Chapter 1 1 I was born with an incredibly thick skin. Some might call it a profound lack of awareness. In elementary school, the kids in my class would laugh in my face and call me an orphan. I’d just puff out my chest with pride. “That’s right! I’m the only orphan in the whole school! That makes me the coolest one here!” The principal walked by once and thought I was being bullied so badly my brain had broken. Furious, he called all their parents in. Those kids went home and got the grounding of a lifetime. In my sophomore year of high school, a guy decided to play a cruel prank on me by “confessing his love” and giving me a bouquet of yellow chrysanthemums—the kind you bring to a funeral. I smiled brightly and took them. “Thank you so much! How did you know yellow chrysanthemums were my favorite?!” From that day on, every single time I saw him in the hallway, I’d smile and wave, shouting, “I still really love those funeral flowers you got me!” For the next three years, he was known exclusively as “Funeral Flower Guy.” Later on, my extremely wealthy biological parents finally tracked me down and brought me home. On my very first day walking through the door, my adoptive sister, the “fake daughter,” purposefully threw herself to the floor right in front of me and screamed: “I’m sorry! Please don’t hurt me!” My parents and my older brother rushed over in a panic. Before they could even start blaming me, I clapped my hands in sudden realization. “Oh! You’re practicing for an acting audition! Wait, I didn’t get to do my part yet, let’s do another take!” I grabbed her arm, yanked her to her feet, and then violently shoved her right back onto the floor. Seeing how utterly calm and unbothered I was, my family nodded in relieved understanding. Sometime later, the whole family went to a high-society gala in New York. My adoptive sister lured me into a secluded hallway and shoved me into a dark room. Sitting in front of me was the legendary, ruthless underworld boss of the East Coast. On the floor was a bleeding, half-dead man. I gasped and covered my mouth. The boss narrowed his dangerous eyes and slowly walked toward me. I bounced on my toes in excitement. “Oh my god, this is my first time seeing a live movie set! Can I be an extra?!” … The man stopped dead in his tracks. His face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to read his expression. Only his eyes, sharp and intense, were visible, staring straight at me. It felt like he was studying my reaction. Julian Vance knew exactly what his reputation was. Ruthless, unpredictable, a man who killed without blinking an eye… And it was all completely true. As for the last person who walked in on him handling “business”? They had been shipped off to an offshore black site. He didn’t know if they were still alive. But they were definitely missing a few organs. He figured I was probably just acting out of sheer terror to save my own skin. Fine. He’d play along. He pointed a finger at the door behind me. “The door is unlocked. You can leave.” He was lying, of course. If I turned around and walked out, it would prove my “clueless excitement” was just an act. The second I took a step toward that door, his bodyguards would materialize from the shadows and pin me to the floor. What would follow would be a very cold, very painful interrogation. But he waited for several seconds, and I didn’t turn around. Instead, I walked further into the room and crouched down next to the injured man on the floor. I poked his arm with my finger, and my pale skin quickly came away stained with red. “Wow, is this that professional Hollywood fake blood? It looks so realistic!” The man on the floor coughed up a mouthful of blood and croaked, “Save… save me…” I stared at him in silence, then turned my head to look at the man standing behind me. “What’s my line supposed to be here?” “Should I say ‘You can do it,’ or ‘It’s no use’?” Julian’s eyebrow twitched upward. He snapped his fingers. Two men in black suits melted out of the shadows. They stuffed the guy on the floor into a duffel bag and dragged him out. While they were doing that, I was busy wandering around the room, looking for the camera crew. Sadly, I couldn’t find them. But I quickly figured it out. Oh, they must be using hidden cameras for that gritty, found-footage style! After the man was dragged away, the door clicked shut again. Julian sat down in a chair a few feet away. He asked, “What’s your name?” I paused for a second, then immediately snapped my legs together and pressed my hands flat against my sides. Head up, chest out, I projected my voice clearly: “My name is Serena Sterling! My greatest strengths are that I’m hardworking and can endure long hours. No matter what the role is, I am confident I can nail it! Please give me a chance, Director!” Julian’s mouth twitched. But what had just happened involved highly sensitive syndicate secrets. He couldn’t risk anyone finding out. So, he played along. “That scene you just witnessed… is highly confidential. You are not to speak of it to anyone.” I