Reign Of Loner

"Look, it's not a big deal," I mumbled, shoving my hands deep into my pockets. "It just happened."

"'It just happened'?" Jack mimicked in a high-pitched voice, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "People don't just happen to lock lips with Stacy Brooklyn, the ice queen of Northwood High. You did something, Wilson. You unleashed some kind of secret Adam-magic. I need to know the formula!"

I was about to tell him the only magic involved was that I have system which issue me mission and one of his mission to kiss Stacy Brooklyn but then i controlled my lip. Still continually ignoring his rapid question and acting like a zombie. But when a sudden, firm grip on my right arm stopped me dead in my tracks. The pressure was surprisingly strong, cool against my skin. I turned, my half-formed excuse dying on my lips.

It was Stacy.

She stood there, holding my arm, her expression an unreadable mask of cold indifference. Her, emarald green eyes, were locked onto mine. The noisy chatter of students heading home seemed to fade into a dull hum, the world narrowing to the space between us. Jack, for the first time in ten minutes, fell completely silent, his jaw hanging slightly ajar.

For a few seconds that stretched into an eternity, we just stared at each other. There was no warmth in her gaze, no hint of the girl I'd kissed yesterday. This was the Stacy Brooklyn everyone knew—imposing, aloof, and utterly intimidating.

I decided to break the suffocating silence, forcing a casualness I didn't feel. "Hey, Stacy. How's it going?"

Her lips, the same ones that had been against mine less than twenty-four hours ago, pressed into a thin line. "I've been thinking," she said, her voice low and chillingly calm. "About the question you asked me. And I've come to a conclusion."

My brain scrambled to catch up. Yesterday was a blur of adrenaline and instinct. What question? Then, it hit me. The words I'd thrown at her in the heat of the moment, a challenge born from the thrill of victory over Charles.

"What's it going to be, Stacy? A pathetic loser who can't even protect himself, or a living alpha?"

I felt a flicker of my earlier confidence return, a spark of defiance against her icy demeanor. I mirrored her posture, standing a little taller. "And what's your decision?" I asked, my tone matching hers.

A ghost of a smirk played on her lips, but it didn't reach her eyes. "As you so eloquently put it, I had to choose between a man who can't protect himself and a living alpha. After giving it some thought, the choice was obvious. I will always choose the alpha." She paused, letting the words hang in the air. "So, I dumped my… previous pathetic boyfriend this morning."

My eyebrows shot up. Jack made a small, choked sound beside me.

"But that leaves me with a new problem," Stacy continued, her gaze intensifying, her eyes raking over me with a belittling quality that made my skin prickle. "I'm in doubt as to who this 'living alpha' is." She leaned in just a fraction, her voice dropping to a near-whisper that was somehow more cutting than a shout. "Are you the one, Adam? Are you the living alpha?"

Something inside me snapped. It was her tone, the undisguised condescension in her eyes, the smug set of her jaw. It was a direct challenge, a dismissal of my victory, of me. A hot, furious fire ignited in my gut, roaring through my veins and turning my blood to lava. All the confusion, all the anxiety, vanished, replaced by a pure, unadulterated surge of pride and anger.

Before I even knew what I was doing, my free hand shot up, and I gripped her jaw, not painfully, but with an undeniable firmness that made her eyes widen in surprise. I pulled her face close to mine, our noses almost touching. The world outside our bubble ceased to exist. There was only her shocked face and the fire burning in my own eyes, which I was sure she could see reflected in her pupils.

"I am obviously the alpha," I growled, the words tearing from my throat. "Any doubts?"

The change in her expression was instantaneous and jarring. The smugness melted away, replaced by something I couldn't quite decipher. It was like a hunter seeing its prey walk willingly into a perfectly set trap. A slow, genuine smile spread across her face, a smile of pure satisfaction.

Oh, hell. This was a trap.

"Good," she said, her voice now smooth as silk, completely calm. The coldness was gone, replaced by a calculated warmth. "Because I need your help."

I let go of her jaw, a sense of unease washing over me. My intuition was screaming at me, blaring warning sirens in my head that this was a terrible idea, that I was being played. But my pride, stoked by her challenge and my own response, had already backed me into a corner. I couldn't back down now.

