[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-marvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit":3,"chapter-marvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit-marvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit-chapter-17":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Marvel: Starting with the Ice-Ice Fruit",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1733214,2216,"Chapter 17: Prom Invite and a Private Getaway","marvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit-chapter-17",17,"\u003Cp>B2 parking garage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent sat in the driver's seat, watching the elevator indicator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A text from Gwen popped up: Coming down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gwen slid into the passenger seat, Vincent didn't start the car right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He just stared at her face for a long beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen shifted, visibly uncomfortable. \"What? Do I have something on my face?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She patted her cheeks, then flipped down the mirror to inspect herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nothing looked wrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No weird veins. No scales. No spider-monster horror show.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent finally smiled. \"Nothing like that. Your skin just looks… smoother.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen's heart jumped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She checked the mirror again, touching her cheek like she expected it to feel different. And it did. Subtly. Enough to make her nervous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent started the engine and pulled out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way to school, Gwen kept stealing glances at him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His profile looked carved from stone in the morning light, calm and unshakable. That calm hit her harder than any compliment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He's really… handsome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Smart. Mature. Good-looking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had she been blind this whole time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent spoke without looking over. \"Gwen, if you keep staring at my face, I'm going to get the wrong idea.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen's cheeks warmed. She quickly looked out the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then she counterattacked. \"Vincent. Did you invite anyone to prom yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can't dance,\" he answered flatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen blinked, startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then her expression softened. She remembered the rumors about his past, how alone he'd been. Pity flickered in her eyes before she caught herself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's fine,\" she said quickly. \"I can teach you. I mean… if you find a date, I can help you not embarrass yourself.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent chuckled. \"Prom is worth remembering. I don't want to miss it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kept his tone casual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"But I barely know any girls at school. Just Hannah… and you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen quietly exhaled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hannah wasn't competition.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Vincent added, like it meant nothing, \"Hannah said the cheer captain, Julia, likes me. She told me to try asking her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen's stomach dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That girl collected attention like it was oxygen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen kept her voice steady. \"And what do you think?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent didn't even hesitate. \"Julia's popular. Half the school has tried. Besides, I heard Harry Osborn already asked her.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen's pulse calmed again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"So you're going to skip prom?\" she asked, trying to sound neutral. \"You'll regret it. You only graduate once.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent glanced at her. \"What about you, Gwen?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen straightened. \"Flash, Peter, Harry, Jackson. A bunch of people asked.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She lifted her chin. \"I said no.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The meaning was loud.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent finally laughed, like he'd just realized the obvious. He turned his head slightly, eyes warm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Then I still have a chance.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked right at her. \"Gwen Stacy. Will you be my prom date?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen rolled her eyes. \"Watch the road.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But her mouth betrayed her with a tiny smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent didn't look worried.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since gaining hydro-magic, he could sense the movement of water in the air and in bodies. It was a strange, quiet awareness that made the world feel slower than it should.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen tried to hold her pride together. \"Fine. Since you asked nicely, I'll… reluctantly accept.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Really.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something loosened between them after that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The old distance, the friction, the constant edge. It didn't vanish, but it stopped cutting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the next couple of days, Gwen started dropping by Vincent's place more often.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She still didn't invite him into hers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The \"Ice Demon\" news finally exploded across the city, but Vincent's fear didn't come true.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one traced it back to him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He texted Jessica.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days of silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She was avoiding the night they crossed the line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent stared at his phone, annoyed. \"So that's how you want to play it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his eyes drifted to the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To the fact that Gwen lived next door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had made a convenient choice, and now it was becoming a trap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If another woman showed up at his place, Gwen's new instincts would notice. If she was becoming Spider-Woman, subtle sounds and scents would be loud to her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He needed a second location.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A private one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He called Julia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not the cheer captain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The realtor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Julia,\" Vincent said, voice calm. \"Find me a house. Secluded. Trees. Water. Away from the city.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was a pause, then a low, amused sound on the other end. \"That's a very specific wish list, Mr. Hall.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a very specific life,\" he replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His real reasons were simple.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place to stash cash that was never meant to exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A place to breathe without neighbors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if he wanted to live like a man with options, a place no one could casually track.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was also a good investment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mortgage crisis was crushing people. Properties were hitting the floor, and Vincent had the capital to buy the rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Weekend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gwen went to Oscorp for her internship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent checked his trading account.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stark Industries was climbing, but unrealized wealth was still just a number. The real inflection point would come soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stane would move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent drove out to Long Island.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Old money estates lined the roads, and desperate sellers were everywhere. Former Wall Street kings were turning into cautionary tales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He followed the GPS down a tree-lined lane and found Julia waiting beside a Ford.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>White blouse. Pencil skirt. Curves that made passing drivers take a second look.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia was in her early thirties, polished and tired in a way experience carved into you. Life had been hard lately, and it showed in the careful way she smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Hall,\" she greeted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Julia,\" Vincent said, stepping out of the Navigator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He opened his arms.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She leaned in, and they hugged, social and proper on the surface.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Up close, she smelled like expensive perfume and stress.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She needed this deal. He knew it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They walked the property.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The main house. The guesthouse. The wooded perimeter. The view of the water. The distance from everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia did her pitch. Smooth. Detailed. Professional.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>An hour later, they were in the lounge with a bottle pulled from the estate's cellar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent raised his glass and nodded. \"I like it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia's eyes brightened. \"Then we can move fast.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The price is fine,\" Vincent said. \"Thirty million at the peak, twelve million now. That's a steal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia let herself breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Vincent added, \"But I need the payment structured differently.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She offered the obvious solution. \"I can help with financing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" Vincent said. \"All cash. Three installments. Four million at signing, four million in a month, four million the month after.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia's smile sharpened. \"That can be arranged.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent swirled the wine slowly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he looked at her, voice soft, unmistakable. \"Before we sign… I think this place is missing one more thing.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia tilted her head. \"And what would that be?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent's gaze held hers. \"Come here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Silence stretched.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Julia's breathing changed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She didn't look offended.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She looked like she understood exactly what game he was playing, and exactly what she was risking by playing back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a beat, she stepped closer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vincent set his glass down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The rest of the conversation didn't belong on paper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not yet.\u003C\u002Fp>",1185,"2026-06-06T16:16:52.583Z",1,"novelbin.me","5a67b25089df9003f706853ce4b18c61c6180e41a28b66ae1022c80200fac6ac","marvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit-chapter-18","marvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit-chapter-16",116,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmarvel-starting-with-the-ice-ice-fruit-cover.jpg"]