Nadia walked into the sitting room, eager to share her new findings with the guys. But as she approached them, she realized they were too engrossed in their game to pay her any attention.
"Guys, I need to tell you something," Nadia said, trying to sound serious.
Duke and Tyler grunted in response, their eyes fixed on the screen. "Uh huh," Duke said, not even looking up.
Nadia sighed, frustrated. "This is important, Duke. I've discovered something significant."
But Duke just kept playing, his responses becoming increasingly vague. "Yeah, yeah, got it."
Halia, who had been watching the exchange, chimed in. "Nadia, you know they're not scientists like you and Ryker. There's really no need to tell them anything."
Nadia shot Halia a look, but Halia just shrugged. "I'm just saying. They're not going to understand anyway."
Nadia huffed, feeling a bit miffed. She had been so excited to share her findings, but now she felt like no one was taking her seriously.
Nadia offered Halia a small smile, trying not to be passive-aggressive. "No, but I need Duke's help with something, and Ryker won't be able to assist me as much as I'd like."
Halia scratched her head absentmindedly. "Don't you think he's done enough? He did save my life, and I almost killed him. Is Duke a Tieran? How did he survive that?"
Nadia shook her head. "No, Halia. He's not. And Tierans don't have the ability to heal that fast. That's why I need to discuss it with him."
Halia was quiet for a moment before her eyes lit up. "I have an idea on how to get their attention," she said, rushing to grab an apron from the dining room before dashing into the kitchen. Nadia knew exactly what she was up to - Halia wanted to entice them with food. Almost all the boys were enthralled by her cooking, except for Tyler, who had been skeptical at first about trying a new dish, but eventually got won over.
Nadia remembered when she had cooked for Tyler and Ryker the day Halia was kidnapped. They had insisted on waiting for Halia to return and cook for them, making Nadia feel slightly embarrassed. But she also preferred her sister's cooking to her own.
Just then, Nadia's burner phone rang, drawing her out of her thoughts. She checked the caller ID, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then went into the broadcast room to answer the call, knowing no one could hear a thing that happened in there from the outside.
She picked up on the second ring. "Hello?"
"You're yet to deliver my package, and we had a deal. You said you'd hand him over," the caller said.
Nadia recognized Dominique's voice. "The deal is off. I told you to find my sister because you're higher ranked than most Tierans, and you did nothing."
Dominique countered, "But I did do something. Who do you think hijacked the van and rescued the girls?"
Nadia played dumb, trying to act like she was still searching for Halia "So, does that mean you have her?" she asked, feigning ignorance.
"I don't have her," Dominique said. "But she was taken by the same man we agreed you'd hand over. And unlike before, I really need my hands on him now."
"Got taken?" Nadia asked, pretending to be shocked. "You mean you had her in your hands and let her get taken? Well, do your job properly because he's no longer within reach for me to hand him over to you."
There was silence on the other end of the call. Nadia could hear her own heartbeat as she waited for a response. Just when she was about to end the call, thinking Dominique wasn't going to say anything more, he spoke.
"I will look into finding your sister, even though you won't do me any good by handing him over anymore. He's out in the open with a child now. But don't think about double-crossing me or playing with me. I know what happened in that lab, and I know your sister making it out will do some people good. If you don't want her out of your hands, you'll cooperate with me." Dominique's tone was stern, and Nadia knew he wasn't making a request. "I hope I'm understood."
Nadia realized that wasn't a question when he ended the call right after. She sighed, feeling agitated, and ruffled her hair. "If only I didn't doubt Duke and waited, I wouldn't have needed Dom's help," she muttered to herself. She knew Dominique was a man of his word, and she'd be in grave danger if he realized he'd been played. "Fuck!"
—
Duke helped Tyler finish another level, which Tyler claimed was the hardest. According to him, everyone online had difficulties passing that level on the first trial.
When the game switched to story mode, Tyler brought out his phone to record a video of the game. Duke had seen him do this before, specifically when a particular female character appeared. He wondered if it was because of her revealing outfit, which seemed to be fighting for dominance and freedom in her little shirt, or for another reason. He couldn't help but compare her to the 3D girl in his vision who popped up whenever he received a Special Order. They looked oddly similar, but he thought the 3D girl was prettier due to her long hair.
When Tyler noticed Duke staring at his phone, he chuckled nervously. "It's not what you think. I'm quite popular online, and I make edits of gaming characters. This particular character is my absolute favorite."
Duke nodded slowly, understanding.
Tyler suddenly raised a question, "If you had the ability to be involved in a gaming world and had someone like her, what would you - "
Duke responded immediately, "I'd smash!"
Tyler chuckled, and Duke mentally face-palmed himself, realizing his intrusive thoughts had getting the better of him. He had forgotten Tyler was just a kid.
"Not what I was asking, but good to know," Tyler said with a chuckle. "I meant, what name would you give her? I'm still trying to come up with a good name for her online. Something my fans can call her whenever she pops up in their feeds."
Duke's response had surprised himself, and he was glad Tyler didn't press the issue further. He didn't know what was wrong with him lately. His mind seemed to be a jumble of weird thoughts and desires.
'I guess that's what I get when I have a sexy character living in my head.' He thought to himself. Thinking about it now, he realized he hadn't even given her a name. He simply referred to her as '3d girl'
He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts before he set his focus back on the game again. "Uh, I don't know. Maybe you could ask your fans or some shit."
"That's a good idea—" Tyler started saying, but he trailed off when the power went off. "Not again."
Duke furrowed his brows in confusion. "What happened to the power supply?"
Tyler pulled out his phone and turned on the light. "I don't know, but they'll bring it back soon."
Tyler stood up and started heading in the direction of one of the rooms.
"Where are you going?" Duke asked him.
"To check the switch. It fluctuates sometimes," Tyler replied.
"Oh, I'll help you," Duke said, standing up to follow him.
Just as they entered the room, the light came back on.
"Food's ready!" they heard Halia announce, and they immediately rushed out of the room, only to meet Ryker also rushing out from the room he had been cramped in.
Nadia emerged from the broadcast room soon after, and as she saw all the guys in the sitting room, she smiled. They were all seated, looking like obedient dogs awaiting a scrumptious meal.
"It takes food to get your attention, huh?" she asked, amused, as she sat down next to them.