Wanda proudly dumped another pile of vegetables into Pietro's bowl.
"I'm the older sister," she declared. "You need to eat properly."
Pietro looked like he had been personally betrayed by the universe.
Karl only shook his head with a faint smile and continued eating, ignoring their bickering.
Since the serum injection, his appetite had increased dramatically. The massive spread on the table had been prepared almost entirely for him — and he was steadily emptying it.
After finishing another plate, Karl reached into his system space and placed a thick stack of U.S. dollars on the table.
"You three can divide this later. Buy whatever you want."
The bundle was nearly ten thousand dollars.
For three ten-year-olds, it was an unimaginable amount.
This wasn't their allowance. Aunt May strictly controlled that, believing money should never spoil children. Their weekly allowance remained modest and supervised.
After all, the three of them now attended an elite private school in Manhattan — tuition exceeding $200,000 per semester — where most students were heirs to fortunes or political families.
They were chauffeured daily in a Rolls-Royce Karl had purchased specifically for them.
Their lives had changed completely.
"Yay! Karl, you're the best!!" Pietro grabbed the stack instantly and began counting.
"With three of us… that's over three thousand each!"
Peter stared wide-eyed at the money while clutching his bowl, too stunned to speak.
Since Aunt May and Karl became a couple, his life had transformed overnight — from struggling kid to something close to a young heir.
"Karl!" Aunt May protested, frowning. "We can't give them that much money. They might misuse it. I've seen news reports — middle school students getting into drugs. What if they get tempted?"
She was deeply protective of their upbringing.
Karl waved a hand dismissively.
"It's fine. Just this once."
Then his gaze sharpened as he looked at Pietro and Peter.
"If any of you touch that garbage," he said calmly, "I'll lock you in a room full of it and make you smoke until you pass out. You won't come out until it's finished."
Pietro went pale.
Peter swallowed hard.
"We promise!" Pietro said immediately, dragging Peter upright. "We'll only buy figures and game models!"
Aunt May sighed helplessly and shot Karl a look, but said nothing more.
Across the table, Gwen watched in stunned silence.
He had casually handed children ten thousand dollars.
Was this what the world of the ultra-rich looked like?
Even as the daughter of the NYPD Police Commissioner, she had never seen money treated so casually.
Then she noticed something else.
Karl continued eating.
Plate after plate.
Yet his stomach didn't even bulge.
Raven kept placing food beside him with quiet efficiency.
Gwen remembered her spider-sense screaming danger earlier.
Suddenly, his appetite didn't seem strange at all.
It seemed… logical.
Moonlit Balcony
After dinner, Karl went upstairs to the small balcony on the third floor and lay back on a lounge sofa.
Moonlight poured over him.
The night air was cool and quiet.
Gwen followed.
From the doorway, she saw him resting with eyes closed, silver light outlining his features. For a brief moment, he looked calm… almost unreal.
She stared longer than she meant to.
"What is it?" Karl asked without opening his eyes. "You've been standing there for a while."
He had sensed her presence the moment she arrived.
Gwen stepped forward, slightly embarrassed.
"Um… could you take me home?"
She clasped her hands nervously.
"If I show up now, it'll be easier to explain my injuries to my father. Please?"
Her tone softened into a gentle plea.
Karl opened his eyes and looked at her.
Those clear, jewel-like eyes held sincerity — and worry.
"Alright," he said. "When do you want to go?"
Gwen brightened instantly.
"Now, if that's okay?"
Karl nodded and stood.
Leaving the Manor
Gwen quickly changed into casual clothes Aunt May had purchased for her — just in case.
Minutes later, Karl drove the black Lamborghini through the night streets toward her neighborhood.
Unbeknownst to them, George Stacy had already mobilized patrol units and was reviewing surveillance footage across multiple districts, growing more frantic by the minute.
In the Car
"Thank you, Mr. Karl," Gwen said softly.
"If you hadn't found me… I don't know what might have happened."
Dark alleys were not forgiving places.
Karl kept his eyes on the road.
"It was nothing. Just remember to think before acting. Think about the consequences — and your family."
Gwen nodded.
"I will. I won't rush in recklessly again."
She hesitated before asking:
"Mr. Karl… I can sense how powerful you are. Why don't you fight criminals? Wouldn't New York be safer?"
Karl let out a quiet breath.
"What you see are thieves and robbers — the shadows cast by society."
"Where there is light, there is darkness. Do you believe you can eliminate it?"
He continued:
"Public safety is the responsibility of the police and government. It isn't mine."
"Power doesn't obligate me to sacrifice my family's safety."
He glanced at her briefly.
"And even if I did… what would I gain? Honor? Recognition? I'm a shareholder of Stark Industries and one of the youngest billionaires in America. Do I need public approval to feel fulfilled?"
Gwen fell silent.
His perspective was cold.
Practical.
But impossible to dismiss.
Outside the windshield, the city lights stretched endlessly ahead.
And for the first time since gaining her powers…
Gwen began questioning what kind of hero she truly wanted to become.
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