Harem Streamer System: Every Crime I Broadcast Wins Me a Superheroine-Chapter 265: Dream State

It was night in Metro City.

Nadia's penthouse was quiet but awake.

Only the pale blue glow of the city leaked in through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Nadia sat at the head of the shattered dining table.

Her face was drained of color.

She simply wasn't herself.

Dry lips, hollow eyes, twitching pupils.

Tap. Tap. Tap. Tap.

Her fingers drummed the table in uneven rhythms.

Tap—tap—tap—tap—

Her heel bounced against the tiled floor nonstop.

Her breathing wouldn't steady.

Not even for a second.

"...…"

She swallowed.

Her throat burned while her skin crawled.

Then she shot up from her chair so fast it scraped violently across the floor.

Nadia snatched her luxurious trenchcoat from the back of a broken chair and feverishly threw it over herself without even buttoning it.

She ripped open drawers.

Cabinets.

Cushions.

Her movements were frantic and desperate.

It was like seeing an unintelligent creature fool around.

Shards of glass bit into her palms.

She didn't care.

Finally—

Her hands froze.

A black metal lockbox.

Her breath hitched.

She yanked it open.

Inside were thick, ugly bundles of hundred-dollar bills packed so tight they bowed outward.

Nadia let out a broken laugh.

"There you are…"

She grabbed a massive wad, stuffed the rest back inside and slammed the box shut.

"I'm coming, just wait for me…"

She pictured Scott's handsome smile in her mind which made her bite her lip and touch herself.

She rubbed her hands slowly and forcefully against her crotch as she groped her breasts.

"Hnn~"

She acted like she desperately wanted to be ravished.

Like as if her body wasn't her own.

Next, the engine screamed to life.

Tires shrieked.

Minutes later, a luxury car slid violently to a stop in front of Safeguard Pharmacy.

Nadia burst out of the driver's seat.

She didn't even shut the door.

This was her place of work.

She sprinted inside the state-of-the-art building as her coat flared behind her.

Through biometric locks.

Past silent hallways.

Down into the restricted research wing.

She slammed into the doors of the development lab.

Inside, a middle-aged man stood calmly at a complex lab set-up where he masterfully swirled glowing blue chemicals inside a glass cylinder.

He didn't turn around.

He didn't need to.

He was used to those desperate, aroused pants.

"You're late."

Milton said evenly.

"Did the cash run into problems? Nevermind. Just turn around and leav—"

"N-NO—!"

Nadia waved her hands wildly as she staggered forward.

"It's not money! I have that! I just— I had to tell room service to clean the penthouse! I live with Jenna, I can't let her see it like that—!"

Milton paused.

"Jenna?"

He tilted his head slightly.

"The one from Advanced Pharmacological Design?"

Nadia nodded too fast. "Yes—yes! That one!"

He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"No wonder you two afford a penthouse. Genius pharmacist in one of the highest-paying divisions. That also explains the jewelry."

Nadia's mouth stretched into an unstable grin.

"Y… Yeah… I guess so…"

She reached into her coat.

Pulled out thick stacks of bundled cash.

Her thin, pale hands trembled as she shoved them into Milton's chest.

"Ten grand…"

She said quickly.

"That's all you need right? I'll take from my savings when the bank clears it—"

Milton stared at the money for a while.

Nadia's smile twitched.

Sweat dripped down her temple.

So she forced the bills into his hand with a stiff grin.

As if she'd die if he didn't take the money.

"Please."

The lab doors slid open again.

A young Black man walked in while gum snapped lazily in his mouth as he wheeled in a cart loaded with IV poles and trays of glowing blue vials.

Jorrel glanced at Nadia and snorted.

"You've been here nine times today already. I'm a little shocked you still got money left to cough up. Even some of these greedy doctors tap out sooner."

He began setting the equipment up with ease.

Doing the exact same thing nine times a day for the same person was never difficult.

Especially if they got $10,000 each time.

Milton exhaled quietly.

"When we perfect this…"

He smiled smugly as he adjusted his gloves.

