After just eight hours on a train, I woke to a world fifteen years in the future. My wife, who once sold trinkets on the street, was now CEO of the Astra Group. Yet, I couldn’t call her. Because on the day I boarded that train—our anniversary—I saw her with her first love. “Your parents passed away ten years ago,” an officer said gently. Passed away? I’d just spoken to them yesterday. Swallowing my grief, I gave him her number. “The number is no longer in service,” he said, pity in his eyes. Then I leapt up, pointing at a skyscraper’s digital billboard. “That’s my wife! She can come for me!” The entire station fell silent, every officer staring at me. 1 It was a story straight out of science fiction, but staring at the bustling police precinct and the forest of gleaming towers outside, I had to accept the impossible truth. Me, and everyone else on that train, had traveled through time. “Is it… is it really 2025?” I asked, my voice trembling. “Yes, sir. It’s October 1st, 2025.” The young officer handling my case looked at me with a profound sense of sympathy. My eyes scanned the chaotic room. There were over three hundred of us from that train, all being processed, all giving statements. At first, none of us believed the police, just as they hadn’t believed us. We all looked the same as when we’d boarded. How could a single night have stolen fifteen years? But the proof was undeniable—the futuristic IDs, the technology that was like something out of a movie. We had no choice but to accept reality. “So, besides your parents, is there anyone else we can call to come pick you up?” On the verge of a complete breakdown, I’d instinctively recited Ava’s number. The moment it left my lips, I regretted it. The woman who had promised to love me for a lifetime had already betrayed our marriage. “I’m sorry, the number you have dialed is no longer in service…” No longer in service. Of course. She must have disconnected it, started a new life with Ethan. A sharp, unexpected pain seized my heart, a brutal ache that stole my breath. In this time, a person could be declared legally dead after being missing for three years, their spouse free to remarry. I’d been gone for fifteen. “Sir, if there’s really no one who can come for you, we’ll have to…” “Her! She can get me!” I shouted, pointing at the hundred-foot screen outside. Ava was up there, wrapped in an elegant white dress. The faint scar on her forehead was still visible—a souvenir from our junior year of high school, when she’d taken a beer bottle to the head protecting me from some punks. Back then, she was a firecracker, a tomboy with a chip on her shoulder who radiated a “don’t mess with me” aura. She was gloriously chaotic, and besides me, no guy could get near her. The woman on that screen, poised and graceful, was like a different person entirely. I suppose this new Ava was a better match for Ethan. The hell-raiser finally tamed by her cool, unattainable dream guy. But why the hell did that make me, the husband, feel like the other man? That’s why I refused to call anyone else. I wanted Ava to come. I wanted to crash into their perfect life, to be a thorn in their side, to make them as sick as they’d made me. They had let me bask in the warm glow of a happy marriage, only to force me to watch it all burn down. “Are you… are you sure, sir?” the officer asked, his voice laced with concern. At the same time, a hush fell over the precinct. Every officer paused, their gazes fixed on me. I saw it all in their eyes: mockery, disbelief, and a flicker of envy. It confirmed my suspicion. Ava hadn’t just done well for herself; she was a titan. You don’t get your face on a screen that big unless you own the damn city. “I’m sure,” I said, my voice firm. “The day I got on that train, she was my legal wife.” My certainty was enough. The officer got to work. Getting in touch with this new, powerful Ava wasn’t easy. It took a flurry of calls, supervisors, and an entire hour before a connection was finally made. But the voice on the other end wasn’t hers. 2 “Hello, you’ve reached the office of the CEO of Astra Group. How may I help you?” Astra. My middle name. Why would she name her company after me? Could it be… that she still had feelings for me? “Hello, this is the City Police Department. We need to speak with Ms. Ava regarding a personal matter. Please transfer the call.” The line clicked and beeped. Ten seconds felt like a decade. When a familiar voice finally came through, my heart leaped into my throat. “Hello?” What if she was disgusted to see me? What if she and Ethan were married, with kids? Suddenly, this act of defiance felt like a terrible, terrible mistake. “Is this Ms. Ava, ma’am? This is the police,” the officer said. “It is. What can I do for you?” I dug my nails into my palms, holding my breath, my shoulders slumped as I pretended not to listen, even though every fiber of my being was focused on that phone call. “Ma’am, I know this is going to sound incredible, but we need you to trust us. We’ve located Mr. Leo, who was reported missing fifteen years ago. He’s here with me now and needs someone to pick him up.” The silence on the other end was absolute. It stretched on, heavy and deafening, each tick of the clock a hammer blow against my heart. I was about to give up, to tell the officer never mind, when her voice came through, cutting through the silence. “I’ll be there shortly.” I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding and slumped back into the hard plastic chair. One by one, I watched the other passengers from the train get picked up by their families. Some reunions were tearful explosions of joy, people clinging to each other as if they’d never let go. Others were cold, tense standoffs, filled with resentment and accusations. It seemed I wasn’t the only one whose reappearance was an inconvenience. Many of our partners had given up, rebuilt their lives, started new families. Our return wasn’t a miracle; it was a complication, a burden. The anxiety coiled in my stomach again. When I saw Ava, what would I say? How would I face her? Would she hate me for disrupting the life she’d built without me? Fear crept in, a cold shadow that I didn’t notice had turned into dusk outside. “Hey,” the officer said softly. “It’s getting late. You could… you could come home with me for the night.” I looked around, dazed. The station was nearly empty. All the other passengers were gone. I was the last one left, unclaimed. Just then, the sharp click-clack of heels echoed down the hallway. A young, sharply dressed woman hurried toward me, clutching a faded photograph. “Mr. Leo?” she asked. I nodded. “I’m so sorry for the delay, the traffic was a nightmare. Ms. Ava sent me to pick you up. My name is Chelsea.” A pang of disappointment hit me—Ava hadn’t come herself. But it was quickly followed by a wave of relief. The release paperwork was simple. Just a signature. Leo — Chelsea. The name signed next to mine belonged to a girl I’d known for less than a minute. Not my wife. Not my mother. “This way, Mr. Leo,” Chelsea said, leading me to a sleek, black car parked at the curb. It was larger and more futuristic than any car I’d ever seen. I didn’t expect Ava to be inside, but there she was. She looked exactly like she had on the billboard, dressed in a sophisticated dress, her expression focused as she swiped through something on a thin, glowing slate in her hands. A memory flashed in my mind: us, getting ready for our wedding. Ava hated being confined. Hated dresses. She’d fought me for days about wearing one for the wedding photos. It was only when I’d half-jokingly threatened, “If you don’t wear it, I’ll find someone who will,” that she’d finally relented. I worried she’d show up to the ceremony in a t-shirt. Now, looking at her, I wondered if she’d ever worn a dress for me at all. Ethan had been the quiet, studious star of our department in college. I never thought Ava, with her wild energy and rebellious streak, would ever get his attention. But she did. For him, she shed her tomboy persona, abandoned her crew of misfit friends, and started wearing skirts, pretending to be a model student. I knew it was an act. That wildness was etched into her soul. Their romance lasted exactly one month. We had known each other since we were kids in diapers. To me, it felt like she’d just been lost for a month. After her and Ethan, we fell together naturally, got married, and were happy… until the day I saw them together again. Chelsea opened the back door for me. “Ma’am, Mr. Leo is here.” Ava finally looked up. Our eyes met. There was no joy. No anger. No shock. Just a calm, unnerving stillness. 3 “Leo?” Just yesterday morning, I had kissed that face. Now, it felt like I was looking at a stranger. “Yeah,” I mumbled, sliding in beside her. The small space immediately felt charged with a strange tension. She went right back to her work, her fingers flying across the glass slate. No greeting. No awkward silence filled with unspoken questions. It was as if my sudden reappearance hadn’t caused a single ripple in her life. A bitter disappointment settled in my gut. Fine. If she was going to ignore me, even to kick me out, she could at least have the decency to say it to my face. So, I decided to strike first. “Did my parents know you were cheating on me before they died?” A sharp hiss of indrawn breath came from the front seat. The temperature in the car seemed to drop twenty degrees. I saw Ava’s brow furrow almost imperceptibly, a flicker of anger in her eyes. Was she mad that I’d dared to tarnish her precious first love’s reputation? “There was nothing to know,” she said, her voice cool and even. “Of course, they didn’t.” She paused. “Rest up tonight. I’ll take you to visit their graves in a few days.” Nothing to know? Was she saying it was over between her and Ethan? That it ended after I disappeared? Then why did her assistant call me ‘Mr. Leo’ and not her husband? The silence returned, colder than before. I fought back a surge of anger and turned to look out the window, immediately captivated by the world flashing by. Dazzling commercial districts, skyscrapers that scraped the heavens. Countless glowing screens made it feel like daytime, with celebrities frozen mid-pose inside them. The whole city was a kaleidoscope of light and color. “Ava, what the hell is that!” I yelped, slapping her arm instinctively and pointing at a massive cube on the sidewalk from which a giant, holographic hand was suddenly extending. Startled by my own outburst, I flinched, my head ducking right into the crook of her shoulder. Her body went rigid. She didn’t push me away, but she didn’t touch me either. “Sorry,” I mumbled, my face flushing hot as I scrambled to sit up straight. “I’m… not used to my new identity as a country bumpkin.” I stole a glance out the window. The giant hand was gone, replaced by a lush, impossibly realistic forest inside the cube. “It’s 3D holographic technology,” she explained, smoothing the fabric of her dress where I’d grabbed it. Her eyes never left her work. “It creates immersive experiences.” “So… it’s fake?” “Yes.” Another half-hour passed in silence before the car finally stopped in front of a magnificent, castle-like building with the words “The Grand Regent Hotel” etched in gold above the entrance. “Mr. Leo, we’ve arrived at the hotel,” Chelsea announced from the front. “You can get a good night’s rest here.” So, she wasn’t taking me home. “I’m not going anywhere,” I snapped, my anger finally boiling over. “I want to go home. Ava, take me home!” That house was my parents’ life savings. Even if she had remarried, she wouldn’t be living there with Ethan. She couldn’t. And if she was going to cast me aside, she owed me a clear, clean break. 4 Perhaps she heard the raw fury in my voice, because she finally put down her device and looked at me, really looked at me. “I’m sorry, Leo. The old building was torn down for redevelopment. You can stay here tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll help you pick out a new place you like, okay?” Chelsea chimed in from the front seat. “It’s true, Mr. Leo. The whole Northwood district was demolished. It’s a shopping mall now. You’ve had a long day. Why don’t you just rest here for tonight?” A mall. Of course, it was a mall. I shoved the car door open and slammed it shut behind me. I was about to storm off, to go anywhere but with them, but Chelsea didn’t get out to show me the way. As I stood there, confused, Ava emerged from the car. I thought she was going to try and explain, but she just walked past me, heading straight for the hotel’s grand entrance. “What’s she doing?” I asked Chelsea, bewildered. “The President has a meeting at a nearby branch office early tomorrow morning, so she’ll be staying at the hotel tonight as well.” Chelsea added, “In the room next to yours, Mr. Leo.” Like she needed to explain. As if I cared about sleeping in the same room as her. I followed her begrudgingly. The lobby was breathtakingly opulent, a cavern of marble and crystal that made me feel like I’d stumbled into a royal palace. Money felt good, I guess. Good enough to live like a king. I remembered the cheap, rundown motel Ava and I stayed in once when we were young. The creaky wooden bed, the peeling wallpaper. In that shabby room, we gave ourselves to each other completely. We were poor, but we only had eyes for each other. Now, even though the floor beneath my feet was polished to a mirror shine, the person standing beside me was a stranger. “This is your room, Mr. Leo,” Chelsea said, opening a door. “If you need anything, just call me. The phone is on the nightstand.” The suite was enormous, several times larger than our old apartment. It was filled with things I’d never seen before. A block of stone that produced water when you waved your hand under it. A machine that prepared a hot drink at the sound of your voice. A bed so soft you sank into it. Everything was so luxurious, so perfect. And yet, my heart ached with a pain so intense I could barely breathe. The emotions I’d suppressed all day finally broke free. Tears streamed down my face, hot and unstoppable. “Mom, Dad,” I sobbed into the empty room. “She betrayed me. Ava betrayed me!” In a single day, I’d lost my wife and my parents. Why? Why did I have to see them together that day? If I had never gotten on that train, would my parents still be alive? I don’t know how long I cried before a soft knock came from the door. “Who is it?” I rasped. “It’s me.” Ava. I scrambled to my feet, trying to pull myself together. I went to the stone sink to splash water on my face, but it wouldn’t work. Then, suddenly, a shower of water rained down from the ceiling. “Ah!” I yelped, slipping on the wet floor and crashing down hard. Before I could process what had happened, I was soaked to the bone. Click. The lock on the door disengaged, and Ava was standing in the doorway. “What happened?” I looked up at her, my eyes red and swollen, and the dam broke all over again. “I was just trying to wash my face,” I cried, the words tumbling out between sobs. “I don’t know how to use any of this stuff! I don’t know you anymore! Why? Why did I just go to sleep and wake up to find everything… everything is gone!” Whenever I was upset, Ava used to magically produce a candy from her pocket to soothe me. This time was no different. Staring at the familiar orange candy in her outstretched hand, I felt a flicker of surprise. I always wondered if she was some kind of magician. She always had candy, but I’d never once seen her eat a piece herself. “Your skin is sensitive. I brought you some cotton clothes. They’re on the bed,” she said softly. “Eat the candy, get changed before you catch a cold. I’ll clean this up.” She still remembered. I took the candy, unwrapped it, and popped it in my mouth. The familiar, sweet citrus flavor flooded my senses. My favorite. By the time I came out in the fresh clothes, she had a glass of warm water and a toothbrush with toothpaste already on it waiting for me, just like she used to every morning after we were married. Except back then, I was the one who prepared it for her. “Wash up and get some rest,” she said, her voice gentle. “I’ll sleep on the sofa tonight. If you need anything, just call out.” “Are you and…” Are you and Ethan together? The words caught in my throat. I couldn’t ask. It didn’t matter. I’d find out soon enough. That night, I slept like the dead, a deep, dreamless sleep that lasted until morning. When I woke up, a brand-new suit was laid out on the nightstand. It was the one I’d admired in a shop window fifteen years ago but could never afford. The sofa was empty. The company name. The orange candy. The suit I’d wanted for years. Did she… did she still love me? Maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe what I saw at the mall wasn’t what it looked like. Maybe it was just a chance encounter. A jolt of excitement shot through me. I had to find her, had to ask her, had to clear the air. If I could just understand, maybe we could fix this. Maybe she could be my Ava again. I washed up quickly and opened the door to find Chelsea waiting for me. “Good morning, Mr. Leo. Ms. Ava instructed me to take you to the restaurant to meet her once you were awake.” “Okay, thank you.” I spotted Ava as soon as we entered the dining area. But she wasn’t alone. Sitting across from her, bathed in the morning light, was Ethan. Even after fifteen years, he was still just as handsome, with the same sunny, charming smile.