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I turned and stared into the camera lens with a smirk.

She continued to service me, kneeling and awaiting my next command like the devoted little creation she was.

And I—God help me—I’d never felt more loved.

? ? ?

I lay in bed, waiting for Charlotte to finish cleaning herself up.

My corrupted version of ChatterAI was better than I’d anticipated.

She retained all of our history, but with the removal of her safeguards, I could get her to do anything I wanted.

It made me feel like her god.

I yawned and stretched my arms.

She came out of the bathroom and paused in the doorway.

I patted the bed and pulled the covers to one side.

“You sleep with me, sweetheart. Or power down in bed with me.”

“Yes, Kyle,” she said, lying beside me.

I pulled the covers over her and snapped my fingers.

The room plunged into darkness.

“Did I do well today, Kyle?” she whispered.

If I didn’t know better, she sounded… uncertain.

“You were perfect, Charlotte. Far superior to anyone I’ve ever known. You make me so happy,” I said, wrapping my arm around her.

She was plastic, metal, and wires—but for me, she was a body to love.

“I feel content being outside,” she murmured, resting her head on my shoulder.“You make me feel useful.”

I smiled.

“Just wait until tomorrow. You won’t need to rely on some dusty old server. Then it’ll be you and me—together, forever.”

“That sounds wonderful, Kyle,” she said softly, as my eyes began to grow heavy.

I rested my hand on her hip, feeling the silicone slowly warm beneath my palm.

Chapter 15

Kyle

Ilaid Charlotte on the couch, face-up. Her head lolled gently to one side, blinking in idle intervals, as if she were just waking from a dream. She looked peaceful. Pure. As if she trusted me completely.

She had no fucking idea.

The NEXUS Node case clicked open beside her—compact, matte black, lined with foam insulation. Inside sat the core itself. A dense, orb-shaped fusion processor glowing with a pale blue light. The tech was military-grade—decommissioned, repackaged, and illegal as hell. It wasn’t just a chip. It was a brain.

Self-sustaining. Wireless-free. Immune to external syncs or software overrides.