"It'll be the number one recreational drug in the world. No physical health side effects. Tech agencies and all kinds of big name pharmacies will flood us with contracts. I need some of that big fat cheque already!"

He lifted a syringe of shimmering blue liquid.

Nadia's pupils dilated.

She grabbed at her own skinny arms and scratched violently at her neck.

"I—I want to stay longer this time…"

She rubbed her inner thighs against each other.

"Five minutes. Please. Just five."

She clutched Milton's sleeve.

He smacked her hands away sharply.

"Three minutes."

His tone left no room for negotiations.

"This keeps you in a reduced dream state, so it is still very much a risky drug. Too long is dangerous. I'm not frying your brain tonight. Clear?"

He pulled the syringe away from her.

Seeing it go further away felt like torture.

She desperately wanted to dream about Scott again.

Nadia almost whimpered.

She wiped cold sweat from her face and nodded.

But those demented eyes screamed discontent.

"O-, Okay… okay… three is fine—!"

Jorrel tilted his head.

"I don't want to be that guy but…"

He shrugged casually.

"She's already told us what she's recently been using those dream states for. I don't think three minutes will be enough for her to… you know—"

He didr a "pfff" sound to mimic a gushing fountain as he slapped his crotch.

He bumped her shoulder playfully.

"Maybe stretch it a little."

Nadia looked away with a blank expression.

She only cared about the drugs.

She was Jorrel's big workplace crush, so he'd pretty much do anything to keep her happy. He was even the one who first got her hooked on Milton's blue drug, despite knowing full well she was only taking it to set up these intense sexual fantasies about Scott.

Whenever she popped one and slipped into that dream state, they knew exactly what was going down, so they'd clear out and give her privacy. They all pretended not to notice that bright pink vibrator she was terrible at hiding, and they'd just leave her alone in the lab to enjoy herself.

Milton hesitated.

Then sighed.

"Five minutes. That's it. If anything happens…"

He adjusted the dose.

"That's on you."

–

–

–

Nadia lay back on the special platform.

The metal felt cold against her spine.

Jorrel brushed greasy strands of hair from her face gently as he smiled down at her like she was something delicate and precious.

Milton injected the drug.

The world vanished.

In the dream she immediately saw Scott.

He was naked and smiling at her.

Everything Nadia had ever wanted folded around her mind like warm water.

The same warm water leaking out between her legs.

She couldn't remember a time when she wasn't wet.

In the past weeks she constantly touched herself in bed which made her pee all over the place.

She couldn't seem to control herself.

The drug wasn't her addiction. It was Scott.

Scott gave her that warm, teasing smile.

"You gonna take your clothes off for me, or do you want me to do it?"

Nadia bit her lip and grinned back.

She was already massaging her breasts.

"You already know how I like it, Scott."

A second later, he slid out of bed and leaned in to plant a soft kiss on her forehead. In a romantic way he peeled her clothes off, piece by piece, like he was unwrapping a delicate hardboiled egg.

"Oh~ Scott ♥️"

The platform jerked violently.

The lab rattled and the glass shattered.

Milton and Jorrel sprinted back in.

Nadia's body convulsed.

Foam spilled from her lips.

The counter-agent was slammed into her veins.

Her eyes snapped open with a scream that never quite came out.

She lunged forward and grabbed Jorrel's arm with terrifying strength.

"That wasn't long enough—!"

She gasped painfully.

"I have to go back—please—!"

Her eyes weren't human.

They were starving.

Milton and Jorrel exchanged a silent look.

Five minutes had felt like five seconds to her.

And she'd burned through nearly a million a week chasing that feeling.

Scott was no longer just a dream.

He was the source.

══════

Morning drifted into the penthouse quietly.

Sunlight poured in through flawless glass.

Jenna sat at the counter near the window.

Laptop open and a hot cup of coffee beside her.

She frowned slightly as she glanced around.

"Huh. This place is spotless…"

So clean she didn't even want to touch anything.

"She really went overboard this time."

Her fingers tapped as she grouped files labeled under a new high-security drug development project.

A knock sounded at the door.

Jenna stretched and yawned deeply as she stood.

She wore a baggy off-shoulder cotton sweatshirt that hung on her hips like a short dress.

