Divine Milking System Chapter 170 | This Is How I Show I Care

The ferry cut through the water, and I watched the mainland grow larger on the horizon. Ventura sprawled along the coast, a mix of white buildings, palm trees, and mountains in the background. It looked like freedom. Like normalcy.

"Tell sothing," Addison said. "This power of yours. The touch thing. How exactly does it work?"

Aurora went still beside . "Addy..."

"Just curious." Addison watched over the rim of her sunglasses. "Scientific inquiry."

I weighed my options. Telling the truth seed dangerous. But lying, especially with Aurora right there listening, seed worse. She already knew most of it.

"It’s called Euphoric Feedback," I said. "Skin contact lets manipulate nerve endings. I can make things feel... better."

"Things?" Addison pulled the lollipop from her mouth. "What kind of things?"

"Everything."

"Interesting." She twirled the candy stick between her fingers. "So what else can you do? Or is that all you’ve got?"

"That’s enough," Aurora said sharply. "Stop interrogating him."

"I’m being thorough." Addison stood up, that unsettling smile still playing at her lips. "If you’re gonna spend all night with him, I want to know what I’m missing." She paused. "You know. For science."

Aurora’s cheeks colored. "You’re not—this isn’t—"

"Relax." Addison adjusted her sunglasses. "I’m gonna check out the lower deck. You two need so privacy." She pointed her lollipop at . "But later? I want a demonstration."

She walked away with that sa predatory grace, her hips moving in a way that drew eyes from half the male students on the deck. The silence she left behind felt loaded with unspoken questions.

"Sorry," Aurora said once Addison disappeared down the stairs. "She doesn’t understand the concept of boundaries."

"I noticed." I shifted to face Aurora properly. "So. Overnight trip? When were you planning to ntion that part?"

"Surprise!" Her smile looked anything but apologetic. "Think of it as an extra bonus for modeling those clothes."

"You said lunch was the paynt."

"I know." She stretched out the word, totally unapologetic. "I lied. Sorry not sorry."

"Uh huh." I studied her face, trying to figure out if this was calculated seduction or just Aurora being Aurora. "And what exactly happens during this overnight trip?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Dinner at an actual restaurant. Not the dining hall, not a campus café. Real food with real service." She counted off on her fingers. "Then there’s a club that doesn’t check IDs if you have an academy card. Then the hotel."

"And Addison’s joining us for all of this?"

"Just dinner and the club. She’ll find soone to occupy her ti afterward." Aurora leaned closer. "She always does."

The ferry horn ripped through the crowd’s chatter, sharp and abrupt. Students grabbed their bags and phones, already moving toward the exit ramps before the boat even touched the dock. Aurora stood and held her hand out to .

"Ready for your first taste of freedom?"

I took it. "Lead the way."

Ventura hit us all at once. Sunshine, clean and warm. Food carts pumping out the sll of grilled at and sothing sweet. The ferry terminal spilled straight into a pronade packed with tourists, shops, restaurants. It felt loud and busy and real in a way the island never did.

Aurora walked through the crowds like she owned the boardwalk. People moved out of her way without her even asking. Addison caught up to us a minute later, now wearing sunglasses that made her look even more like a threat.

"So," I said. "Lunch first?"

"Shopping first," Aurora said. "I want to get you a few more things while we’re here."

"You literally just bought an entire wardrobe."

"Academy wardrobe. Mainland clothes are different." She pointed toward a row of upscale boutiques ahead. "Plus, Addison needs new boots."

"I don’t need new boots," Addison corrected around her lollipop. "I want new boots. There’s a difference."

We walked toward the first store—so designer place where the mannequins wore clothes worth more than my entire monthly stipend. My phone buzzed in my pocket. A text from Naomi.

Heard you’re off campus with Aurora and her scary friend. Have fun! Don’t forget squad training tomorrow at 2.

A pink heart emoji followed the ssage.

"Problem?" Aurora asked. She’d caught reading.

"Just Naomi checking in."

"Ah." She nodded like sothing suddenly made sense. "The girlfriend chat."

"She’s not—"

"Stop." Aurora held up a hand. "We both know what she is to you. What they all are. I’m not an idiot, Jace."

Addison looked between us, confused. "What am I missing?"

"Nothing," Aurora said quickly. "Inside joke."

We entered the first store, and imdiately a saleswoman approached Aurora with the recognition of a regular custor. "Miss Fitzgerald! Wonderful to see you again."

"Hi, Diane. Just browsing today." Aurora gestured to . "My friend needs so casual wear for off-campus events."

"Of course." Diane’s eyes scanned like I was a project to solve. "We just got our fall collection. This way."

The next hour turned into a whirlwind of dressing rooms and fabric swatches while Aurora played fashion dictator with the casual authority of soone who’d been doing this since birth. She’d point. Say yes or no. Move on. By the ti we left, I was carrying three bags full of clothes I’d never have picked out—designer jeans, cashre sweaters, a watch that probably cost more than everything I’d bought up to this point combined.

"Aurora," I said as we stepped out of the third store. "This is too much."

"It’s really not." She passed another bag without breaking stride. "My family makes this much in about twenty minutes of board etings."

"That doesn’t make it better."

She stopped. Turned to face properly. "Look, I know this seems insane to you. But this is how I show I care, okay? So let do it."

The vulnerability in her voice caught off guard. The confidence stripped back just enough to show sothing real underneath.

"Fine," I said. "But this is the last store."