Dark Lord Seduction System: Taming Wives, Daughters, Aunts, and CEOs novel Chapter 68

Chapter 68: Real Talk: Two Century Empire Princess

The drive to Madison’s mansion was different this time. Instead of sitting like some proper rich girl with perfect posture, she was practically glued to my side, her arms wrapped around my right arm while I drove with one hand like some kind of professional chauffeur.

"You know what’s crazy?" Madison said, her head resting on my shoulder while I navigated through the wealthy part of town where every house looked like a fucking museum.

"What’s crazy?" I asked, feeling her warmth against me and thinking about how surreal this whole day had been.

"This," she said, squeezing my arm tighter. "Us just... talking about normal shit instead of your supernatural sex god destiny or my family’s money drama."

She had a point, though. For the last twenty minutes, we weren’t dealing with missions, secret powers, or political landmines. Just... us. Dumb couple arguments over pineapple on pizza, her theory that TikTok dances are just "Gen Z mating rituals," and our growing list of movies we’d never actually finish because we’d end up making out halfway through.

"It hits different when we’re just... us," I said, glancing down at her. "No system missions, no family pressure, no school drama. Just Peter and Madison figuring shit out."

"Exactly," she said, then got quiet for a moment. "Can I ask you something?"

"Always."

"What do you actually want, Peter? Like, beyond all the supernatural stuff and making money for your family. What do YOU want?"

...Whoa.

The question caught me off guard because nobody had ever asked me that before. Not my family, not my teachers, not even myself really. It was always about survival, about getting through the next day or week or month.

"Honestly?" I said, taking my time with the answer. "I want to matter. I want to be someone who changes things instead of just... existing. And I want the people I care about to never have to worry about anything again."

Madison was quiet for so long I thought she’d fallen asleep against my shoulder.

"That’s beautiful," she finally whispered. "And terrifying."

"What about you?" I asked. "What does Madison Torres want when nobody’s watching?"

She sighed, and I could feel some of that rich girl armor cracking. "That’s complicated as fuck."

"I’ve got time."

"I can’t say for sure yet," she started slowly, like she was testing each word before saying it. "But I definitely have to take care of the family business when the time comes. Not because anyone’s forcing me to, but because..."

She trailed off, and I could feel her getting emotional.

"Because what?"

"Because this is our family’s generational business, Peter. We’ve been in real estate for at least two hundred years. Like, two fucking centuries of Torres family members building this empire."

My brain started connecting dots that made my head spin. "Two hundred years? Madison, that means—"

"Yeah," she said quietly. "Every major building in this city, half the commercial real estate in California, most of the luxury developments on the West Coast. We built this place, literally."

The weight of what she was telling me hit like a freight train. I wasn’t just dating some rich girl—I was dating the heiress to a real estate empire that basically owned California.

"There’s so much family drama you wouldn’t believe," she continued, her voice getting thick with frustration. "Generational wealth brings out the absolute worst in people. My extended family is constantly scheming, fighting over who gets what when my parents retire or die. Cousins, aunts, uncles—they’re all circling like vultures."

"And you’re the heir," I said, finally understanding the pressure she carried.

"My parents never had a boy," she said, and I could hear years of gender bullshit in her voice. "So, it’s on me to carry forward two centuries of family legacy. Some of my relatives think a woman can’t handle it. Others think I’m too young, too spoiled, too... female."

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. "Fuck them."

She blinked. "What?"

We sat there in her driveway for a few more minutes, holding each other while the engine ticked down from the drive. Through the massive windows of her house, I could see the housekeeper moving around, probably preparing for Madison’s return.

"Ready to go inside, mi amor?" I asked softly.

"Yeah," she whispered against my shirt. "But I don’t want this conversation to end."

"It doesn’t have to end. We’ve got time to figure all this shit out."

The housekeeper—Maria, if I remembered right from one of Madison’s casual name drops—was waiting in the foyer when we stepped in. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

She looked about thirty, give or take, with sun-kissed skin, dark waves tied back in a lazy bun, and a fitted blouse tucked into high-waisted jeans that somehow made "casual housekeeper" look runway-ready. If you told me she modeled for some luxury cleaning brand on the side, I’d believe you.

Hell, I’d subscribe.

But there was something about her energy that stopped the ogling before it started. Calm. Solid. The kind of woman who could carry a screaming toddler in one arm and a casserole in the other without breaking a sweat or her smile.

"Señorita Madison," she said with a soft accent and a warm smile, her tone respectful but not stiff. "Welcome home."

Madison lit up. "Hi, Maria. Sorry we’re late. Peter, this is Maria. She basically raised me."

Maria gave me a look that landed somewhere between curious and protective big sister who can see through your bullshit in five seconds flat. Not hostile—just aware. Like she could smell teenage drama before it even walked in the door.

"You must be Peter," she said, eyes locking with mine for just a second too long. Not flirtatious. More like... evaluating.

"I’ve heard about you."

Hopefully not the bad things.