Rina slowly took off her Virtua Helmet as she lay curled in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Unlike her normal confident self, her expression was a bit flushed and her hair was quite messy.
She rose from the mattress with a light pant, carrying herself up into the washroom to shower. In there, she washed all the acc.u.mulated sweat off her body as well as her face, paying extra attention to her beautiful hair.
As the water trickled down her body, it traced her mind numbing curves and contours, creating a small waterfall around her chest and her backside.
The warm water cleansed her body, but it also heated her up in a way she did not really like. She was inadvertently reminded of Draco, who had become somewhat of a taboo subject to her at this point.
Rina had no idea why her body reacted in the way it did whenever she was around him, but those episodes had only gotten worse with time. Initially it was light and only present when she was close to him.
Before long it became heavy, until it reached the point where just the mention of his name was enough to make her dizzy.
Now however… just thinking of him elicited a strong response, especially after she had seen him as he returned from his quest. At that moment, she knew that something in her had changed forever.
Why? She had no idea.
How? She also had no idea.
Nevertheless, it was becoming really painful to deal with. Given the revelation about the relationship between Draco and their Lady Boss, there was nothing Rina could, or more accurately dared to do.
Rina was usually forced to find a hidden area to quickly vent her l.u.s.t with her fingers, otherwise she would become very… unhinged.
As intriguing as it sounded, her sobbing and depression afterward were not something enjoyable to witness, as it told of a type of pain that was heartrending.
Love?
No Rina did not love Draco. Rina hadn't loved any man in all her life due to her circ.u.mstances.
Still, she was undeniably romantically interested in Draco, at first due to his prowess, then his character.
Rina instinctively felt like Draco was someone she would love to get to know more, despite him being younger by almost 3 years.
However, the way he spoke and acted sometimes reeked of an older man, especially his calm composure.
Her l.u.s.t for him had reached unprecedented levels. She had never heard someone suffering similar circ.u.mstances from any female friend she had, not even from the nymphomaniacs among her circle who couldn't go a week without s.e.x.
Rina was too embarrassed to share her story with anyone else, as they might just label her a s.l.u.t of the highest order.
As the world s.l.u.t passed through her mind, Rina's fists clenched, her expression morphed into a grimace.
Memories of a time long past filtered through her mind like the tide of the sea.
.......
"Rina darling, what did I tell you about etiquette?"
A mature beauty with long silvery hair and sharp red eyes lectured a little girl who looked slightly older than 8 years. The little lass resembled her mother greatly, especially with both sharing their resonant crimson irises.
The mature beauty wore a long red dress which barely hid her pathway to success, also displaying unhealthy amounts of her curves and raw s.e.x appeal flagrantly.
She sat in a long love couch with a glass of wine in hand, a light smile on her lips as she gazed at her pride and joy.
For that matter, Little Rina gazed back at her mother with adoration and obeisance.
"You said a good girl is always clean and polite, Mommy!" Rina chirped with a smile.
Her mother laughed lightly, her sing-song voice pleasantly tickling the ear. "That is absolutely correct, my Love. Come and give Mama a hug!"
Rina rushed into her mother's open arms, embracing her deeply as she closed her eyes with contentment. Rina's mother also seemed extremely comforted by her daughter's presence.
However, her mother's happiness quickly bled away when she noticed her phone ringing.
"Rina, go to your room and study the 'Art of Nobility' book I gave you. Mama has to talk with some business partners, okay?"
She coaxed her visibly frowning daughter gently, at which point Rina reluctantly obeyed and scuttled out of the room, leaving her mother with the ringing phone.
With an exasperated sigh, she picked up the call, putting on the poker face she had perfected over the years. "Hello, Mr. Kaplan. It is... nice... to hear your voice again."
Across the line came a slightly older voice that was a bit high-pitched and slightly squeaky.
"Shi shi shi… is that so, Holly? After your treatment last time, I assumed I would be one of the last people you would wish to see again in the world."
Holly's face locked into a grimace as she maintained her pleasant and genial tone.
"Well, that was part of the job description. No pain, no gain and I knew what I was getting into. Now enough about the past, may I ask why Mr.Kaplan is calling me?"
