I didn’t agree with neither. I wished that the human race never decided to change their blood and bodies without thinking about consequences in generations to come. A promise to be skinny. A promise to be ageless. And one, doesn’t care what was injected, inserted, or changed.
What did they expect when they started wiping genes, ridding the body of what it was made to be.
“Biotech doesn’t get to rewrite the soul. But legacy doesn’t get to own it either.” I turned to face her. “You’re not a traitor for wanting to protect your blood. And you’re not a fool for wanting to be more than just what it’s worth.”
She watched me. Silent now.
“Just because one devil’s quieter, doesn’t make him less the devil.” I gently traced her bottom lip. There was no sadness in Madeline’s eyes, and perhaps that was worse.
She exhaled quietly, took my hand from her cheek and kissed the edge of my thumb.
“Can you give me a tour of the house?”
I blinked. “House?”
She sat up, sweeping her arm around the room. “This insane place. The skyline. I’m trying to act normal, but come on…this isobscene. The views alone are like… your empire in high definition.”
I watched her, amused. How did she manage that…every time the conversation got heavy, she could redirect it flawlessly.
“I’m not impressed easily,” she said, like it was a warning. “I amdynasty, Vince. I grew up in mansions that cost more than countries.” She gave me a pointed look. “But this place? This place isstunning. It’s giving syndicate chic meets old money.’”
I smirked. “Is that a compliment?”
“It’s a demand. Tour, please.”
I stretched back against the pillows. I’d much rather keep her in bed with me.
“I barely sleep here. It’s a base. A secured location with decent water pressure.”
She stared at me like I’d just told her I used the crown vault to store socks. “Your wardrobe has a temperature control panel.And you’re telling me this is just a crash pad?”
“Correct.”
“You’re impossible,” she muttered, tossing off the covers and standing. “Get up. I’m touring it. With or without you.”
She started walking, like she wasn’t half-dressed and in a syndicate penthouse with reinforced steel infrastructure and a blood-coded security system.
I caught up to her just past the vault hallway, slipped my arms around her from behind, and pulled her in until her back hit my chest.
She laughed softly. “Scared I’m going to find a body?”
I smirked against her neck. “I don’t bring work home.”
She opened the next door.
Stopped dead.
The room was lined, wall to wall, with emergency weapons. Coded blades. Firearms. Disguised pressure triggers. Racks of tech that didn’t exist on the open market yet.
She turned to me slowly. “So this is…?”
“Sometimes I can’t make it to the war room vault in time. This is convenient.”
She stared at me for a moment.
“We need to work on your priorities,”
I raised a brow. “Definewe.”
