She Used Me for a Dare… Now I Own Her Mother - Chapter 237

Chapter 237: The Gamble
Catherine’s hand moved before her conscious mind could process the decision.

Her fingers reached for the vial, trembling slightly… not from fear now, but from the weight of possibility pressing down on her.

The impossible light played across her skin, warm and inviting, as if the elixir itself recognized her intent.

She caught herself mid-reach, hand suspended in the air between them.

“Is it really true?”

The words came out quieter than she’d intended, carrying all the vulnerability she usually kept locked behind her CEO mask.

“Everything you’re saying… is it real?”

Alex leaned forward slightly, his expression serious.

“This is the same medicine that brought Viktor back from near death to apex realm,” he said quietly. “The exact same formulation. What he received is right in front of you.”

Catherine’s breath caught.

Her head nodded unconsciously, a small movement as the pieces clicked into place.

Her fingers closed around the vial before doubt could resurface.

The container was warm in her palm, pulsing with that same inner radiance. Real. Solid. Undeniable.

Alex hadn’t moved to stop her. Hadn’t pulled the elixir back or hedged his promises with warnings. He simply watched her with that calm certainty, as if her taking it had been inevitable.

“How do I use it?” she asked, surprised by how steady her voice had become.

Alex’s smile was slight but genuine.

“Drink it.”

Catherine blinked. “Drink it?”

The question came out sharper than she’d intended, disbelief coloring her tone. She stared at the vial, then back at Alex, searching for any sign he was joking.

Advanced healing compounds were always injected… directly into the bloodstream for maximum effectiveness. The digestive system destroyed most active ingredients before they could even reach circulation.

Every medical text, every cultivation manual, every expert she’d ever consulted agreed on this fundamental principle.

Drinking medicine of this caliber should render it useless.

“Yes,” Alex confirmed, and there wasn’t a trace of humor in his expression. “You heard right. Drink it. All of it, in one go.”

Catherine looked down at the vial in her hands.

The liquid inside shifted through impossible colors… gold to silver to hues her mind couldn’t name. It pulsed with warmth, with promise, with something that felt almost like… anticipation.

If what Alex claimed was true…

If she could truly break through to Apex realm tonight, with a foundation superior to anything House Blackwood’s conventional resources could achieve…

If Viktor Reeves was proof that Alex could deliver miracles…

Then hesitating now would be the greatest mistake of her life.

A golden opportunity, offered freely, and she’d nearly let fear talk her out of accepting it.

Thank God she’d listened.

Thank God she’d taken that leap of faith instead of walking away into certain defeat against Richard’s Elder Council backer.

Her fingers tightened on the vial.

Decision made.

Catherine stood abruptly, the sudden motion drawing surprised glances from both Alex and Victoria.

But she didn’t hesitate.

She crossed the small distance between them and, with deliberate intent, settled herself onto Alex’s lap. The vial remained clutched in one hand as she used the other to cup his face.

“Catherine…” Alex started, but whatever he’d been about to say died as she kissed him.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t exploratory or tentative.

It was a claim.

Deep, intense, carrying all the pent-up tension and fear and desperate hope of the evening compressed into a single point of contact. Her lips moved against his with fierce certainty, as if she could seal this impossible bargain through physical connection alone.

When they finally broke apart, both were breathing hard.

“If you can truly make me what you’re claiming,” Catherine said, her voice low and intense despite the breathlessness, “then I’ll become yours. Completely.”

Her eyes held his, green fire burning with absolute commitment.

“And when I do… House Blackwood comes with me. All our influence, all our power… at your call whenever you need it.”

The words hung in the air like a binding contract.

She knew exactly what she was offering. House Blackwood wasn’t just wealth or political influence… it was generations of accumulated power, connections that reached into every corner of society.

And she was placing all of it at Alex’s feet.

But the calculation was simple.

If Alex could take her from Late Peak Enhanced to Apex in a single night…

If he could promise Late Apex in three months with resources that made House Blackwood’s legendary treasury look like children’s toys…

What could he achieve in a year?

Two years?

Five?

Beyond Apex realm… the realm where House Blackwood’s elders resided, where true power began.

And maybe even beyond that…

Into territories that the Seven Great Families considered myth? Sacred God realm that existed only in ancient texts?

