Conquering Ladies With My 10x Rebate System
Chapter 71: Intentions

Chapter 71: Intentions

The car bolted through the thinning traffic as Caleb’s feet matched on the throttle, the engine’s could be heard thanks to the complete silence.

The city lights stretched into blurred streaks of gold and neon.

"So what exactly is he?" Naya asked quietly, her brows furrowed, her voice tight with unease.

Sophia exhaled sharply, her blue eyes darkening as she gathered her thoughts.

"In X, not everyone remains human," she said at last. "The deeper you fall into that organization... the more inhuman you become. The longer you serve them, the less you resemble anything ordinary. That man—Diego—he’s been with X for a very long time."

"Long enough that death probably doesn’t mean anything to him," Helene added softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

A cold shiver crawled down Naya’s spine. "And he showed up at Julia’s burial... this wasn’t random. It’s personal."

Sophia’s face hardened. "Definitely not a coincidence. He wasn’t there to mourn. He was there to hunt."

The words struck deep, lodging in Caleb’s chest like cold steel.

’So Hakate failed, and now they’re sending in something worse...’ Caleb thought bitterly, his grip tightening around the wheel as he made a sharp turn, the tires screeching beneath them.

But his voice remained steady. "Then we stick to the plan," he said firmly, the reflection of passing streetlights glinting in his green eyes. "We regroup. We plan properly. And when the time’s right—"

"We crush them," Naya finished, her tone sharpened like a blade.

For a brief moment, Sophia couldn’t help but smile faintly despite the tension. "You two are dangerously alike," she murmured.

A small, shaky laugh escaped Helene, her nerves barely holding together. "And here I thought I was the reckless one in the family."

"Trust me," Sophia muttered, shaking her head with a dry chuckle, "you’re not even close."

The car sped down the highway, the city sprawling beneath the vast night sky, a glittering sea of lights and shadows.

Caleb’s eyes stayed locked on the horizon, his thoughts razor-focused.

He wasn’t running forever.

Next time—he would strike back.

A soft chime from the navigator map flashed on the dashboard. St. George was still nearly five hours away.

"How long does the pentacle last?" Caleb asked calmly, his voice breaking the quiet. "Or does it have some kind of time limit? It’s going to take a while to reach our destination."

Sophia glanced down at the small candle still glowing softly within the etched pentacle beneath her feet. The gentle flicker reflected in her eyes as she let out a slow breath of relief. "You don’t have to worry. As long as we’re not in direct line of sight, the pentacle’s enchantment will keep them from tracking us. X won’t be able to follow—not right now. We just have to get home first."

Caleb gave a small nod, focusing on the road ahead.

Beside her, Sophia turned to Helene, whose face was still pale with fear.

Without a word, she gently guided Helene’s head onto her shoulder.

"Rest for a while," Sophia whispered softly. "We’ll be safe soon."

The car drove on, slicing through the night like a bullet, the weight of everything they’d witnessed still heavy on all of them.

But for now—they were alive.

And for Caleb... that was enough to keep going.

"Don’t worry," Sophia murmured gently, her voice soft but firm as she looked down at her sister. "They won’t get us... not today, not ever."

Helene gave a small nod, leaning into the comfort of Sophia’s embrace.

Caleb watched the quiet exchange through the rearview mirror, his green eyes flickering with thought.

’Their bond’s stronger in this timeline,’ he mused silently. ’Probably because of everything they’ve had to face together. She almost feels... different.’

His gaze lingered for a second longer on Sophia, but a strange feeling stirred in his chest—an uneasy tug he couldn’t quite explain.

’But why this unsettling feeling...?’ His eyes narrowed slightly. ’Sophia...’

As if sensing his eyes on her, Sophia shifted her gaze, her blue eyes meeting his in the mirror. For a heartbeat, they locked eyes—and then she offered him a small, knowing smile.

Caleb calmly averted his gaze, focusing back on the road.

After that, silence settled over the car like a blanket.

