Fully charged. I flipped through the most recent photos. A woman, naked, taking mirror selfies and close-ups of herself. I didn’t want to feel like a creep, so I put that camera down as soon as I saw the first image and picked up the next one.

I turned it on.

This was the one.

The first photo was her smiling and giving a peace sign. The main quest EXP for returning it would be low, but I was sure I’d get a solid amount of interest points from her once I handed it over.

I put everything else back exactly where I found it, kept only her camera, and left the bedroom. I walked straight through the living room, opened the front door, and stepped back into the hallway.

Tuck was still waiting. "You done?"

I nodded. "Yep. Let’s get out of here before someone sees us."

"Alright. Good idea."

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I pushed open the door of the sex shop and stepped inside. Layla was behind the counter, eyes on her phone. The second the little bell above the door rang she looked up, saw me, and smiled.

"Oh, hey. What a surprise."

I smiled back. "Hey."

I walked straight to the counter and set the camera down in front of her. Her eyes went wide. She stared at the camera, then at me, then back at the camera like she couldn’t quite believe what she was looking at.

"Holy sh... wait..."

She picked it up carefully and powered it on. The screen lit up with her own photos. Her stuff was finally back.

The quest completed the moment she confirmed it. Interest points rolled in right after. Combined with the reward, my credits jumped.

But... it seemed like I earned a little less than I thought. Since I couldn’t check the quest after it was completed, I didn’t think much of it.

Strange.

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Evan Marlowe [Level 24]

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EXP: 29390/42500

[██████????]

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Current Credits: 39815c

Current SC: 100

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That part didn’t really matter. What mattered was the interest points from her. And just like I’d hoped...

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WOMEN - INTERACTIONS

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Jasmine: Interest: 45 / 60

Kayla: Interest: 42 / 60

Tessa: Interest: 50 / 60

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100

Delilah: Interest: 100 / 100

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100

Mendy: Interest: 20 / 40

Nala: Interest: 100 / 100

Penelope: Interest: 29 / 40

Minne: Interest: 38 / 40

Ivy: Interest: 25 / 80

Eleanor: Interest: 100 / 40

Amelia: Interest: 14 / 20

Esme: Interest: 72 / 80

Carrie: Interest: 4 / 20

Layla: Interest: 89 / 100

Emma: Interest: 20 / 40

Sophia: Interest: 6 / 20

Vessa: Interest: 5 / 20

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Eighty-nine points. And, the reward, though... the next sexual encounter I’d have would be multiplied by three. I already had a standing multiplier... which meant the next time things got physical I needed to make sure I had enough stamina. The payout was going to be ridiculous.

Layla walked out from behind the counter and pulled me into a tight hug before I could say anything else. Her eyes were already watery.

"Thank you... thank you so much. You have no idea..."

"Hey, why are you crying? Come on now."

She let out a wet little laugh and wiped at her face with the back of her hand. "Hormones. Pregnancy. The whole package. I’m a mess."

I smiled and nodded. "I only looked at the first photo to make sure it belonged to you. I liked that dress you were wearing though."

She sniffed, still holding the camera against her chest like it might disappear again. "Thank you... how did you even find it?"

"Ah, it was nothing."

"Nothing, huh? Thank you... just... thank you." She wiped her eyes one more time and took a deep breath. "Wow... we should celebrate this. How about dinner tomorrow?"

"Sure. Which restaurant did you have in mind?"

"At my place. I don’t like eating out. But don’t worry, I’ll cook this time. No sushi and cola to destroy our stomachs."

I smiled. "Of course. Six work for you?"

"Make it six-thirty. I get out a little late tomorrow."

"Alright. Six-thirty it is... guess I’ll see you tomorrow."

"Guess you will."

We both stood there smiling for a second longer. Then I nodded, turned, and left the shop with the little bell ringing behind me.

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