Jason leaned against the cool wall of his small apartment, watching the night sky through the window. His heart was still racing from his escape from Lila's apartment, and the memory of her lips lingered in his mind longer than he would have liked to admit. But it wasn't the kiss that kept his thoughts buzzing—it was the system notification that appeared as soon as he touched the ground after his escape.
[Sign-In Reward Unlocked: Suit Thug Mode Activated]
A new window popped up, showing an image of a sleek, tailored black suit. The suit looked ordinary at first glance, but the system's description told him otherwise.
[Suit Thug Mode: While wearing this suit, your fighting ability increases by 50%, and you gain heightened reflexes and stamina. This mode also grants you an intimidating aura that makes enemies hesitate before attacking.]
Jason smirked. The system never failed to surprise him. A suit that made him stronger? That was something he could definitely use in a world like this. And he had a feeling he'd be needing it sooner rather than later.
He pulled open his closet, and there it was—hanging neatly among his clothes. The suit. He reached out and touched the fabric, which felt smooth and expensive, like something that belonged to the rich and powerful. Sliding it on, Jason felt an immediate difference. His muscles tensed with new energy, his mind felt sharper, and his body moved with a newfound ease.
He clenched his fists and shadowboxed for a moment, testing his speed. His punches were quicker, his balance more solid. This suit wasn't just for show—it was a weapon in itself.
With a satisfied grin, Jason slipped off the suit, saving it for when he would need it most. For now, he had to focus on the bigger picture. Things were getting more dangerous by the minute, and he had two women—Lila and Amelia—wrapped up in a web of secrets, all while Damon loomed over everything like a dark cloud.
Meanwhile, at her apartment, Lila sat by the window, her mind adrift in the past.
She thought about how her life had changed since meeting Damon. She had been living a simple, peaceful life—studying, working part-time, and hanging out with friends. She had been happy. Content.
Then Damon Blackwood entered her life, and everything flipped upside down.
She met Damon during a charity event her university had organized. He was cold, distant, and entirely out of her league. Yet, there was something about him that drew her in, something she couldn't explain. At first, she thought it was curiosity. He was the CEO everyone whispered about, the one who had built his empire from nothing. He was powerful, rich, and—despite his icy demeanor—undeniably handsome.
But as time passed, Damon's attention turned toward her. He started appearing at her work, then at her university events. He always had an excuse—business, coincidence, or something vague. But Lila wasn't naive. She could feel his eyes on her whenever they crossed paths, his gaze intense, like he was waiting for something.
Their relationship had never been clear. Damon wasn't the type to openly confess feelings, and Lila was unsure whether what she felt was attraction or fear. Maybe it was both. All she knew was that ever since Damon stepped into her life, nothing had been the same.
He was possessive, always watching, always protecting her from shadows she didn't even know existed. At first, it was flattering—having someone as powerful as Damon care about her. But soon, it became suffocating. Damon controlled everything—where she went, who she saw. And no matter how hard she tried to maintain some semblance of her old life, Damon had a way of pulling her deeper into his world.
And then there was Amelia Grey.
The first time Lila met Amelia, it was at one of Damon's extravagant parties. Amelia was everything Lila wasn't—confident, poised, with a sharp beauty that could silence a room. She moved through the crowd with a grace that turned heads, and when she spoke, her words dripped with a quiet authority that demanded attention.
Lila had been intimidated by Amelia at first. She knew Amelia came from one of the most powerful families in the city, second only to Damon's. Their engagement was a business arrangement, or so Damon had said. But Lila wasn't blind to the way Amelia looked at Damon. She had feelings for him—real ones.
Now, as she sat alone in her apartment, the memories of Damon and Amelia swirled in her mind, mixing with the thoughts of Jason and his bold, unexpected kiss. Everything was spinning out of control. Damon wanted to protect her, Amelia wanted to possess her, and Jason—Jason wanted something else entirely.
Her mind flashed back to the hotel, where Jason had kissed her for the first time. At that moment, she had been too overwhelmed to fully understand what was happening, but now that she had time to think, her heart raced with the memory. Jason was unlike anyone she had ever met—daring, bold, and completely reckless. The way he had snuck into her apartment tonight, caught her when she fell, and kissed her again, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, left her spinning.
She didn't know what to make of him. Jason was unpredictable. And while Damon's protectiveness felt like a cage, Jason's presence felt like a whirlwind—chaotic but exhilarating.
Lila sighed, resting her head against the cool glass of the window. She wasn't sure what to think anymore. Her once peaceful life had been shattered by these two men—Damon, who brought security but at the cost of her freedom, and Jason, who offered nothing but uncertainty yet made her feel alive in ways she hadn't before.
Everything was changing so quickly, and Lila didn't know if she could keep up. Damon, Amelia, and now Jason—all of them wanted something from her, but none of them were being honest about what it was.
All she knew for sure was that her life had been turned upside down, and there was no going back to the way things were. Not now, not ever.