Chapter 222: Reward Unlocked: 100x Cashback Multiplier

May didn’t waste a single second staring at the board. She sprinted down the track straight toward me, throwing her arms around my neck and launching herself into my chest. I caught her smoothly, wrapping my arms tightly around her waist as she planted a deep, breathless kiss right on my lips in front of everyone.

When she finally pulled back, resting her forehead against mine, her eyes were shining with absolute liberation. “Ethan… I feel so light,” she confessed, her voice thick with relief. “It really feels like a massive, suffocating weight just completely lifted off my chest.”

“I told you,” I smirked softly, holding her close. “You just needed to stop fighting yourself.”

As I held her, the radiant golden interface of my system materialised right before my eyes:

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION] Condition Met: May has reclaimed World-Record form.

Reward Unlocked: 100x Cashback Multiplier ($100,000,000 USD). Transaction: Funds successfully transferred to Primary Vault. Updated Balance: $1,700,000,000 USD.

A deeply satisfying feeling washed over me as the notification faded away. Not only had my favorite track star claimed her fire back, but my balance was now sitting at a comfortable $1.7 billion.

“Ugh, look at you two,” Ruby teased, crossing her arms and pouting dramatically as the girls walked down the track. “I’m genuinely jealous she gets the victory hug and the dramatic romance kiss! But fine… I won’t ruin your little moment just yet.”

She immediately broke into a huge grin and threw her arms around both of us, pulling us into a loud, energetic group hug. Patricia beamed with genuine happiness for May, gently patting her shoulder, while Tiana was still looking between her tablet screen and May in absolute awe of the 9.11-second record.

Chloe stepped up with her usual calm, authoritative grace, her poise completely commanding as always. She crossed her arms, looking at me with a dangerous, knowing tilt of her head and a subtle, teasing smirk on her lips.

“Hmm,” Chloe murmured softly, her smooth voice cutting through the laughter. “It seems you really just can’t stop charming every single one of us, can you, Ethan?”

May flushed slightly at Chloe’s comment, but instead of hiding her face like before, she just grinned, wrapping her arm tightly around mine and resting her head against my shoulder.

I smirked, looking back at Chloe with a gentle shrug. “Hmm, I guess it’s just a gift,” I teased smoothly.

May let out a soft laugh, tightening her arm around mine. The difference in her was like night and day. She still had that sharp, fierce athletic edge and her casual, slightly bro-ish swagger—she was still the competitive May we all knew—but the heavy wall was completely gone. She was unapologetically, madly in love, and she wasn’t wasting a single breath trying to deny it anymore.

“Charming or not, he’s mine too now,” May declared with a proud grin, bumping her shoulder against mine before turning to the rest of the group. “And there is no way we’re just packing up and going to sleep after a 9.11 run! We have to celebrate this properly tonight!”

“Now that is the best idea I’ve heard all day!” Ruby cheered, throwing her hands in the air. “Party at the estate! Patricia, tell me we have victory drinks stocked!”

“Of course we do,” Patricia chuckled, shaking her head fondly. “I’ll start prepping a feast the moment we get back.”

Chloe shook her head with an amused smile, her authoritative gaze softening as she looked at the energy filling the room. “Alright. Let’s head back home and make it a night to remember.”

May squeezed my arm, looking up at me with bright, happy eyes that completely sparkled under the facility lights. The noise in her head was gone for good, replaced by a fire that was only going to burn brighter.

We left the Zenith compound behind, leaving Tiana at the lab to wrap up her diagnostic reports as we loaded into the car for the drive back to the estate.

Before anyone could even think about who was sitting where, May smoothly pulled open the passenger door and slid right into the front seat next to me, her duffel bag tossed casually between her feet.

Ruby stopped dead in her tracks near the back door, her eyes going wide as she placed her hands on her hips.

“Wait, hold on, what?!” Ruby gasped, pointing an accusing finger at May. “Why did Chloe allow her to sit in the front seat?! Since when does she get that privilege?!”

Chloe just offered a smooth, unbothered smirk as she climbed into the back seat next to Patricia. “I don’t mind, Ruby. She did just run a 9.11-second sprint, after all. She can have the front seat for tonight.”

“That is totally unfair!” Ruby whined playfully, crossing her arms with a pout as she slid in next to Chloe. “I literally had to volunteer to be the full-time DJ just to earn front-seat privileges last time! She gets a kiss and shotgun?”

May leaned back into the leather seat, resting her arm against the console as she flashed Ruby a smug, satisfied grin. “Rank has its privileges, Ruby. You just gotta keep up.”

Ruby’s eyes lit up—she saw her opening and immediately leaned forward between the front seats with a dangerously evil smirk.

“Oh, look at you, Miss Smug!” Ruby purred, resting her chin on her hands. “Getting all brave just because Ethan’s holding your hand! So, how does it feel, track star? You were acting all tough and bro-ish all week, and now you’re literally sitting in the front seat glowing like a hopelessly love-struck maiden!”

May flushed a deep, instant pink, her cheeks instantly burning at the description. But instead of stuttering, screaming, or storming off like she usually would, May just took a deep breath, looked back at Ruby, and let out a soft, bashful chuckle.

“Yeah… well, what if I am?” May mumbled, leaning back against her seat with a soft, affectionate smile as her hand reached over to rest over mine on the gear shift. “I love him. So I’m sitting up here next to him.”

Ruby stared at her, her jaw slowly dropping. The playful tease had completely fallen flat because May had completely embraced it. There was no denial left for Ruby to poke fun at, no defensive wall to tear down.

“Wait… no!” Ruby gasped, throwing her hands up in defeat. “You can’t just agree with me! That ruins the whole teasing process! You’re supposed to get angry and fight back!”

Chloe let out a soft, elegant laugh from the back, shaking her head. “It seems your favorite pastime has been officially retired, Ruby.”

“This is tragic,” Ruby groaned, dramatically collapsing back into her seat while Patricia chuckled softly. “She’s entirely soft now.”

May just giggled, squeezing my hand as we pulled out onto the highway, her head resting back against the headrest with complete, unshakeable peace.

Crippled Hunter: My Three Wives Investment Gets 10,000x Upgrade

Crippled Hunter: My Three Wives Investment Gets 10,000x Upgrade