Dark Lord Seduction System: Taming Wives, Daughters, Aunts, and CEOs - Chapter 380

Chapter 380: Reviews ‘n Unseen Chaos
Tommy sighed, already unbuckling his seatbelt. “Alright, alright. Passenger seat surrender protocol. Incoming.” He pushed the door open just as Sarah broke free from her group of friends near the entrance, marching towards the car with determined, impatient strides.

“Nope,” she announced, planting herself directly in Tommy’s path before he could fully stand. Her eyes were fixed on the coveted seat. “Move it, Chen. My spot.”

Tommy blinked, halfway out. “Seriously? I was here first!”

“Doesn’t matter,” Sarah said, crossing her arms. “House rules: Big sister gets shotgun on pickup days. It’s ancient law. Verbatim. Ask Peter. Now scoot.” She tilted her head, already inching towards the open door.

Tommy grumbled, a low rumble in his chest. “Fine. Whatever. See if I care. I’ll just buy my own Audi. A faster one. Maybe two.” He slid back, letting Sarah claim her throne with a smug grin.

She buckled in, tossing her backpack onto the floor. “Yeah, whatever. Good luck finding one cooler than Charlotte’s.” She paused, then added with a pointed glance at him, “and even then, it is thanks to my brother.”

The crack was immediate. I chuckled, Tommy burst out laughing, and even a faint smile touched Sarah’s lips. “Fair enough,” Tommy conceded, shaking his head. “Totally fair.”

But the real storm hadn’t landed yet. Through the pandemonium of flashing phones and shouting students trying to get Tommy’s attention, I spotted Sofia pushing through the crowd.

Her eyes, sharp and knowing, locked onto the car. Right on time. My pre-emptive text had worked. I had told her I was coming to pick them up.

She moved with purpose, ignoring the stares, and yanked open the rear door directly behind Sarah. Emma lay asleep, sprawled across the back seat. Sofia didn’t hesitate; she slid in beside her, gently moving Emma’s legs to make space, nestling the unconscious girl between herself and Tommy, leaning her new sister onto her shoulder.

The attention spiked further. I caught glimpses of Ashley and Emma Reeves, Madison’s friends, standing near the steps. They stared, wide-eyed, then waved hesitantly when they saw me looking.

I lifted a hand in a quick acknowledgment. My gaze swept past them – and landed on Jack and Connor Hayes, phones raised, grins vile as they filmed the entire chaotic tableau. Connor zoomed in on Sofia slipping into the car beside me. My blood ran cold. Enough.

I slammed the gear into drive and hit the accelerator. The Audi leapt forward, tires grabbing asphalt, leaving the cacophony of shouts and the focused lens of Jack’s face swirling in our dust. The sudden silence inside the car, broken only by the engine’s hum, was a profound relief. Teenage hormones and malicious cameras? Not today.

“So,” I began, glancing at Sarah in the rearview mirror as we pulled away, “how was the circus?”

Sarah shrugged, picking at a loose thread on her backpack. “Annoying, mostly. Kids wouldn’t shut up. ‘Was it really Tommy who designed the API?’ ‘Is Peter hiding because he’s shy or because Tommy’s taking credit?’ Ugh.” She rolled her eyes. “Barely had any actual lessons. Media was everywhere – vans, reporters shoving mics in faces. Total zoo.”

Tommy laughed, a hearty sound that filled the car. “Told you it’d be nuts! Mia said it was insane trying to get to her locker without getting trampled.” He turned slightly in his seat, looking back at Sofia. “How about you, Sof? Survive the madness?”

Sofia, gently brushing a stray lock of hair from Emma’s forehead, spoke softly. “Nothing much, apart from Jack and his little gang deciding breathing space near my locker was optional.” She didn’t mention her father. Didn’t mention her fractured home life or her mom’s departure.

That was her business, carefully guarded from the broader crew. Sarah immediately jumped in.

“Oh god, tell me about it! And Mia had it the worst!” Sarah animatedly recounted how a news crew had ambushed Mia near the gym, how kids she barely knew suddenly wanted to be her best friend. “Tommy, seriously, you should’ve told her not to go!”

“Course I did!” Tommy spread his hands. “Told her to lay low, take a day off. She wouldn’t listen. Said no one knew who she was as my girlfriend.” He shook his head, a mix of fondness and exasperation. “Pride. Stubborn girlfriend pride.”

