Conquering Ladies With My 10x Rebate System
Chapter 68: Living together.

Chapter 68: Living together.

"Y-You...!" she stammered, her fists clenching as she whirled away in flustered embarrassment.

Caleb chuckled under his breath.

If he hadn’t kept his head straight, he definitely would have lost control just now. And with that kind of tension? It would’ve turned into a full-blown disaster in front of the other two girls.

But he kept his cool. Barely.

And as for Sophia and Helene?

They stood frozen, jaws slightly slack, their expressions caught somewhere between horror and something else they probably weren’t ready to admit.

Naya finally gathered herself, her breathing steadying as she shot Caleb a glare, tempted to smack him for his teasing remark. But just as she lifted her hand, her eyes drifted to Helene.

The girl sat stiffly, her face pale, her expression distant—like the life had been drained from her eyes. A silent storm of emotions swirled above her head, and it was clear she was completely thrown off by what she’d just witnessed.

Then there was Sophia.

Her reaction was a different kind of shock entirely.

Sophia stood rooted, her lips slightly parted, her wide eyes fixed on the pair in disbelief. The look on her face screamed:

’Mine wasn’t that deep! You two were practically about to act out a porno right here!’

Naya flushed slightly but quickly shoved the embarrassment aside. She straightened her back, raised her chin, and flashed Caleb a prideful, victorious grin—finishing it off with a scoff.

"At least now I’m sure you won’t be going around accepting kisses from others again," Naya said smugly, her arms crossed as she shot Sophia a sidelong glance.

The unspoken message was crystal clear:

He’s mine. Don’t cross the line.

Sophia’s brows twitched, but instead of snapping back, she let out a soft exhale, the corner of her lips curling into a faint smile.

’I see... So she’s stepping up too,’ Caleb thought with a silent sigh, his green eyes softening.

Honestly, he was relieved. He half expected Naya to explode or start throwing fists the second Sophia had made her move. Instead, she made her claim the way Naya would—sharp, bold, and direct.

Still...

’I just hope she doesn’t punish me too badly for it later,’ Caleb thought with a nervous smile.

He forced himself to keep calm as he turned back to Sophia, his expression softening into something more composed.

"Well, what can I say... It was unexpected. I’m sorry for that," Caleb murmured apologetically, though his gaze lingered on Sophia’s still-stunned face, secretly amused by how much Naya had caught everyone—including him—off guard.

Without wasting more time, he cleared his throat and shifted the topic.

"Anyway... let’s get back to the main point. Sophia, I’d like to hear your thoughts on the idea I proposed. You’re the one who understands the pentacle best."

Sophia blinked, snapping out of her trance. She coughed lightly, clearing her throat, trying to erase the mental image still flashing in her head. She cast a quick glance at Naya from the corner of her eye and smirked inwardly.

’Nice move... But it’s not over yet,’ she thought, her competitive fire still smoldering beneath her smile.

She folded her arms gracefully, her usual coolness returning.

"Well," Sophia began smoothly, her voice calm but thoughtful, "this isn’t something we can rush. It’s not the kind of thing we can pull together in just a few days—especially not if we’re dealing with X."

Her eyes swept over each of them before she dropped her next bombshell.

"And because of that... I suggest we live together."Sophia said with a calm look as she looked at Caleb.

"Live together?"

It was Naya who spoke first, her voice laced with suspicion.

Her brows furrowed slightly as she tried to process Sophia’s suggestion. It wasn’t danger to her life she feared—not anymore—but danger to something far more personal: Caleb.

From the way Sophia had acted earlier, it was painfully obvious the woman was after him. She wasn’t even trying to hide it. And now, the same woman was suggesting they live under one roof?

Suspicious didn’t even begin to describe it.

Sophia caught the look in Naya’s eyes and let out a soft, provocative smile as she turned to face her fully.

