Harem Tycoon System

Chapter 13: Manipulation Ability

“Life can joke around, but this is just too much.”

Lucas leaned against the wall of the narrow room with cold marble floors, letting out a long breath that sounded almost like a sigh. The dried blood on his temple hadn’t been cleaned. He ignored the stinging pain in his body, his eyes fixed on the ceiling lit by a crystal chandelier—ironically, the place they were trapped in wasn’t just any storage room, but a former luxury suite of a now-abandoned five-star hotel.

“I don’t know,” Lucas muttered tiredly. “Maybe spending the night here isn’t the worst thing.”

The words were barely audible, a whisper probably meant only for himself. But someone heard it.

Muttering to himself, he scanned the area and noticed a surveillance camera in the corner of the room. Apparently, Rico was still watching them.

“Are you really this pathetic?” Alisha snapped, her voice high and full of irritation. “I thought it was just a rumor that you’re a useless jerk and—”

“Like to flirt with women?” Lucas replied flatly without turning. “Hey, manager lady, whose fault is it that we’re trapped here?”

Alisha wanted to yell, but only exhaled sharply. She knew, even if it wasn’t entirely her fault, she still had a hand in all of this.

Alright, she thought. This isn’t the time to argue.

“So what’s your suggestion, boss?” Alisha asked sarcastically, stressing the last word.

Lucas chuckled bitterly, more grim than amused. “Your boyfriend said one of us would die if he doesn’t get his money.”

He looked sharply at Alisha. “And you know I don’t have any money. The hotel that’s supposedly mine—I have no idea how to make money from it. You manage everything. So why pretend to be helpless? It’s obvious you’re the one in control here.”

Alisha’s gaze hardened. The accusation struck deep.

“So… what do I have to do to make you believe I’m not involved in Rico’s plan?”

Lucas didn’t answer immediately. Inside him, another voice spoke—Ethan. The poor genius student whose life was once full of struggle and hunger. Ethan always surfaced when Lucas felt underestimated.

“Don’t underestimate me,” Lucas muttered.

Alisha turned, surprised. Lucas’s tone had changed. Colder, sharper.

“Then how are you going to get us out of here?”

Lucas shrugged. “I was going to take you with me, but now you’ve annoyed me. Maybe I’ll leave alone and you can deal with your boyfriend.”

Alisha huffed, tapping her foot. “Fine! What do you want from me so you’ll take me with you?”

Lucas seemed to think for a moment. Truthfully, he didn’t have many options. The system within him—a ridiculous thing called the Harem Tycoon System—wouldn’t stop trapping him unless he completed his ‘mission.’ And unfortunately, this mission was physical contact with Alisha to activate the Dominance Break feature.

“Are you sure you’ll give me whatever I ask?” Lucas asked, pretending to be casual.

“Of course!” Alisha grumbled impatiently.

Lucas smirked. “First, be nice to me. Because I’m your boss… and also your savior.”

Alisha’s eyes widened but eventually lowered. “Alright… Mr. Boss,” she muttered grudgingly.

Lucas felt a surge of energy in his system. +50 Loyalty Points, +30 Dominance Points.

The invisible system continued assessing their interaction.

“And then?” Alisha asked, her voice now softer though still wary.

Lucas looked at her seriously. “Give me… a hug.”

“What?” Alisha stared wide-eyed, as if hearing the most absurd request of her life.

Lucas didn’t have time to explain. If he didn’t activate Dominance Break within the next 3 minutes, the system would reset the mission—and that could be worse.

“Time is ticking,” he said flatly, his sharp eyes fixed on Alisha, who now looked nervous and uncomfortable.

The red dress she wore earlier looked elegant, but now it was torn at the thigh slit. Likely from being dragged by Rico in a fit of rage. Her shoulders trembled slightly, a mix of cold and lingering fear.

Lucas waited. Saying nothing.

Alisha bit her lip, then slowly approached. Her body trembled as she finally wrapped her arms around Lucas’s back. Not tightly, but enough to count as a hug.

Ding!

The system chimed in his mind. [Mission Achieved: Dominance Break Level 1 Unlocked]

Lucas grinned.

“So… how does a hug get us out of here?” Alisha asked hesitantly, still awkwardly hugging him.

Lucas activated the feature silently.

Instantly, the room’s temperature shifted. The chandelier dimmed slowly. Alisha flinched, quickly pulling back.

“What’s happening?” she cried in panic.

Lucas stood tall. “Just watch. Soon we’ll be out of here.”

Alisha, with her messy dark hair and bruised lip, still looked strong. She stared back at Lucas—wary, but not afraid.

“I need you to trust me, Alisha,” Lucas said softly, almost whispering. “But more than that… I need you to touch me.”

Alisha narrowed her eyes. “Is this some weird joke? We’re trapped, Lucas. And you’re asking me to touch you?”

Lucas clenched his jaw. He couldn’t blame her. It all sounded insane. But it was the only way.

Alisha held her breath. There was something in Lucas’s eyes that made her doubt, but also… curious. A part of her wanted to believe that something—anything—could save them from this place.

“If you’re lying…” she murmured, then without warning, she grabbed Lucas’s hand.

And their world changed.

Lucas groaned quietly as foreign energy surged through his body. His face tensed, pupils dilated. The system inside him felt like it had been reset. He could feel waves of mental control suddenly activate, radiating like an invisible sonar.

“I can…” he whispered. “I can control them now.”

Alisha’s eyes widened. “Control who?”

Lucas smirked, then stood and walked to the steel door. He placed his hand on the cold metal and whispered—a voice so faint, yet it echoed through the outer communication channel.

“Guard. Open the door.”

Outside the corridor, two armed guards stood stiff—until one by one, they slowly reached for the access panel and pressed the button.

Beep.

The door creaked open, the metal groan echoing like a bell of freedom.

Lucas turned to Alisha. “Let’s go.”

Before they could take a step, the two guards blocked them. “Where do you think you’re going?”

Alisha panicked, but Lucas calmly responded. “We can’t do it here. It’s too cold, and we need a warm bed. You understand what I mean, right?”

The two burly guards glanced at each other awkwardly, then looked at Alisha’s disheveled appearance and bruised lip. They assumed the injury was from Lucas kissing her too hard, and her torn dress—also Lucas’s doing.

“We can’t wait anymore!” Lucas pushed. “You want to watch us do it right here?”

Somehow, the ability confused the guards and disoriented them. Meanwhile, Alisha, still unaware of what was happening, gave a nervous smile and unconsciously clutched Lucas’s arm tighter. Her ample breasts pressed firmly against his upper arm, making him groan.

Lucas’s soft groan panicked the guards even more. “Give them access!”

What they didn’t know, from the surveillance room, a man sat frozen.

Rico.

His sharp eyes pierced the screen, seeing clearly how Lucas and Alisha touched—how the woman willingly entrusted herself to the man he thought weak.

“What the hell is this…” Rico muttered, low but burning with rage. “She touched Lucas. In front of the camera. In the place I locked her up.”

Rico stood, fists clenched, jaw tight. He hated being lied to. Hated seeing what he considered his—yes, his—taken by someone else. Even if Alisha was just a tool, seeing that ignited his fury.

With one swift motion, Rico grabbed the intercom.

“What the hell are you doing, idiots? Block all exits! Don’t let them escape!”

The two guards, who had been stunned and embarrassed by Lucas’s demands, suddenly seemed to wake from a nightmare. Hearing Rico’s command, they realized they had somehow been manipulated—and allowed Lucas and Alisha to escape.