NOVEL NEXT Chapter 102: Lila's Entrance
An hour had passed, and the sterile hum of hospital machinery filled the quiet room. The roles had completely reversed from when Alex first arrived.
Now it was Linda who slept, her head resting against Alex's shoulder with the intimate closeness of a lover finding peace in her partner's embrace.
Her face had lost all the worry lines that had etched themselves there over the past days.
In sleep, she looked younger, more vulnerable, her breathing soft and even against his chest.
David had returned from his brief respite twenty minutes after Danny and Sarah left for their meal.
He'd settled into the chair beside Nina's bed, exhaustion finally claiming him as well. His head lolled back, gentle snores escaping as he kept his unconscious vigil over his daughter.
But Alex remained awake, perfectly still to avoid disturbing Linda's rest. His mind, however, was far from peaceful.
Before him, invisible to anyone else in the room, a translucent blue screen hovered in the air.
The system interface displayed its wares with clinical precision, each item priced in the currency he'd been accumulating through completed tasks.
His eyes fixed on one particular item:
[ Name: Elixir of Absolute Restoration ]
[ Cost: 10,000 CP ]
[ Description:
A rare alchemical creation, unmatched even by the Seven Great Families. This elixir fully restores the mortal body, healing all visible and hidden injuries, purging toxins, dormant poisons, and cellular damage. Beyond recovery, it upgrades the body to a higher tier of capability, unlocking its full potential and preparing it to handle greater transformations.]
[One time use only]
Below it, the system listed other items, their descriptions shimmering with cryptic allure.
Alex's chest tightened. He wanted them all. Every single one.
Most were far beyond his current reach... either absurdly costly or simply unnecessary at this stage.
The temptation to act immediately burned through him. With 10,000 CP, he could cure Viktor today... and secure not only his life, but his team's eternal gratitude.
But Alex had learned to think several moves ahead. His fingers absently traced a gentle pattern on Linda's arm as she slept, the motion helping him focus his strategic mind.
But Alex had learned to think several moves ahead.
Something about rushing to Viktor's room tonight felt... wrong. Not morally, but tactically wrong.
Alex had spent years being dismissed, underestimated, treated as desperate and powerless.
He'd learned that desperation had a smell, and people could sense it from miles away. It made them comfortable, confident they held all the cards.
If he showed up tonight with a miraculous cure, what would that tell them? That he was so eager for their approval, so desperate to prove himself, that he'd moved heaven and earth in a single evening.
That wasn't the dynamic he wanted to establish.
More importantly, he didn't know them properly and couldn't blindly trust them with anything yet.
Besides, Viktor wasn't going to die tonight. Or tomorrow. Damien had said three weeks, maybe less but still more than enough. That gave Alex time to do this properly.
"Let them sweat a little. Let them wonder if I'm powerful enough to deliver."
Lilith's laughter slid into his mind like silk. "Ah… you want them to value what you're giving them."
Her tone shifted, edged with warning. "But don't let them wait too long, Alex. Hope is fragile... once it snaps, desperation turns to resentment. Their lives are hanging by a single thread. Push them too far, and gratitude will turn to hatred."
She lingered, voice a velvet whisper. "Play smart, not over-smart. One mistake, one miscalculation… and you don't just lose an opportunity... you lose a powerful ally forever."
"I want them to understand that working for me isn't settling. It's an opportunity."
The system screen continued to hover, the elixir description glowing softly.
Ten thousand points represented weeks of completed tasks, careful accumulation, strategic choices. It was his largest investment yet.
But not tonight.
Tonight, he would let Viktor and his men wonder. Let them question whether this college student really had the connections he'd implied.
Let doubt creep in just enough to make tomorrow's salvation feel miraculous rather than inevitable.
Alex dismissed the system interface with a thought. The blue glow vanished, leaving only the soft hospital lighting and the steady rhythm of Nina's monitors.
Two days. That would be perfect timing. Long enough to seem realistic, short enough to exceed their expectations.
Linda stirred again, her breathing deepening as she settled more comfortably against him. David's gentle snoring continued from the chair beside Nina's bed.
Normal people living normal lives, unaware that their world was built on foundations of divine conspiracy and ancient power struggles. Part of Alex envied their innocence.
But only part.
The rest of him was already planning his next moves in a game he was finally beginning to understand.
***
The sound of footsteps in the hallway made them both stir. Linda's eyes fluttered open first.
The door opened softly, and Sarah entered first, followed by Danny. Behind them came Mike, and finally, a petite brunette with perfectly styled hair despite the hospital setting.
Alex recognized her immediately as a junior from college, though he'd never spoken to her personally.
Linda felt an immediate surge of irritation. They had disturbed something beautiful and private, something she hadn't even realized she'd been treasuring.
The peaceful intimacy of the moment was shattered, replaced by the need to maintain appearances and pretend that what had just happened was nothing more than innocent comfort.
She remained still against Alex's shoulder for a heartbeat longer than necessary, a small act of rebellion against the returning world, before slowly sitting up and smoothing her hair.
"Everyone," Mike said, his voice carrying a note of resignation, "I'd like you to meet Lila."
He gestured first toward David, who had woken from his doze. "Mr. Morrison." Then to Linda, who was still blinking away the remnants of sleep and trying to compose herself. "Mrs. Morrison." Finally, his eyes met Alex's. "And Alex."
Danny stood behind Mike, catching Alex's eye with a knowing smirk that seemed to communicate: 'She is finally here.'
Alex simply nodded back, understanding the unspoken warning.
Lila stepped forward with practiced enthusiasm, her eyes immediately focusing on Alex.
"Alex! I've heard and seen so much about you. You were absolutely incredible in the football match... I was cheering you like a fangirl."
Her voice carried genuine admiration mixed with something more calculating.
"And I'm so relieved you guys got cleared from the trial today. I was really worried about you… about my Mike." Her voice softened, sweet and sincere, as she reached out and lightly grasped Mike's hand, pressing it gently against her chest.
"Thank you," Alex replied politely, maintaining his guard despite her apparent sincerity. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Linda shift slightly beside him, her jaw tightening almost imperceptibly.
Lila then turned to Linda with a warm smile that seemed almost too perfect. "Mrs. Morrison, I'm Lila... Mike's girlfriend. I've been so concerned about our little Nina since Mike told me what happened."
Before Linda could respond fully, a small, sleepy voice piped up from the bed. "Mommy? Who's the big sister?"