The fellow on the other side seemed to become startled by Holly's ability to maintain composure and keep up the act, so he harrumphed and got down to business.
"You're correct. Fine let us discuss the reason for my calling you. The fellows and I would like to…'requisition'… your services once more. When will you be available?"
Holly's face became dark as she spoke heavily. "I thought I made it perfectly clear that I have forgone all business of that nature in order to raise my daughter. I am sorry, but I will have to decline your request. If you insist, I may be able to refer you to some former acquaintances. I'd also like for you to never bring this matter up again." Holly was doing her utmost to not show her real emotion.
Mr.Kaplan simply laughed off Holly's sharp refusal. "Now don't be so quick to refuse, Holly. Won't you at least hear the terms I'm offer-"
"I am not interested, no matter how good your terms may be. If there's nothing else, I shall be cutting the call, Mr.Kaplan." Holly resolutely pressed the 'end call' button.
Before she even managed to refill the wine glass after this exhausting call, a text message had been sent to her phone. Naturally it came from Mr.Kaplan.
'If you don't accept the carrot, the stick is always a fine alternative.'
Attached was a video file of Holly being used and abused by a group of older men in extremely demeaning ways. The Holly in the video looked much younger and was barely in her late teens, which added a certain level of debauchery to the content itself.
Still, seeing herself taped in full glory during one of her most embarrassing moments made Holly frown.
What was extremely startling though, was that she did not show a strong appalled reaction nor did she seem particularly moved. She seemed to merely admire the strength and endurance from her younger self, like an a.d.u.l.t remembering the silly things they did as a kid.
What Holly did next was even scarier.
She directly opened the Police Department's official page and reported the attempt at blackmail and undue influence, attaching the contents of her chat as well as the video itself, without hesitation.
Yet Holly didn't stop there. As a woman who had clawed her way up from difficulty, she was not so shallow as to be bothered by public perception unless it affected her business.
She directly linked the images of her blackmail and some milder parts of the video to all her social media, adding it to various tags that would endear a response.
It was like a thunderclap on the internet.
Within 30 minutes, she had reached almost a 100 million views and a few thousand replies, as well as almost 3 million shares.
The internet was supremely enraged that such a beautiful mother of one would be forced to undergo such acts when so young, and that those fellows, whose real life identities Holly had revealed and shared, had the audacity to try and blackmail her into a second round.
Holly smiled lightly and smugly as she closed her phone, leaving her room to go find Rina. She saw her daughter obediently doing what she asked her to almost an hour ago, and her heart felt warm.
Instantly, Holly rushed into the room and picked up Rina, kissing her all over. "Kyaa, my sweet Rina is so cute and obedient! Mama loves you!"
Rina, who was absolutely lost due to the sudden barrage of pampering, could only laugh and complain as her mother smothered her in kisses.
"Eugh, mommy you're messing up my clothes!"
Still, Rina basked in her mother's love.
After Holly finished venting her obsession for her daughter, she sat Rina down on her lap and looked at her gently.
"Sweetie, do you want to know about your daddy?"
Rina froze as she heard her mother bring this up. She had once asked this question when she had been much younger, but her mother only shook her head and told her to forget about it.
Rina was quite precocious for her age. No 9 year old girl who had been brought up with such love and pampering would be able to resist growing up a bit spoiled and unruly, but Rina was startlingly obedient and clever.
She had matured quite early thanks to Holly providing her with the refined upbringing she herself had never enjoyed, which made her the queen bee of her age mates in every single instance.
She guessed that there had to be some history between her father and her mother, so she had buried her curiosity and continued striving to be the best her mother wanted her to be.
To hear her mother now suggest to share her father's story with her…
"Yes, Mommy. I want to know!" Rina nodded with anticipation.
Holly smiled lightly.
"First, let me start by saying that your father is still alive. He did not leave us per se, but he also could not afford to stay."
Rina was stunned by Holly's opening statement. First, her mother stated that her dad had left but was now saying that it wasn't his fault?
"Hehe, your confusion is written all over your face, my Love. Your father's name is Drake and he doesn't seem to have a last name for some reason."
Holly looked up to the ceiling with a wistful expression.
"I had come back from a particularly tiring… job. There I saw your father lying in an alleyway and approached him because of one thing."
