Harem System: Spending Money On Women For 100% Rebate!

Chapter 361: Internship Begins! [FIXED] [28/03/26]

Things were finally settling. Kyle had managed to flip the entire situation on its head, turned what should’ve been his execution into a power play that put him on equal footing with the most dangerous people in the country. All thanks to Nakamura’s information, ironically enough. The man who’d been manipulating him had accidentally given him the tools to break free.

Isabeau had been reminded of her place, beneath Kyle. She knew what he could do to her now and knew he had the leverage with the position to make her life hell if she stepped wrong.

But Kyle had accomplished something bigger than just saving his own skin. If Marcello actually listened to him, if the Don pulled back from whatever expansion plans he’d been pursuing, the entire mafia structure might return to the shadows where it belonged. No more public displays of power, no more drawing attention that would eventually bring federal scrutiny crashing down on all of them. Kyle might have actually prevented an all-out war between the families and law enforcement.

Though if he was being honest with himself, preventing war wasn’t really Kyle’s end goal. He didn’t give a damn about the families’ long-term stability or whether they operated in the light or shadows. He just wanted to survive, protect the people he cared about, and figure out how to navigate this world he’d stumbled into without losing himself completely.

But none of that mattered if he couldn’t verify the information he’d used to buy his life. Which meant he had to go to England. Had to find Angelica Vescari, or whoever she’d become in the seventeen years since her supposed death. Had to confirm she was real, alive, breathing, before Marcello demanded proof Kyle couldn’t provide.

He’d put it off long enough. Hell, he’d been putting it off since Nakamura first mentioned it, making excuses about timing and logistics and needing to handle other business first. But now? Now it was urgent. Marcello would want answers soon, and Kyle needed to have them.

The morning sun felt harsh after the controlled lighting of Marcello’s mansion. Kyle stood in the circular driveway, his shoulder aching but manageable, watching one of Marcello’s drivers wait by a black town car.

"Mr. Kyle," the driver called. "Don Vescari asked me to take you wherever you need to go."

"I’m good," Kyle said, pulling out his phone to call a rideshare. "I’ll find my own way back."

The driver looked uncertain but didn’t push it. Smart. He probably knew Kyle’s new status meant he didn’t take orders anymore, even polite suggestions dressed up as offers.

Kyle had come far in his plans. Farther than he’d ever imagined when this whole thing started. He’d removed the single biggest obstacle stopping him from really using his rebate system to its full potential. Before, he’d been limited by fear, by the need to stay under the radar, by the constant worry that making too much money or gaining too much power would paint a target on his back.

Now? Now he had protection. Recognition. A seat at the table that meant people thought twice before coming after him.

But something in his gut told him this wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

If word got out that Kyle had told Marcello about his daughter, if Nakamura somehow found out that Kyle had betrayed that secret, there was no telling how the man would react. And if Nakamura had the capability to kidnap a girl from one of the most powerful mafia families in the country, hide her for seventeen years without anyone finding out, what else was he capable of? What other pieces was he moving on a board Kyle couldn’t even see?

Kyle knew better than to step on toes unnecessarily. He’d learned that lesson fast. But there was a bigger monster lurking in all of this, one that made even Nakamura seem manageable by comparison.

Cleopatra.

Kyle hated her with a passion that surprised him. The way she’d grabbed him, groped him, made him feel powerless in her estate. The casual cruelty, the games, the complete disregard for boundaries or consent. She was everything he despised wrapped in expensive perfume and designer clothes.

But somehow, impossibly, he was in her good graces too. Just like he was with Marcello and Nakamura. Three major players, three people who could destroy him with a phone call, and he’d managed to position himself as useful to all of them. Valuable enough to keep alive, dangerous enough to respect.

It was exhausting.

His phone buzzed the moment he cleared the mansion’s gate, signal returning in a flood of delayed notifications. Messages from Ella and Jane stacked up on his screen, concern and confusion and questions about where he’d been.

Kyle opened them as he walked toward the main road where his ride would pick him up. Jane’s messages were worried but trusting. Ella’s had more edge, more frustration at being left in the dark. He needed to see them. Both of them. Hell, all three of his women.

It had been too long since he’d seen Jane properly. And maybe what they all needed was a break from this chaos. A vacation somewhere far from mafia politics and Yakuza manipulation and underworld schemes. Just him, Jane, Ella, and Cassandra. Somewhere quiet where they could pretend to be normal for a few days.

Calista wouldn’t fit. She had her career blowing up now thanks to the movie, press appearances and auditions and opportunities she’d been chasing for years finally materializing. Plus she just didn’t have the chemistry with the others. She was part of Kyle’s life, but separate from the core group that actually meant something to him.

The rideshare pulled up. Kyle slid into the back seat, gave the driver his address, and leaned his head against the window.

Fresh air hit his face as the car pulled away from Marcello’s estate. Cool morning breeze, carrying the scent of normal life, of a world that didn’t revolve around power plays and death threats.

"Fucking finally," Kyle muttered, closing his eyes as the mansion disappeared behind them.

-

Jane had finally gotten a job. Well, an internship really, but it felt significant enough to call it employment. The position was small but it gave her structure. Something to do with her days beyond wandering the apartment and worrying about Kyle or missing Ella.

Jane was grateful for the opportunity to work at KNOX Beauty Salon. Deeply grateful. It kept her busy, gave her a reason to wake up early and put on real clothes and leave the house. She was getting accustomed to her new environment slowly, learning the subway routes, finding the good coffee shop near the office, figuring out which coworker smiled genuinely versus who was just being polite.

She loved this new life Kyle had given her. The apartment, the stability, the chance to actually build something instead of constantly surviving paycheck to paycheck. But making friends was harder than she’d expected.

The other interns were nice enough. They invited her to lunch sometimes, made small talk by the coffee machine. But they’d grown up in different worlds. They talked about college experiences Jane never had, referenced cultural touchstones she’d missed, made plans for weekends that assumed disposable income she was still getting used to having.

It got lonely.

Jane found herself pulling out her phone constantly, typing messages to Kyle and then deleting them before hitting send. She didn’t want to blow up his phone with her feelings, her small victories and daily frustrations. He’d already done so much for her. Given her everything, really. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was completely dependent on him, unable to function without constant reassurance.

She was stronger than that. Had to be.

Her phone buzzed during her lunch break. Kyle’s name lit up the screen and her heart did that stupid flutter it always did.

[[Hey. Pack your bags. We’re taking a trip.]]

Jane blinked at the message, reading it twice to make sure she understood.

[[A trip? Where? When?]]

[[Details later. Just pack for a week. Warm weather. And tell Cassandra to pack too.]]

[[Cassandra? She’s coming?]]

[[You, me, her, and Ella. We all need a break. You free to leave this weekend?]]

Jane’s chest tightened with something warm and overwhelming. He was thinking about her. About all of them. Wanted to take them somewhere together, away from everything.

[[I’ll ask for the time off. Kyle, are you okay? You disappeared for two days.]]

[[I’m fine. Long story. I’ll explain everything when I see you. Just pack, okay? Trust me.]]

Jane smiled at her phone, the loneliness from moments before evaporating.

[[Okay. I trust you.]]