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Liam's Pov
When were almost finished eating, Emma disappeared into her room for a moment and came back holding something in her hands. She dropped it onto the coffee table with a soft thud. A thick envelope.
I frowned. "What's this?"
"Two hundred grand."
I blinked at her. "You're just… handing me cash like we're in a mob movie?"
She rolled her eyes. "Don't be dramatic. It's the two hundred thousand we agreed on. Your share. So don't make it a big deal . Tomorrow, I'll transfer the balance to your account"
I reached for the envelope slowly, the weight of it surprisingly heavy in my hand. "Thanks."
Emma snorted and crossed her arms, a sly smile tugging at her lips. "Why are you thanking me? It's yours. You earned it. Unless you've suddenly decided I'm your sugar mama?"
I shook my head, fighting back a laugh. "You'd enjoy that too much."
"Damn right I would," she teased, then leaned back into the couch.
I slipped the envelope aside, careful not to dwell on it but before I could shift the subject, Emma spoke again—and this time her words made me pause.
"So, I've got a date tomorrow."
The pizza I'd just swallowed nearly went down the wrong way. I coughed once, turning to her sharply. "A… date?"
She raised her brows innocently, though the glimmer in her eyes suggested she was waiting for my reaction. "Yes. You know, that thing normal people do when they like someone."
I frowned, trying to piece it together. "When did you even have time to meet someone? Between coding marathons and meetings, I figured you'd sworn off the human race."
Emma smirked, clearly enjoying this. "Funny. Actually, I met him at the after-party for the deal signing. His brother works at the gaming company that bought my game."
That piqued my curiosity. Emma wasn't the type to casually accept a date. If she was interested, then this guy wasn't random. I leaned forward. "Okay. Who is he?"
Her smile widened, almost mischievous. "He's a scientist. Very knowledgeable. Knows how to actually hold a conversation, which is a plus."
"A scientist," I echoed. "What kind of scientist?"
She hesitated for half a beat, then dropped it casually, like it was no big deal. "He's currently working with gamma radiation."
I froze. My brain stalled as one singular, absurd image slammed into it: a massive green giant smashing through cars, roaring as bullets bounced harmlessly off his skin.
"Gamma radiation?" I repeated, my tone somewhere between disbelief and dread.
Emma tilted her head. "Yeah. Why do you sound like that's a bad thing?"
Inwardly, I was spiraling. Bruce Banner. The Hulk. That name was legendary even if you only knew the movies.
But…he didn't have a brother.
At least not that I remembered. My knowledge of Marvel lore was thin—I was more law journals than comic books—but still. Something didn't add up.
Maybe its not him!
Eve's voice cut through my panic. [Relax, Liam. Even if Banner exists here, he won't be the same as the movies. Remember, this world is grounded. Enhancements exist, yes, but they don't work like your fiction. Don't jump to conclusions.]
I exhaled slowly, forcing myself to nod. "What's his name?"
Emma's eyes sparkled. She'd been waiting for this. "Dr. Bruce Banner."
There it was. Confirmation.
"Bruce… Banner," I repeated, trying to keep my tone even. My mind raced. Could the Hulk actually exist here? And if he did, what did that mean? Would he really be the apex predator in a world otherwise limited to enhancements?
[Don't overthink it.] Eve's voice was firm now. [Banner's existence doesn't mean a giant green monster is lurking around the corner. If the Hulk manifests here, it won't be like the films. It'll be different. Grounded. Manageable.]
I rubbed my temples, forcing myself to trust her. If I spiraled every time fiction overlapped with my reality, I'd lose focus on the case and right now, Hale's case was priority one.
Still, the thought lingered. Banner. Gamma radiation. A brother who didn't exist in canon. Something about this wasn't aligning cleanly.
But Emma's face was glowing, her excitement genuine. I couldn't bring myself to dampen it.
"I'm happy for you," I said finally, offering her a small smile. "Really. I hope the date goes well."
Her lips curved upward, warm and bright. "Thanks. Honestly, I'm excited. It's been… a while."
I nodded. "Just—be careful."
"Always," she said, though her playful wink undercut the seriousness.
We let the conversation drift after that. The TV flickered in the background again, laughter from a canned audience filling the space.
For Emma, tomorrow held a new kind of anticipation. For me… tonight's lab visit and tomorrow held the weight of a courtroom battle.
Two paths, running parallel and somewhere in the middle, Bruce Banner's name hung like a question mark.
The envelope of cash felt heavier than its weight as I carried it into my bedroom. The apartment was quiet—only the faint hum of Emma's laptop cooling fan from the living room carried through the walls.
She was already buried in her late-night coding session, her ritual comfort zone.
I closed my door behind me and sat on the edge of the bed, setting the envelope down on the nightstand.
My fingers hovered over it for a moment, then I slid it open and let the stacks fall into my hands. The sight of two hundred thousand dollars—neat stacks, rubber-banded tight—was surreal, even for me.
Money was just numbers most of the time, abstract in accounts or lines in ledgers. But cash had weight. Cash reminded you it was real.
"Deposit into the system bank" I muttered.
The HUD flickered to life across my vision. Eve's voice followed, calm as always.
[Depositing two hundred thousand dollars. Current total balance: two hundred and twenty thousand dollars]
I whistled softly. "That's a decent safety net."
[Safety net or war chest?] Eve asked, a subtle edge of amusement in her tone.
"Maybe both," I replied, the stacks have disappeared into the system before.
"But that depends on what the world throws at me"
With the deposit complete, I changed out of my button-down and slacks. The courtroom attire wasn't suited for the kind of errand I had tonight.
I pulled on a dark gray hoodie, soft from years of wear, with the hood falling naturally around my neck. Black pants, durable and nondescript, completed the look. I slipped into sneakers—the kind of footwear that let me move quickly through the city if needed.
I gave my reflection in the mirror a once-over. Nothing flashy, nothing memorable. Just another New Yorker blending into the night.
When I stepped back into the living room, Emma was still curled up on the couch, laptop balanced on her knees. Her glasses reflected lines of code scrolling across her screen. She didn't look up until I was halfway to the door.
"Heading out?" she asked casually, though her eyes lingered a beat too long.
"Yeah," I said, tugging the hood over my head. "Some work. I'll be back later."
She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Okay. Don't do anything stupid."
I smirked. "Me? Never."
Her laugh was soft, distracted, already fading as she refocused on her code. I slipped out the door, pulling it shut quietly behind me.
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