Lust Meter System: Conquering Beauties-Chapter 83: The Big 7 Part 2

The SUV pulled away from the curb, the engine purring low as Elena merged into traffic. The interior was quiet except for the faint hum of the road beneath the tires and the occasional click of the turn signal.

Liam sat in the passenger seat, his eyes moving over the dashboard, the clean leather seats, the way everything about this car screamed money. He glanced at Elena, who was focused on the road, her hands steady on the wheel.

After a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "Where’s your driver?"

Elena didn’t look at him. "Don’t have one today."

Liam frowned. "You always have a driver. Every time I’ve seen you, there’s been someone else behind the wheel."

"Not today."

"Why not?"

Elena’s jaw tightened slightly. "Because I don’t want witnesses."

Liam blinked. "Witnesses?"

"Yeah."

That sounded ominous as hell.

Liam stared at her for a moment, trying to read her expression, but she gave nothing away. Her face was calm, controlled, like she was just driving to the grocery store instead of whatever the hell this was.

’No witnesses. So wherever we’re going, she doesn’t want anyone else to know. Not even her own people.’

That realization settled in his chest like a weight.

"You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?" Liam said quietly.

Elena’s eyes flicked to him briefly, then back to the road. "Would I be here if I wasn’t?"

Fair point.

They drove in silence for a while longer, the city streets gradually shifting from the busy commercial areas to quieter residential blocks. The buildings grew shorter, the traffic thinner.

Finally, Liam broke the silence again. "So are you going to tell me where we’re going? Or am I supposed to just sit here and guess?"

Elena’s lips twitched, almost like she wanted to smile but didn’t quite commit to it. "Patience."

"Not really my strong suit."

"I’ve noticed."

Liam leaned back in his seat, his fingers drumming lightly on his knee. "Alright. So if you’re not going to tell me where we’re going, at least tell me more about the Big 7. Kelvin gave me the basics, but I’m guessing there’s more to it."

Elena was quiet for a moment, like she was deciding how much to say.

Then she spoke. "The Big 7 aren’t just rich families, Liam. They’re the infrastructure. The city runs because they let it run. Every major decision, every policy, every development project, it all goes through them in some way."

Liam listened, his eyes on her profile.

"Take the Rothschilds," Elena continued. "Banking, investments, venture capital. On the surface, they look like any other financial firm. But they control the money. And I don’t mean they have a lot of it. I mean they control it. Politicians, judges, police chiefs, half the city council, they’re all in debt to the Rothschilds in one way or another. And when you owe them, you don’t just owe money. You owe loyalty."

Liam’s stomach tightened. "So they own people."

"Exactly. They don’t need to get their hands dirty. They just pull strings and people fall in line. Cross them, and suddenly your loans get called in, your business goes bankrupt, your house gets foreclosed. They don’t kill you. They just ruin you."

’That’s almost worse.’

Elena turned onto a different street, her eyes still focused ahead. "Then there’s the Morgraves. Security firms, private military contractors, arms manufacturing. Publicly, they provide protection for corporations and high-profile individuals. Privately, they’re enforcers. When the Big 7 need someone dealt with, the Morgraves handle it. They have people everywhere. Ex-military, mercenaries, people who know how to make problems disappear without leaving a trace."

"So they’re the muscle," Liam said.

"Pretty much. But don’t underestimate them. They’re not just thugs with guns. They’re organized, disciplined, and scary efficient. If a Morgrave operative is sent after you, you don’t run. You won’t make it far enough for it to matter."

Liam’s jaw tightened. ’Great. So if Tasha’s uncle decides I’m too much of a problem, he could just hire these people to take me out.’

Elena continued. "The Sterlings control healthcare. Pharmaceuticals, private hospitals, medical research. They own every major hospital in the city and most of the clinics. If you need medical care, you’re going through them whether you know it or not."

"Sounds like a monopoly," Liam said.

"It is. But they’re smart about it. They fund free clinics, donate to cancer research, sponsor charity events. Publicly, they’re saints. Privately, they’re running drug operations, trafficking prescription medication, and doing things in their research labs that would make your skin crawl."

Liam frowned. "What kind of things?"

Elena hesitated, her fingers tightening slightly on the wheel. "I don’t know all the details. But there are rumors. Experiments. Testing things on people who can’t say no. Homeless people, addicts, people no one would miss."

’Jesus.’

They stopped at a red light, the glow reflecting off the windshield. Elena’s face was lit in the dim red hue, her expression unreadable.

"The Hiltons," she continued, "control shipping and logistics. Import, export, everything that comes into or leaves the city goes through them. Drugs from overseas, illegal weapons, people, you name it. They move it. They’re quiet about it, though. You won’t see them in the headlines. They don’t make noise. They just make sure everything flows smoothly."

The light turned green, and Elena accelerated smoothly.

"And the Blades," she said, her tone shifting slightly. "They control the vice economy. Casinos, nightclubs, sports betting, underground fight clubs. They’re flashy, violent, and unpredictable. If you want to gamble, drink, or do something illegal for fun, you’re probably doing it in a Blade-owned venue."

Liam leaned forward slightly. "Fight clubs?"

"Yeah. Underground. Big money. People bet millions on those fights. And the fighters..." She trailed off, her expression tightening. "Let’s just say some of them aren’t normal."

’What does that mean?’

Liam wanted to ask, but something in her tone told him she wasn’t going to elaborate.

Instead, he asked, "And your family?"

