Chương 73: Chapter 72: In Office

Click! The moment the door closed, we both sprang up from our chairs at the same time, and a second later, our lips met in a heated kiss. The kiss felt like fire, spreading warmth through me and burning away every thought except her.

"I want you," I said as we broke apart.

"Take me now," she replied, breathless—and that was all I needed. The files on the desk were swept aside without care as I lifted her up onto it. Our lips met again, and everything else faded—the office, the work, the world beyond the door. There was only her. We held each other close, laughter and quiet gasps mixing between kisses. Hands traced familiar paths, and every small touch carried the memory of the night before. She responded just as eagerly, pulling me closer whenever I tried to slow down.

Time blurred as we gave in to the moment. When at last we paused, she leaned back, breathing a little unevenly, a satisfied smile playing on her lips.

"That was amazing," she said softly.

"I aim to please," I replied, brushing a strand of hair from her face. There was a playful spark in her eyes.

"It's my turn now," she said, slipping down from the table and drawing me into another kiss, this one slower but no less intense. The world disappeared again. Minutes—perhaps longer—passed in a haze of warmth, closeness, and shared desire. There was no rush, only the steady build and fall of emotion, until we both simply held onto each other, content and breathless. Eventually, we straightened ourselves, adjusting our clothes and returning the scattered papers to the desk.

We sat back down in our chairs, the quiet afterglow lingering between us. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The spark had ignited so quickly we had almost lost track of everything else. Even now, part of me wanted to pull her back into another embrace—but there was work waiting.

"They are opening a brothel right in front of us," she said after a minute of comfortable silence. I followed her gaze to the large building across the street, where carriages and workers moved in and out. Two days ago, Norman Lucas had bought that building. It had been meant to be a casino. Now it would be a brothel. The structure was nearly finished; it wouldn't take more than a month to convert it fully.

"There is nothing you can do about competition except beat it," I said with a sigh. She smiled—there was still that teasing glint in her expression—but I took a steadying breath and turned back to the files. I began noting all the expenditures: the girls' commissions, staff salaries, taxes, maintenance, and more. After tallying everything, I was left with one million and seven hundred thousand in pure profit. I still needed to repay the bank loan and the dues I owed Marina, but I wasn't worried.

At this pace, everything would be settled in a week or two. After that, I could finally begin saving. I would need a great deal of money for what I planned next. Even with the gift from my grandfather, I wanted my own reserves before moving forward with the next phase. Soon, I finished the accounting and closed the file. When I picked up the next set of papers, surprise crossed my face.

"Gorlag Bandits," I muttered. They were one of the most dangerous orc bandit groups from the Nakar forest—among the strongest and certainly the most audacious. They raided settlements, attacked merchants, and had even struck imperial forces. Many merchants and officers from Mirador Hold had been taken by them—none returned. There was a massive bounty on their heads, but they always vanished back into the magical regions where tracking them was nearly impossible.

Still, Mirador Hold had sent forces to hunt them, and the city had issued a major bounty. Mercenaries would be flooding into the White Forest soon. I wondered how my brother and the nobles of the Nakar baronies were reacting. The problem now lay squarely with them. Some of them were capable—but there were also fools like my brother among them. Within minutes, I finished reading the rest of the reports, and a deeper worry settled in my chest. The world was becoming more dangerous by the day.

Compared to what was coming, the bandits of Nakar forest might soon be the least of our concerns. Tabes and Edruin were recruiting soldiers in large numbers. The same was happening in the south with Geim and Yressor. Vris'alud continued its rampage across Mayhurst Island, gaining ground every day. Everyone was preparing. The moment the emperor died, these powers would strike with full force.

I could only hope the first prince would manage to suppress his siblings and consolidate the factions behind him—otherwise, the empire would descend into chaos. Even here, in this distant corner, we would not be safe. The Navr and their undead hordes always lurked in the shadows. And Tabes still hungered to reclaim its lost territory. Storms are coming, and I have to be ready for them.