The hum of the engine and the quiet rhythm of tires on asphalt were the only sounds that filled the night.

Naya had dozed off, her head resting lightly against the window. Caleb could tell just by looking at her—she was completely drained. She’d been by his side every step since Julia’s death, helping him arrange the burial, taking care of everything without complaint.

Helene, too, had drifted into sleep, her breath soft and even.

That left only Sophia and Caleb awake, the night stretching out before them in tense stillness.

It was Sophia who finally broke the quiet.

"For someone who had nothing to do with X to begin with..." she murmured, her voice low, thoughtful, "you’re awfully brave to throw yourself into this mess."

Caleb’s hands tightened slightly on the wheel, but he didn’t interrupt.

Sophia’s gaze shifted—first to Naya, peacefully asleep, her dark lashes brushing her cheeks—then back to the road ahead.

"How did you even get dragged into this? I’m sure Julia loved you too much to ever involve you in something this dangerous."

Caleb exhaled softly, his eyes fixed on the endless stretch of highway. "You’re right," he said quietly. "Julia would’ve never let me anywhere near this."

He paused, his voice dropping slightly. "But I didn’t find out because of her."

Sophia’s eyes followed his to where Naya slept by the window.

"So... it’s her then?" she asked gently, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah," Caleb replied, the corners of his lips twitching in the faintest of smiles. "I learned about X because of her. Let’s just say... our first meeting wasn’t exactly ordinary."

Sophia’s lips curved into a small smirk of understanding, though her expression soon darkened again.

"Still," she murmured, her voice turning cold, her ocean-blue eyes narrowing slightly, "this plan of yours—going against X—it’s dangerous. Honestly..." she let out a faint scoff, "I didn’t want to say it earlier, but it seems... stupid."

Caleb’s knuckles flexed against the wheel.

For a moment, he said nothing, the weight of her words sinking into the quiet tension between them.

’Now I get it,’ Caleb thought, the realization settling in. ’She doesn’t believe going after X is the right move.’

He kept his voice calm, steady. "Then you shouldn’t have agreed when I first mentioned the plan. You could’ve shut it down right then instead of playing along if this is how you really feel."

Sophia exhaled sharply, her expression tightening. "It’s not that simple," she said, her voice low but thick with emotion. "It’s not that I didn’t want to say no—it’s that I couldn’t. Can’t you see it? You’ve given them hope. Hope that we can actually stand against X."

Her eyes locked on him, unflinching. "I don’t think you understand how impossible that is. I admire your confidence, I really do, but don’t get some hero complex like you’re here to save a bunch of damsels. If you go around making reckless declarations like that, you’ll end up dead. And hope? Hope will die with you."

The words hung heavy between them.

Caleb let out a slow, cold breath, his grip on the wheel tightening.

"Sophia," he said quietly, "let me ask you one question."

Her gaze flickered but she held his stare through the mirror.

"If your sister... if Helene ended up as one of X’s victims, and died because of them—would you just sit back and accept it? Would you be able to live with that?"

Sophia flinched ever so slightly. But her face hardened almost instantly.

"No," she admitted, her voice brittle. "I wouldn’t be happy about it. I’d be devastated. But I also wouldn’t throw myself at the feet of death chasing revenge I can’t win. I’d mourn her... but I wouldn’t die for her. I’d do what I could—but I wouldn’t trade my life for someone who’s already gone."

Her words were cold. Practical. But in Caleb’s ears, they sounded hollow.

He exhaled deeply, disappointment lacing his expression.

’I see it now...’ he thought bitterly. ’For a second, I really thought you’d changed. But you’re still the same Sophia. Kind on the surface... but selfish underneath.’

He shook his head and fixed his eyes back on the road, his voice quieter but iron-clad.

"Well, I’m not like you," he said flatly. "If you don’t want to help, fine. If you do, even better. But I won’t sit back and let the people I love be harmed by X ever again."

The finality in his tone silenced the car, leaving only the steady hum of the engine as they sped through the night.