Under that were just black lace panties.

"I've been at Isaac's place so long I barely even have clothes here anymore."

She mumbled sleepily then tapped the smart door.

On the security monitor she could see Scott outside.

He was holding yellow flowers with a nervous look.

"My, my~ such a sweet guy."

Jenna smiled affectionately as she opened the door.

He held them out awkwardly.

"Here."

Her eyes lit up.

"Aww. These are my fave."

She lifted them, surprised.

Scott scratched the back of his neck.

"I did a few Jenna Q&As with Emma. This was the least surprising thing I learned."

She laughed softly.

"So you're that eager to make this work, huh?"

"Yup."

She patted his cheek.

"That's adorable."

Then she turned and walked back inside.

Scott hesitated at the doorway, scanning the place like he expected something to jump out.

Jenna looked back and sighed.

"Don't worry, Nadia's not around."

Scott hurried in and sealed the door shut.

Jenna shook her head.

"How this guy is the most wanted vigilante is what I'll never understand."

She placed the flowers in a vase, sprinkled water on the stems, then leaned back against the counter.

"I haven't really seen her much lately…"

She admitted quietly.

"She doesn't come home, doesn't call… I didn't even see her last night."

Scott's expression tightened.

Jenna patted his chest gently.

"It's not another guy. I can assure you she's not the type to suddenly lose feelings. If she ever likes a guy… that's probably the last time she will."

But she saw Scott frowning and paused.

"Uh, that was meant to make you feel better."

"…"

It clearly didn't.

She changed the subject quickly.

"She's been hanging out with some coworkers who develop drugs in our department."

Scott nodded.

"I see."

Jenna lifted her coffee mug and took a long, noisy sip.

The sound filled the silence between them.

Scott stood near the counter.

His arms were loosely folded and his posture was tense in a way he couldn't hide.

No matter how hard he tried.

Jenna lowered the cup slowly and stared up at him.

"You look like someone kicked your dog."

Scott forced a small breath out through his nose.

Jenna leaned back against the counter.

"Listen…"

She used a delicate tone.

Very uncharacteristic of her.

"I'm friends with both Emma and Nadia. That means no matter how messy things get… I'm not picking sides. I don't care who's right or wrong."

She paused.

"All I want… is for you to fix this somehow so I can be around both my friends again without it feeling like I'm standing in the middle of a war zone."

"I… well, I…"

Scott's jaw tightened.

He didn't know what to say.

Jenna could see how much he was struggling.

So, she softened her voice some more.

"With everything that happened in Russia, I'm really trying to build a better relationship with you. I mean that. But it's hard when every time I look at you… I also see a threat to my friendships with Emma and Nadia."

Scott stared at the floor for half a second.

Then he lifted his head and smiled.

It wasn't a real one.

"You don't need to worry about that…"

He managed to keep his voice gentle.

"I'll handle it."

It didn't matter if it was his fault or not.

Jenna searched his face.

"You always say that."

He shrugged lightly.

"For now, I've got to follow up on some stuff I've put off for too long. Loose ends."

There was no point telling her about Adira.

No point explaining that he planned to squeeze every last piece of information out of her so he could finally shift his full focus back to Black Mechanica.

Too much had already happened.

Yet somehow… everything still led back to them.

『There's a lot on my plate…』

The penthouse went still again.

Then—BEEP.

The smart door let out a peal.

Locks disengaged and the door slid open.

Nadia walked in.

Jorrel followed behind her.

The moment Scott saw her, his eyes went wide.

It had been a while.

But this…

This didn't even look like the same person.

Her beautiful caramel skin was unhealthily pale and tight across her face. Dark circles dragged heavily beneath her eyes. Her posture was stiff, fragile, like her body was being held together by thread and routine alone.

She didn't look tired.

She looked hollow.

Nadia froze the instant her eyes landed on Scott.

And she just… stared.

Not a blink, breath, or even a step.

Scott opened his mouth.

Nothing came out.

He shifted awkwardly, then glanced at Jenna like he needed help remembering how to exist.

But Nadia still didn't look away.

She looked like a statue.