nodded solemnly. “I swear I won’t leak any spoilers!” With that, he waved his hand, dismissing me. My excitement instantly deflated. Looks like I didn’t get the part. After leaving the room, I made my way back to the main ballroom. I immediately spotted Chloe, my adoptive sister, excitedly chatting with some guests. I walked up and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned around, saw me, and nearly jumped out of her skin. She gasped, “You’re actually okay?!” 2 I let out a heavy sigh. “I know you went through a lot of trouble to get me this audition, but sadly, I didn’t get the part.” Chloe’s face contorted in confusion. She had no idea what I was talking about. She had paid a massive bribe just to get the intel that Julian Vance was handling a traitor in that exact room. The undisputed king of the East Coast underground didn’t tolerate mistakes. Anyone who walked in on a scene like that was either silenced permanently or shipped far, far away, never to set foot in the US again. She thought she had finally gotten rid of the thorn in her side. She never expected me to walk back out completely unharmed. She ground her teeth in frustration. Just then, a wave of hushed whispers rippled through the crowd. A man dressed entirely in black strode into the ballroom, surrounded by an aura of absolute dominance and the terrified respect of the guests. When I saw him, my eyes lit up. “It’s him! Chloe, you have to help me one more time!” “If you managed to get me a first audition, you can definitely pull some strings and get me a callback, right?!” “What?!” She frowned, completely lost. Before she could process what was happening, I grabbed her hand and dragged her straight toward Julian. Seeing me, he stopped his conversation with the people around him. I nervously fidgeted with my fingers and said sheepishly: “Um, Director… could you please, for Chloe’s sake, give me one more chance?” “She pushed me into the room so suddenly earlier, I was too nervous and didn’t prep properly. I promise I’ll do way better next time!” After saying that, I flashed him the most innocent, harmless smile I could muster. Julian’s lips curved into a smirk, but his eyes were completely devoid of warmth. “You’re saying… she was the one who pushed you into that room?” “Yeah, exactly! Chloe was the one who pulled strings to get me this opportunity!” The moment those words left my mouth, all the color drained from Chloe’s face. She froze in place, her legs practically giving out. But she desperately tried to clear her name: “Y-you’re lying! Stop making things up! I don’t know anything! I’ve been in the ballroom this whole time, I had no idea where you went!” I laughed. “Oh, stop it! You literally said you were taking me to see something really cool, but I had no idea you had set up a surprise audition for me!” After all, I had been obsessed with acting since I was a little kid. Chloe always talked trash to me, but deep down, she was actually super supportive! I know she’s just a tough-love kind of girl, hehe. Chloe panicked. “I can find people to prove I was here!” She grabbed one of her rich friends, demanding the girl confirm they had been standing together since they walked into the ballroom. The friend, who had already been bribed by Chloe beforehand, was just about to nod. Then she looked up and realized the person asking the questions was Julian Vance. Her knees buckled. She stammered something about feeling dizzy and sprinted away as fast as she could. Chloe stomped her foot in pure, unfiltered rage. Compared to my total lack of anxiety, Chloe’s blatant, terrified guilt looked infinitely more suspicious. Julian wasn’t an idiot. He saw exactly what was going on. It seemed this woman had used some very shady methods to find out his schedule. But there were too many people in the ballroom, so it wasn’t the time to handle it. Instead, he smiled at me and said, “I can give you one more chance. I’ll send you the details.” I nodded enthusiastically. After Julian walked away, Chloe let out a massive breath she had been holding. She glared daggers at me. “Serena Sterling, you almost got me killed!” I looked at her, totally confused. “Huh?” A few seconds later, it hit me. “Ohhh! Did you secretly sneak me onto his audition list even though you don’t actually know him? No wonder he looked at you so weirdly! My bad, my bad.” Chloe stormed off, cursing under her breath. I was still standing there, doing some earnest self-reflection. Yeah, I should probably explain things to him next time so he doesn’t hold it against her. Three days later, a formal invitation bearing the Vance family crest was delivered to the Sterling estate. 