Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

The hallway echoed softly with the muted sound of Parker's boots hitting the marble floor. The dim garage lights faded behind him as he walked toward the main house, his mind unusually quiet. The door opened with a smooth click, the warmth of the house greeting him, faint murmurs filtering in from the living room.

Naomi and Elena's laughter bounced off the walls, light and carefree. They were seated on the couch, wine glasses in hand, mid-conversation. As soon as they saw him enter, their voices stilled. For a second, it looked like they were about to greet him, but before they could, Ere jumped off his shoulder in a sleek arc, landing gracefully on the floor.

"Ere!" Elena practically squealed, her face lighting up like she'd just seen her favorite celebrity. "You're back, baby girl!"

Naomi followed suit, her excitement bubbling over as Ere padded toward them with the elegance only she could pull off. "Look at her little face," Naomi cooed, holding out her hand. Ere flicked her tail once and allowed them to fawn over her, a rare indulgence from the usually aloof magical cat.

Parker spared them all a single glance, his expression unreadable, before continuing down the hallway without a word. The faint hum of their voices faded as he climbed the stairs, his hand brushing the smooth banister.

When he reached the bedroom door, it was already cracked open. He pushed it lightly, stepping inside.

And there she was.

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Tessa sat in the middle of the bed, her legs folded beneath her, looking like she belonged to another world entirely. She wore his oversized white button-down, the fabric swallowing her frame in a way that only made her look more breathtaking. A few buttons were undone at the top, revealing the curve of her collarbone, the hint of soft skin. Her hair spilled over her shoulders and down her back like a cascade of midnight silk, with a few strands framing her face in messy, perfect chaos.

He stopped in his tracks, his breath hitching for just a moment.

"Tessa~," he whispered, her name slipping from his lips like it was the only word that mattered.

She looked up at him then, her deep, steady gaze locking onto his. For a moment, the air between them was electric, crackling with everything they weren't saying.

"I thought you weren't coming soon," she said softly, her voice low and calm, but there was a tension there. Like she'd been waiting for him longer than she wanted to admit.

"I didn't think you'd be waiting." His voice was rougher than usual, quieter. He stepped closer, slowly, his gaze never leaving her.

Her lips curved into the faintest smile. "For you? I'd wait a thousand nights."

His chest tightened at that, something flickering in his eyes. "Don't say things like that, Tessa," he muttered. "You make it sound like I deserve it."

Her smile didn't waver. "Maybe you don't know but you do."

He stopped at the edge of the bed, staring down at her. The soft light caught the curve of her face, the shimmer in her eyes. She looked like a dream, but he couldn't let himself believe in things like that.

"You shouldn't," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Tessa tilted her head, her gaze steady. "Why not?"

"Because I'm not the kind of guy you wait for." His tone was blunt, but it wavered slightly, betraying the weight of his words.

She leaned forward slightly, her hair falling like a curtain around her face. "You're the only one I'd wait for, Parker," she said softly, each word deliberate, unshakable.

He shook his head, a humorless laugh slipping from his lips. "You say that like you mean it."

"I do," she said simply, her voice unwavering.@@novelbin@@

There was a pause, the silence stretching between them like a thin thread. He didn't know what to say to that, didn't know how to respond to someone who saw him as more than what he thought he was.

"You deserve better," he said finally, his voice quiet, almost bitter.

Tessa's smile softened, her gaze never wavering. "You can always say that. But I haven't already decided what I deserve."

He let out a shaky breath, running a hand through his hair. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"And yet, here you are," she said, her voice tinged with a playful edge.

He chuckled despite himself, the tension in his shoulders easing just slightly. He stepped closer, finally sitting down on the edge of the bed, his hands resting on his knees.

"Why do you do this to me, Tessa?" he asked, his voice low, almost resigned.

"Do what?" she asked, leaning closer.

"Make me feel like... like I'm more than I am," he admitted, his words heavy, raw.

Her gaze softened, and she reached out, her fingers brushing lightly against his. "Because you are, Parker. You just don't see it yet."

He looked at her, really looked at her, and for a moment, the weight of the world seemed a little lighter.

"I don't deserve you," he said again, but this time, there was something else in his voice. A hint of hope, maybe. A flicker of something he couldn't quite name. He knew how dark he was to be with woman.

Tessa smiled, her hand slipping into his. "Too bad. You're stuck with me."

He laughed softly, shaking his head. "You're unbelievable."

"And you love it," she teased, her smile widening.

He didn't answer, but the look in his eyes said everything he couldn't bring himself to say.

Tessa didn't say anything for a moment, just watched him, her eyes soft but knowing, like she could see straight through all the walls he'd built up. She shifted on the bed, crawling toward him until she was straddling his lap. The weight of her felt like gravity itself, tethering him to something real, something he wasn't sure he deserved. Her hands slid over his shoulders, fingers tracing the lines of his neck, his jaw.

"You know," she said, her voice low and teasing, "for someone who claims they don't deserve me, you sure don't look like you're fighting it too hard."

Parker's hands instinctively moved to her waist, gripping her gently, like she was made of glass. "Yeah, well," he muttered, his lips twitching into the smallest of smirks, "you make it kind of hard to think straight."

She laughed softly, the sound vibrating against his chest. "Good. You think too much anyway."