Chapter 78: Chapter 78: Not Too Late
Cassandra looked at Ethan, the disbelief giving way to a mixture of awe and sadness. "It really is you... I can’t believe it. You’ve changed so much."
"Life changes everyone, Cassandra. But not always for the worse," Ethan said softly. He gestured to the remnants of the chaos around them. "You were arguing with the Landlord. Are you alright?"
Cassandra sighed, running a hand through her long, brown hair. The previous fury was replaced by deep exhaustion. "No, I’m not. I haven’t been alright for a while. The reason I was arguing... well, I’m getting divorced. We—my husband and I—just couldn’t stand each other anymore. He was refusing to sign the papers until I gave up the last of my savings."
She glanced around the shabby hallway, a sense of crushing defeat settling over her. "I came back here for my last few things because I’m leaving. I can’t handle this city anymore. I’m going back to the country, to live with my grandparents."
"Why the country?" Ethan asked, his voice low.
"Because I have no other choice, Ethan," Cassandra admitted, looking away. "I’m too old to start over. It’s impossible for me to get ahead alone in this place. I’m a grown woman, almost... over the hill. I just need quiet now."
[’Over the hill,’ she says. Champion, her hill looks like a perfectly sculpted mount that needs a flag planted on top. What a tragedy!] The System offered its crude assessment in Ethan’s mind.
Ethan stepped closer, closing the small distance between them. He felt the familiar surge of protective warmth he’d felt before, magnified by his new power.
"Don’t say that, Cassandra," he said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I told you that day, remember? I told you I would be here to help you, no matter what happened. You didn’t believe me then."
"You were a kid, Ethan. You were scared and skinny, yelling at me in a fight. I didn’t take you seriously," she confessed, a faint, sad smile touching her lips.
"Well, take me seriously now," Ethan insisted, his eyes locked on hers. "You are not old. You are beautiful. You are the woman I desire the most. Everything about you is perfect—your hair, your eyes, the fact that you fight like a damn lion for what is yours."
Cassandra’s breath hitched. She hadn’t been looked at that way—with genuine awe and hunger—in years. "Ethan, stop. You don’t know what you’re saying. You’re different now... successful. And I am..."
"You are mine, if you’ll let me prove it," Ethan interrupted, the powerful conviction in his voice silencing her. "You are not going back to the country. You are not going to live a life of regret. I just bought this building. You don’t owe the Landlord—that coward—a single cent. Stay here. Let me help you start over. Let me give you everything you deserve."
Cassandra stared at him, her beautiful features etched with confusion and disbelief. "You... you bought the building? Ethan, what do you mean? You can’t just buy a building."
"I mean exactly that," Ethan replied, a small, confident smile playing on his lips. "The papers were just signed. The building and all its leases belong to me now."
A look of genuine awe replaced her sadness. "Oh, my God. You bought this entire building? Ethan, that’s... that’s incredible! Congratulations! But... where did you get the money? I thought you were struggling just a week ago."
[Tell her you got rich by doing unspeakable acts of exhibitionism inside a bank. It sounds much more romantic!] The System suggested with glee in Ethan’s mind.
Ethan shrugged, keeping his expression cool and casual. "Things have started to go well for me. I managed to acquire a substantial amount of capital recently. I can finally afford to get what I want in life." He intentionally kept the answer vague.
Cassandra didn’t press for details, respecting his silence, but her curiosity remained. "Okay, well, I’m happy for you. Truly. But you said you were only gone for a week... what did you actually do this past week that changed everything?"
"I got another house," Ethan admitted, simplifying the truth about his sudden affluence. "I actually came here today to grab a few things before moving out completely, but then I found the Landlord breaking my stuff. That’s what made me angry."
[Lying is so easy for you, Champion! You sound so credible! Remember the $7.5 million was for exhibitionism, not for being a good boy who just moved house!] The System chided him, bored by the mildness of the conversation.
Cassandra shook her head, a familiar sadness returning. "Breaking things... sounds about right for him. He always broke more than he fixed. I wish I could have seen his face when you told him you were buying the place."
"It was memorable," Ethan chuckled, then stepped closer again, making his intent clear. "The point is, the Landlord is gone, Cassandra. You are free. Stay here. Stay with me. Let me show you that you are anything but ’over the hill.’"
Cassandra bit her lip, her eyes suddenly glistening with tears of doubt and exhaustion. "No, don’t do this, Ethan. I’m just an old woman who has nothing to offer. This building is yours; you should use it for yourself. I know I was your first time, but you don’t owe me anything. If anything, I owe you for taking something so important."
Ethan laughed softly, a low, confident sound. I have closed the remaining gap between them and kissed her deeply, silencing her protests.
He didn’t say another word, letting the action speak. He used one hand to cup her large breast, his thumb brushing over her nipple through the fabric, while his other hand cupped and squeezed one of her generous buttocks.
He broke the kiss, his eyes burning with desire. "You are wrong. You deserve everything. And I can give it to you—money, properties, luxury, and..."
Ethan took Cassandra’s hand and guided it down, making her grasp his erection, which was already hard against his expensive trousers.
"...I can make you feel satisfied. I will make you know heaven."
[Oh, now he’s not fast! Look at the erection! It’s trying to punch through his pants! Champion, you lasted longer arguing with the Landlord than you will last with her right now, so hurry up!] The System taunted, delighted by the impending sex.
[And ’know heaven’? Seriously? That line is older than the Bible. Try the ’I will make you climax so hard you’ll forget your ex-husband’s name’ line. Much more effective!]
Cassandra’s eyes were wide, her cheeks flushed scarlet as she felt the size and heat of her desire. The combination of his new power, the building purchase, and his raw, simple confession of lust was overwhelming.