Demonic Pornstar System novel Chapter 392

Chapter 392: Apology

For a moment, Kaiden just stood there, letting her words hang in the air.

High school memories clawed up from the pit where he had buried them. Years of misery. Years of silence. Many looked back on those days with fondness, calling them the best years of their lives. For him, they had been a cage, one Vaelira built with a single cruel smile and lies that everyone chose to believe.

And even now, years later, after the mana apocalypse reshaped the world, after Kaiden himself became something greater than he ever thought possible, she still managed to be a thorn in his side. A constant nuisance on every mission they had shared, petty and poisonous in equal measure.

So hearing her apology... it should have felt good. It should have carried the taste of vindication.

But it didn’t.

There was no warmth in her words. No sincerity. This wasn’t contrition; it was survival. A political play wrapped in honeyed tones. A performance to keep her seat at the table.

Kaiden’s eyes drifted to his girls. Luna’s lips pressed thin. Aria’s brow furrowed in disdain. Nyx twirled a strand of hair, sporting a sly look that said she wasn’t fooled. Bastet’s golden eyes narrowed with solar fire. Even the tanned felinid understood.

He didn’t need words; their faces said everything he felt. They, too, knew the apology was hollow.

Finally, his gaze slid toward Tessa.

She hadn’t moved since Vaelira spoke, her expression composed yet taut. Worry lingered behind her eyes, sharp and unspoken. If Kaiden refused, their deal would bind her hand. Vaelira would be gone from the mission. That decision would ripple through her guild, through her standing as leader. Some might even question her judgment for letting it come to this.

After all, she would favor a mercenary over their sole A-tier awakened. Vaelira would be robbed of the opportunity to grow stronger just so he and his group could.

Kaiden sighed. It was a low but heavy sound. "It is clear to me you have no regrets, only that you didn’t get your way. But this is business. I’ll keep my true feelings to myself... for now."

He gave Tessa the smallest of nods before stepping forward, his stride carrying him toward the half-built outpost looming in the distance.

The silence behind him was sharp. Everyone knew what had just happened. Kaiden hadn’t accepted the apology. He had only chosen to look away, allowing the matter to rest on the surface but not beneath it.

The air stirred with murmurs as people began moving again, but Tessa remained still for a beat longer, watching his back. She could see it plain as day: there was no satisfaction in him, no closure. Yet when she finally exhaled, it was in relief.

For now, disaster had been averted.

...

The trek toward the outpost was quiet. Boots crunched against packed earth as the wilderness around them was oddly calm for what it hid. The wind carried the scent of pine and river water, serving as a strong reminder that they weren’t near any sprawling metropolis anymore.

As the camp came into clearer view, a tall figure broke from the half-built palisade and strode toward them. Diaz - lean and sharp-eyed as ever, with that perpetual poker face that made him look like he was always calculating things.

"I wonder when the masked men will jump us this time around," the rogue grumbled while extending his hand without hesitation.

"I’m shocked you survived the last time. Are you sure you got a rogue-type class and not one with cockroach powers?"

Kaiden grinned and clasped it in a firm grip, the kind that rattled shoulders and spoke louder than words. Diaz smirked, squeezing back hard enough to make it a contest.

"Is that how you should speak to the guy who nearly died because of his association with you? Maybe we should keep it all business, too," Diaz quipped, referencing how Kaiden acted toward Vaelira.

"Don’t be like that. Maybe some of my charisma will rub off on you, and you won’t be as hopeless around women. Worth the risk, no?"

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