Elena’s hands shifted on the wheel, her knuckles white for just a moment before she relaxed her grip.

"I’ll get to them," she said quietly. "But not yet."

They drove in silence for a while after that, the city giving way to the outskirts, the buildings growing sparser, the streets less maintained.

Eventually, Elena turned onto a narrow road that wound through overgrown trees and tall grass. The pavement was cracked, weeds pushing up through the gaps.

Liam looked around, his unease growing. "Where the hell are we?"

"You’ll see."

A few minutes later, they pulled into a small parking lot in front of a large, old building. It was three stories tall, made of gray stone that looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in decades. The windows were barred, the paint around the entrance peeling and faded.

A sign near the front read: **Hillcrest Care Facility.**

Liam stared at it, then turned to Elena. "A hospital?"

"Not exactly," she said, cutting the engine. "It’s a psychiatric facility. Long-term care."

Liam’s stomach twisted. "Why are we here?"

Elena didn’t answer. She just opened her door and stepped out.

Liam followed, the gravel crunching under his shoes as he walked toward the entrance. The air smelled faintly of damp earth and old leaves. The building loomed over them, silent and oppressive.

Elena pushed open the front door, and they stepped inside.

The interior was dimly lit, the fluorescent lights overhead flickering slightly. The walls were a pale green, the floor linoleum that had seen better days. The place smelled like disinfectant and something else, something stale and sad.

A woman sat behind a desk near the entrance, reading a magazine. She looked up as they entered, her expression neutral.

"We’re here to see a patient," Elena said. "Room 217."

The woman glanced at a clipboard, then nodded. "Sign in."

Elena signed a name that Liam didn’t recognize, then gestured for him to follow.

They walked down a long hallway, their footsteps echoing off the walls.

Doors lined either side, some open, some closed. Liam caught glimpses of people inside, some sitting in chairs, some lying in beds, all of them staring at nothing.

His chest felt tight. ’What the hell is this place?’

Elena stopped in front of a door marked **217** and pushed it open.

Inside, a man sat in a chair by the window.

He was maybe in his mid-forties, thin, with graying hair that looked like it hadn’t been cut in months.

His hands rested on his lap, limp and unmoving. His eyes stared straight ahead, unfocused, like he was looking at something a thousand miles away.

Elena stepped inside, her voice quiet. "His name is Daniel Creary. Fifteen years ago, he was an investigative journalist.

One of the best.

He started looking into the Big 7, digging up dirt, finding connections, gathering evidence."

Liam stared at the man, his stomach sinking.

"He got close," Elena continued. "Too close. He had sources, documents, everything he needed to blow the whole thing wide open. And then one day, he just... broke."

She gestured toward the man in the chair. "No one knows what they did to him. But whatever it was, it left him like this. He’s been here ever since. Can’t speak, can’t function. He just sits."

Liam’s throat felt dry. "They did this to him?"

"Someone did," Elena said. "And whoever it was made sure he’d never be a threat again."

Liam looked at the man again, at the emptiness in his eyes, and felt a chill run through him.

’This is what happens when you fight them and lose.’

Elena’s voice was softer now. "This is what I wanted you to see, Liam. This is what you’re up against. It’s not just money or power. It’s this. They don’t always kill you. Sometimes they just... break you."

Liam didn’t say anything. He couldn’t.

Elena stepped closer, her eyes meeting his. "I’m telling you this because I care. I don’t want to see you end up like him. Or worse."

Her voice cracked slightly, just barely, but enough for him to hear it.

"If you keep going down this path, I can’t protect you," she said. "No one can. But if you’re going to do it anyway, at least let me help. Don’t do this alone."

Liam looked at her, then back at the man in the chair.

’She’s risking everything just bringing me here.’

He nodded slowly. "Okay."

They left the room, the door closing quietly behind them.

The drive back was quieter at first. Elena didn’t say much, and Liam was still processing what he’d just seen.

Finally, after a while, Elena spoke again. "You asked about my family earlier."

Liam looked at her.

"The Ashfords," she said. "We control information. Media, entertainment, advertising. News outlets, social platforms, streaming services. If it’s public-facing, we probably have a hand in it."

Liam frowned. "So you control what people see."

"And what they don’t see," Elena said. "We shape narratives, protect reputations, destroy them when necessary. We know everyone’s secrets, Liam. Every scandal, every affair, every dirty deal. We document it all. And when it’s useful, we use it."

Her voice was flat, almost detached, like she was talking about someone else’s family.

"That’s why I can’t let anyone know I’m helping you," she continued. "If my family finds out I’m interfering, they’ll bury me. And you."

Liam was quiet for a moment. Then he said, "Why are you doing this, then?"

Elena didn’t answer right away. She stared at the road, her jaw tight.

"Because I can, if that’s reason enough," she said finally. "And because... I don’t know. Maybe I just like you."

She glanced at him, and for the first time since he’d gotten in the car, she smiled. Just a little.

They pulled up in front of Liam’s building, the engine idling.

Elena turned to him. "Sleep on it. Think about what you saw today. And if you’re still planning to keep going, come see me. If you’re not too busy trying to get yourself killed."

She winked.

Liam couldn’t help but smile, just slightly. "I’ll keep that in mind."

He opened the door and stepped out, the cool evening air hitting his face.

Elena’s voice called after him. "Be careful, Liam."

He turned back, meeting her eyes. "You too."

She drove off, the SUV disappearing down the street.

Liam stood there for a moment, staring after her.

Then he turned and walked inside.