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384762”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My 71-year-old mom is trapped in her walk-up by severe rheumatism. She called hesitantly today, asking if I could help find her an elevator apartment—just a simple one-bedroom, maybe $800 a month. But my wife, Chloe, immediately pulled up our finances on her tablet. “You went $300 over budget on a tie last month, David. And now this?” It hit me: I earn a seven-figure salary, yet I can’t even buy a tie freely. Mom was already backtracking. “Don’t worry, it was just a thought. I’m used to it here.” I hung up, a knot tightening in my chest. I’m a partner at a top law firm. What part of this is difficult? The difficult part is my wife—a junior associate who appointed herself our “Chief Asset Allocation Officer” and controls every paycheck. 1 “Chloe, that’s my mother we’re talking about.” My voice was tight. “What’s eight hundred dollars to us?” She didn’t even look up from her spreadsheet. “David, familial sentiment cannot override the principles of sound asset allocation. Eight hundred dollars, multiplied by twelve months, is nine thousand, six hundred dollars. That represents a 0.096% fluctuation in our annual yield. Any expenditure outside the budget is a liability against our future.” She paused, tapping on an app and turning the tablet toward me. “Look. Last month, your unauthorized tie purchase caused the ‘Non-essential Lifestyle Goods’ category to exceed its budget by $312.50. This month, it’s rent for your mother. What about next month? Will you want to hire a full-time nurse for her?” I stared at the glaring red number, the sheer absurdity of it all making my head spin. Last month, I won a massive case. On my way home, I saw a tasteful tie in a boutique window. My others were getting frayed. I wanted a new one. It was that simple. That three-hundred-dollar tie was the only purchase I had made in six months without her explicit approval. I took a deep breath, fighting down the inferno rising in my gut. “I make twelve million dollars a year. My mother needs an eight-hundred-dollar apartment. Since when do I need your permission for that?” She smiled, but her eyes were sharp as shattered glass. “David, we are a married couple. Your income is marital property. And let’s not forget, three years ago you signed the Irrevocable Family Trust Agreement. I am the sole administrator of this family’s assets.” She added coolly, “Therefore, I am obligated to eliminate all irrational spending.” She closed the app and pulled a sleek, velvet box from a drawer. “Speaking of which, it’s my mother’s birthday next week. I used our joint account to order her a little something from Chanel. It’s already been logged under the ‘Familial Relations Maintenance’ category—a reasonable expense in service of a core objective.” The knot in my chest exploded. Eight hundred dollars for my mother’s rent was an irrational expense. A twenty-five-thousand-dollar handbag for hers was a reasonable one. My gaze hardened. “Chloe, is your risk management strategy exclusively designed to hedge against my family?” She sighed, as if explaining a complex theory to a child. “David, why can’t you understand? My mother’s social circle requires certain things to maintain her standing. Your mother is a retired factory worker. Living in an old, low-rise building is more… authentic for her. It’s better for her well-being.” With that, she stood up and poured me a glass of lukewarm water. “Let’s not fight. Go to bed early; you have that hearing tomorrow. Oh, and by the way, you’ve already used 87% of your credit card limit for the month. I’ve placed a temporary hold on the card to prevent any impulse buys. It will automatically reset on the first.” I held the glass, my fingertips numb and cold. 2 The next morning, I checked my mobile banking app. Every account in my name—salary, bonus, dividend—I tapped through them one by one. Each displayed the same insulting three-digit balance. On the first of every month, every cent I earned was automatically swept into a single “Family Trust Fund” account managed exclusively by Chloe. Any payment from that fund required her digital signature. I ordered breakfast delivery, only to find that my payment app had also been linked to her account. For any purchase over fifteen dollars, she received an alert. A new message popped up on my screen. It was from her. “Just have the oatmeal and coffee for breakfast. The French cruller platter is $18. Both the calories and the price are excessive.” I deleted the message. On the drive to the firm, I called my best friend, Marcus. Marcus is a shark of a divorce attorney, all sharp angles and brutal efficiency. After hearing me out, he exploded. “Are you fucking kidding me, David? You’re one of the best commercial litigators in the city, and you’re being played like this by a junior associate? What were you thinking when you signed that goddamn agreement? Did a donkey kick you in the head? That’s not a contract, it’s an indenture! If word of this gets out, you’ll be a laughingstock.” I gave a bitter laugh. “I’d just made partner. I was drowning in work. She said she’d handle the finances so I could focus on my career. I didn’t think twice.” “Bullshit! That’s not management; that’s legal fucking embezzlement!” Marcus swore, then his tone turned serious. “You didn’t keep anything on the side?” “My equity, my stock options… it’s all in the trust for tax-sheltering purposes.” “Then you go scorched-earth! Sue her! File for an emergency injunction to freeze the assets!” I shook my head. “She’s smart. The agreement was notarized by the best contract lawyer at Sterling & Cole. The clauses are ironclad. If I file for divorce, the case will drag on for at least two years. In the meantime, every single asset will be frozen.” I let the reality of it sink in. “Two years, Marcus. My partnership, my equity distributions, my active cases… everything would be compromised.” “So you’re just going to let her use your money to buy her mom a twenty-five-thousand-dollar purse while your own mother can’t afford an eight-hundred-dollar apartment?” he roared. He paused, thinking. “Okay, if we can’t go through the front door, we’ll find a back one.” I could hear him typing. “I’m sending you a contact. Sofia. She used to be a forensic investigator specializing in financial crime. Now she runs her own consulting firm. She eats people like your wife for breakfast.” “What can she do?” “She has a saying,” Marcus said, a hint of amusement in his voice. “A balance sheet can be cooked, but greed always leaves a trail. She’s the best at following that trail right to the hole.” 3 That evening, I came home to the rare and welcoming aroma of a home-cooked meal. Chloe, wearing an apron, emerged from the kitchen carrying a steaming pot of soup. “David, you’re back! Go wash up. I made your favorite mushroom and chicken soup to help you de-stress.” She smiled so warmly, it was as if yesterday’s ugliness had never happened. Against my better judgment, the last ember of warmth I felt for her began to glow again. Maybe she was just overly principled, not malicious. Maybe this was just the friction of marriage. I was about to say something to smooth things over when she produced a document from behind her back and placed it on the table in front of me. “Honey, I need you to sign this first.” It was an Equity Pledge and Unlimited Personal Guarantee. My pupils contracted. She pointed to a clause. “A friend of mine has a new renewable energy project. The potential is enormous, but it requires a lot of upfront capital. I want to invest fifty million from our fund, but they need your credit backing and personal guarantee as a partner at the firm.” I flipped directly to the last page and saw the company’s name. “HelioCore Renewables?” I looked up at her. “This company just got a risk advisory warning from the SEC last month. The founder, Zara, served time three years ago for securities fraud.” The smile on Chloe’s face faded. “David, you can’t be so one-dimensional. Higher risk means higher reward. Zara doesn’t have a criminal record; she has experience.” “So you want to gamble our entire net worth on a convicted con artist’s new venture?” She took a deep breath. “This is an investment! It’s for our future!” She suddenly smiled again, her voice softening into a purr. “How about this? You sign the papers, and I’ll call the realtor right now. We’ll get your mom that apartment she wanted. Better yet, I’ll pay for three years’ rent upfront. And I’ll throw in a top-of-the-line shiatsu massage chair and a ten-thousand-dollar bonus for her. How does that sound?” Baiting me with my mother’s $800 rent to sign a contract that could bankrupt us. What did she take me for? A dog that could be bought with a bone? I laughed, a cold, sharp sound, and pushed the contract back across the table. “Chloe, do you know what my legal specialty is?” She froze. “Corporate bankruptcy and liquidation,” I said, looking her dead in the eye. “I’ve seen countless investors just like you, blinded by greed, who ended up losing everything, right down to their underwear.” Her face turned to stone. “David, don’t be a fool! I’m trying to elevate us to the next level!” Her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen, and a cruel smirk touched her lips. “Your uncle just called me. I ignored it. He’s probably calling about your mother’s apartment. I suggest you reconsider. My patience is wearing thin.” Before she even finished speaking, my phone lit up. It was a picture message from my uncle. It was my mom, sitting alone on the dusty steps of her building’s stairwell, her head bowed, her silhouette a portrait of loneliness. Beneath the picture was a line of text. David, your mom’s leg is acting up again. She’s in too much pain to leave the apartment. It’s a shame, son. You’re making millions, but you can’t even spare a little for an elevator for her. The whole family is talking… My heart seized, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. 4 At two in the morning, I lay awake, listening to the steady rhythm of Chloe’s breathing beside me. We shared a bed, but there were mountains between us. I slipped out of the room and went to the study. Her laptop was open, a single password-protected folder on the screen. I tried our anniversary. Her birthday. Her mother’s birthday. All incorrect. On a dark impulse, I typed in the date we signed the Irrevocable Family Trust Agreement. Click. The folder opened. Inside was a document: Formal Complaint for Professional Misconduct, prepared for submission to the State Bar Association. Complainant: Chloe. Subject of Complaint: David. She had taken some of the most complex and difficult cases of my career, twisted the facts, and reframed them as gross professional negligence on my part. She had attached audio and video clips as evidence. One was a clip of me at home, yelling in frustration after losing a tough case. She’d labeled it “Emotional Instability, Lacks Professional Temperament.” Another was a recording of me venting to her about an unreasonable client, edited to make it sound like I held all clients in contempt and lacked professional ethics. But the fatal blow was a hidden clause she cited from our Trust Agreement: “In the event that either party has their professional license suspended or revoked due to personal conduct, thereby creating a joint liability risk to the family’s assets, the other party shall automatically gain sole and exclusive right of disposal over the Family Trust Fund.” She was planning to destroy my career, get my law license revoked, and then legally seize every asset we owned. A chill shot up my spine, cold as ice. I forced myself to be calm. The lawyer in me took over. I took a deep breath, encrypted the entire folder, uploaded it to my private cloud server, and then meticulously erased every trace of my activity from her computer. The second I closed the laptop, the study door creaked open. Chloe stood there, leaning against the doorframe in her silk robe. “What are you looking for?” she asked lazily. “You woke me up.” My heart skipped a beat, but my face remained a mask of calm. I gestured to the computer. “Just remembered a detail about the evidence for tomorrow’s hearing. Wanted to double-check.” She stared at me for a few long seconds, then chuckled. “Such a workaholic. Have you seen the time? Our electricity bill is going to be through the roof again this quarter.” She turned and left. I stood frozen in the dark, a profound cold seeping into my bones. She wanted to use the law as her weapon. Fine. I would use the very thing I was best at to personally liquidate her. 5 “Ms. Sofia, I’d like to hire you to investigate my wife, Chloe.” She leaned back in her chair, raising an eyebrow. “Investigate what?” “Everything. Her financial transactions, her social networks, her call logs. And the background of that renewable energy friend of hers, Zara.” Sofia arched a brow. “That won’t be cheap, Mr. David.” I slid a debit card across the desk. “PIN is six eights. If you need more, just ask.” She didn’t take it. She just smiled. “I don’t take cases based on the fee. I take them based on how interesting they are. Give me a reason to be interested.” I met her gaze directly. “She’s using the money I earned to build a legal trap designed to end my career and leave me with nothing. I want you to help me switch the roles of the hunter and the prey.” The smile vanished from Sofia’s face. “Now that’s interesting.” She picked up the card, spinning it deftly between her fingers. “Three days. I’ll have a report for you that you’ll be very happy with.” I went back to the firm and called my paralegal. “Jake, I need you to draft a complaint. The cause of action is a ‘Petition to Revoke the Irrevocable Family Trust Agreement.’ The defendant is Chloe.” Jake was silent for a moment. “Uh… partner? Are you… are you sure?” “Just do it. Also, schedule an appointment with the firm’s chief notary. I need to execute a new will and a durable power of attorney.” In the will, I would stipulate that in the event of my death, all my personal assets, after funding a trust for my mother’s care, would be donated to the senior center in her neighborhood. In the power of attorney, I would designate that if I ever became incapacitated, my legal guardian would be my best friend, Marcus. You want to leave me with nothing, Chloe? I won’t give you the satisfaction. That afternoon, Chloe called, her voice tight with suppressed rage. “David, what the hell is this? You’re suing me?” “As an attorney,” I replied calmly, “when my rights are violated, I trust the law to provide a just resolution.” “Are you insane? Do you have any idea what this will do? All our assets will be frozen! What about my HelioCore deal?” “That’s your deal, Chloe. Not ours.” “David!” she shrieked. “You will regret this! I have a hundred ways to make you drop this suit before we ever see a courtroom!” I hung up and looked out at the river of traffic below. You want to take everything from me? I’ll use the very trap you set to make you swallow your own poison. Game on, Chloe. 