Catherine’s mind raced through the possibilities, each more staggering than the last.

The succession battle against Richard became insignificant. A minor obstacle on a path that stretched toward horizons she’d never dared imagine.

This wasn’t just about winning House Blackwood’s leadership anymore.

This was about transcendence.

And all it required was absolute commitment. No hesitation. No half-measures. All in.

She’d made her choice.

Catherine pulled back slightly, a smile playing at her lips… part satisfaction, part mischief.

She glanced at Victoria, who sat beside them with an expression caught between amusement and mild exasperation.

Catherine stuck her tongue out… quick, playful, unmistakably triumphant.

‘Mine,’ the gesture said.

Victoria rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a smile. “Really, Catherine? We’re adults.”

“Adults who apparently share excellent taste,” Catherine shot back, warmth evident despite the teasing edge.

Victoria’s expression softened. “Just… be careful. Both of you.”

There was genuine concern there, beneath the playful veneer. Sisterly protectiveness that Catherine felt in her chest like a physical weight.

“I will,” Catherine said quietly, meeting her eyes. “I promise.”

Then Alex’s expression shifted, his tone becoming more serious even as Catherine remained on his lap.

“Before we begin,” he said, “I need something from you.”

Catherine raised an eyebrow. “What?”

“Information,” Alex clarified. “Everything you have on the Sacred Gods and the Seven Great Families. Their histories, their conflicts, their power structures. Everything.”

Catherine studied him for a moment, surprise flickering across her features.

“You want access to House Blackwood’s restricted archives?”

“Everything,” Alex confirmed.

Catherine’s mind raced. House Blackwood’s historical records on the Sacred Gods and the founding families were among their most closely guarded secrets. Generations of accumulated knowledge, political intelligence, hidden conflicts…

But if she was offering him House Blackwood’s full support, holding back information seemed counterproductive.

“Alright,” she said finally. “But not here.”

She slid off his lap, standing with renewed purpose.

She reached for Alex’s hand, her fingers closing around his as she began guiding him toward the door.

“My office,” Catherine said. “Everything is there… a secret section where I keep the complete archives. Historical records, political intelligence, everything House Blackwood has compiled on the Sacred Gods and the Seven Great Families.”

She paused at the door, glancing back.

“And my personal cultivation chamber is adjacent to it. Completely secure, fully warded against external observation.”

Alex rose smoothly, allowing her to lead. “Convenient.”

“I insisted on it when I became a succession candidate,” Catherine explained as they moved into the hallway. “Everything I need in one place… information, cultivation resources, privacy.”

Victoria stood as well, following behind them. “I’m coming too.”

Catherine shot her a look over her shoulder… half grateful, half exasperated. “I’m about to attempt an impossible breakthrough, Victoria. I think propriety is the least of our concerns.”

“Exactly my point,” Victoria replied with a slight smile. “Someone needs to stay grounded while you two reshape reality.”

Despite the tension coiled in her chest, Catherine found herself smiling. Victoria’s presence would help. Not just for emotional support, but as an anchor… someone who knew her, who could recognize if something went wrong.

Catherine moved toward the door, the Elixir of Absolute Restoration still cradled carefully in her hand.

The liquid inside continued its mesmerizing shift through impossible colors, pulsing with warmth that seemed to synchronize with her heartbeat. Each pulse felt like a promise. Like potential waiting to be unleashed.

In a few hours, everything would change.

Either she would emerge as an Apex realm cultivator with a foundation superior to anything conventionally possible, positioned to claim House Blackwood’s leadership decisively…

Or Alex Hale would be exposed as either a charlatan or delusional, and she would have wasted her one chance at victory.

But as she glanced back at him… at the quiet confidence in his eyes, the certainty that never wavered… Catherine felt no doubt.

Only anticipation.

She’d made her gamble.

Staked everything on impossible promises and a man she’d met mere hours ago.

And somehow, despite every rational instinct she possessed, it felt right.

Catherine found herself staring at the vial again, unable to look away from the impossible liquid light contained within.

“Nervous?” Alex asked softly.

Catherine considered the question. Was she nervous?

“No,” she said finally, surprised by the truth of it.

“Terrified.”