Chapter 149 - 148: Charisma
Rex leaned back, silent, fingers curling around the edge of the desk.
"So no," he murmured. "Emma can’t just buy her way out. Not without paying a price that might include everything—her career, her name, hell... maybe even her life."
"If she wants out of the system... she’ll need more than money."
He clenched his jaw, staring at the dim glow of his screen.
It pissed him off. Not just because it was unfair—but because he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. Not yet. No influence. No power. Barely any money. All he had were memories of a world that ran on similar rules, and the bitter understanding that in games like this, talent alone meant nothing. Power dictated the outcome.
He swiped over to the message app, his finger hovering over Emma’s chat. There was so much he wanted to say—Hang in there. You’re not alone. You’ll win this fight.
But her last message was still marked unread.
Something twisted in his chest.
In the end, he locked the screen again.
Because she didn’t need empty words. She needed change. And if he really wanted to help... he had to become someone who could make that change, he had to grow.
With a frustrated sigh, he flopped onto the bed, arms stretched out, eyes closing. Thoughts swirled in his head—fragments of two lifetimes colliding. Memories from the past, questions from the present. It wasn’t like he and Emma were close. In fact, they’d only met once, by sheer coincidence. Barely even a conversation. And yet... He didn’t know why there was this sharp, bitter taste in his mouth, as if her pain was somehow personal.