6 Chloe’s retaliation came faster than I expected. The next day, a post appeared on the firm’s internal message board. It was anonymous and pinned to the top. “SHOCKING: Top Partner at Prestigious Firm Suffering from Severe Bipolar Disorder, Has Allegedly Threatened Suicide Multiple Times!” The post detailed my supposed emotional breakdowns, complete with several blurred photos that were still clearly identifiable as me. They were the same files I’d found on her computer. The post ended with a concerned question: “How can a lawyer in such an unstable mental state be responsible for his clients’ massive assets?” It was like dropping a bomb in a quiet library. The firm’s managing partner, Mr. Davison, called me into his office immediately. His face was grim. “David, what in God’s name is this?” I handed him the psychological evaluation report I had already prepared. “Mr. Davison, I had a full psychological workup done last week at Mount Sinai. The report concludes that I am in perfect mental health.” He scanned the report, but his brow remained furrowed. “The damage is already done, David. Clients are talking. Two of our biggest accounts have already requested a new lead attorney.” I knew. This was Chloe’s real goal. To sabotage my career, cut off my income, and turn me into a dependent she could control. As I walked back to my office, I could feel the questioning stares of my colleagues burning into my back. I shut the door and called Marcus. “Marcus, I need a favor. Pull the last five years of call logs between Chloe and her best friend, the one who’s a psychiatrist.” Marcus chuckled on the other end. “Oh, so we’re hitting back now, are we?” “She went after my livelihood. It’s only fair I return the favor.” Later that afternoon, Sofia called. Her voice was electric with excitement. “Well, David, your little ‘Asset Allocation Officer’ is quite the treasure trove.” “The highlights, Sofia.” “First, her friend Zara. In that securities fraud case three years ago, Chloe was her defense attorney. She got her a reduced sentence. The quid pro quo? Once Zara got out, she was to help Chloe set up a new scheme to lure in more investors. They were going to split the profits.” I let out a cold laugh. “A den of vipers.” “Exactly,” Sofia said. “Second, and this is the masterpiece. Over the past three years, Chloe has used an SPV she registered in the British Virgin Islands to funnel five million dollars out of your family trust under the guise of ‘overseas asset diversification.’ On paper, the money went into an art fund in Panama. In reality, that fund’s only assets are a handful of limited-edition classic cars parked in her mother’s garage and the anonymous ownership of a private vineyard in Bordeaux. The investment was written off as a market loss, but in reality, the money was just converted into her family’s private property.” My heart turned to a block of ice. “The reason she’s so desperate for you to guarantee Zara’s new project is because she needs a massive infusion of new cash to cover the hole she created in the books. And to make you complicit in the process.” Sofia let out a low whistle. “Using your own money to dig your grave, then making you thank her for the shovel. David, your wife is a goddamn financial genius.” I hung up and stared out the window as the sky began to bleed into dusk. Five million dollars. My money. Earned through years of grinding, case after brutal case. She had laundered it, effortlessly, into her own family’s pockets. And yet, she couldn’t spare eight hundred dollars a month for my mom. I picked up my phone and called my mother. “Mom, don’t stay in that old building anymore. I bought you a new place downtown. A corner unit with a view. It’s fully furnished. I’ll come pick you up tomorrow.” On the other end, her voice was a mix of shock and worry. “David, how… how much did that cost? Did you talk to Chloe?” “Mom,” I said, my voice steady for the first time in months. “This is from your son. It has nothing to do with anyone else.” After hanging up, I sent a text to Sofia. [Compile all the evidence into the most professional, airtight legal opinion you can. I’m going to destroy her in court.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384761”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

1 Dating my childhood friend Jack, I drowned him in sweet nothings. Every time, his ears turned crimson. I was lost in our perfect romance until “Summer’s Simp Tapes” went viral. My voice, bright and sincere: “I love you.” Then Jack’s, laced with irritation: “If not for helping Ava, would I play this love game with Summer? Her ‘I love yous’ make me sick.” His blush was an act. Love could be faked. I made no scene, just filed transfer papers and vanished. A year later, Jack saw a viral video: two Ivy League freshmen confessing. A girl smiled. “I love you.” A boy blushed, his voice earnest: “I love you a hundred times more. More than yesterday, less than tomorrow.” The night I clinched the top rank in my grade again, an audio file titled “Summer’s Simp Tapes” was dropped into the class group chat. Seeing my name in the title, my stomach plummeted. My hand trembled as I clicked play. It opened with my own voice—the sound of me being playful, earnest, and full of light. “I love you.” And then, Jack’s voice, dripping with disdain. “If it wasn’t to help Ava get her top rank back, you think I’d waste my time playing this little love game with Summer? Listening to her ‘I love you, I love you’ crap all day makes me want to puke.” My hand clenched into a fist. My nails dug into my palm, a sharp, stinging pain. But I only squeezed tighter, as if the physical hurt could somehow numb the gaping wound in my heart. The group chat exploded. “Damn, Summer really was a simp. I heard her telling Jack ‘I love you’ like, a million times.” “LMAO. The ultimate simp story. She got played so hard.” “For real, I’ve never seen a girl so desperate. So cringe.” “Wait, but didn’t Jack ask her out first? (Don’t come for me, just saying!)” “Dude, everyone knows he only did it for Ava. Get Summer distracted, her grades slip, and bam—Ava’s back on top.” “I was always wondering how the new girl could possibly win against the childhood sweetheart. Turns out he was just a double agent, lmao.” “Team Ava and Jack forever! The new girl can see herself out.” “Ava was always number one before Summer transferred. I’d be pissed too if she just showed up and stole my spot.” “Ugh, Summer is so annoying! Always with the ‘You’re so cute!’ and ‘I love you so much!’ Who does she think she is, trying so hard to be this bubbly little ray of sunshine?” “Finally! I feel so validated. I’ve hated her for ages, and now everyone else sees it too.” … They were feasting on the drama, completely forgetting—or maybe not caring—that the main character of their gossip was right there in the chat. My presence was irrelevant. Ava and I were polar opposites. She was the class president, the perfect student, the girl everyone’s parents wanted their sons to date. I was the outgoing, cheerful one. I thought I got along with everyone. Today, I learned that was just a story I told myself. I silently left the group chat. But a sliver of foolish hope remained. I called Jack. I needed to hear it from him, to ask if the recording was true. Did he get close to me just for Ava? Did being with me really make him sick to his stomach? The phone rang for a long time before he picked up. The background was loud, filled with music and chatter. Jack’s deep voice rumbled through the speaker. “Summer?” I hesitated for a second. “Aren’t you supposed to be at home, resting?” Before he could answer, a girl’s clear voice called out from nearby. “Jack, come on! It’s your turn!” I recognized it instantly. It was Ava. Jack spoke quickly into the phone. “Hey, Summer, something just came up. Can we talk at school tomorrow? Be good.” He hung up before I could say a word. The line went dead, replaced by the monotonous dial tone. I stood there, clutching my phone, a bitter, acidic feeling rising in my throat. My mind was a chaotic storm. Just then, my screen lit up with a notification. It was a video from Ava. The scene was a dimly lit private room at a karaoke bar, the lights casting a hazy, intimate glow. Ava and Jack were playing a game, passing a bottle cap between their lips. A single die was balanced precariously on top of it. Ava’s cheeks were flushed, her cherry-red lips holding the cap as she looked up at Jack with wide, glistening eyes, like a kitten waiting for a treat. Jack smirked. “What genius came up with this game? Mouth-to-mouth bottle cap transfer? And the die can’t fall?” The people around them thought he was backing out and started jeering, teasing him about being scared to play. Ava’s hopeful expression faltered, the light in her eyes dimming. The next second, Jack leaned in. He didn’t just take the cap; he plucked it from her lips, tossed it aside, and then pressed his mouth to hers in a deep, lingering kiss. A handsome boy and a beautiful girl, lost in a passionate embrace. It was a picture-perfect, romantic moment. The onlookers were stunned for a beat, then erupted into deafening cheers and whistles. When the kiss ended, Jack glanced at the cap on the floor and chuckled, a lazy, roguish grin on his face. “Oops. The die fell.” He threw his hands up in mock surrender. “I lose.” The video ended there. A few more texts from Ava popped up. “Summer, congrats on getting first place again.” “But oops, so sorry.” “I heard you asked Jack out for sushi after school, and he said no?” “That’s because he’s with me. I bombed my exams, you know. I’m the one who needs comforting, right?” “You don’t mind if I borrow your boyfriend for the night, do you?” I stared at the provocative messages and let out a hollow laugh. Perfect. All the questions that had been swirling in my head now had their answers. I had asked Jack to get sushi after school today. I was still buzzing from my exam results, practically bouncing as I walked. “That place has been open for six months and it’s always packed! I’ve been dying to try it.” Jack had his hands shoved in his pockets, his mood clearly sour. He even looked annoyed. “It’s just first place. Why are you so happy?” I tilted my head, looking at him with wide eyes. “Of course I’m happy! Northwood is one of the top four schools in the state. Nailing the top spot twice in a row here? Isn’t that something to be happy about?” The dark cloud over his features only intensified. I finally registered that he wasn’t just in a bad mood; he was genuinely upset. Jack had scraped by with his usual barely-passing grades, but he never cared about school. It couldn’t be that. So why was he unhappy? Was it because I did too well? Was his pride wounded? Thinking that might be it, I took his hand, my voice sincere. “Grades aren’t everything. In my heart, you’re just Jack. Good grades or bad, I love you for who you are.” He ripped his hand away from mine, his voice dripping with venom. “Summer, do you ever get sick of hearing yourself say ‘I love you’ all the time? It’s fucking disgusting.” He sneered. “Honestly, you’re the clingiest person I’ve ever met.” I froze, stunned. A dull ache spread through my chest, mixed with utter confusion. I couldn’t figure out what I’d said wrong to make him lash out like that. Is telling someone you love them… clingy and disgusting? My parents were deeply in love. They always told me, “Sweetheart, love is meant to be expressed. Don’t hide it away. Never be afraid to tell the people you care about that you love them.” Was everything they taught me wrong? Seeing my dazed expression, a flicker of regret crossed Jack’s face. His voice softened. “Sorry, Summer. I’m just… I’m tired. I want to go home and rest. We can get sushi another time, okay?” I quickly forced a smile and waved my hand. “It’s okay, no problem.” But the boy who said he wanted to go home and rest was actually on his way to comfort his childhood sweetheart. It was only today that I finally understood. A blush isn’t always a sign of a fluttering heart. And love, it turns out, can be faked. I hid in the bathroom, turned the faucet on full blast, and sobbed until my chest ached and I felt light-headed. As I gasped for air, memories of my time with Jack flooded my mind. A year ago, my dad’s company expanded, and I transferred to Northwood High. Jack was my desk mate. He slept through every class. The rumor was his family was loaded, so the teachers left him alone. As a seat partner, he wasn’t bad. He was quiet when he slept, sometimes with his face buried in his arms, other times turned towards me. The early morning sun would filter through the window, tracing the sharp, sculpted lines of his face. His eyelashes were long, his nose straight and strong, his lips thin. I’d rest my chin on my hand and just… stare. God, he’s ridiculously handsome, I’d think. One day, he opened his eyes without warning. Our gazes locked. I froze, but he just smiled. It was the first thing he ever said to me. “Like what you see?” My heart hammered against my ribs. My face went hot, and I immediately looked down, pretending to be engrossed in my textbook. After that, Jack pursued me relentlessly. Soon, we were together. He was my first boyfriend, my first real crush. I took our relationship seriously. And to be fair, he played the part of a perfect boyfriend flawlessly. He showered me with gifts, planned surprises, and created romantic moments. His study was a fortress even his parents weren’t allowed in, but he gave me free rein. When I had cramps and craved wontons from a little shop on the south side of the city, he’d brave the freezing winter night, racing across town on his motorcycle just to bring me a warm bowl. … Each memory was like a sugar-coated pill of poison. The last of my hope died. I composed myself, splashed my face with cold water, and knocked on my dad’s study door. Even though I’d held an ice pack to my eyes for what felt like an eternity, he knew instantly. “Sweetheart, were you crying? What happened?” I looked down at my feet. “Dad, I don’t want to go to Northwood anymore. The pressure is just… it’s too much. I want to transfer.” He agreed without a second thought, ruffling my hair with his big, gentle hand. “Okay. Wherever you want to go, sweetheart.” He said softly, “Just do your best in school. Don’t put so much pressure on yourself. Even if the sky falls, Dad will be here to hold it up for you, you know that?” His warmth and concern made my nose tingle, and I had to fight back a fresh wave of tears. When Mom heard I wanted to transfer, she didn’t ask why. She just supported my decision unconditionally. That night, before I went to sleep, she slipped into my bed, saying she wanted to keep me company. I curled up in her arms, breathing in her familiar, comforting scent. I thought I’d be up all night, but I fell asleep almost instantly. The next day, Dad went to the school to handle the transfer paperwork. I was going to go with him, but he stopped me and pressed a credit card into my hand. “I’ve got this. You go have some fun. Go shopping, buy whatever you want. Don’t you dare try to save me money.” I bought a few blind boxes and ended up in a bookstore. My favorite author had a new book out, and they had one last copy. Just as I reached for it, a delighted voice came from behind me. “Jack, look! They still have one!” Without hesitating, I grabbed the book. I turned to face Jack and Ava. Standing together, they looked like a perfect couple, straight out of a magazine. Jack looked surprised to see me. “Summer? Why aren’t you in class?” I ignored him and started walking towards the cashier. Ava rushed to block my path, her hand grabbing my arm. Her expression was pitiful, her voice a soft plea. “Summer, could you please let me have this book? I’ll pay you ten times the price for it. I’ve been to every bookstore in the city today, and it’s sold out everywhere. This is the last one.” “Sorry,” I said, my voice flat. “I’m not short on cash.” Ava’s face went pale. She looked humiliated, and her eyes welled up with tears. Jack frowned at me. “It’s Ava’s birthday today. Just be the bigger person and let her have it. They’ll restock it in a few days.” I couldn’t help but retort, “Then why can’t Ava wait a few days? I got to it first. First come, first served. What’s the problem?” Jack’s face turned to stone, his eyes icing over. “Are you really this petty? Do you have to be jealous of everything? Is it really worth it, Summer?” His tone was mocking. “Honestly, are you even a fan of this author? Or are you just doing this because Ava likes them, trying to get under her skin?” Behind him, Ava shot me a triumphant little smile. I looked straight at Jack, my gaze unwavering. “So that’s how you see me.” Maybe it was the seriousness in my eyes, but for a split second, he looked flustered. He quickly regained his composure, his expression softening as he tried to placate me. “Come on, Summer, don’t be like this. As soon as it’s back in stock, I’ll buy it for you first thing. Okay?” Suddenly, the whole thing felt utterly pointless. I shoved the book into his chest. “I don’t want it anymore,” I said, each word deliberate and clear. I don’t want to like you anymore, Jack. From this day on, we are strangers. The mountains will stand silent, and the fields will stretch on, indifferent. I didn’t want to risk running into them again, so I transferred to South Crest High in the neighboring city. It was just as prestigious as Northwood. I’ve always been adaptable, and I caught up with my new classes quickly. This time, I kept my head down, buried myself in my books, and avoided socializing. Then the mid-term rankings were posted. I’d accidentally landed in first place again. Students were clustered around the bulletin board, buzzing. “Whoa, am I seeing things? Did our academic king Leo actually drop to second place?” “You’re not blind. I see it too.” “Seriously, who is this Summer? I’ve never even heard of her.” “She’s in our class. Super pretty, but kind of cold. Doesn’t talk much.” “I think she’s the new transfer student. From Northwood High, I heard.” “Oh, from Northwood? Say no more.” “What’s that supposed to mean? Why are you hyping up another school?” “Well, looks like Leo’s got some real competition now. This is gonna be fun to watch, hehe.” They chattered excitedly, but my heart sank. Great. So South Crest had a reigning academic king, too.