"Help with what?" I asked, my voice still tight.

"As you know, my name is Stacy Brooklyn," she began, her tone shifting to one of business-like efficiency. "I am the youngest daughter of the chairman of the Brooklyn Conglomerate, from his third wife." She held up a hand before I could process that bombshell. "And now you're thinking, why am I telling you all this?"

That was, in fact, the exact question stampeding through my brain.

"In my family," she explained, "we have a tradition. A ritual, of sorts. When a child of the main family comes of age, they are entered into a contest for the position of chairperson. It's a battle of wits, strategy, and profit. We are each given a seed fund and a set period of time to build a business from scratch. No family resources, no help from our parents. It's a raw, brutal competition. At the end of the period, the person who has generated the most profit and demonstrated the best business acumen becomes the heir apparent, the next in line to run the entire conglomerate."

She paused, her gaze unwavering. "My trial begins few weeks. Your task, should you choose to accept it, is to help me win. To help me secure the position of chairperson." She leaned in again, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "To prove that you really are the alpha you claim to be."

As the last of her words settled in the air, a familiar, ethereal chime rang in my ears. A translucent blue panel shimmered into existence right in front of my face, its glowing text visible only to me.

[Main Mission : Trustworthy]

[Objective]: Help Stacy Brooklyn acquire the chairperson's position of the Brooklyn Conglomerate.

[Duration]: Six (6) months.

[Penalty for Failure]: [EXECUTION]

[Reward]: [UNKNOWN]

My blood ran cold. Execution? I already knew that penalty of the main mission issued by system is instant death. But still the word pulsed with a terrifying, fear. This wasn't a game anymore. This wasn't about pride or showing up a smug heiress. The System had just chained me to her ambition with a threat against my very life. The fire in my veins from moments ago was instantly extinguished, replaced by the icy grip of dread. I was trapped. Even if I wanted to run, even if I wanted to tell her to get lost, I couldn't.

I looked back at Stacy, my expression hardening into a mask of cold resolve, mirroring the one she'd worn just minutes before. The choice had been made for me.

"Challenge accepted," I said, my voice flat and devoid of emotion. "I'll make you the chairperson. That's a promise."

A peculiar silence fell over us. Jack looked like he'd seen a ghost. Stacy's satisfied smile widened.

"Thank you, Adam," she said, her voice laced with triumph. "I knew I could count on you. And don't worry, I won't make you work for free. A significant share of the company will be yours when I win." She turned to leave, then paused. "I'll be in touch, my soon-to-be boyfriend."

With that, she took a step back toward me. Before I could react, she leaned in, her hand coming up to cup the back of my neck, and pressed her lips against mine. It wasn't a tentative peck. It was a deep, passionate kiss that sent a jolt of electricity through my entire body. It was possessive, demanding, and utterly breathtaking. It was like the contract is signed or seal the deal.

She pulled back, leaving me stunned and speechless. A victorious glint shone in her eyes.

"That," she whispered, her breath warm against my lips, "is my revenge for yesterday's humiliation, Mr. Adam Wilson."

She turned on her heel and walked away, her hips swaying with a newfound confidence. But just before she was swallowed by the crowd of students, I saw it. A faint, but unmistakable, blush creeping up her neck and coloring the tips of her ears. The invincible ice queen was flustered. Interesting.

I stood there, my mind reeling, the feeling of her lips still tingling on mine. It was only when Jack finally found his voice that I was pulled back to reality.

"Dude…" he stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What… what in the actual hell was all that? Are you serious? The Brooklyn Conglomerate? 'Soon-to-be boyfriend'? Did you just sell your soul?"

His words were a jumble of noise. My head was pounding. The weight of the [EXECUTION] penalty pressed down on me, suffocating me. I couldn't process any of this right now.

"I… I gotta go," I muttered, turning away from him. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, buddy."

I left him standing there in a daze, his mouth still hanging open, and walked away from the school, each step feeling heavier than the last.