"I couldn't understand how someone so… handsome and well-dressed could be lying down in the dirt. I assumed he was a victim of robbery and wanted to offer him the opportunity to call the police but…:
Holly paused here as her pupils became unfocused and her body began to flush.
"There was something… enthralling… appealing… enchanting, about him. I couldn't help but… bring him home."
Rina was listening silently. She had already found out about the line of 'work' her mother had been a part of before she was born. Learning this, was one of the reasons Rina had matured so quickly compared to her mates.
However, she also understood that her mother hated that part of her past and wanted to avoid involving Rina in such a thing, so she had used every penny she obtained to even more, enough so that they could live in luxury and she could be brought up so intensively.
But she had never described any of her clients in such a manner before, so Rina couldn't help but feel curiosity burn in her towards her dad.
"I nursed him back to health and he seemed to have some form of mental imbalance as he was really dull and unresponsive."
Holly's voice faltered here.
"I... I couldn't… I couldn't hold back… I had to… the urge was too strong… too painful…"
Young Rina couldn't really understand this, so Holly didn't elaborate. She took in a deep breath and continued.
"Your father and I lay together and when I was pregnant with you, his eyes cleared up as he spoke to me about himself and his origins."
Holly's voice paused here.
"Honestly, his story was too fantastical and unreal for me to believe, and even today I ask myself how much of it was true and how much only some delusion. He asked me if I wanted to join his family, but I refused because he…"
"He already had a true wife…"
Holly's head drooped slowly.
Rina's cute face slackened as she heard this. Her dad had… a wife? So… she was like an illegitimate child…?
This was a considerable blow for any child to have to swallow, especially one who had held great anticipation the entire time.
"Please don't hate your father, Rina. It was I who could not control myself and forced myself on him. What I did was wrong in many ways, and it wouldn't be surprising if he decided to ignore us altogether."
Holly lifted her head and stared into the confused and hurt eyes of her daughter with a gentle smile.
"Yet he chose to offer us a place among his family. I only refused because I wanted for you to grow up in peace, and he claimed his family had great enemies. Again, I don't know how much of that is true, but I didn't want to risk you getting embroiled in all that."
Rina digested all of these revelations as best as a slightly mature 9 year old girl could, which wasn't really saying much. Some of the deeper nuances completely flew over her head, so she reached her own conclusions.
"Is it possible to see my daddy?" Rina asked with a slightly sad voice.
"Yes, you can see him whenever you want. Just tell Mama when you want to go and I'll take you."
Rina hugged her mom deeply. "I don't wanna see him now. Maybe when I'm oder. Right now, I want to spend all my time with you."
Holly's eyes became wet as her insides felt like mush in the face of her daughter's love and adoration. She hugged Rina back and kissed her on the forehead.
"I want to spend all my time with you too, Rina. You are my everything."
This heartfelt moment would always be in the forefront of Rina's memories of her mother, the time both of them had bonded on a level that was beyond just physical blood ties.
However, the good times never tend to last. Everyone experienced ups and downs in their life, with only the severity and duration of these good or bad times varying.
Holly's assertive action led to her becoming an internet sensation. She ended up being called onto TV shows and various events to narrate her harrowing story, even some politicians using her story as a means to push their own agenda.
Holly was no fool. She was perfectly aware that this interest in her story was a fleeting moment. It may be the most interesting thing to date, but the next great outrage would undoubtedly replace the interest and attention of the people. Just as they all milked her for her five minutes of fame, she milked them even worse. This woman was sharp and intelligent, the kind that could easily turn into an empress from a queen.
However, at the time she decided to make this event public, Holly had failed to account for one thing.
The effect her past would bring onto Rina.
To Holly, the hardsh.i.p.s she had gone through had shaped her personality, having to gather capital using her womanly assets then having to rise in the ranks using her brains.
As such, she did not really care about the negative opinions that arose from her revelation. It also helped that she had almost no true friends and her family had long since stopped even acknowledging her as one of their own.
Rina was different. She was largely home-schooled during her youth, but no matter what, she couldn't stay at home forever. She would have to eventually venture out of the comforts of their home to experience what it was like to be in a proper school and enjoy her youth.
....
