Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

Chapter 40 Millionaire's Gamble: Kiss, Chaos, and the Spin of Fate.

They fired up the console and settled on a popular game—something fast-paced, competitive, and neutral enough for both genders. The energy in the room shifted as they picked their characters and got into position.

Parker was confident, leaning back on the couch like he had this in the bag. He'd played this game plenty of times before, and there was no way Tessa—who didn't even strike him as a gamer—could beat him.

But by the third round, his confidence was cracking.

"What the fuck?!" Parker blurted as Tessa wiped the floor with him yet again.

Tessa cackled, clutching her stomach. "Don't tell me you're losing on purpose, Parker. Are you going easy on me?"

He glared at her, jaw clenched. "Hell no! You're cheating or something. You've definitely played this before."

She shrugged, the smug grin never leaving her face. "Maybe I have, maybe I haven't. Either way, score says I'm kicking your ass."

By the end of five rounds, the results were undeniable: 4-1 in Tessa's favor.

Parker slumped back, tossing his controller onto the couch. "There's no way. I swear you've got some kind of witchy gamer voodoo."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night," Tessa teased, her grin wide. "Now, about that bet…"

Parker narrowed his eyes. "Nothing outrageous, alright?"

"Oh, you don't get to decide that," she said, leaning in with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Rules are rules, Master."

He sighed, already regretting agreeing to this. "Fine. What is it?"

Tessa's grin grew even wider. "Close your eyes. No questions, just do it."

His eyebrows shot up. "Tessa—"

"Shh!" she interrupted, pressing a finger to his lips in a way that made his breath hitch. Her tone dropped, soft and teasing. "You lost. Just trust me."

How bold was this girl. Is this how your treat your master?

Before he could argue, her other hand gently covered his eyes, and he felt her warmth as she leaned closer. "That's it," she whispered, her breath brushing against his ear.

He stayed still, unsure of what she was planning but not about to break the rules. Suddenly, the weight shifted, and he felt her settle onto his lap.

"Tessa," he started, his voice sharp.

Before he could say more, her lips pressed against his, soft and deliberate. His body froze in surprise, the kiss catching him completely off guard.

Her hands slid around his neck, pulling him closer, deepening the kiss. For a moment, Parker felt his mind go blank, every coherent thought drowned out by the intensity of the moment.

When she finally pulled back, her cheeks were flushed, her breathing slightly uneven. A thin line of warmth still connected them, and she whispered, "Falling for you isn't that bad or crime or is it, huh master?"

Parker blinked, his mind catching up. His jaw tightened, and he gently pushed her hands off him, standing up meeting her gaze.

"Parker," she said softly, still holding his gaze. "I think I'm in love with you. I know it's stupid, and I know it's fast, but… I can't help it. Please don't hate me."

"You don't get to decide that," he said firmly, his tone sharp but not cruel. "And you shouldn't have done that without asking me first. I get it was a bet, but consent matters, Tessa, alright?"

[Tessa: 95AP] 'Ah, so troublesome, but it explains everything.'

Her smile faltered, but she nodded, watching him walk toward the bedroom and shut the door behind him. She stayed seated, her lips still tingling from the kiss.

"That was my first kiss," she whispered to herself, a mix of pride and regret in her voice.

Inside the bedroom, Parker leaned against the door, rubbing a hand over his face.

"Damn it," he muttered. "That was my first."

Parker leaned against the bedroom door for a solid minute, his mind racing with everything that had just gone down.

Tessa had kissed him. Like, actually kissed him. And yeah, sure, he'd pushed her away and blurted out all the right things about consent and boundaries, but fuck—it wasn't like he didn't feel it.

'I can't believe I was flustered and embarrassed that I had to run away. Me, Parker Black?

The memory of it was still fresh, lingering like static electricity. He ran a hand through his hair, letting out a long breath.

"Shit," he muttered to himself.

He wasn't gonna lie; there was something there. A spark. Maybe even a goddamn wildfire waiting to happen. But rushing into things wasn't his style. Not until he was sure. Sure of her, sure of himself. It wasn't about falling in love or anything cheesy like that—he just needed to know it wasn't some heat-of-the-moment thing.

Because Tessa wasn't some random chick he could just ghost later if things got messy. She was... complicated.

To distract himself, Parker flopped onto the bed and pulled up the system notifications. The glowing interface appeared in front of him, a welcome escape from his swirling thoughts.

[Ding! Spend $1,000,000, earned $10,000,000!]

The message floated on the screen, reminding him of the elite upgrades he'd bought for both himself and Tessa earlier.

"Hell yeah!" Parker grinned, punching the air. He wasn't just breaking even—he was thriving.

[5+ stats earned from the training!]

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" He pumped his fist again, sitting up straight.

Then, like any typical teenage guy hyped out of his mind, Parker stood up, fists clenched, and did the motion. The one every overly-excited dude does when they think they've just won at life: a celebratory, over-the-top pelvic thrust into the air.

"Young, handsome, rich, and just lost my lip virginity! That's life, baby!"

The grin on his face was so wide it probably stretched into another dimension.

But then he froze, realizing how ridiculous he must look. "Okay, okay, chill, dude. Chill." He shook his head, laughing at himself.

Dropping back onto the bed, he pulled up his balance. When the number popped up on the screen, his jaw damn near hit the floor.

$93,790,000

Parker stared at the digits, blinking a couple of times to make sure he was seeing everything as it was. And then he laughed. A loud, full-on villain laugh.

"Curses!" he bellowed in his best fake evil voice, clutching his stomach. "I'm unstoppable! I'm—no, no, calm down, Parker. Calm the fuck down. That's how money gets into your head and next thing you know you're like the young Justin Bieber." He waved his hands like he was trying to put out an invisible fire. "First, think of the saddest moment of your life. Then… check out the system Random Spins. Don't let this money hype kill you."

Still grinning, Parker sat cross-legged on the bed and tapped the system's interface for the Random Spins, determined to balance his excitement with a little dose of luck—or chaos. Whatever came first.

What he didn't see coming was something that was about to expose him to series of mysteries about him and the secrets of his family.