A disturbed one.

Beside her, Jorrel looked around.

And in that single glance between them, he got it.

So this was the Scott.

『The bastard who destroyed her…』

For the most part, he looked like exactly the kind of man any woman would absolutely ruin her life over.

Jorrel's jaw tightened slightly.

『I thought the guy was dead or something…』

Yet here he was. Alive.

Which only made Jorrel wonder—

Why didn't she just tell him?

Why didn't she just lay it all bare?

Nadia was more than pretty enough to not be rejected.

Even with a fiancée and a happy relationship, Jorrel knew without a doubt…

If Nadia ever gave him the greenlight, he'd cheat.

That was how beautiful she was.

That was how much he liked her.

Jorrel cleared his throat awkwardly.

He hadn't signed up for this part.

"…Uh. Nadia."

No response.

She was still staring at Scott.

"I'll, uh… catch you later."

Still nothing.

He nodded to Jenna and Scott out of courtesy alone.

Then he turned and left.

The door went shut behind him.

Still… Nadia hadn't moved.

Her chapped lips pressed together tightly.

She swallowed hard.

Like she was forcing something back down.

Maybe whimpers or thick vomit.

Without a word, she turned and walked to her room.

Scott flinched like something hit him.

He looked at her with a helpless stare.

Then he nodded once to Jenna.

『I can't do shit for her…』

He let out a sigh and walked toward the door.

Jenna followed behind him as she rubbed her palms against her thighs awkwardly.

"See you later…"

Her voice was considerably quiet.

Scott paused at the threshold and took one last look at Nadia's retreating back.

Sigh… the door closed gently in his face.

The penthouse went silent again.

For exactly three seconds.

Then Jenna wheeled around and tiptoed straight to Nadia's room.

The door was half open.

Inside, Nadia was packing work files into her bag with shaky precision.

Jenna hissed inwardly.

『Damn it. That was so awkward…』

She stepped inside.

"Hey~" she said softly. "I'm… sorry."

Nadia paused.

Then stacked the last file neatly.

She turned to Jenna and smiled.

It was soft.

"It's fine… at least you guys are friends now."

Her eyes lowered.

"Just… don't fall for him like I did."

The words were light, but the emotion wasn't.

She clearly looked embarrassed.

Jenna let out a small, awkward chuckle.

"Yeah… that's never gonna happen." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

She stepped closer and sat beside Nadia on the edge of the bed.

Then she tilted her head.

"..."

She wanted to say something but went quiet.

"..."

It was an awkward minute of silence, until—

"So, do I even ask what you were up to last night?"

She was just blurting out anything if it meant she'd break the silence… even if it wasn't the real question burning in her throat.

What she actually wanted to ask was why her friend looked like she belonged in a dumpster. But saying that out loud felt way too harsh, especially when Nadia was already going through absolute hell.

Still, biting her tongue and pretending everything looked fine was killing her inside.

"You really don't look okay…"

Jenna added quietly.

Nadia smiled again.

"I just hung out with some coworkers like usual."

She looked at the files as she talked.

"No big deal…"

It was always hard for her to lie in someone's face.

Expectedly, Jenna didn't look convinced.

"Maybe you should cut back on these all-nighters for a while if you don't feel strong. It…"

"I'm fine."

The smile that cut her off was stiff.

As if Nadia was disgusted by hearing her talk.

"I said I'm okay."

Jenna felt her chest tighten.

She stood and stepped closer to her.

She reached up gently toward Nadia's messy hair.

"Nadia… I know the whole thing with Scott and Emma has been hard on you but—"

Her hand was brushed away.

It wasn't a rough or unfriendly push, just a firm one.

"It's not like someone died."

Nadia kept her voice sharp.

"My whole life was already proper shit before I even met you or Emma, okay?"

She laughed quietly.

"And as for Scott…"

Her smile trembled.

"I realized I'm not worth fighting for. Not after all the empty promises he fed me."

She shook her head.

"It's fine."

She grabbed her bag.

"I'll leave."

She walked past Jenna.

Jenna stood frozen in the middle of the room.

The door clicked softly behind Nadia as she left.