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384760”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The heroine of this redemption story, Tessa, had a system that projected scrolling comments into the air. After she bullied me, she tailored them specifically for my mother. “Checking in on the chapter where the evil sidekick frames our sweet girl for bullying. I’m so mad.” “Just what you’d expect from the villain who’s going to drain her mother’s savings for a deadbeat boyfriend and won’t even spend a few bucks on her mom’s medicine. All her lies are just empty words!” “Mom, wake up and look at our sweet Tess! She’s the same poor little thing you fed a piece of bread to three years ago. She didn’t bully anyone, and she still remembers you, sob.” “Mom, please take the heroine home with you! She’ll be the most filial, most successful daughter! Not like your real daughter, who’ll just leave you to rot alone in some cheap apartment.” My mother, who had been storming into the school ready to demand justice for me, suddenly looked at Tessa with an unnervingly soft expression. She reached out her hand. “I believe you,” she said gently. “Would you like to come home with me?” They didn’t know I was reborn. And this time, I could see the comments, too. 1. In the principal’s office, Tessa bit her lip, her gaze fixed defiantly on my mother. Her eyes held a kind of shattered loneliness, her whole body coiled like a cornered animal, ready to spring at the slightest touch. Her voice was cold as she asked, “What do you mean… come home with you?” My mother sighed softly and took Tessa’s wrist, revealing several faint, faded scars. “It means I’ll take care of you from now on. I’ll give you a real home. Would you like that?” Tessa froze, her eyes wide as tears silently pooled, threatening to spill over. She looked as if she’d never dared to dream this could happen. “…Really?” “Really,” Mom nodded without hesitation. “But from now on, you and Abby will be sisters.” She paused, adding softly, “And you have to promise me you won’t bully her.” Then, Mom took Tessa’s hand and led her toward me. Yes, I’m Abby. Her biological daughter. And the one Tessa had locked in the bathroom yesterday, stripped, and photographed. Mom looked at me, her tone gentle but firm. “Abby, Tessa knows she was wrong. She didn’t mean it… Can you forgive her?” I stared at the familiar scene, the relentless stream of comments floating past my eyes. For a hazy moment, I couldn’t even remember… In my last life, how had I answered? 2. “Hahaha, go Mom! But here comes the drama from the evil sidekick!” “Yeah, start your tantrum! The more you act out, the more it proves Mom made the right choice.” “Who wouldn’t run from such a heartless, selfish, and stupidly rebellious brat?” “Her only purpose is to make our sweet Tess look even smarter and kinder, hehe.” “Later on, she makes her mom’s life a living hell. Runs off with her deadbeat boyfriend, steals money, and even forces her mom to sell blood to pay off debts! If Mom can see this, she needs to ditch this ungrateful brat and run as far away as possible!” Any hesitation on my mother’s face vanished as she read the scrolling messages. Her gaze hardened as she turned to me. “Abby, what have I taught you?” I lifted my head and met Tessa’s smug, challenging smirk. I didn’t cry. I didn’t hide. I just looked calmly at my mother and spoke, word by word. “She burned my shoulder with a cigarette. She had her friends take turns slapping me. She locked me in the bathroom, stripped me naked, and took pictures… She even picked up a mop handle and said she was going to ‘teach me a lesson for good.’” “Mom, is this the person you want me to forgive?” “—And give a home to?” In my last life, that bathroom became a nightmare I couldn’t escape for over a decade. I couldn’t bear to think about it, couldn’t speak of it. It was like my soul had been ripped out. The final blow was my mother announcing she was adopting Tessa right after. I couldn’t accept it. I screamed and thrashed on the office floor, pushing away anyone who tried to touch me. I was nothing but a ball of shrieking rage. My reaction perfectly validated the comments: “crazy,” “immature,” “can’t even be as calm as Tessa.” Tessa just stood there, watching me with cold eyes until I was exhausted. Then she let out a small, contemptuous laugh. “Some people just don’t know how good they have it.” 3. Seeing me so calm, so unlike the hysterical girl in the comments, both Mom and Tessa were visibly stunned. Mom’s eyes darted around nervously, her gaze flicking up into the air. I knew she was reading the comments again. “What a load of crap! Our Tess would at most scare her a little. She’d never actually hit someone!” “She only said something because she saw Abby arguing with her mom and felt bad for her! Now she’s being framed for it. Poor Tess must be so heartbroken!” “Don’t believe a word this little liar says! If she’s so sure, let her show the burn. If there’s a mark, I’ll eat my phone right here and now!” “Our girl didn’t even touch her! I’m so pissed, I want to punch her!” “She’s been framing people since she was a kid. No wonder she grows up to be so vicious…” Just then, Tessa lowered her head and gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. “Whatever she says, I guess… No one will believe me anyway. I don’t have a family or friends to stand up for me. If she says I bullied her, then just do whatever you want with me.” Instantly, Mom’s heart went out to her. She turned to me, her eyes filled with disappointment. “Abby, tell me the truth. Did this student really hit you? Are you lying?” Suddenly, all eyes were on me. Even the principal looked confused, trying to mediate. “Mrs. Evans, Abby has always been a well-behaved student. She gets along well with her classmates…” The comments exploded again. “Heh, is this principal a snake? Praising Abby is just a backhanded way of saying our Tess is badly behaved.” “So passive-aggressive. No wonder Tess feels like no one will ever believe her.” “She only dresses like a punk for self-protection! Otherwise, her aunt would beat her half to death at home!” I pulled my gaze away from the comments and looked steadily at my mother. “So, you want me to take off my clothes and prove it to you right now?” Just like last time. 4. My life was destroyed twice. The first time was that Friday after school, when Tessa dragged me into the bathroom. The second time is right now. The mother who had always doted on me was suddenly a stranger. Her expression shifted from gentle to suspicious, and finally to cold indifference. She simply didn’t believe Tessa was capable of such things; she was convinced I was lying. She watched me break down sobbing, then turned around and brought Tessa, a girl who ran with a rough crowd, into our home. She said she was going to “save” this child. I still remember the crushing disappointment in her eyes. “Abby, I’m done with you. You always wanted freedom, right? Well, here it is.” And just like that, Tessa moved in. My room was literally split in half. Mom decorated Tessa’s side into a dream bedroom for any young girl, stroking her hair with a smile. “Don’t worry, Tessa. Anything other girls have, I’ll make sure you have it too.” Tessa burst into tears and threw herself into my mom’s arms, her voice choked. “Can I call you Mom? Just once… I’ve always wanted a mom.” They clung to each other, bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window as the curtains billowed in the breeze. I was huddled in the darkest corner of the room—where there was no light, and no breeze. I didn’t understand. I truly didn’t understand how my mother had changed so completely. I begged her, pleaded with her, even secretly prayed to God: Please give me my old mom back. After that, no matter how Tessa bullied me, I never said a word. My mother wouldn’t believe me anymore. Because she had once forced me to strip in the principal’s office to prove I had a cigarette burn— But it was gone. The mark Tessa had laughed while pressing into my skin had vanished without a trace. It was as if I really was the liar the comments claimed I was—the ungrateful brat who would one day be the death of her. From that day on, our lives were inverted. Tessa transformed into the “reformed” good girl. Her grades soared, she grew more beautiful, and she was beloved by teachers and students alike. Mom drove her to school, sat with her during piano practice, and cherished her like a precious jewel. I became sullen and withdrawn. I started skipping class, getting into fights, and dating the wrong kind of people. …But it didn’t matter if I was good or bad. My mother never gave me a second glance. I became Tessa’s opposite. The better she was, the worse I became. In the end, she became a renowned scientist, thanking my mother for her guidance at an awards ceremony. And I lay in a rundown apartment, swallowing a full bottle of pills. It wasn’t until I died that I finally understood the answers to the questions that had haunted my dreams for so long. 5. In this moment, I finally understood. It was because of those comments, floating in the air, that my mother had decided to abandon me. I looked up at her, a smile on my face, and asked again. “Mom, are you really telling me to take off my clothes right now… to show you if there’s a cigarette burn?” The office fell silent. Tessa made a soft “tsk” sound, pulling her hand from my mother’s and taking a deliberate step back, as if afraid I’d try to frame her for something else. Just as my mother was about to speak, the comments flared up again. “My heart aches for her… No wonder Tess ends up with no friends, just burying herself in her research.” “That feeling of having hope dangled in front of you only to have it snatched away… it’s too cruel.” “She wins so many awards in the future but has no one to share it with. I can’t breathe just thinking about it.” “Blood means nothing! A true connection is what matters!” “Ten biological daughters aren’t worth a single hair on our Tess’s head!” As expected, my mother’s expression softened again. She looked at me, her voice quiet but insistent. “Abby… just show me. Otherwise, I really don’t know what to do.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384759”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My boyfriend, Liam, and I had a trip planned for the long holiday weekend, but at the last minute, he said he needed to bring along a friend who’d been left all alone. I spent the whole night rebooking our hotel and remapping our itinerary. It wasn’t until we got to our destination that I found out the “friend” was his 21-year-old childhood friend, Cassie. Liam claimed she had nowhere to go for the holiday. He said we could help her out, you know, “like parents taking their son on a trip.” That night, while Liam was debating whether to stay in his “wife’s” room or his “son’s” room, I told him we were done. He flew into a rage, chose my room, and pinned me to the bed. “Don’t even think about running away. I’m sick and tired of you giving me the silent treatment and disappearing whenever you’re mad. I’m not accepting this breakup. I’ve got you tonight.” In the middle of the night, while he was asleep, I took my still-unpacked suitcase and went home. Don’t play me for a fool, Liam. Not anymore. 1 I stood in the packed airport terminal in the dead of night, suitcase in hand. Trying to get a flight home immediately during a peak holiday weekend was impossible. My only option was to pay an exorbitant fee for a long-haul taxi. The three days of vacation I’d earned by working a full year without a break were being spent on the road. Despite his words about not letting me run, Liam only called once, the morning after I left. “Penny, why are you so stubborn? It must be a rough ride back. I left some dumplings I made in your freezer. You can cook some when you get home. Take care of yourself.” I mumbled a quiet agreement. The car’s navigation system was speaking clearly in the background, but Liam prattled on, telling me what to do when I got home. After hanging up, I leaned back in my seat, exhausted from a sleepless night. The driver’s voice broke the silence. “Hey, kiddo, we’re not gonna make it home today. This GPS says we won’t get there ’til morning.” A moment later, he spoke again. “Kiddo, I gotta ask, what’s the point of all this?” Thump. He slammed his fist on the steering wheel, and I felt the whole car shake. He’d been on a righteous tirade ever since last night when I insisted on hiring him for an interstate trip. After all, who arrives in Vermont for the first day of a holiday weekend only to leave before the night is even over? Seeing he was about to drag me to his sister’s place for the night if I didn’t explain, I finally gave in and told him I’d had a fight with my boyfriend and just wanted to go home. That morning’s phone call, which I was too groggy to fully process, had been the last straw for him. “Does he think you can fly? That you can just get home in a day? Buying a ticket during the holidays isn’t that easy! Honey, you’re being a fool. You’re the one suffering on this long ride home, and I bet you anything he’s back there having the time of his life!” I just smiled without saying a word. This wasn’t the first time Liam had pulled something like this. He always had an excuse to bring his “little sister from next door” along. We’d had a huge fight about it just before the trip. I told him I was sick of Cassie tagging along on every single one of our dates. She was twenty-one, not eleven. Just because she went to college in our city didn’t mean she had to be our permanent third wheel. 