3 Julian had invited me to dinner at an exclusive restaurant this Saturday at 7:00 PM. My entire family was completely shocked. And then, deeply terrified. Julian Vance’s power in New York was absolute, and his temper was notoriously unpredictable. Someone once said the wrong thing in front of him at a party. By the next morning, their entire company was bankrupt. Meanwhile, my brain was so hopelessly oblivious that if someone held a knife to my throat, I would probably just smile and say, “Wow, that knife looks so realistic!” My dad paced the floor in distress. My mom was practically in tears. My older brother just kept sighing. Only Chloe covered her mouth to hide a smug smile. She assumed Julian had finally realized what happened and was planning to dispose of me. I was completely baffled by their reactions. “I’m going to a callback audition. You guys should be happy for me.” Terrified that my parents might actually try to stop me, Chloe quickly chimed in: “Exactly! Mom, Dad, Serena is really just going for an audition. Who knows, maybe Mr. Vance will be in a good mood and cast her as the lead! Besides, Mr. Vance personally sent the invitation. We can’t exactly say no, can we?” Rejecting the undisputed king of the underworld was obviously not an option. Even though the Sterling family’s main business operations were in the Midwest, we still had significant investments on the East Coast. If we wanted to survive, we absolutely could not offend Julian Vance. After agonizing over it, my family had no choice but to accept it. They held my hands tightly, pleading with me: “Serena… please, please watch what you say and do.” I nodded firmly. If I want to nail this callback, I really need to bring my A-game! On Saturday, right before I left the house, Chloe pulled me into a secluded corner. Sneakily, she pressed a small, spring-loaded switchblade into my hand. She whispered conspiratorially, “I got this prop specifically for you! I heard the movie they’re casting for is an action thriller. If you whip this out during your audition, it will definitely impress him!” I squeezed her hand, deeply moved. “Thank you so much for going out of your way for me! I won’t let you down!” Watching me walk to the car, Chloe finally let out a dark laugh. “What an absolute idiot. Pulling a knife on Julian Vance? You’re a dead woman walking.” The reservation was for 7:00 PM. I arrived at the private dining room ten minutes early. To my surprise, Julian was even earlier. He was already sitting at the table. As soon as I walked in, he offered me a seat and asked what I wanted to eat. I said earnestly, “I’m fine with whatever, but when does our audition start?” He moved his eyes from the menu to my face. He realized I was being completely serious. I wasn’t joking. A look of genuine amusement crossed his face. After all, he had never met anyone quite as remarkably oblivious as me in his entire life. He set the menu down. “We can start right now.” I looked around the room. The men in black suits who were playing the bodyguards in the dark room weren’t here. Right now, it was just me and Julian in this private dining room. Looks like this is going to be a one-on-one scene reading. And there’s no script… this must be an improv test. Remembering what Chloe said about this being an action movie, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the switchblade, pointing the blade directly at Julian. I darkened my eyes, dropping my voice an octave, letting an aura of icy hostility wash over me as I sneered: “Julian Vance… today is the day you die!” The amused look on Julian’s face vanished instantly, replaced by something dangerously dark. His hand instinctively moved toward the holster strapped to his thigh. But before he could draw his weapon, the door to the private room was violently kicked open. A figure lunged into the room, a gun pointed squarely at Julian’s head. “Julian Vance… today is the day you die!” I froze. Huh? The exact same line? Damn it! Is this guy trying to steal my scene?! Doesn’t he see my audition isn’t over yet?! Julian’s heart dropped, a surge of lethal violence rising in his chest. One crisis right after another. He immediately assumed I was working with the gunman. His hand gripped the handle of his gun, fully prepared to send both of us to hell. But before he could draw, I moved with lightning speed, charging straight at the man with the gun. Before the assassin could even register what was happening, I tackled him to the floor. I kicked the gun out of his hand, pinned him down with my body weight, and pressed the switchblade against his throat. “Talk! Who sent you?!” 4 The assassin’s attention had been entirely focused on Julian. He hadn’t even noticed there was someone else in the room. And he definitely hadn’t expected me to have combat training. The sheer intensity radiating off me was terrifying. The tip of the blade was millimeters from piercing his skin. Terrified, he spilled everything. After coughing up the name of his employer, he was dragged away by Julian’s real bodyguards. Julian sat in silence for a long time before finally speaking: “Weren’t you afraid he was going to shoot you?” I cheered internally. He’s finally giving me my cue! Leaning into the dramatic tension of the scene, I said in my coolest voice: “No one touches you… except me.” Julian stared at me deeply for a moment, then laughed. “Very good. You got the part.” After that, I went home, blissfully waiting for the