Driving down the road, Kael kept one hand on the wheel, while the other rested against his lips.
Recalling the entire encounter with Mia, he finally noticed something strange.
He hadn't kissed her.
Not once.
Naturally, it wasn't intentional. Kael wasn't the type to give kisses any special meaning, when he is already fucking her.
To him, physical intimacy was something that should be reserved for a real partner. That had always been his mindset.
Had.
Yes.
Kael had been like that before.
But he'd already gone against his own principles twice now… and he would probably do it again.
So this whole topic needed reconsideration later.
For now, his mind was still on Mia.
What kind of woman was she, really?
He found himself growing curious about her.
Not because they'd shared a bed.
But because of her behavior.
And because of that last kiss.
To him, it hadn't held any special meaning.
But to her…
He was certain it did.
Maybe that was why.
Kael didn't feel like he would forget that kiss — or the one who initiated it — anytime soon.
Eventually, he pulled his car over.
Stepping out, he walked to the fence by the water and stared out into the dark surface.
The rain had stopped, but the ground was still damp.
The wind was strong, sharp enough to bite through his clothes, and the water rolled in restless waves.
Small waves, yes… but violent in the way they never stopped moving.
Kael stood there long enough to feel his body finally cool down.
Mia's warmth, still clinging to him like a scent, began to fade under the cold.
He reached into his pocket, pulled out a cigarette, and lit it.
He smoked slowly.
Letting the cold wash over his skin.
Over his thoughts.
Over his heart.
Mia.
Much later.
When everything around me settles down…
Let's meet.
Let's talk without games.
Not with our bodies.
But with honest words.
…
The words never left his lips.
They stayed unspoken, buried inside him.
But framing them like that — even silently — felt like something close to a promise.
A promise that she deserved more than being a target in a lust-driven game.
And with that, Kael finally closed the page called Mia.
He took another cigarette and lit it, smoking in silence before he finally pulled out his phone.
The result was already waiting.
[Mission Complete.]
As expected.
Kael had completed the mission.
And the $50,000 had already been transferred.
There was another message right beneath it.
[Do you want to proceed to the next mission?]
So the game wasn't finished.
Without hesitation, Kael replied:
Yes.
It was already around 9 PM.
The smart decision would've been to wait until tomorrow before accepting the next one.
Missions had time limits, after all.
And just because this one had been easy, didn't mean the next would be.
But Kael…
Kael was still confident.
A new message arrived.
[Mission: 03]
Lust is no longer a private impulse.
It is no longer anonymous, or fleeting.
You have tested lust without consequence.
And you have tested lust with familiarity.
Now you will test lust against commitment.
Not the kind spoken in the dark.
Not the kind whispered after a drink.
The kind repeated every day until it becomes identity.
A woman in a serious relationship is not unavailable.
She is invested.
And investment creates leverage.
Will guilt protect her?
Or will it only make the fall more satisfying?
[Goal: Fuck another woman.]
[Conditions: She must be beautiful, and married.]
[Time Limit: 7 days.]
[Reward: $200,000]
[Failure Penalty: -$1,000,000]
Kael stared at the third mission for a moment, cold blue eyes narrowing slightly, before he tucked the phone away and continued smoking.
Will guilt protect her?
The question surfaced in his mind, and the answer came easily.
No, it couldn't.
And with the right conditions… it wouldn't even exist.
Despite that, Kael didn't move.
Fucking a married woman meant betrayal.
Infidelity.
He didn't like that.
With Mia, if he'd known she had a boyfriend, he would've chosen someone else.
This was different.
This time, he would be walking toward the line with his eyes open.
And that made him pause.
How many lines was he going to cross for this game?
In truth, for his own goals, Kael didn't mind crossing lines.
He never pretended he was clean.
But being led to cross them by someone he didn't know…
That didn't sit right.That was why he hesitated.
Wanting to try something else… something new, was fine.
But was it really necessary for it to be through this game?
Kael exhaled a cloud of smoke, forcing himself to slow down.
After three missions, one thing was already obvious:
The Lust Game wasn't giving him "missions."
It was testing his bottom line.
And honestly, he was fine with that.
So far, the consequences had been manageable too.
The penalty was still theoretical.
Mia was a closed page.
The next woman was still only a name that didn't exist yet.
Everything seemed fine… yet Kael still didn't feel comfortable.
He didn't know if he should really continue.
So, staring at the waves in front of him, he let the cold wind bite through the lingering warmth on his skin for a few long minutes, before he made a decision… to take advice.
Kael took out his phone and started messaging his group.
Not acquaintances. Not classmates. Not work colleagues.
His friends.