CHAPTER 25: RESOLVE

As Devon stepped into the dimly lit corridor, the air still thick with the scent of his recent indulgence, a faint chime echoed in his mind. A translucent screen materialized before his eyes, hovering like a ghost in the ether, its edges shimmering with an otherworldly glow.

[System Notification]

Rewards:

- Experience Points: +500 EXP

Devon’s lips curled into a fleeting, wolfish smirk as he skimmed the glowing text. The system’s voice, cold and mechanical, slithered through his thoughts. These notifications were his currency. But there were greater moves to make, pieces to maneuver on this sprawling chessboard.

With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he banished the screen, watching it dissolve into wisps of light as he adjusted his collar, the fabric still warm from his exertions. His stride resumed, confident and unhurried, as he moved through the hospital’s corridor.

The corridors stretched like veins in a vast, living machine, the buzz of overhead lights a constant hum of judgment. As he was about to round a corner, he nearly collided with two figures, their presence a sudden jolt in the quiet.

Sophie stood with her usual meticulous poise, her hair swept into a tight chignon, her navy blazer and pencil skirt a study in calculated professionalism. Her hazel eyes, sharp behind her glasses, flickered with a restrained disdain, her lips set in a line that spoke of tolerance stretched thin.

Beside her, Helena was a storm contained, her athletic frame rigid beneath teal scrubs that clung to her body. Her ponytail swayed with the tension in her stance, and her eyes burned with a hatred so evident it seemed to ripple the air around her. Arms crossed tightly over her chest, she made no effort to conceal her loathing, it poured from her like heat from a forge, her gaze a blade aimed at Devon.

Sophie spoke first, her voice smooth but laced with a venom she couldn’t fully mask. "Dr Devon, you’re late. The board has been waiting in the conference room for over twenty minutes. They’re expecting your report on the trauma protocols, and they’re furious alreadt."

Her words were clipped, her tone a delicate balance of professionalism and reproach. Her fingers tightened around the tablet she held, a subtle tell of her irritation.

Devon met her gaze, his own eyes glinting with a lazy arrogance, and let them drift briefly over her, the way her blouse hugged the curve of her breasts, the subtle flare of her hips beneath her skirt.

She didn’t flinch, but her jaw clenched, a silent rebuke to his audacity.

Helena, by contrast, was a furnace of rage. Her lips were pressed into a thin, contemptuous line, and her eyes narrowed to slits, as if she could incinerate him with a glance. She said nothing, but her silence was a roar, a declaration of war that hung heavy in the air. Devon’s gaze lingered on her, slow and deliberate, tracing the defiant tilt of her chin, the taut lines of her body, the promise of fire beneath her restraint.

She was a challenge, and he relished the thought of breaking her.

He nodded absently at Sophie’s words, his voice smooth as silk, tinged with just enough charm to grate. "Thanks for the reminder, Sophie. I’ll head over now. Got caught up with... a pressing matter."

He stepped past them, his shoulder grazing Helena’s with calculated precision, the contact sending a spark of tension crackling through the air. She stiffened, her breath hissing through her teeth, but he didn’t look back. The click of his polished shoes echoed down the corridor, as he left the two women in his wake.

Behind him, Sophie exhaled sharply, her posture loosening just enough to betray her relief at his departure. She turned to Helena, whose eyes remained fixed on the spot where Devon had vanished, her hands clenched into fists so tight her knuckles gleamed white.

Helena’s voice broke the silence, low and seething, each word dripping with barely contained fury. "What the hell was he doing in that storage room?"

Sophie’s lips pursed, her eyes flicking toward the door in question. She shrugged, a graceful, almost dismissive motion, but her voice carried a tremor of unease. "With Devon? It’s probably something vile. He’s a predator, Helena, and he doesn’t even bother to hide it."

Helena’s eyes flashed, her restraint fraying like a rope stretched to its limit. "I don’t care," she snapped, her voice trembling with conviction. "He’s a monster, Sophie. You know what he did, what he’s capable of. We can’t just let him strut around like he owns us all. I say we bring him down, expose him for what he is."

Sophie’s gaze darkened, a flicker of fear passing across her face. She adjusted her glasses, a nervous habit, and her voice dropped to a whisper. "Helena, you know what’s at stake. He’s not just some sleaze. he’s got power, connections, and... If we go after him and fail..." She trailed off, her fingers tightening around her tablet until her knuckles paled.

Helena’s jaw clenched, her eyes burning with a resolve that bordered on obsession. "Then we don’t fail," she said, her voice low and fierce. "He hurt you.He hurt me. And I’ll be damned if I let him keep playing his sick games."

Without waiting for Sophie’s response, Helena stormed toward the storage room door, her steps quick and purposeful, driven by a fury that drowned out her fear. Sophie hesitated, her heart pounding, but the weight of Helena’s conviction pulled her along. She followed, her heels clicking rapidly against the linoleum, her mind racing with the risks of what they were about to uncover.

Helena’s hand closed around the door handle, her pulse hammering in her ears as she shoved it open. The hinges groaned, a mournful sound that seemed to echo the hospital. She fumbled for the light switch, her fingers trembling, and flicked it on.

The fluorescent bulb flickered to life, casting a harsh, unforgiving glow across the room.

And there, sprawled across a pile of overturned boxes, was Lina.

The nurse lay in a state of utter disarray, her scrubs were on the floor, her thighs slick with a glistening, creamy mess that pooled beneath her. Her face, flushed and streaked with drying cum, bore a faint, unsettling smile, a look of twisted satisfaction that lingered even in her unconscious state. Her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, her body limp, as if the intensity of what had transpired had drained her entirely, yet left her in a state of complete contentment.

Helena froze, her breath catching in her throat, her eyes wide with shock. The sight of Lina, ravaged yet smiling sent a jolt of disbelief through her, her mind struggling to reconcile the scene before her. "Lina..." she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if speaking too loudly might shatter the fragile reality of the moment.

Sophie stood rooted in the doorway, her tablet slipping slightly in her grip, her eyes wide with a mix of horror and confusion. "What... what happened to her?" she murmured, her voice trembling as she took in the state of her colleague. Her gaze darted to Helena, then back to Lina, her fear now tinged with a dawning realization.

Helena’s shock gave way to a burning fury, her hands trembling as she turned to Sophie, her voice low and fierce.

"He’s a plague, Sophie. If we don’t stop him, he’ll seduce every woman in this hospital, twist them until they’re smiling like that..." She gestured sharply at Lina’s serene, unsettling expression. "We have to take him down."