production team to send me the shooting schedule. Instead, what arrived was a formal marriage proposal from Julian Vance. My parents read the official document over and over again. They verified the Vance family seal. It wasn’t a fake. My entire family stared at me in absolute, utter shock. Chloe’s jaw practically hit the floor. When I had come home from the restaurant completely unharmed, she had been furious. She asked if I had chickened out and refused to pull the knife like she told me to. I told her I did pull the knife, and that my performance was spectacular. She had looked completely defeated. Even though Julian’s reputation was terrifying, his power was undeniable. He practically owned New York. There were countless elite families across the country who would kill for a marriage alliance with the Vance family. And now, this golden ticket had just been hand-delivered to our doorstep. But my parents still asked for my opinion. Without even looking up from my phone, I said, “Sure, why not.” Even though we had only met twice, I had a pretty good impression of him. Especially since he recognized my acting talent! It’s hard to find a director who truly understands your vision! So, my parents immediately sent a formal acceptance back to the Vance family, and the engagement date was set shortly after. When news broke that I was marrying Julian Vance, a flood of elite families rushed over to congratulate me, desperately trying to get on my good side. The gifts they brought filled an entire spare bedroom. Chloe was so jealous she was grinding her teeth in her sleep. Every day, she would whisper ominous warnings in my ear: “Serena, you have no idea what you’re doing. Julian Vance kills people for fun! If he gets annoyed, he takes it out on the people closest to him. You’re walking straight into the lion’s den!” “I’m telling you, back out now! But we can’t exactly reject the Vance family… how about this? I’ll make the ultimate sacrifice. I’ll go in your place…” My eyes widened in horror. “I could never let you do that! If it’s really that dangerous, there is no way I’m letting you take my place! You’re my best friend!” Chloe looked like she was going to cough up blood. And just like that, the day of the engagement party arrived. It was held at the Vance family’s private estate. There were thousands of guests, basically every powerful figure on the East Coast. I was placed in a luxurious suite on the second floor, waiting for the moment I would walk down the grand staircase with Julian. Soon, it was just me and Chloe left in the room. She glared at me for a moment, then suddenly walked over, plastering on a sweet smile, and handed me a small vial. “Serena, I did some digging. Julian has a massive sweet tooth, but he hates showing it in front of people. He always sneaks something sweet into his drinks. With so many people here today, it’ll be hard for him to do it himself. Why don’t you pour this syrup into his glass for him?” I took the vial without a second thought. After watching me personally empty the contents of the vial into Julian’s champagne glass, Chloe smirked in satisfaction and slipped out of the room. A few moments later, Julian appeared, and we walked down the grand staircase together. Julian took the glass of champagne from my hand and raised it to his lips. Suddenly, Chloe leaped out from the crowd, her face a mask of sheer terror, screaming: “Don’t drink that! It’s poisoned!” The ballroom erupted in chaos. Julian frowned deeply. “How do you know it’s poisoned?” Chloe pointed a dramatic finger directly at me. “I saw her put something in your glass with my own eyes!” With that, she cast a video feed from her phone onto the massive screens in the ballroom. The footage clearly showed me emptying a small vial of clear liquid into Julian’s champagne glass. Julian’s face instantly went dark. He grabbed my wrist, his grip like a vice. I let out a soft yelp of pain. The bodyguards stationed around the room instantly moved in, forming a tight circle around me. The guests looked at me with pity, clearly believing I was a dead woman walking. Chloe continued, her voice dripping with triumphant malice: “I just found the empty vial she threw in the trash! I had the residual liquid tested—it contains a lethal neurotoxin! One sip, and you would be dead in under an hour! Your internal organs would liquefy!” “Serena Sterling, how could you be so evil?!” But just as Chloe finished her dramatic speech, a collective gasp rippled through the crowd. On the massive screens, the video continued playing. After pouring the “poison” into the glass, I muttered to myself: “Will it really make it sweet? If I just take a tiny sip, nobody will notice, right?” And in the next second, I lifted the glass and took a sip. Simultaneously, in the real world, my vision went completely black. I collapsed heavily onto the marble floor. My family rushed forward in a panic. “Serena!” Julian, his face turning pale, caught me as I fell and roared, “Get a doctor! Now!”
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