"Yes, living together," Sophia repeated, her tone as light as a feather. "Don’t worry— it’s not like I’m going to sleep with him or anything. I mean, he’s clearly more interested in you. I just didn’t know that earlier... I guess it’s pretty clear now." She ended with a casual shrug, her words laced with teasing indifference.

The sour taste in Naya’s mouth grew stronger.

The more time she spent around Sophia, the more uncomfortable she felt.

She didn’t reply, only scoffed and looked away, folding her arms tightly across her chest. It wasn’t just dislike—it was the prickling sensation of rivalry setting in.

Caleb, meanwhile, pinched the bridge of his nose, exhaling slowly as he tried to collect himself. The chaos of everything—the tension, the kisses, the sudden proposal—was starting to wear on his nerves.

"Miss Sophia," Caleb finally said, his voice sharp enough to slice through the thick air. "I think you’re taking things a bit too far. We should be focused on X and how to deal with them. Not... this." His tone was firm, pulling some of the awkward tension out of the room.

Sophia let out a dramatic sigh, lifting her hands in surrender.

"My bad, you’re right," she admitted, offering an almost sheepish smile. "I got ahead of myself."

Despite her apology, her eyes never quite lost that playful glint as they remained fixed on Caleb.

"But," she continued, her voice softening into something more serious, "I wasn’t joking about the living together part. I meant it."

She pushed herself up slightly, leaning casually against the edge of the table, her expression sobering as she met Caleb’s gaze head-on.

"X is dangerous," she said. "They possess abilities that are... not human. Some of them can’t even die by ordinary means. I’ve tried. It’s almost impossible. But recently—" she paused briefly, gathering her thoughts "—I’ve come across some information. Something that could potentially harm them. It’s not ready yet, but I’m working on it."

Her fingers brushed lightly over the pentacle hanging from her neck.

"As for luring them..." She exhaled. "That won’t be easy. The moment you take off that necklace, they’ll be watching. They won’t strike immediately if they sense anything unusual—no traps, no fake-outs. We’ll need time. Careful planning. Otherwise, it’ll all fall apart before we even get close."

Her voice was calm, steady. The playful teasing from earlier was gone, replaced by the quiet steel of someone who had faced these monsters before—and survived.

Caleb’s expression grew thoughtful as he listened, her words sinking in.

’She’s right...’ he mused silently.

If he really wanted to reach that bastard—the one who killed Julia—he’d need more than just guts. He’d need strategy, preparation... and people who knew what they were dealing with.

And whether he liked it or not, Sophia knew more than both him and Naya combined.

Much more.

He exhaled deeply, leaning back slightly as he weighed the choices before him.

Since they had all agreed to work together to bring down X, it was clear they needed to keep close contact with Sophia.

There was no other way.

Now that they were temporarily off X’s radar, the organization would likely start searching for other means to track them. Carelessness could get them killed. Going out in public too often, drawing attention—it could all prove disastrous.

At least until they finalized their plan.

They needed to ensure X had absolutely no clue what was coming. No time to prepare. No chance to retaliate.

And for that to work, they had to be together—at all times. So they could share information instantly, move quickly, and draw their strategy without any external interference.

Caleb knew how crucial it was to keep everything airtight.

No loopholes. No slip-ups.

After a long pause of deep thought, he let out a resigned sigh.

"Very well," he finally said, running a hand through his hair. "If that’s the only way, then let’s do it. But where exactly would we stay? Do we have to rent an apartment?"

Their old homes were obviously out of the question now. X could be watching—or worse, already waiting.

Sophia’s lips curled into a calm, satisfied smile. She could already tell her suggestion had won.

"Don’t worry," she said smoothly. "I already have the perfect place in mind. I share an apartment with my sister, and it’s extremely well protected."

She noticed the instant shift in Naya’s expression—the disapproval, the suspicion—and Sophia quickly raised her hands playfully as if to calm her down.

"Before you start reading too much into that," Sophia added with a soft chuckle, "I should explain. The apartment is in St. Gregory City."