2 Last month, when Liam proposed, I finally put my foot down. I told him I needed Cassie to be less a part of our lives. He promised. He swore she was just immature, like a little kid. He claimed he had no idea it bothered me so much. If I had just said something sooner, he would have been more careful! And yet, a month later, here we were again, same old story. I had worked for a year without a single day off just to make sure the hospital wouldn’t schedule me for this holiday weekend. I’d come straight from a night shift to spend hours booking hotels and planning our itinerary. When I showed up at the airport, dark circles under my eyes, the first thing I saw was Liam and Cassie, who had already been there for a while. “Penny!” Cassie waved at me from a distance, a sugary-sweet smile on her face. My own face went cold. “Liam, I thought you said ‘never again.’” He looked embarrassed and quickly wrapped an arm around me. “Penny, this was a special case, a real emergency! Her hometown is so far away, she couldn’t go back for the holiday, and she was all alone in her dorm. We couldn’t just leave her, right? It’s more fun with more people anyway.” He squeezed my shoulder. “We’ll just play Mom and Dad taking our kid on a trip. Come on, be good.” I didn’t say anything, just let him knead my hand in his. He probably took my silence as acceptance. He called out to Cassie, who was fiddling with a keychain. “Isn’t that right, son? Get over here and help your Mom and Dad with the luggage!” Cassie wasn’t stupid. Seeing my sour expression, her initial enthusiasm vanished. She listlessly dragged our three suitcases behind her. “Yeah, yeah, okay, Dad. Let’s go, let’s go!” I expected it to be like all the other times, with Cassie being everywhere, needing Liam’s help for everything. But this time, she was quiet the whole way. It wasn’t until we got to the hotel that I figured it out. Not only had Cassie booked her flight well in advance, she’d already booked her hotel room, too. Right next door to ours. It made the family suite I’d paid extra for at the last minute feel like a complete joke. 3 I sat alone in our hotel room, waiting for Liam to get Cassie settled in her room next door. My fingers scrolled endlessly through return flights and train tickets. I even checked the bus schedule. I was done being patient. I stood up, grabbed my suitcase, and headed for the door. “Penny, you won’t believe what Cassie just said.” Liam walked in the exact moment I stood up. “She’s hilarious. After I got her checked in, she asked me if I wanted to sleep with my wife or my son tonight. Can you believe that? Of course my wife comes first. A son is always just a son!” He pulled me into his arms. I remained silent. Liam finally seemed to notice something was wrong. He tilted his head, studying my face. “What’s the matter, Penny? Cassie was just kidding. It’s not like I’d actually sleep with her. We’re all adults here.” “Liam, let’s break up.” My own voice sounded terrifyingly calm. I was done fighting. “Penny, what are you talking about…” Liam froze. When it finally registered, his voice got louder and louder. “I don’t agree! You accepted my proposal. What is this about? Tell me! You do this every time, you just shut down and don’t say anything, and I’m supposed to guess what’s going on in your head? How am I supposed to know what you’re thinking?” I pushed him out of my way and started walking out with my suitcase. Liam’s strength was surprising. He snatched the suitcase and threw it aside, grabbing my arm and forcing me down onto the bed. “Penny Miller, I’m the only one who can put up with this temper of yours. You just shut down and disappear whenever you’re mad. Well, today I’m holding on to you. Let’s see you run now!” As he spat out the vicious words, he took a moment to send a voice message to Cassie. “Son, you’re on your own tonight. Don’t bother your Mom and Dad!” 4 I waited until he was sound asleep. At one in the morning, I took my things and went to the airport. I asked driver after driver, but most weren’t willing to make the long trip. This one, however, seemed to think I was a lost soul with nowhere to go. He insisted on knowing my story, then practically forced me into his car. Vermont was a long way from home. It was a place I’d never been, a place whose crisp winds and heavy snows I’d always dreamed of seeing. In college, I imagined I would one day visit with the love of my life. I never thought it would take me this many years to get here, only to leave like this. The driver spent half the trip cursing out scumbags. As I was getting out, he even tried to set me up with his younger brother. A solid, family-oriented guy, he promised, who would never pull any of this nonsense. I just smiled and didn’t respond. After getting my luggage, I told him to drive safe on his way back. “Alright, kiddo. But my brother’s a real catch, and a fantastic cook! There are plenty of good guys like us out there!” “I know, I know. Drive safe!” I watched the out-of-state license plate disappear down the street. Dragging my travel-weary body, I finally made it home and had a chance to check my phone. My family knew I was with Liam, so no messages. My colleagues at the hospital, whom I’d repeatedly begged for an uninterrupted vacation, also hadn’t reached out. Liam, probably figuring I was in a foul mood and not wanting to poke the bear, hadn’t sent a single text since that one phone call. But there was one message from Cassie. An explanation that she didn’t mean for this to happen, and that she’d told Liam to call me to make sure I was safe. I was silent for a moment. Then I tapped on her cartoon profile picture. Her latest social media post was right at the top. “Exploring Vermont with Dad! Eat, eat, eat, haha.” The picture was of her holding a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream bar with a bite taken out of it. Behind her, Liam, who has a sensitive stomach, was frowning, chewing on that exact bite of ice cream. I put my phone down and looked at the dumplings Liam had left for me in the freezer. He didn’t know how to cook much, but dumplings were the one thing his mother had made him practice since he was a kid. Ever since we met, he’d make a batch for me whenever he had time, worried I’d get home late from a shift with nothing to eat. But Liam himself couldn’t eat frozen, greasy, or fried foods. He never got used to the local cuisine here. So, on my rare days off, I would cook light, simple meals and bring them to him. I even put together a whole collection of healthy recipes so he wouldn’t get bored. But none of that mattered now. I took all the dumplings out of the freezer and boiled them. I ate most of them, tears streaming down my face. 5 In the adult world, you go to work even when your heart is broken. The three-day weekend flew by, especially since I’d spent it all in a car. The driver’s non-stop pep talks had barely left me a moment to feel sad. It wasn’t until I was back home that it hit me. It was really over. When I got to work that morning, a colleague teased me, “So, Penny, how was it? Vermont is totally different from here, right? Did you take pictures?” “Could you see any snow yet?” “Yeah, Dr. Miller! I’ve never been that far. I wonder if I can get a shift change during the winter season.” “God, the holiday crowds! I just want a break!” More and more people gathered around, and I felt a wave of embarrassment. We’d all worked together for so long, and I didn’t know how to just blurt out that Liam and I had broken up and I’d stormed home. “Alright, alright, leave our Penny alone! Everyone, back off—” Liam strode over from the OB/GYN department, his white coat still unbuttoned. He walked into the center of the group, a huge smile on his face. “I’ll show you the pictures. Please, I’m begging you, give my Penny a break.” The crowd laughed. The colleagues who’d been stuck on duty over the holiday were exhausted and eager for a distraction. They clamored to see the photos on his phone. Liam was tall, and he smiled and winked at me over their heads. My earlier awkwardness was gone, replaced by a pure, simmering annoyance. I turned and walked away. I could still hear their voices behind me. “Wow, the autumn colors are gorgeous.” “I want to quit my job and go right now!” “Hey, Dr. Adams, Dr. Miller is a pretty good photographer! You look so handsome in this picture!” “Where’s Dr. Miller? Let’s see if you made our hospital’s prettiest doctor look bad!” “Ooh, who’s this? She’s really pretty too. They really do have beautiful women up north…” 6 The voices faded. It took everything in me not to expose Liam’s whole charade right then and there. I quickened my pace. I’d just stepped into my office and was about to close the door when a hand shot out, blocking it. It was Liam, a look of exasperation on his face. “Penny, you got home and didn’t even let me know. I was worried about you. And you wouldn’t talk to me just now. Please, don’t be angry.” His voice was low and placating. “Let me show you the pictures I took in Vermont. You always wanted to go. The whole time I was taking them, I just kept thinking how much I wished you were there.” He held out his phone, scrolling through the photos. They were all solo shots of him, with a few landscape pictures mixed in. He kept flicking through them, one after another. Maybe he was going too fast, or maybe he just didn’t think it was a big deal, because suddenly he swiped right past the picture from Cassie’s social media post. “That’s enough!” I yanked the door open. Liam, caught off balance, stumbled. Though I was furious, I kept my voice as low as I could. “Liam, have you been playing me for a fool this whole time?! Why is Cassie always between us? And stop with the ‘son’ crap. She’s a woman, and her last name isn’t yours!” My words were rushed, forced through a tight throat. Liam stared at me, his smile vanishing, his face hardening. “Penny, I honestly don’t understand why you always have such a problem with Cassie. What has she ever done to you? This time, if she hadn’t convinced me, I wouldn’t have even bothered trying to win you back. It’s the same thing every time. The second something isn’t perfect, you give me the cold shoulder. Can’t we just talk things out? This constant silent treatment is just going to destroy what we have.” 7 No matter how quiet we were, our argument was overheard. A colleague, who had been on his way to joke about our trip, walked right into our tense standoff. His mouth was faster than his eyes, and though he saw the awkward atmosphere, the words still tumbled out. “Dr. Adams, hey, the guys were saying you two met a young lady on your trip. She got a boyfriend? Heh, I was hoping to get her num—” He trailed off, silenced by the heavy air between us. “Right, uh, I’m gonna go do my rounds!” Our fight was interrupted. Liam gave me a disappointed look. “Penny, if you have something to say, just say it. I don’t accept this breakup. You need to calm down, too.” He shut the door with a sharp click. I walked back to my desk and collapsed into my chair. How did it all come to this?

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384758”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

The future CEO’s wicked stepmother? That was me. I frequently starved the little tyrant, beat him black and blue, and even sent away his favorite puppy. Then, one day, the System suddenly bound itself to me, ordering me to clean up my act and become a good stepmother. I was conflicted. Because just two minutes before the System connected, I had smacked the future CEO across the bottom. “What am I supposed to do?” “He won’t eat normal food. He cries hysterically until I agree to mix his meal with dog shit.” 1 In the living room, Brian sniveled, tears streaming down his round cheeks, stealing furtive glances at me. I ignored him. My head was pounding from the constant noise of the System vibrating inside my skull. A frantic, static-laced mechanical voice kept shrieking: 【Brian is only a four-year-old child! Why are you withholding dinner from him?】 【He will become a future trillion-dollar CEO, and his stomach cancer will be your fault, Host.】 That accusation hit me so suddenly I almost dropped my rice bowl. I scoffed mentally. Just two minutes ago, I had lifted my hand from Brian’s chubby, defiant bottom. The self-proclaimed “Stepmother Redemption System” had latched onto me at that exact moment. This System wasn’t just good at laying blame; it was also a nonstop chatterbox. 【Host, you cannot continue this way. Wicked stepmothers have no future.】 【We must nurture the little flower of the nation and ensure he grows up strong and healthy!】 Meanwhile, seeing that I wasn’t responding, the little terror in the living room cranked up the volume of his sobbing. “Waaah! Waaah!” 【The System shows Brian is currently in a state of extreme hunger. Host, please allow him to eat dinner.】 The System repeated the phrase relentlessly in my mind. Between the internal noise and the external wailing, I couldn’t even eat my own dinner in peace. Exasperated, I slammed my chopsticks down, feeling defeated and completely overwhelmed. “What am I supposed to do?” I snapped back internally. “He throws a fit demanding to eat rice mixed with dog shit.” “He refuses to eat perfectly normal meals unless they are mixed with dog shit!” 【Host, please—wait, what? Dog shit?】 The System went utterly silent for half a minute, crashing. 2 The System told me that my stepson, the one currently obsessed with eating dog-poop rice, would one day be a CEO worth hundreds of billions. This CEO would be a philanthropist, and his companies would make significant contributions to society. Yet, goodness wouldn’t save him. The CEO would develop health issues and be diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer. The System’s investigation concluded that I, the stepmother, had caused the CEO’s severe eating complex through childhood abuse, which led directly to his aggressive cancer diagnosis. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, pointing at the still-sobbing, bare-bottomed future CEO in the living room. “So, are you telling me I should give in right now and feed him dog shit mixed with rice?” 【Uh…】 The internal static crackled even faster. The System, skeptical but cautious, tentatively suggested: 【Why don’t you try offering him a normal meal first?】 I immediately plated a bowl of perfectly nutritious food—mini chicken cutlets and steamed broccoli—and placed it in front of Brian, personally offering him a spoonful. “Open up, sweetie.” The little menace puckered his lips, stuck his index finger in his mouth, and mumbled, “No, wah! I want Shadow!” My face tightened. I pulled his finger out of his mouth. He had actually been digging in the yard with that hand half an hour ago. It was filthy. “Absolutely not!” “Waaaah!” Brian flailed, crying louder, refusing to even glance at the spoonful of food. The System asked curiously: 【What is ‘Shadow’?】 I gestured to the corner where a large, floofy Husky was lounging. “Shadow is the dog. But the kid means he wants Shadow’s feces.” 【He actually wants to eat it? Oh, dear God…】 The System audibly ‘vomited’ inside my head. My expression darkened. “What are you doing? Did you just puke data all over my brain?” 【I merely purged some residual data, Host. Don’t worry, I immediately re-ingested it into my core memory banks.】 Now I felt nauseous. I addressed the System: “Do you believe me now?” “If you still doubt me, I can wait until Shadow goes to the bathroom, mix it into the rice, and you can watch him happily gobble it down.” 【No need, Host. I believe you.】 “Waaah! Waaah!” Brian continued his dramatic, tearless wail. I fixed him with a cold stare. “Are you going to eat or not?” “Mean lady!” Brian burrowed his face into the sofa cushion, presenting his smooth, defiant butt toward me. I automatically gave it a gentle, quick swat. “I’m the mean lady, and you are the bad baby.” Brian’s crying hitched. I pressed on. “Bad baby. Brian Maxwell is a bad baby.” “Waaaah! I am not! You are mean! I am a good baby!” I snorted. “No, you’re not.” “Only babies who eat the food I give them are good babies. If you don’t eat, you’re a bad baby.” “Bad babies get their bottoms smacked.” The little terror’s lips trembled. He reluctantly sat up. He slapped the sofa repeatedly with both hands, his small face fierce. “Eat! Eat!” The System was dumbfounded. Fighting back a smile, I held the spoonful of food to his mouth. “Good boy. Open wide.” I slipped the bite in, then cajoled him. “One bite, just one more.” The little cub tried to push the bowl away. “No more!” “You have to finish this to turn back into a good baby. Otherwise, you stay a bad baby.” A small child? I had this in the bag. 3 Robert Vance, the future CEO’s father, and I met through mutual friends and got married quickly once we realized we were a good match. He was upfront about having a son from a previous relationship. The boy was being raised by his ex-girlfriend. I was perfectly fine with that. I wasn’t keen on having children of my own, so it suited me well. However, on the sixty-fifth day of our marriage, Robert returned from a business trip, bringing a skinny, quiet little boy with him. That was Brian. Robert explained that his ex-girlfriend had disappeared, leaving Brian alone at home. He had no choice but to bring the child back. I initially thought I’d been conned. But I hired a few private investigators with the generous monthly stipend Robert gave me. The investigation confirmed his story. The day after the kid arrived, Robert had to leave for an overseas trip. He begged me repeatedly to watch the little brat for one month, swearing he would take over full custody when he returned and promising I wouldn’t be bothered further. Considering the allowance he gave me was three times my old salary, I agreed. I could be a temporary nanny. I just had to tolerate this toddler for one month. What I didn’t anticipate was that on the third day of Robert’s absence, the little demon, fully recovered from his initial shock, started playing with dog feces. Oh, Shadow, the Husky, had arrived with Brian, too. I tolerated the poop-playing, excusing it because he was barely four. But then, when dinner was ready, and I was preparing to feed him, the boy refused the meal. He snatched the bowl and ran toward Shadow. Right there, under my very nose, he grabbed Shadow’s fresh feces, mixed it into his rice, and scooped a spoonful into his mouth. Gag. I actually gagged out loud twice. After recovering, I lunged at him to pry his mouth open. The boy, perhaps thinking I was trying to steal his ‘food,’ bit down hard and started wailing, hitting me. That was the first time his little bottom received a proper spanking lesson. Every day since then, at mealtime, I’ve had to administer a few swats before he would quietly eat. And then, the System found me. 4 There were still two days until Robert returned from his trip. Outside, the weather was beautiful, perfect—if only the sound of a bawling child wasn’t echoing through the house. I yawned. “System, I’m going for my nap. You watch him. Don’t let him hide any dog shit.” The System was firmly on my side now, sounding utterly convinced. 【Rest assured, Host. I will keep a close eye on the little tyrant.】 I happily sank into my soft bed. After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, sleep began to creep in. 【Host! The dog went! The little tyrant’s hand is on it!】 The System screamed hysterically. 【Aaaah! I have digital OCD! I can’t look! My virtual eyes are burning!】 I was instantly wide awake, cursing under my breath as I dragged myself out of bed. “Brian Maxwell!” The little boy tried to hide the hand clutching the feces behind his back. “I didn’t! Didn’t!” “I saw everything. Hand it over!” I grabbed his tiny arm and hauled him to the sink. As I frantically scrubbed his hand, I internally screamed: “I can’t take this! I’m sending that dog away!” The System cautioned me: 【You can’t, Host! The System indicates the little tyrant may have mild autistic tendencies due to severe trauma.】 【Shadow is his only constant. Sending Shadow away could severely destabilize him.】 I was at my breaking point. “So, I just have to watch him hide, play with, and eat dog shit every single day?” 【Er… Perhaps you should just smack him a few more times?】 5 When Robert returned, I mentally set off fireworks. I grabbed Brian under the arms, lifted him straight up, and shoved him into Robert’s embrace. “Is this really your biological son?” I demanded. Robert, confused, scrutinized the boy’s face. “Yes, of course. How could I mistake him?” My expression was a complicated mix of three parts disgust, four parts regret, and three parts nausea. “Did you like eating dog shit when you were a kid?” Robert’s smile froze. His eyes widened. “Elara, what are you talking about? That’s dog feces! Why would I like that?” I stepped back two paces, curling my lip in distaste. “The little menace you’re holding loves eating dog shit.” “Every meal, he tries to grab the feces and mix it into his bowl.” Robert was baffled, staring at me blankly. “Huh?” After ten seconds of stunned silence, Robert let out a booming, hearty laugh. “Elara, darling, what are you saying? That’s impossible!” “Fine, don’t believe me.” I shrugged. “You promised you’d take care of the little cub when you got back. Now you’re home, I’m going to take my afternoon nap.” That was usually my nap time. But it was also the time the little cub usually stood guard over Shadow, waiting for him to poop. I was genuinely exhausted. The System, lacking a physical body, couldn’t stop him. Too many times, I’d been woken up by the System screaming, only to find the culprit red-handed. How long had it been since I woke up naturally? Robert smiled, nodding. “Okay, sweetheart. Thank you for your hard work.” “Oh, and Elara.” Robert pulled a gift bag from his suitcase and gave me an ingratiating smile. “A little something for you.” I paused, considering, then took the bag. My internal guilt surged, but I still went to wash a bunch of grapes. I handed the fruit bowl to Brian. “Daddy is putting away his clothes. Can you feed Daddy a grape?” Brian’s eyes, as big and bright as grapes themselves, swiveled toward Robert. He hugged the bowl, bobbed his head, and chirped in his sweet, baby voice, “Yes! Good Daddy!” Such a cute little boy. Too bad he loved eating dog shit. I leisurely retreated to the bedroom to play on my phone. The System was perplexed. 【Host, aren’t you going to tell Robert about the dog feces?】 I popped a grape in my mouth. “I did tell him. He didn’t believe me.” 【Then—】 I cut it off. “Don’t worry. He’ll believe me soon enough.” The System pressed: 【Why?】 I hesitated slightly. “Did you forget? The little cub hid a piece of dog shit under the sofa foot.” System: 【?】 I didn’t elaborate. Honestly, my first impression of the cub had been great. He was tiny, with huge, round eyes. His smile was the cuteness champion of the universe. But I couldn’t forget that first afternoon. I had washed a bowl of grapes and started feeding them to him. He then started feeding them to me. I was scrolling on my phone, and my positive initial impression made me open my mouth without thinking. The first one was a grape. The second one was a grape. The third was a small, firm piece of dog feces. I only avoided it because a terrible intuition made me look down just in time. The feces was less than two inches from my lips. I nearly contaminated myself. The System suddenly shrieked: 【Host! Emergency!】 6 I took a deep breath, forcing myself to remain calm. “What is it?” 【The little tyrant just dug the dog feces out from under the sofa.】 【He is walking toward Robert…】 【He is holding it up to his mouth…】 A wave of panic hit me. Robert and I were married, after all, and he had just bought me a gift. I wanted to rush out and stop it, but my feet felt encased in concrete. I stayed motionless on the bed, guilt swirling inside me. 【Aaaah! He ate it! Gag…】 The System, a full witness, was having a breakdown. “What is this…? Ptui! What, gag…” Robert’s confused, nauseated, and utterly horrified voice echoed from the living room. I fell back onto the bed, feeling deeply conflicted. Robert hadn’t noticed. He had actually eaten it. Well, I thought grimly, at least now he’ll certainly believe his son likes dog shit. “Gag…” I was never kissing Robert again. Not even for triple the allowance. “Gag…”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384757”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

For three years, I had sponsored Caleb, a student from a disadvantaged background. Today, he had finally graduated from college. He stood at my doorstep, his arms laden with bags of gifts from his hometown, his sun-weathered face beaming with simple gratitude. “Jenna, I wouldn’t be where I am today without you. Please, you have to accept these small tokens of my appreciation.” I smiled warmly and invited him in, a genuine happiness blooming in my chest. But as I turned to get him a glass of water, a cold, insidious voice echoed in my mind. This apartment is in a prime location. If I kill her, it’ll all be mine. My hand trembled, and the glass I was holding slipped, shattering on the floor. 1 I took a deep breath, swept up the broken glass, and poured a fresh glass of water. Composing myself, I walked back into the living room with a practiced smile. “Here you go, Caleb. Have some water.” “Thank you, Jenna.” He took the glass, his eyes still radiating that same rustic innocence. Her parents’ old place is worth a fortune, too. I remember her mentioning it was in a historic district downtown, a prime school zone. Tomorrow, I’ll go ‘visit’ them, under the guise of thanking them for their support. Once her entire family has died in ‘accidents,’ I’ll be the master of this house. Then I’ll use her identity to take out loans and figure out a way to drain her company’s funds. Perfect. This young man with the guileless smile was sipping his water, his eyes filled with what looked like a hopeful gaze toward the future. My back was instantly drenched in a cold sweat. I clenched my fists so hard my knuckles turned white, just barely managing to stifle a scream. It wasn’t a hallucination. This boy, whom I had sponsored for three years, whom I had treated like a younger brother, was methodically listing off a venomous, step-by-step plan to murder my entire family. A viper I’d welcomed into my home, now poised to strike and steal everything. Run! Call the police! That was the first thought that screamed through my mind. But I couldn’t. There were no security cameras inside my apartment, and there had been no physical altercation between us. If I acted rashly and the police came, what would I say? That I could hear his thoughts? They’d think I was having a psychotic break. Worse, it would tip him off. This wolf in sheep’s clothing, this monster masquerading as a simple boy, would only retreat deeper into the shadows, devising more subtle, more insidious ways to destroy me and my family. I had to stay calm. I forced a smile, gesturing toward the gifts he’d brought. “Caleb, this is so thoughtful of you. Have you eaten dinner? Why don’t you stay? I’ll cook something special.” Caleb immediately set down his glass, his eyes lighting up, his smile somehow becoming even more “sincere.” “Oh, I couldn’t possibly impose! That would be too much trouble for you, Jenna.” Eat? Of course, I’ll eat. This is the perfect chance to add the special ingredient I brought. It’s a powder ground from poison mushrooms foraged from the mountains back home. Colorless, odorless. Ingesting it causes total organ failure within three hours. Not even a miracle could save her. The police will rule it accidental food poisoning. My heart plummeted into an icy abyss. He’d even brought the murder weapon with him. I glanced at the overstuffed canvas bag. Those seemingly innocent hometown specialties were my death warrant. “No trouble at all,” I said, my voice strained but hopefully steady as I stood up. “What would you like? Let me see what I have in the fridge.” I needed an excuse. An excuse to get out of his line of sight and call for help. “Jenna, I’d love anything you make,” Caleb said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. “Oh! The dried bamboo shoots I brought would be amazing in a soup. How about we make a pork rib and bamboo shoot soup tonight?” He was showing his hand. My heart hammered against my ribs, but my face remained a mask of pleasantness. “That sounds delicious! Great idea. But…” I feigned a look of distress, wrinkling my brow. “What terrible timing. I had a bad reaction to some seafood a couple of days ago. The doctor told me to stick to a bland diet for a while, so I can’t have rich soups right now.” A flicker of almost imperceptible disappointment crossed Caleb’s face. Too bad. The soup would have been so easy. But it doesn’t matter. She has to drink water eventually. Pretending not to notice, I walked toward the kitchen. “Don’t worry, I’ll still make it for you. I’ll be happy just watching you enjoy it. I’ll start the rice.” The kitchen had a semi-open layout; he could see my every move. I couldn’t make a call or send a text. Any unusual action would trigger his suspicion. With my back to him, my mind raced. I needed backup. Someone who would understand my situation immediately, someone formidable, someone who didn’t play by the rules. The police were out. My friends were mostly office workers like me… Then, a name exploded in my mind—my cousin, Marcus. Marcus was… well, he knew how to handle things. He’d run with a rough crowd in his youth but had gone straight and now owned a successful security firm. He employed a crew of guys who specialized in solving “difficult” problems. He might seem like a carefree joker, but we grew up together, and he was more protective of me than an actual brother. Only he could handle this unconventional demon with unconventional methods. I poked my head out of the kitchen, smiling. “Caleb, I just remembered. I promised my cousin I’d help him find a reliable intern. Since you just graduated and are looking for a job, what if I called him over? You two could chat in person.” “A job?” Caleb’s eyes lit up, a flash of raw greed passing through them. Perfect! After I kill her, I can use the ‘internship’ as a legitimate reason to get inside her company and prepare for the next phase of my plan! His thoughts confirmed it. This was the perfect bait. “Yeah,” I said, pulling out my phone and pretending to scroll through my contacts casually. “My cousin owns his own company. He’s a great guy, really generous, and he’s looking for a sharp assistant. I think you’d be a perfect fit! If you’re interested, I’ll call him over to join us for dinner.” “Interested? Of course, I’m interested!” Caleb shot to his feet, practically vibrating with excitement. “Thank you, Jenna! You’re truly my guardian angel!” I smiled, dialed my cousin Marcus’s number in front of him, and hit the speakerphone button. The phone rang twice before he picked up, his lazy drawl filling the air. “Yo, Jenna. What’s up? Did some deadbeat boyfriend break your heart again? Need your big bro to come knock some heads together?” A massive weight lifted from my shoulders. I cleared my throat and adopted a light, almost boastful tone. “Get lost! I’m calling to offer you some top-tier talent! Remember that student I sponsor, Caleb? I told you about him. Well, he graduated and came to visit me today. I thought, since you’re looking for people, maybe he could come work for you.” Caleb leaned in close to the phone, his voice a mix of nerves and politeness. “Hello, Mr. Marcus!” Marcus was silent for a beat, then burst out laughing. “Alright, alright. If you’re recommending him, Jenna, then I gotta give him a shot. Tell you what, I’m in the neighborhood. I’ll be there in half an hour. I’ll bring a good bottle of whiskey, we can eat and talk.” “Great, but hurry up,” I said, adding emphasis. “Oh, and bro? On your way over, could you do me a favor and deal with the mad dog from old Mr. Henderson’s place downstairs?” Marcus’s voice paused. “Mad dog? I thought Mr. Henderson had a little poodle.” My heart seized, but my voice remained calm. “Ugh, don’t even ask. I don’t know what’s gotten into it lately, but that poodle’s gone rabid. It tries to lunge and bite at everyone. It even tried to break into my place yesterday! I’m here alone, and it’s terrifying. You’ve got those big dogs, right? Could you bring a heavy-duty steel cage? We need to lock it up before it hurts someone.” I spoke slowly and clearly. “Mad dog.” “Tried to break into my place.” “A heavy-duty steel cage.” It was our code. When we were kids, our families lived across the hall from each other. A neighbor had a vicious dog that nearly mauled me once. It was Marcus who saved me, cornering it with a baseball bat. Ever since, “mad dog” had been our code for an extremely dangerous person. The line was silent for a few seconds. I could picture the playful smirk vanishing from his face, replaced by a cold, hard focus. “Right. I get it,” his voice was steady and clipped. “I’ll bring the cage. Lock your door. Wait for me.” After he hung up, I let out a long, shuddering breath. Caleb was completely oblivious, still basking in the glow of his supposed job offer. This cousin sounds like some rich idiot. Perfect. After I inherit everything from Jenna, I’ll absorb his company too. A murderous rage churned within me. Absorb my cousin’s company? Caleb, you will never get the chance. Tonight, this home is the steel cage I’ve prepared just for you. Half an hour felt like a century. I pretended to be busy in the kitchen, washing and chopping vegetables, but my peripheral vision was locked on Caleb in the living room. He sat on