Chapter 476: Chapter 476

I couldn’t get that image out of my head. Mana dropping her hand down on Chase like he was nothing. The sound of bones snapping, ribs collapsing under the pressure, blood everywhere. It was brutal. The guy was a horrible person, sure, but watching someone die like that was something else entirely. At the same time, another part of me kept remembering Jasmine and the other girls tied up in that room, helpless, and that part of me didn’t feel nearly as bad about Chase’s fate.

Still, the memory kept looping in my mind and it made concentrating impossible.

The papers on my desk looked like they were written in a language I didn’t understand. I kept staring at them, scanning lines of text without actually reading anything. My eyes were on the documents but my thoughts were somewhere else entirely.

Mana’s subject. The most powerful goddess among them.

What exactly did that mean for me?

“Damn,” I muttered under my breath, rubbing my temple. “Is she going to kill me or what?”

The elevator opened nearby and Amelia stepped out. She adjusted her sharp glasses as she walked toward my desk, her usual serious expression in place. When she saw me she gave a small nod, and for a moment her expression softened slightly.

“Evan,” she said. “Hey.”

“Hi,” I replied, leaning back a little in my chair. “What’s up?”

“Are we still on for the driving lessons?” she asked. “If that still works for you.”

“Oh yeah, sure,” I said. “When’s your break?”

“Right now,” she said. “What about you?”

“If the boss lady lets me,” I said while getting up from my chair, “then right now as well. Give me a second.”

“Okay.”

I walked over to Nala’s office and opened the door. She looked up from the paperwork on her desk, clearly ready to scold whoever had walked in without knocking. When she saw me instead, her expression changed and she smiled.

“Evan?” she said. “What’s going on?”

“I’m stepping out for a bit,” I said. “Driving lesson with Amelia. I should be back in about half an hour.”

“Sure,” she replied immediately. “Go ahead.”

“Thanks,” I said. Then I leaned a little closer and lowered my voice. “Love you.”

She glanced toward the hallway and then whispered back. “Shh… love you.”

I chuckled and closed the door behind me.

When I walked back toward Amelia she looked at my face and immediately understood that Nala had approved it. She clapped her hands together once, clearly excited.

She really wanted to learn how to drive.

I had to admit though, this wasn’t going to be a relaxing lesson. I needed to ask her about that guy who had shown up earlier claiming to be her father. The one who introduced himself as Jack Hitch. If that guy turned out to be the same person as this K I was looking for, I needed to figure out what he was doing.

“Ready to go?” Amelia asked.

“Yep,” I said. “Let’s go.”

We walked to the elevator and I pressed the button. The doors opened with a soft chime and we stepped inside. I pressed the ground floor.

The ride down was quiet except for the faint music playing through the speakers. Amelia turned slightly and checked her reflection in the mirror on the wall, fixing her hair and adjusting her glasses. I stood there with my hands loosely clasped in front of me, looking down and waiting.

The elevator opened and we stepped out. We walked through the lobby and out the automatic doors.

The air outside felt warmer than the day before. Snow was falling slowly, drifting down in lazy flakes, and a light breeze moved through the parking lot. It was calm, not the kind of weather that made you regret stepping outside.

We walked down the steps and reached my jeep. I tossed the keys to Amelia and she caught them quickly. We both got inside.

She took a slow breath, adjusted the mirrors, and started the engine.

“How about we go onto the main road today?” I said. “Good warm-up.”

“I’m not sure that’s a good idea,” she replied while gripping the steering wheel.

“It’ll be fine,” I said. “Let’s leave the parking lot and head to that roundabout.”

“Okay.”

She began driving slowly through the parking lot, her eyes glued to the road ahead. Her hands were gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles had turned pale.

“Easy,” I said calmly. “You’re holding the wheel too tight.”

“Oh.” She loosened her grip a little. “Sorry.”

“It’s normal,” I said. “Just relax. I’m right here. If anything happens I’ll help.”

“O-okay. Thanks.”

A soft system notification chimed in my mind and informed me I’d earned two points from that interaction. I wasn’t going to complain about that. If only Ivy was this easy. After telling her the truth about Chase I somehow ended up at negative ninety-nine points with her. That girl was unbelievable.

I shook my head and pushed the thought aside. Right now I needed to focus on Jack Kuinn.

══════════════════

WOMEN – INTERACTIONS

──────────────────

Jasmine: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kayla: Interest: 38 / 40★

Tessa: Interest: 40 / 60★★

Kim: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Delilah: Interest: 75 / 80★★★

Cora: Interest: 100 / 100★★★★★

Mendy: Interest: 20 /40★

Nala: Interest: 100 /100★★★★★

Penelope: Interest: 5 /20

Minne: Interest: 38 /40★

Ivy: Interest: -99/20

Eleanor: Interest: 25/40★

Amelia: Interest: 12/20

Esme: Interest: 60/80★★

══════════════════

Amelia reached the exit of the parking lot, checked the road, and merged carefully when she saw it was clear. She drove slowly, clearly excited but also nervous.

“So,” I said casually, “do you know anyone named Jack Kuinn?”

She stopped at a red light and looked over at me with one eyebrow raised.

“No,” she said. “Who is that?”

“Someone who showed up here a few days ago,” I said. “He claimed he was your father.”

“My father?” she said with a confused look. “That’s not possible. My father’s dead.”

“Yeah, that’s what I figured.”

She frowned slightly. “That’s actually a little creepy. Do you have a photo of him?”

“No,” I said. “Security called me because someone was asking around. I went down, talked to the guy, and kicked him out.”

“Jack Kuinn…” she repeated quietly.

“With a K,” I said. “Kuinn.”

“Huh,” she said. “Never heard of that name. Did he introduce himself like that?”

“No,” I said. “He said his name was Jack Hitch.”

She turned her head toward me slowly, clearly surprised.

“Hitch?” she asked.

“Yeah.”

“That was my father’s surname,” she said.

“What?”

“My mom and him broke up a couple of years ago,” she explained. “He was my stepfather.”

I leaned back slightly in my seat. “Wait. Your stepfather came here?”

“I guess he did,” she said.

A few cars honked behind us. The traffic light had turned green and Amelia hadn’t noticed. I pointed forward.

“Light.”

“Oh.” She quickly pressed the gas and moved the car forward again. “Why would he come here?” she said while keeping her eyes on the road. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re not on good terms with him?” I asked.

“No,” she said. “Not at all. Mom left him years ago. I haven’t talked to him since.”

“I see.”

She was quiet for a moment and then glanced at me again.

“Then who is this Kuinn guy?” she asked.

“It’s a separate thing,” I said. “Don’t worry about that right now.”

She nodded slowly.

“So,” I continued, “Jack Hitch. That’s your stepfather.”

“Not anymore,” she said.

“Right,” I said. “Not anymore.”

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