Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

Chapter 39 Comfort, Be Mine

The quiet hum of the car filled the space between them. Parker finally broke it. "So… you're not planning on telling your parents about what happened?" His voice was low, careful.

Tessa shook her head, staring at the city lights streaking by through the window. "I don't know what to do," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm still… I'm still trying to process everything. I don't even know how to bring it up to them."

Parker glanced at her, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. It all started to make sense now—the reason she'd been so comfortable staying with him this long without seeming eager to return home.

"Your parents aren't home," he said slowly, piecing it together. "And you're… scared of what might happen if they find out."

Tessa let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Scared? Hell yeah, I'm terrified. Things might involve media and police? My parents? My uncle? Family image falling apart? Parker I have weight to carry as the daughter of a billionaire, things could destroy our family. That's a storm I'm not ready for. If I'd gone to the cops that night, they'd have dragged everyone into it. My parents would have freaked out, and my uncle… Parker I can't afford to fuck my family up. I would prefer my parents come back and they will handle everything quietly then..." Her voice trailed off, her throat tightening.

Parker's jaw clenched, anger stirring deep in his chest—not at her, but at the situation. He could see it now: a scared girl, trying to keep control over a nightmare spiraling out of her grasp.

"So that's why you…" He exhaled sharply, a small, humorless smile crossing his lips. "That's why you willingly became my 'servant.' It wasn't about me or some twisted sense of loyalty. You just didn't want to make things worse."

Tessa turned to look at him, her face tired but grateful. "Exactly," she said quietly. "I needed time to figure things out, and this was the safest option. I… I'm still thinking about it, you know? About how I'm gonna tell my parents. And my uncle… But make no mistakes, I enjoy being your servant, master."

Parker nodded, his expression softening slightly. "Makes sense." He didn't press her further, but his voice turned firm as he added, "But don't think I'm just gonna let you off the hook for what you did to me."

Tessa blinked, caught off guard by his sudden shift, but then a small smile tugged at her lips. "I wouldn't expect you to," she said. "You're not the kind of guy who falls for a sob story."

Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before she blurted out, "Can you be my boyfriend though. I want to give you everything...

?"

Parker choked, his foot slamming on the brake as the car jerked to a stop.

"In Aphrodite's name, Tessa!" he snapped, whipping his head toward her.

She burst out laughing, clutching her stomach as tears of amusement streamed down her face. "Your face! Oh my God, your face!"

"Don't joke about that," he muttered, annoyed, as he hit the gas again and resumed driving.

By the time they got back to the hotel, both of them were starving. They ordered dinner and ate in comfortable silence, the earlier tension fading away. Afterward, they collapsed onto the couch in the living room, the faint sound of the city outside filling the quiet moments.

Tessa eyed the wine on the coffee table, then glanced at Parker with a mischievous smirk. "Aren't you a little underage to be drinking?" she teased, propping her chin on her hand.

Parker raised an eyebrow at her, his tone flat. "Tessa."

"What?" she asked, feigning innocence.

Parker leaned back into the couch, his glass in hand, watching Tessa out of the corner of his eye. Her smirk was playful but a little too bold for his liking.

"Tessa," he said, setting the glass down and turning fully toward her. His gaze was sharp but not unkind. "You're getting too comfortable, aren't you?"

Her smirk faltered for half a second before she straightened her back, pretending to look chastened. "I am, Master," she said, her voice teasing, dripping with mock servitude. "Your servant is getting too comfortable and probably deserves a punishment!"

She reached over and plucked the glass from his hands, her fingers grazing his.

Her eyes locked on his, challenging. "Master…" Her voice softened, almost a whisper. "Is it really that bad... falling for you?" Her fingers lingered on his skin, tracing small circles.

Parker didn't flinch, but the corner of his lips twitched, the start of a grin breaking through. "You're gonna have to try harder than that," he said, pulling her hand away like it was nothing.

Tessa huffed, flopping back into the couch with a pout. "You're no fun," she muttered, her tone tinged with mock frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Parker replied, shaking his head. "Go grab the stuff we bought—and my old laptop."

Tessa got up with an exaggerated sigh, mumbling something under her breath that Parker pretended not to hear. She disappeared into the other room and returned moments later, arms full. In one hand was the sleek Apple shopping bag with two iPhone 16 Pro Maxes and two MacBooks. In the other, she carried Parker's beat-up old laptop.

"Here," she said, plopping everything onto the coffee table.

Parker picked up his old phone, turning it over in his hands. The edges were scuffed, the screen had a hairline crack running across it, and the battery barely held a charge anymore. But it had been with him through thick and thin.

"Goodbye, old friend," he said solemnly, holding it up like it was a retired soldier.

Tessa tilted her head, watching him with a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Are you seriously saying goodbye like you're burying your best friend?"

"Shh," Parker said, his tone dead serious. "This thing has seen some shit, alright? Show some respect."

Tessa rolled her eyes but smiled as she watched him place the phone down carefully, almost ceremoniously.

They spent the next hour setting up their new gadgets. Tessa couldn't help but giggle at how meticulous Parker was with transferring his data, muttering curses every time something didn't sync the way he wanted.

When they were finally done, Parker stretched, his body ready to call it a night.

Just as he stood to head to the bedroom, Tessa grabbed his hand and yanked him back down onto the couch. He landed with a soft thud, looking at her in confusion.

"Relax," she said, grinning at him. "I wanna play a game with you before we crash."

Parker raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. "Alright, fine. What are we playing?"

Tessa's grin widened. "Oh, it's not just about playing. We're gonna make it interesting. Let's bet on it—five rounds. Winner gets to ask the loser for a favor."

Parker smirked, the competitive glint in his eyes lighting up. "You sure about that? You're talking to someone who grew up on video games."

"Big words, Master," Tessa said, grabbing the controllers and tossing one to him. "Let's see if you can back them up."

The game was on.