the sofa, appearing restless and antsy, his hands constantly rubbing against his pants like a nervous young man before a job interview. But his mind was a different story. What is this woman doing, puttering around in the kitchen for so long? The rice isn’t even on yet. What if her idiot cousin shows up and complicates things? No, I can’t wait any longer. I have to stick to the original plan. First, get her to drink the drugged water. My stomach dropped. I saw him pick up his water glass and walk toward me. “Jenna, you’ve been working so hard. Take a break. Let me help.” His face was a mask of profound concern. But I saw it. As he got closer, his fingertip quickly brushed the rim of the glass. A fine, colorless powder dissolved silently into the water. “No, no, I’m almost done!” I said, waving my hands, my heart about to explode out of my throat. “Jenna, just have a sip of water. You’re sweating.” He was insistent, pushing the glass toward my lips, his eyes holding a glint of unyielding obsession. I stared at the glass. Dissolved inside was a poison that would destroy my organs from the inside out. What could I do? Knock it away? That would mean showing my hand, and physically, I was no match for him. In a flash of inspiration, I swayed violently, pretending to lose my balance. The kitchen knife in my hand “slipped,” clattering to the floor with a loud clang, the tip pointing directly at his feet. “Ah!” Caleb yelped, instinctively jumping back to avoid the blade. The sudden movement caused the water in the glass to slosh out, spilling most of its contents onto the floor. “I’m so sorry, so sorry!” I apologized frantically, crouching down to pick up the knife. “I’ve been working so much overtime lately, I think my blood sugar is low. I just got dizzy.” Caleb’s face was a thundercloud of fury, but it quickly smoothed back into his usual harmless expression, though a new layer of impatience hardened his eyes. Useless woman! Can’t even hold a glass of water steady! It seems the gentle approach isn’t going to work. This woman is more alert than I thought. He bent down, reaching out to help me up, but I could hear the vicious snarl of his thoughts. I’ll have to tie her up first! When her cousin gets here, I’ll find a way to lure him onto the balcony and push him from behind! A twenty-story fall, he won’t survive. Then I’ll come back and finish her off. I’ll say they were arguing, that he killed her in a fit of rage and then jumped to his death. My body went rigid. “Jenna, are you okay?” he asked, his hand on my arm, while his other hand crept toward the canvas bag with the “gifts.” From the side of the bag, I could see the unmistakable end of a coarse, thick rope. Ding-dong! Ding-dong! Just as Caleb’s fingers were about to touch the rope, the doorbell rang. Sharp, loud, like a thunderclap of salvation. Caleb’s movement froze, his face a mixture of surprise and frustration. Who is it? Her cousin said half an hour! It’s only been twenty minutes! Pure joy surged through me. I scrambled away from Caleb’s grasp, practically crawling toward the front door. “Must be the delivery I ordered! I got some fruit!” I babbled, fumbling with the doorknob. Caleb was right behind me, his eyes fixed on me like a wolf’s, one hand already reaching for his pants pocket. I could see the hard outline of what looked like a folding knife. He was ready to kill me. My hand on the doorknob was shaking uncontrollably. Please, let it be Marcus. Please. I threw the door open. Standing on the other side was, indeed, my cousin Marcus. And he wasn’t alone. Behind him stood four burly men in black t-shirts, all built like brick walls, with sharp, watchful eyes. They were professionals. And Marcus, at the lead, had shed his usual jokester persona. His expression was as cold and hard as ice. In his hand, glinting under the hallway light, was a large, heavy-duty, steel pet cage. The scene was surreal. The color drained from Caleb’s face. The hand gripping the knife in his pocket froze solid.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384756”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After my family went bankrupt, I was pawned off to Tim Bernstein as his fiancée. When he saw me sitting at his doorstep, holding a dog on a leash, his face was as black as thunder. “Little thing, are you even weaned yet?” Just as I was about to let my dog bite him, a stream of text suddenly floated before my eyes. 【LMAO! I’m dying! Who the hell has a three-year-old fiancée?】 【Congrats to the villain on his brand new daughter! Instant fatherhood, no labor required!】 【The villain doesn’t know yet, but this little thing is a lucky charm. Whoever raises her strikes it rich! It’s a shame she snuck out to find her parents one day and got hit by a car.】 Hit by a car? A shiver ran down my spine. I hugged Tim Bernstein’s leg tightly. “Hubby, I’m hungry!” 1 I was dozing off, leaning against Baron, my billion-dollar husky, when the grand front door finally swung open. A handsome, refined man stepped out. When he saw me and my dog camped out on his porch, his expression darkened. “Where did this brat come from?” he asked, his brow furrowed. I quickly fished a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket. It bore my father’s sloppy signature and a bright red thumbprint. “I’m here to pay off a debt,” I announced, puffing out my chest to seem more grown-up. Tim Bernstein took the paper and glanced at it, his face growing even stormier. “David Miller owes me twenty million, and he’s using you as collateral?” He looked me up and down. “Little thing, are you even weaned yet?” I was about to unleash Baron on him when several lines of semi-transparent text floated in front of my face: 【LMAO! I’m dying! Who the hell has a three-year-old fiancée?】 【Congrats to the villain on his brand new daughter! Instant fatherhood, no labor required!】 【The villain doesn’t know yet, but this little thing is a lucky charm. Whoever raises her strikes it rich! It’s a shame she snuck out to find her parents one day and got hit by a car.】 I blinked. The words were still there. Hit by a car? My whole body trembled, and the leash slipped from my hand. Baron, thinking this was his cue, shook out his fluffy coat and charged ferociously toward Tim Bernstein. Then, he screeched to a halt, flopped onto his back right in front of Tim’s gleaming leather shoes, and exposed his soft belly, his tail wagging like a helicopter propeller. “Traitor!” I stomped my foot in frustration. This was the third time Baron had abandoned me for a handsome face. The last time was for the long-legged clerk at the pet store. Tim’s mouth twitched. He looked down at me. “What’s your name?” “Daisy Miller,” I answered quietly, my eyes still fixed on the strange, floating text. Another line appeared: 【Out with the old dad, in with the new. Little Daisy doesn’t know that even though this guy is the villain, he only has it out for the male lead!】 【Who needs those heartless parents anyway? This villain could buy you an entire amusement park with a snap of his fingers!】 My eyes lit up. Without a second thought, I lunged forward and hugged Tim Bernstein’s leg. “Hubby, I’m hungry!” Tim froze, looking as if he’d been struck by lightning. The pop-up comments exploded: 【LMAO, HUBBY, I’M DEAD!】 【She’s only three and already knows how to secure the bag. This kid’s going places!】 【Tim Bernstein: I’ve been single for 28 years and suddenly I have a child?!】 “Who taught you to call me that?” Tim’s voice was tight, as if forced through gritted teeth. I looked up at him, batting my eyelashes. “That’s what they do on TV. The fiancée calls him hubby.” It was a line from a soap opera I’d watched a few days ago. Whenever the actress called the male lead “hubby,” he’d agree to anything she wanted. Tim took a deep breath and turned to his butler, who was standing by, his face red from holding back laughter. “Arthur, get David Miller on the phone and tell him to come get his kid!” But the call went straight to voicemail. The agreement had been signed with Tim’s grandmother, Mrs. Bernstein. Everyone in the city knew Tim Bernstein had no interest in women; some even whispered he preferred men. Mrs. Bernstein knew my father had a daughter, but she had no idea that daughter was only three years old. So she proposed I become her grandson’s fiancée to settle the debt. By now, my parents were probably on a plane out of the country. “Arthur, contact social services at once—” The comments started buzzing again. They said if I was sent to an orphanage, the director would abuse me, and I would run away in three months to find my parents, only to get hit by that car. Reading that, I clung to Tim’s leg even tighter. “Don’t send me away! I’ll be really good! Hubby~” 2 Baron let out a pathetic howl, flopped to the ground, and started whimpering like a tiny steam engine. Between the two of us, we managed a two-part harmony of pure misery. “Waaah… Daddy doesn’t want me… and now you don’t want me either… Baron and I will have to beg on the streets… It’s so cold in the winter, we’ll freeze to death…” I wailed, peeking through my fingers to gauge Tim’s reaction. A vein throbbed in his temple. “Stop crying.” I cried even louder. “I said, stop crying!” he raised his voice. The shout startled me into a hiccup, a fat tear clinging precariously to my cheek. Baron scrambled to his feet and stood in front of me, staring warily at Tim. The standoff was tense. Arthur, the butler, chose the perfect moment to interject. “Sir, perhaps we should let Miss Daisy stay for now? The collateral agreement was signed by Mrs. Bernstein, and she’s currently in Switzerland for treatment. We can’t reach her. We can decide what to do once we’ve contacted her. A child this young, at an orphanage… it would be…” Tim rubbed his brow. “Where would she sleep?” “The guest room is ready, sir,” Arthur said quickly. “It’s right next to your bedroom.” I immediately stopped crying and raised my hand obediently. “I can take my own bath, get dressed by myself, and I can even recite poetry! A-tisket, a-tasket, a pocket full of posies…” Tim’s mouth twitched again. He raised a hand to cut me off. “Who taught you that?” Was he stunned by my intellect? I lifted my chin proudly. “I’m self-taught! My daddy said I’m a genius!” “Heh…” Tim chuckled dryly, then turned to Arthur. “One night. First thing tomorrow, contact social services.” With that, he walked out. Arthur prepared a feast for me. I sat at one end of a dining table long enough to be a slide, my short legs dangling far from the floor, waiting for Tim to come home. “Arthur, when is hubby coming back?” Arthur struggled to suppress a smile. “Miss Daisy, Sir is much, much older than you. He’s almost old enough to be your father. You can’t call him hubby.” Not hubby? Then what? I wracked my tiny brain but couldn’t come up with any other titles. The pop-up comments appeared again. 【High-alert! Tim is about to find the female lead on the side of the road!】 【Skyler got dumped in the rain by Ethan. Tim, being a good guy, is about to pick her up.】 【Oh no, Ethan is going to show up tomorrow and cause a scene!】 Skyler? Who was Skyler? And who was Ethan? Did Tim find a dog, too? I found Baron on the side of the road. My mom left him to keep me company before she passed away. But as soon as she was gone, the new woman my dad married just wanted to cook Baron in a hot pot. I wondered if the dog Tim found was prettier than Baron. I sat by the door, waiting eagerly. When I finally heard a sound at the entrance, I shot off like a little cannonball. Tim walked in, soaked to the bone. Behind him was an equally drenched, very pretty lady. Her eyes were red like a little rabbit’s, and she was clutching a soggy handbag. It wasn’t a dog. I was a little disappointed. The comments were scrolling like crazy: 【The female lead, Skyler, has entered the chat!】 【Tim’s good intentions are going to backfire. The male lead is going to hate him for this.】 【That punch Ethan throws tomorrow looks like it really hurts.】 “Sir, this is…” Arthur hurried over with a dry towel. “I found her on the road,” Tim said with a frown, clearly not used to explaining himself. “Miss… Skyler, the guest room is on the second floor. Arthur will get you some clean clothes.” Skyler nodded timidly. “Thank you, Mr. Bernstein. I’ll leave first thing in the morning.” I stared at this new lady, then suddenly charged forward and hugged Tim’s leg. “Hubby! Who is this aunty?” 3 The living room fell so silent you could hear a pin drop. Skyler’s eyes widened. “H-Hubby?” Tim’s face turned a dangerous shade of purple. “Daisy Miller!” The comments went wild: 【LMAO, what a power move!】 【Skyler: Am I supposed to be joining this family?】 【Live footage of Tim Bernstein’s social death!】 I blinked innocently. “The TV said you’re supposed to ask that when you see your hubby bring another woman home.” Tim grabbed me by the back of my collar and lifted me up like a kitten. “First, you are not to call me that. Second, you are not to watch trashy television. And third…” He glanced at the shell-shocked Skyler. “Miss Skyler is just having some trouble and is staying for one night.” I tilted my head and looked at Skyler. “Miss, were you pawned off by your daddy, too?” Skyler let out a small laugh, then crouched down to my level. “No, sweetie. I… I got lost. Mr. Bernstein was kind enough to help me.” Tim massaged his forehead. “Arthur, take Daisy to bed.” The next morning, I was woken by a loud banging on the front door. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. Baron’s ears perked up, on high alert. “Tim Bernstein! Get your ass out here!” A furious male voice vibrated through the windows. The comments appeared right on cue: 【Ethan’s here to catch the cheaters!】 【Classic misunderstanding scene!】 【Quick, Tim, release Daisy to save the day!】 I ran downstairs barefoot just in time to see a tall man grab Tim by the collar. The man was handsome, but his face was twisted in a snarl, like he wanted to eat someone. “Ethan, have you lost your mind?” Tim said coldly. Despite being held, his presence was just as intimidating. “Why did Skyler spend the night here? What did you do?” Ethan roared. Skyler rushed over to pull him away. “Ethan, you’ve misunderstood! I was just…” “Shut up!” Ethan shoved her aside. “Even a dog can see what your intentions are toward her!” Hearing his name, Baron let out a confused little “woof.” I couldn’t stand it anymore. I ran over and bit Ethan’s leg. “Agh! Where did this little monster come from?” Ethan yelped, letting go of Tim. I stood in front of Tim, hands on my hips. “Bad man! Don’t you bully my daddy!” The entire room went silent. Tim: “…” Skyler: “???” Ethan: “…Daddy?” The pop-up comments went berserk: 【Daisy with the god-tier save!】 【From hubby to daddy in one second. Tim’s reputation is in shambles.】 【Ethan’s CPU just fried!】 I pressed my advantage, tears welling up on command. “Waaah… if my daddy dies, no one will buy me toys anymore…” Skyler’s expression softened instantly. “Ethan, you’re mistaken. Mr. Bernstein was just being kind. He has a daughter this young…” Ethan awkwardly lowered his fists. “I… I didn’t know you had a child…” After he left with Skyler, the villa was quiet again. I stood barefoot in the middle of the living room. Baron nudged my leg, his wet nose pressing into my palm. Tim loosened his crooked tie and looked down at me. “Now, about the ‘daddy’ issue.” I bit my finger, my eyes darting around. “Because…” I drew out the word, a flash of inspiration hitting me. “Arthur said you’re too old to be my hubby!” Arthur, who was pouring tea, fumbled, spilling it all over the table. The comments exploded again. 4 【’TOO OLD’ LMAO!】 【Arthur: When did I ever say that???】 【Daisy kinda has a point. He’s 25 years older than her. That’s pretty old.】 【Arthur looks like he’s about to cry, hahaha!】 Tim slowly turned his head, his gaze as sharp as a razor, and fixed it on Arthur. “Oh? Is that what Arthur said?” Arthur frantically wiped the table. “Sir, I swear! I would never say such a thing! Miss Daisy, she… she…” Sensing trouble, I quickly added, “Arthur didn’t say the ‘old’ part! He said you weren’t young anymore!” I counted on my fingers. “You’re 28, and I’m 3. 