I glanced at Sofia in the mirror. “Is that why you didn’t call her out to ride with us when we were waiting? Figured it was safer?”

Tommy nodded. “Exactly. Mia texted me back right before you got there. Said to keep it low-key in public, especially around the school. Said the media frenzy was making her jumpy, and she didn’t want to draw extra attention by being seen with both of us. Smart, actually.”

I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. “God, I hate that attention. Worst kind.” It felt like an itch under my skin, a million eyes pricking where secrets lay buried.

Too much media scrutiny? It wouldn’t just be annoying; it could unravel everything, my secrets and my women. The system, at least, had held – my silent confirmation that no men had noticed the subtle, physical changes rippling through me.

Small mercies. Tommy seemed to weather the storm with minor discomfort; for me, it was a constant, crawling threat.

We dropped Sofia at her modest house. As I stepped out to open her door, she caught my hand. Before I could react, she pulled me close and kissed me – fierce, possessive, a storm of soft lips and urgent pressure that left no doubt about who I belonged to in that moment. Right there, on her sidewalk, without a shred of self-consciousness.

When she finally broke away, breathless, she leaned in, her lips brushing my ear. “I love you like crazy, man. You’re my world.”

“I love you more, My little Ghost,” I whispered, the nickname sending a jolt straight through her. Then, before I could respond, she turned and darted up her path. Instinct took over. My hand shot out, connecting with the firm, perfect curve of her retreating ass in a sharp, playful smack. She yelped, threw a dazzling, mischievous grin over her shoulder, and vanished inside.

Gods, she was hot as fuck. Don’t blame me. My hands were magnets to her.

Back in the car, Sarah and Tommy erupted in catcalls and teasing.

“Taking Jack’s girlfriend? Harsh, Peter!” Sarah snickered. “Best revenge ever!”

“Yeah, man,” Tommy grinned. “Savage. Gotta admit, poetic justice.”

I gripped the wheel, their words grating. “It’s not about revenge,” I said, my voice sharper than intended. I met Sarah’s eyes in the mirror, then Tommy’s. “Sofia is… Sofia. She’s not a weapon, and she’s damn sure not just a way to spit in Jack’s face.”

The system’s mission to ‘liberate’ her and Patricia was a framework, not my motivation. She’s beautiful, and strong, and broken in ways that need fixing, not using. Patricia… my feelings there were still forming, complex, but Jack was barely a footnote in that equation too. Enjoying the look on his face if he ever found out? Sure, visceral satisfaction was a bonus. But it wasn’t the point. Loving Sofia, wanting Patricia? That came from me. My desires. My fantasies. Not him.

“Using women like that? For revenge over some asshole?” I shook my head. “No fucking way.” Jack didn’t deserve that much significance.

They fell quiet, sensing the shift. Sarah looked thoughtful; Tommy gave a small, understanding nod. “Got it, man.”

Tommy asked about Emma, slumped between them. “She okay? Looks wiped.”

“Just tired,” I said, the familiar protectiveness washing over me. “Long day.” I drove the rest of the way home in a lighter, more comfortable silence, the earlier tension diffused.

I parked the Audi. Sarah hopped out, grabbing her bag. Tommy clapped my shoulder. “Alright, I’m out. See you later, man. Thanks for the… everything.” He headed towards his own mansion, two doors down.

I lifted the still-sleeping Emma from the back seat, her body limp and trusting against my chest. I carried her upstairs, tucked her into her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. As I turned to leave, her eyes fluttered open, heavy-lidded but aware.

She smiled, a sleepy, secretive curve of her lips, and murmured something too soft to catch before drifting off again.

Downstairs, the house was quiet. Mom wouldn’t be back from the hospital until midnight. Sarah was in her room, the sound of the shower running as I took my woman to her bed. Charlotte was still out.

Just me. The sleeping twin upstairs. The twin washing away the school day’s grime. The three of us. Home.

I glanced around the empty living room, then towards the kitchen. Time to cook for the twins… and for Charlotte whenever she got back.

I walked towards the kitchen, the domestic task feeling strangely grounding. After the media frenzy, the emotional confrontations, the car sex, the whirlwind of the day… just the three of us.

Tomorrow was car shopping with my women. Sunday was moving day. The calm before the next storm.

What could possibly go wrong? The thought hung in the quiet air, thick with irony. But then, Sarah descended, I realized what definitely would go wrong and it was going to!