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Don immediately narrowed his eyes and furrowed his brows in confusion, struggling to make sense of Elle\'s words. "What do you mean by \'not you completely\'?" he asked in a gentle tone, trying to keep her comfortable enough to say more, as he was genuinely interested in what was going on with her.

Elle went silent again for a few seconds before mustering the courage to continue. "I don\'t know how to put it… because I don\'t fully understand it myself. It\'s like it\'s me… but not me, like a split personality but far more extreme. I\'m sorry for not telling you sooner… I-I… was just so worried… worried you\'d think I\'ve become a freak… and want nothing to do with me."

Elle\'s voice became incredibly shaky as she spoke, as if she were on the brink of tears. From her perspective, and taking into account the character of the old Don, it was understandable that she had such worries.

But the current Don just didn\'t have enough of a bond with her to care deeply about this aspect of her. To him, this was how he knew her, so he wasn\'t particularly concerned.

However, seeing how Elle was addressing the matter, he knew it was deeply important to her. And as much as he wanted to immediately say it was fine and relieve her of her worries, his "The Thinker" trait had him pause to consider it more carefully.

\'If I use the right words and tone, I could use this as an opportunity to improve my relationship with her and perhaps better my image in the eyes of Trixie and Gary, who care for her.\' Don understood that, on the surface, one might think there was little to improve given how obsessed she was with him.

But that was just it—an obsession. More worrisome, it was an obsession whose origins Don didn\'t know. Because of that, it would be foolish to assume it was enough to keep Elle the way she was forever.

No matter how optimistic he wanted to be, he knew how quickly things could change in life. And this piece of thought came not from his "The Thinker" trait but from a theory he once read about, introduced by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, called The Black Swan Theory.

The theory refers to rare and unpredictable events that have significant consequences. These events are beyond the realm of normal expectations and can have a massive impact. This theory suggests that one should prepare for the unexpected and acknowledge that not all events can be predicted or controlled.

"Don… are you still there?" Elle\'s anxious inquiry, in a shaky tone, broke Don out of his thoughtful daze. She didn\'t know it, but her initial words had led Don to a very important epiphany, and with it came a system prompt.

———

**Trait Upgraded:**

**- The Thinker (Bronze) >>> The Thinker (Silver)**

———

Don glanced at the prompt in front of him for a moment before answering Elle, "Yeah, I\'m still here. Sorry, I was just thinking about how hard this must\'ve been on you. But you have nothing to be sorry for. You\'ve been there for me regardless of the circumstances, so I\'ll be there for you as well, okay?"

Don quickly put together a response, not wanting to drag out the situation. As casual as it was for him, it meant the world to Elle.

Not even a second later, she began to cry joyfully. "*sniff* I.. You… *sniff* I… just… *sniff* am so happy…" The weight of meaning in Don\'s acceptance of her situation was so large that she couldn\'t even bring herself to speak coherently, choking on her words.

"I understand, Elle," Don replied, "it must\'ve been a lot to have on your mind. But you don\'t need to worry about that anymore, okay?"

"O-okay *sniff*"

"I\'ll give you some space, but I\'ll call you later; we still have a city to conquer," Don added softly, trying to lift the mood a little and end the call.

His words brought a small smile to Elle\'s face as she agreed, "Sure," prompting him to end the call.

*Click~*

It was far from a perfect interaction but would suffice, especially for Elle who was used to Don ignoring her completely.

After ending the call, Don let out a sigh, yet his expression appeared lively and motivated. He quickly stood from the edge of the bed and rushed over to his desk. He didn\'t even bother taking a seat but just opened one of the desk drawers to retrieve some sheets of paper and a pen.

His mind was still brimming with thoughts after the epiphany he had, and he felt motivated to explore it in deeper thought.

He began by quickly writing a title at the top of the piece of paper which read, "Current Situation".

Then, below it, he began to write what he was thinking.

[Elle is deeply obsessed with me, so much so that I think she might be willing to do anything for me. This level of devotion can provide me with immediate benefits such as her complete loyalty, support, and even assistance in my endeavors.]

Don paused after writing this and left some space before writing another heading, which read, "Recognizing The Volatility". Below this heading, he began to write another paragraph.

[Firstly, I must understand that emotions, especially extreme ones like obsession, can be volatile and temporary. The Black Swan theory teaches that relying on a single unpredictable element (Elle\'s obsession) is risky.

Secondly, I must understand that a significant change in Elle\'s feelings or circumstances (a Black Swan event) could occur unexpectedly, causing her obsession to diminish or vanish. This could leave me vulnerable if I\'m too dependent on her unwavering support.]

Don paused again after writing this but remained focused, tapping the pen against the table as he thought for a moment. After a few seconds, he nodded to himself and wrote another heading titled "Mitigating Risks", and below that another set of paragraphs followed.

[First comes strengthening my relationship with her. I need to build a more stable and balanced relationship. By deepening our bond beyond obsession, I can ensure that she\'s connected to me through other elements, such as respect, trust, love, and shared experiences.

Second is building her emotional resilience. Encouraging her to have her own interests and emotional independence can prevent her from burning out or experiencing a drastic shift in feelings, especially if I start having more women around me.]

Don takes another pause after writing this and nods in satisfaction, feeling like he\'s on the right track. "Now for the truly tricky part," he mutters as he writes down the next heading, "Preparing For The Unexpected". And below this, he wrote;

[First, I need to diversify my emotional investments for my support network. By cultivating relationships with others, I can reduce the risk associated with relying too heavily on one person, at least until I\'m able to stand firmly alone.

Second, contingency planning. Whenever I can, I need to create contingency plans for various scenarios, especially in the case of Elle\'s obsession reducing or vanishing completely.

The second I can do over time but for the first, I can use Samantha, Amanda, and Summer. They\'re closest to me so it\'ll be easier than trying with complete strangers.]

Don took another pause and began tapping the pen against the desk again as he looked at the paper in deep thought. "Alright, let\'s start with the easiest one, Samantha." After muttering this, he wrote the heading "Mother: Samantha" and below started another paragraph.

[The first and easiest way to work toward Samantha would be by exploiting her guilt. I can\'t do this in front of Amanda or Summer but I can subtly remind her of the guilt she feels by bringing up exaggerated stories from the old Don\'s past. This way, it\'ll be like I\'m opening up to her and not directly accusing her. But it will highlight her perceived failure.

The second would be showing vulnerability. She\'s an extremely caring mother, so if I act more dependent on her by asking for advice and emotional support, she\'ll naturally be more open to me. It might even give her a sense of purpose and reduce the likelihood of her seeking companionship elsewhere as I\'ll make her feel essential and needed.

The third is leveraging her expertise. She clearly loves her job for her to refuse the offer Don\'s father gave her. I\'ll need to learn more about what exactly she does so I can show interest in her work.]

Don paused there and re-read what he had written before nodding in satisfaction. "Now, for Amanda."