Stacy's thought, "You idiot! You absolute, complete, moronic idiot! Why did you kiss him? Why? He's a tool! A means to an end! He's the brute force I need to clear my path, nothing more! You don't kiss your hammer, you use it to build your house!

And in public, no less! Now what is everyone going to think? That Stacy Brooklyn is easy? That she throws herself at any guy who wins a fistfight? Ugh, my reputation is going to be in tatters. No, no, control it. It was a power move. Yes. That's what it was. He humiliated me by kissing me first, so I returned the favor. I established dominance. He knows I'm not some pushover he can control. He knows I'm the one in charge here.

But still… why did I do it? When he grabbed my jaw… that fire in his eyes… my heart started pounding like a drum. It was the same feeling I had yesterday when he fought Charles. Raw, untamed power. It's intoxicating. His brutuality and arrogance is so amazing. And when he kissed me… for that one second, everything just… stopped. The noise, the people, my plans… everything went quiet. It was the same as yesterday. That same stupid, heart-stopping stillness.

What is wrong with me? Is my brain rotting? He's an asset. A pawn in my game. Everyone is a pawn. My brothers, my sisters, my father… and now him. You don't get feelings for pawns. You sacrifice them. So why can't I get the feeling of his lips off my mind? Aaargh! I'm not thinking about this anymore! I have a conglomerate to win."

(Isabel's perspective)

"I'm telling you, Chloe, size doesn't matter as much as technique," Maya said, flicking her hair over her shoulder with an air of worldly authority. "But, I mean, a little size doesn't hurt. My Kevin is like, four inches, and it's… fine. It gets the job done."

Chloe scoffed, taking a delicate sip of her iced latte. "Four inches is cute, sweetie. A little appetizer. My Dylan is packing five, at least. And he has stamina for days. It's like a marathon, not a sprint."

I tried my best to look interested in the textbook in front of me, but their conversation was impossible to ignore. We were sitting at an outdoor cafe, supposedly studying, but my two best friends had long since devolved into a very intimate and very loud comparison of their boyfriends'… assets. Normally, I'd tune it out, but today, their words were snagging on a particular thought in my mind.

A memory from this morning. When Adam was in deep sleep, he had erection or should i call morning wood. The way he'd been… sleeping. The distinct, unmissable bulge. I want to forget about his erection but the image was seared into my brain.

Why am I even thinking about this? He's my step-brother! It's weird. It's so, so weird. But… I'm just curious. As a matter of educational purpose of course. Based on that brief, observation of mine… he had to be at least… seven inches? Maybe more?

My face grew hotter just thinking about it. Why was I guessing the size of my step-brother's penis? I must be a total pervert. I felt a wave of embarrassment wash over me.

"Isabel? Earth to Isabel?"

I jumped, startled. Maya was waving a hand in front of my face. "You totally zoned out. What are you thinking about so hard?"

"Nothing!" I said, a little too quickly. "Just… this history chapter is really boring."

Chloe leaned forward, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Oh, really? Because you have the same look on your face we do when we talk about dicks. Why are you so curious all of a sudden?"

"I'm not!" I protested, my voice squeaking.

"Oh, my innocent little friend," Maya cooed, patting my hand. "It's okay. Every girl is curious. They just don't want to admit it because they think it's vulgar or something. It's biology."

Her weird, twisted logic was starting to make a strange kind of sense. Maybe it wasn't so weird to be curious.

"Hypothetically," I said, trying to sound as casual as possible. "What would you think… if you knew a guy with a dick that was, like… more than seven inches?"

They both froze, their eyes widening in unison. The silence was broken by Chloe letting out a low whistle.

"Holy crap," she breathed. "Seriously? More than seven? Girl, if I found a guy like that, I would chain myself to his bed. I'd become his slave. His fuckbuddy, his girlfriend, his personal chef, I don't care. Pound me into oblivion, thank you very much."

"OMG, for real," Maya chimed in, fanning herself dramatically. "A guy like that is a unicorn. A god. You worship at that altar, you don't just date it."

Listening to them, a strange, inexplicable sense of pride swelled in my chest. It was ridiculous. It wasn't my accomplishment. But still, I felt it.