Years later Rina had entered her teenage years, one of the most dangerous phases for any youth. It was during this era that one would enter the dreaded High School period, where hormones and peer pressure could easily corrupt one.
Rina had been well trained by her mother and she was extremely savvy. Having avoided school until this period, she was not easily pulled into the various shenanigans others got up to like relationsh.i.p.s, truancy and general hooliganism.
She focused on school and also gathered a very small circle of friends like her mother.
However, the story of Holly had been too widespread. Even though Holly had only shared parts of the video that were much milder, it was still a segment of a s.e.xtape.
Many of the young boys in the class continually poked and prodded Rina about her mother's sensuality and the video, some asking if they could get more of it while others mocked her for it.
If it had been only the boys, Rina could have just frowned and largely ignored them, but the girls turned out to be even worse.
Rina had been around 15 years at the time. Puberty had used its fresh baguette to whack her on the head, and her voluptuous form had begun to bud.
Rina proved to be even more beautiful and sensual than her mother, which was a source of pride for both of them.
However, the other girls couldn't tolerate that, so their attempts to bully Rina were downright atrocious.
Rina had heard the rumours linking her with the words 's.l.u.t', 'whore', 'p.r.o.s.t.i.t.u.t.e' so many times that they were branded into her mind. The teachers who knew the full story didn't want their reputation tarnished by the media, so any students found to bully Rina were severely punished.
But would that stop High School students? No, it rather made things worse.
From a select few, everyone in her school treated her coldly and refused to socialize with her. As long as the teachers weren't around, they would throw around even worse insults under their breath, but when they showed up, the students acted like fake angels.
Rina bore this burden for the entirety of her High School and University days, but the damage it did to her self-confidence was immeasurable.
Holly meanwhile regretted her lack of foresight immensely. Each time her daughter returned with a defeated look on her face, it felt like a gut punch to her soul. Learning her lesson from before, she didn't try to publicize the bullying Rina went through in any way.
Holly, like most people, always looked down on women who caved into this type of blackmail. Allowing yourself to be had in this day and age was extremely stupid in her eyes. It was extremely easy to have the offending party lose everything, as Mr.Kaplan and his friends had found themselves behind bars, also losing all their assets from their high positions in society.
But that was looking at the aspect concerning oneself. Even if one's skin was thick and they didn't mind being disparaged, the damage it could do to their loved ones or anyone they were close to by proxy was the main issue.
Rina grew up to eventually become so beautiful and alluring that the money which was being thrown her way just to get the chance to bed her was scary. She had been trained by her mother in all aspects, so she was extremely perceptive when it came to the hidden intentions of men.
Rina only lightly played with these fellows, never allowing it to go too far, but still managed to reap the benefits.
Unlike the other Five Generals, she hadn't been pressured into the Cartel.
She had entered the Cartel voluntarily as a means to build her own powerbase. Rina had grand plans for her life and wanted to achieve even more than her mother did, all in order to bring her pride.
The Cartel was simply a means to an end. Since she had some impressive fighting talent, she soon used a mixture of her allure and her skills to rise to her former position, until her Dark Star arrived in the form of Draco.
........
Rina shook herself out of her daze.
Some things that had been buried at the back of her mind had surfaced due to her intense emotions, and she realized that what her mother described as her tortuous desire for her father was exactly what she herself was going through.
Rina couldn't help but feel like it was as if someone had cursed herself and her mother.
Rina stared at her Virtua Helmet with a mixture of trepidation and desire.
Every time she entered that fantastical world, she would be forced to be around Draco, yet she remained unable to even touch him because of Riveting Night.
However, Rina realized that she couldn't keep going like this. She needed to sate her desires through Draco, or she could end up going mad.
Were it not for the fact that they were forced to log-out every 64 hours in-game, she would have immediately returned to the game.
For now, she had to find something else to do before she could return to the world of Boundless. Her friends might not be unable to provide her advice for her particular circ.u.mstance, but there was one person in her life who would always listen to her and help her endure everything.
In fact, she might actually have something that may help her.
After dialing a certain number, she did not have to wait long for her recipient to accept.
"Hello Mommy. I'm sorry I haven't called in a while. There's something I need to talk with you about. Remember the time you told me about my father…"