Lust in Ecstasy: Love, Lies and Revenge
Chapter 51: The Blueprint of Freedom

Chapter 51: The Blueprint of Freedom

The morning after felt different. Not in a bad way—just different. I woke up alone, which was expected, but ever since I became a millionaire, there was this lingering feeling of lightness, like a weight had been lifted. A quiet sort of happiness. The kind that came with knowing I had options now. That I was free.

I shook the thought off. There were more important things to focus on.

Dragging myself out of bed, I rubbed my temples and stared blankly at the wall for a solid ten minutes. The usual. Eventually, I made my way to the bathroom, splashed cold water on my face, and looked at my reflection in the mirror, expecting the familiar wave of self-criticism to hit.

But nothing came.

No doubts. No second-guessing. No internal debate about who I was or what I was doing with my life.

Just silence.

I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair.

Yeah... I’m rich.

I grabbed my laptop and opened the document I had started the night before. The game. My game.

Lines of notes stared back at me. Ideas, mechanics, world-building—half-formed thoughts waiting to be fleshed out.

I needed a plan. A real one.

First step: Research.

I spent hours scouring forums, reading articles, and watching videos about indie game development. Engines, funding, marketing—there was a lot to consider.

Unity? Unreal? Build from scratch?

Could I even do this alone?

No. But I could start alone.

Second step: The Core Concept.

What made the greatest games unforgettable? It wasn’t just flashy graphics or endless customization—it was immersion.

A world where the player felt like they belonged.

A competitive shooter with deep world-building. NPCs that weren’t just background props—they had lives, choices, consequences.

I scribbled more notes, my mind racing. The game needed a hook, something unique.

That’s when it hit me.

A fully dynamic world—where even players could become NPCs. Where a person’s actions dictated the future of the environment. Choices wouldn’t just change a mission—they’d change the entire game.

It sounded ambitious. Insanely ambitious.

But wasn’t that the point?

I was still caught up in the brainstorming when my phone buzzed.

Eric. His name displayed across my phone.

I hesitated before picking up.

"Yo," I answered.

"You free? Meet me at my place. Got something to show you."

His tone was different. Sharper. Like he had something really important to tell me, and I became curious.

I glanced at my screen, my mind still on the game.

"Alright, I uh... I’ll be there in an hour," I said, leaning back in my chair as I glanced toward the door. I’d been at this for hours, completely lost in what I was doing. I hadn’t gone downstairs, hadn’t checked in on anything, and no one had come up to disturb me either.

I wonder what he’s up to now, I thought, looking down at my phone. My mind tried to piece together what Eric could possibly want, but I gave up quickly. It was pointless trying to predict him.

With a sigh, I pushed myself up and stretched before heading to the bathroom for a quick shower. The water felt good, washing away the stiffness in my muscles. Once I was done, I threw on a top and gray sweatpants and finally made my way downstairs.

At first, I thought no one was home. The place was unusually quiet. But as I stepped into the kitchen—ah, crap.

Faith.

She was standing by the counter, her back turned to me, completely unaware of my presence.

I hesitated.

I’d been subconsciously avoiding her, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

I thought about turning back, maybe pretending I had forgotten something upstairs, but it was too late. She turned around, and our eyes met.

"Hey," she said, her voice neutral, but there was something unreadable in her expression.

"Hey," I replied, stepping further into the kitchen. I moved to the fridge, pretending to look for something just to have something to do.

She leaned against the counter, watching me. "You’ve been holed up in your room a lot lately."

"Yeah, just... I’ve been busy," I muttered, grabbing a bottle of water.

Faith nodded slowly, like she was trying to decide if she wanted to press further. "Right. Busy."

There was a pause. An awkward silence that stretched a little too long. I hated it. Before this whole thing happened we were able to talk normally sometimes, but now it felt like every interaction was walking on eggshells.

"So, are you avoiding me?" she finally asked, tilting her head slightly.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Not avoiding... just—" I stopped, exhaling. "Okay, maybe a little."

Her lips pressed together, but she didn’t look mad. "Why?"

"Because..." I hesitated, struggling to put it into words. "I don’t know, I just... Ever since the party I don’t know what to think of you... I’m confused.."

She studied me for a moment, then crossed her arms. "You think you’re the only one confused? You’re not."

That made me pause.

Faith sighed, shaking her head. "I just... I don’t want things to be weird between us, but I also don’t want to pretend nothing ever happened. So what do we do?"

She turned around fully, and my eyes instinctively darted to her body. She was wearing a fitted white crop top, the fabric clinging just enough to highlight her curves, and a pair of loose gray sweatpants that sat low on her hips. Casual, but somehow effortlessly sexy.

And just like that, she had a hold on me again.

She stepped forward, closing the gap between us in seconds. Now, we were inches apart, her gaze locked onto mine.

I could feel the tension, thick and heavy between us. My heartbeat picked up, and I knew—knew—that if I leaned in, she wouldn’t stop me. I could see it in her eyes, the way they flickered down to my lips before meeting my gaze again.

I wanted to kiss her.

And I knew she wanted it too.

For a moment, neither of us moved. The air between us grew thick, charged with something unspoken yet undeniable. My heart pounded as she leaned in just slightly, her breath warm against my lips. That was all the invitation I needed.

I closed the gap, pressing my lips to hers. She melted into me instantly, her hands gripping my shirt as if to pull me closer. The world faded, leaving only the heat between us, the quiet gasp she let out, the way our bodies gravitated toward each other—

"What the hell?"

The sharp voice snapped us back to reality. We broke apart, turning to see Abby standing there, arms crossed, eyes filled with shock and betrayal.