"Why are you so interested in dicks all of a sudden, Isabel?" Maya asked, her eyes narrowing playfully.

"Just for… general knowledge," I mumbled, feeling my cheeks flame up again.

Chloe leaned in, a wicked grin on her face. "Did you see your step-brother's dick or something?"

My entire face erupted in a blush so intense I thought my skin might actually catch fire. Their teasing laughter was the final straw. I shot up from my chair, grabbing my bag.

"I have to go!" I stammered, and without another word, I fled, leaving them howling with laughter behind me.

I ran without thinking, my feet carrying me away from the cafe and toward the quiet solitude of a nearby park. I needed to clear my head. As I rounded a bend in the path, I saw a familiar figure. It was Adam, shirtless and drenched in sweat, doing pull-ups on a thick tree branch. Each movement was fluid and powerful, the muscles in his back and arms contracting with practiced ease.

My embarrassment was momentarily forgotten, replaced by a sense of awe. He was really working hard. An idea popped into my head. I ducked into a small convenience store at the edge of the park and bought a bottle of his favorite ice-cold energy drink.

(Isabel's perspective ends)

While I was resting after completing my daily mission, my inner thought, " THIS IS TORTURE. This damn system." While i was complaining about the system, i felt suddenly sudden chill on my cheek due to which I got scared. I open my eyes, and found Isabel is standing beside and hold a can of energy drink. While complaining , I said, " What are you doing?" She said in playful tone, " Here! have it, you need it." I said, " Thank sis, I really need it. I am totally out of energy." She said, " Mention not." Then, I asked, " Why are you here? Isn't you have club activities to do?" Then, she suddenly started blushing and said, " Yes, I had but my friend were busy with something. Thus, we postponed the club activities." After there is suddenly silence between us. We were sitting in park bench. To break the ice , I said, " I am sorry, Isabel." Then, she said, " Why are you apologizing?" " You were ignoring me in the morning. Thus, i thought i made you angry on something." I replied. When she heard this , she had self guilt, and thought, "He apologizing to me when he didn't do anything. I am ignoring him because I was so embarrassed to look straight in hid eyes after morning incident. that I am curious about how long his penis is ? How could i tell him? I feeling guilty now." Then , she hugged me and said, " No you fool, how I would be from you? You are the best step bro, i could have ever desired. I am just a little moody nothing else." After clearing misunderstand with each other. We were sitting on park bench then as usual the system showed a notification,

[+50 Prayer Coins Received]

And system suddenly poped up a green showing a side mission.

[New Side Mission : Quality Time]

[Objective]: Go on a proper date with Isabel. Do everything a couple would do.

[Duration]: Six (6) days.

[Penalty for Failure]: [None]

[Reward]: [Skill: Charmer]

My mind reeled. A date? With Isabel? Do everything a couple would do? The System was insane. But the penalty was 'None,' and the reward… a skill called 'Charmer'… could be incredibly useful, especially with the main mission and love mission, this skill very crucial role, I was now shackled to. An idea, reckless and impulsive, sparked in my mind.

"Hey," I said, my heart starting to beat a little faster. "You busy this weekend?"

She looked up at me, her head tilted. "I don't think so. Why?"

"Wanna go on an outing with me? Just the two of us."

A playful smile touched her lips, and she looked at me from under her lashes. "Are you asking me on a date, bro?"

I shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "You can consider it like that, if you want."

Her smile widened into a full-blown grin. "Well, if it's a date with my favorite person, then I'm in. But we have to do it properly! Like a true couple. Okay?"

I felt a genuine laugh escape me, the first one all day. "Okay, Isabel. Like a true couple. It's a deal."

We started walking home together, the earlier tension gone, replaced by an easy camaraderie. The weight on my shoulders felt a little lighter. Maybe, just maybe, I could handle all this.

We reached our front door, and I pulled out my key.

"We're back, Mom!" I called out as I pushed the door open.

"In the living room, sweethearts!" Mom's cheerful voice called back. "Hey, someone came to meet us!"

Isabel and I exchanged a curious glance. We stepped into the entryway and walked toward the living room. Standing there, next to our mom…..