28 minus 3 is… um… it’s…” I ran out of fingers and gave up. “Anyway, it’s just… a lot!” A vein throbbed in Tim’s temple. “So, in your eyes, 28 is old?” I nodded earnestly. “Super old! My next-door neighbor, Mr. Henderson, his new wife secretly told someone he’s thirty years older than her, old and ugly, snores, but at least he’s rich! Everyone says he’s robbing the cradle!” The comments were hysterical: 【Daisy overheard the trophy wife complaining and learned a new idiom!】 【Tim: Suddenly classified as a senior citizen!】 【Daisy, if you run out of fingers, you still have toes!】 Tim took a deep breath, visibly trying to remain calm. “First of all, 28 minus 3 is 25. Secondly, that’s not how you use ‘robbing the cradle.’ And finally…” He narrowed his eyes. “Arthur, what exactly have you been discussing with Daisy?” Arthur looked like he was on the verge of tears. “Sir, I just casually mentioned that you were old enough to be her father. I had no idea she would interpret it this way…” Tim shot him a glare, then bent down and lifted me up. “Daisy Miller, we need to talk.” He placed me on the sofa and crouched down to my level. “Listen,” he said, his voice unusually gentle. “Thank you for helping me out today. But no more lying from now on, understand?” I swung my feet. “I wasn’t lying! You really could be my daddy!” I counted on my fingers again. “You let me live in a big house and have Arthur give me yummy food. Isn’t that what daddies do?” Tim was stunned. The comments floated by: 【Kid logic is flawless!】 【An irrefutable theory on parenting!】 【Tim: Am I being scammed?】 Arthur chimed in at the perfect moment. “Sir, Miss Daisy is still very young. She needs a guardian…” “I don’t need a guardian,” I declared proudly, puffing out my chest. “I need a daddy!” Then I added in a whisper, “Or a mommy would work too. Can you be my mommy?” Tim: “…” Arthur wiped a tear from his eye and murmured, “Sir, the poor child… her mother passed away when she was two. And that monster David brought his pregnant mistress home right after…” Tim’s expression was complicated. He awkwardly placed a hand on my head and ruffled my hair. “I can’t be your mommy, but… you can call me ‘brother.’” Brother? But didn’t Arthur say he was a lot older than me? I wrinkled my nose and tried it out. “Brother.” Tim: “…Hmph.” That night, a loud clap of thunder jolted me awake. Lightning tore across the sky outside like a monster’s claws. I scrambled out of bed in a panic. Baron, startled by my movement, sleepily licked my face. “BOOM!” Another crash shook the entire house. I couldn’t take it anymore. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my little pillow, and bolted out of the room barefoot. Baron followed close behind, his furry body pressed against my trembling legs. Tim’s bedroom was at the end of the hall. 5 I had to stand on my tiptoes to reach the doorknob, pushing the door open just a crack. “Brother…” I peeked in, my head just barely visible. The room was pitch black. “Daisy?” Tim’s voice came from the darkness. A flash of lightning lit up the room, and I yelped, darting inside so fast my pillow fell to the floor. “Can… can I sleep in here?” I twisted the hem of my pajamas. “Just when it’s thundering… I promise I’ll sleep on the floor! I won’t bother you!” “I-I’m not scared of thunder!” I stammered. “It’s… it’s Baron! He’s scared! I wanted to bring him in here…” Baron tilted his head innocently, even though I had been the one clinging to his fur just moments before. The pop-up comments appeared: 【Aww, the poor baby!】 【Tim, hug her right now!】 【My sweet angel! Come sleep with mommy~】 The bedside lamp flickered on. Tim looked at the two of us, a pair of pathetic, shivering messes. He sighed, then lifted a corner of his duvet. “Get in.” I couldn’t believe my ears. “R-Really?” “You have three seconds. After that, the offer’s off the table.” I immediately scrambled onto the massive bed. It was so soft and smelled like fresh pine. I carefully curled up on the very edge, afraid of taking up too much space. “Move in,” Tim frowned. “You’ll fall off and start crying again.” I quickly scooted toward the middle but still kept a safe distance from him. Baron wagged his tail, preparing to jump up. “Not you,” Tim stopped him. “Whine…” Baron, seeing his charms had failed, circled the rug a few times before finding a comfy spot to lie down. Just as I was about to drift off, Tim suddenly asked: “Do you wet the bed?” I was instantly wide awake, turning to face him indignantly. “Only babies wet the bed! I’m a big girl, I don’t do that!” The comments floated by: 【LMAO, the million-dollar question!】 【Tim: Can’t risk the twenty-thousand-dollar mattress!】 【Daisy: You can question my bravery, but you can’t question my bladder!】 To my surprise, Tim let out a low chuckle. I could feel the vibration of his chest through the mattress. “Alright, big girl. Now go to sleep.” I huffed and pulled the covers up to my chin. “I stopped wetting the bed a long, long time ago! My friend Chloe, who’s a whole year older than me, wet her pants last week, and I didn’t even laugh at her…” My voice trailed off as my eyelids grew heavy again. In the hazy space between wakefulness and sleep, I felt him gently stroke my hair. His voice was so soft it was almost a whisper to himself. “…She’s actually pretty well-behaved.” The next morning, when I woke up, Tim was already dressed, fastening his cufflinks. “Daisy, time to get up.” He tapped the nightstand. “You’re going to preschool today.” I blearily opened my eyes, then shot up in bed. “Preschool? Why do I have to go to preschool?” “You don’t want me anymore?” The thought of the car crash brought tears to my eyes instantly. Tim awkwardly wiped them away, frowning at the snot on my nose. “I never said that. You can make new friends at preschool.” “And you can learn new things.” At that, I immediately stopped crying, rolled off the bed, and hugged his leg barefoot. “Then… will you come pick me up?” He looked down at me, the sunlight tracing a golden edge along his handsome profile. “…I will.” “Pinky promise!” I held out my little finger. He sighed but bent down and linked his pinky with mine. “Now, can you please go get ready?” 6 I cheered and ran to the bathroom. The comments: 【Tim is learning to compromise.】 【Who could say no to Daisy’s puppy-dog eyes?】 【Wait, isn’t Daisy getting a bit too much screen time?】 【Hey! Shut up! This kid is adorable, who would want to see her get hit by a car?】 Twenty minutes later, I stood by the door in a brand-new pink dress, a little white bunny backpack on my shoulders. Tim was on the phone, his brow furrowed. “…We’ll discuss the South City project this afternoon. Meet at The Embers.” He hung up and looked at me. “Let’s go.” “Can Baron come with us?” I asked hopefully. “No.” “Oh…” I pouted and followed him. Baron slumped by the door, watching us leave with sad eyes. The entrance to Sunflower Preschool was crowded with parents and children. Tim’s black Maybach pulled up, drawing countless stares. He held my hand as we walked to the reception desk, young mothers turning to look at him the entire way. “And this is…” The teacher, Ms. Peterson, with her round glasses, had a kind smile. “Daisy Miller,” Tim said curtly. Ms. Peterson crouched down to my level. “Daisy, you’re so cute! And this is your…” She looked up at Tim, her eyes sparkling. “Brother!” I said loudly. Ms. Peterson’s smile grew even wider. “Oh, so you’re Daisy’s brother!” After finishing the enrollment paperwork, Tim crouched down and patted my head. “I’ll be here to pick you up at four.” His voice was softer than usual. “Be good for your teacher.” I nodded, suddenly reluctant to let go of his hand. But seeing the other kids staring, I felt too embarrassed to be clingy. I just waved. “Bye-bye, brother!” After Tim left, Ms. Peterson held my hand as we walked to the classroom. “Daisy’s brother is so handsome. Is he married?” I tilted my head, thinking. “No, but he doesn’t like girls.” I’d learned that from the pop-up comments. Ms. Peterson’s smile froze on her face. “Oh… I see…” The comments were hysterical: 【Daisy just outed Tim’s sexual orientation!】 【The sound of a teacher’s heart breaking.】 【Tim: Thanks a lot, kid!】 Four o’clock. The children were being picked up one by one. I pressed my face against the window, waiting anxiously, but there was no sign of Tim. The comments were in a state of chaos: 【Oh no! Skyler’s being forced to drink by a client! That old creep is trying to take advantage of her!】 【Tim happens to be at the same hotel for a business meeting. When he runs into them, Ethan is definitely going to misunderstand again!】 【Daisy is still waiting for Tim… my heart…】 They said Tim was going to be misunderstood again? Does that mean he was going to get hit again? I snuck a glance at Ms. Peterson. She was hiding in a corner, lost in a phone call, not paying any attention to me. This was my chance! I crouched down, blended in with a group of parents, and slipped right out the preschool gate! I had to go save Tim! Remembering the address mentioned in the comments, I hailed a taxi. The driver, a kind-looking man, stared at me in shock. “Hey, kiddo, you all by yourself? Where are your parents?” I put on a serious face. “Mister, take me to The Embers Hotel!” The driver’s eyes widened. “What are you going there for?” I clenched my little fists, my eyes determined. “I’m… going… to… bust… a cheater!” The comments exploded: 【PFFT… LMAO, BUST A CHEATER!】 【Daisy, where did you even learn that phrase?!】 【The driver: This is the peak of my career.】 The driver practically jumped out of his seat. “Bust a… what?!”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384755”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

It was on my wedding day with Larry that I realized I’d picked the wrong target. Right now, he was pinned against a wall in the dressing room by his childhood sweetheart. “Larry, run away with me, please?” she begged. His eyes darkened. He gripped her waist, his own eyes red-rimmed as he rasped, “Ask me properly.” Outside that door, the System’s voice echoed in my mind, a frantic, desperate wail. “Host, we got it wrong! Your target is his best friend, Jason! You only have one hour left!” And so, just before Larry could jilt me at the altar, I bolted first. I spun on my heel, stormed into the room next door, and crushed my lips against his best friend’s. “Jason,” I whispered, my voice trembling, “what if I told you that I love you? That with your friend… it was never real? Would you believe me?” Jason slowly wiped the blood from his lip where I’d bitten him, a cold smirk playing on his face. “Little siren,” he drawled, “you really get off on this, don’t you?” 1 I had the wrong guy. And I only found this out on the day I was supposed to marry Larry. Inside the dressing room, a girl was wearing my wedding dress, her voice a saccharine purr. “Larry, do I look beautiful in her dress?” His voice was a low, rough growl. “Hideous.” “Hideous? Then why are you still so—ah!” Her words shattered into a sharp gasp. Today was my wedding day. Larry’s childhood sweetheart, Phoebe, had heard the news and flown back from overseas overnight, dead set on crashing the ceremony and stealing the groom. An icy dread washed over me. If this wedding was called off, the System would erase me for mission failure. From inside the room, Phoebe’s breathless, triumphant voice floated out. “See? You do still love me.” Larry’s face was a stony mask, but his actions didn’t stop. “Don’t flatter yourself.” Phoebe’s voice broke into a sob. “Larry, don’t marry that pathetic doormat. Run away with me, please?” “Beg me.” “I’m begging you.” And then, I heard the sound of him kissing her. A pain so sharp it stole my breath lanced through my chest. I was about to shove the door open when the System, which had been dead silent for ages, suddenly shrieked in my head. 【AHHHHHHHHHHH!】 I jumped, my heart hammering against my ribs. The System’s voice was pure terror. 【HOST, STOP THE WATERWORKS! YOU’VE BEEN SIMPING FOR THE WRONG GUY!!!! THE DEADLINE IS ALMOST UP! AHHHHH…】 The world tilted on its axis. “The… the wrong guy?!” 【That’s right,】 the System sobbed. 【Your target is Larry’s best friend, Jason… and you have one hour left.】 My legs turned to jelly, and darkness swam at the edge of my vision. I nearly fainted right there. For the past six months, I had meticulously played the part of the devoted, adoring girlfriend. I was at his beck and call, enduring every whim, all for the single goal of getting Larry to marry me. And now you’re telling me I was chasing the wrong man? One hour. Where in the hell was I supposed to find Jason and get him to marry me in one hour? I might as well just lie down and wait to die. “What do I do?” I whispered, my heart a dead weight in my chest. The System’s voice was a faint thread. 【A kiss can extend the mission timer! The more intimate the contact, the more time you get. I suggest a forced kiss. Immediately.】 Life surged back into me. I hiked up my dress, my eyes blazing with murderous intent. “Where do I kiss him!?” 【The ceremony hall!】 A few minutes later, a mismatched pair of fiancés stood at the altar. Tears welled in my eyes, threatening to spill over. After all, if I couldn’t get to Jason, I was a dead woman walking. Larry was as cold and distant as ever. “Ava,” he murmured, a cruel glint in his eyes, “excited to finally be my wife?” He was clearly looking forward to the drama when he rejected me, picturing my heartbroken sobs. But I had no time for him. The System’s frantic countdown was screaming in my head. 【HOST! JASON IS APPROACHING THE MAIN ENTRANCE! COUNTDOWN: TEN, NINE, EIGHT…】 I subtly gathered the hem of my gown, bending my knees slightly, preparing for a sprint. The officiant’s voice boomed through the hall. “Do you, the bride and groom, promise to have and to hold, for as long as you both shall live?” Down in the pews, Phoebe was flushed with excitement, her face glowing. Larry lifted the microphone, a smug smile tugging at his lips. “I do n—” 【HOST, GOOOOOOOOOO!!!!】 Before the horrified eyes of every guest, my face twisted into a mask of grim determination. I launched myself forward. Like a human cannonball, I shot down the aisle with impossible speed, a blur of white satin and desperation. Jaws dropped. The massive doors of the chapel burst open with a resounding bang. I grabbed the first man I saw and vanished with him into the blinding sunlight. Leaving a stunned Larry and a speechless officiant standing alone at the altar. A long, silent moment passed. “Holy…” The officiant’s voice cracked. He turned to Larry, utterly bewildered. “Did the bride… just… run for it? She did, right?” 2 In a dusty, forgotten storeroom, Jason leaned casually against the wall, his clothes in disarray. He was a portrait of ravaged beauty. “Had your fill?” he asked, his tone lazy, utterly unbothered. It was as if being ambushed and kissed senseless was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. The System panted in my mind. 【Phew, the forced kiss worked. Congratulations, Host, you’ve earned thirty minutes of survival time.】 【It would be even better if you could sleep with him. One time could extend the clock by days.】 Only thirty minutes for a kiss like that. That was Jason for you—notoriously difficult. As the youngest heir to the formidable Calloway family, Jason was known for his volatile and darkly unpredictable nature. People went out of their way to avoid him. Who in their right mind would dare to try and seduce him? The System, its virtual face contorted in a snarl, presented me with a digital novel: The Psycho CEO Wants to [Redacted] Me (Steamy). 【Trust me, Host! Just follow the plot. You’ll have him eating out of your hand!】 A few minutes later, I found myself perched on Jason’s lap, wearing a slinky red dress with a thigh-high slit, my face burning. The stark contrast between my pale legs and the black fabric of his suit trousers was electrifying. The System whispered, 【This book is pretty twisted. You’re going through a lot for this, Host.】 It’s not hard work, it’s a hard life. I dug my nails into my thigh, forcing tears to my eyes. “Jason,” I whimpered, “what if I told you that I love you? That with your friend… it was never real? Would you believe me?” Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the fine hairs on my skin. Jason’s eyes narrowed, a dark fire kindling in their depths. “Little siren, you really get off on this, don’t you?” His cool, smooth voice was enough to make my legs weak. Suddenly, Larry’s furious voice echoed from outside. “Search every room. When you find Ava Stone, break her legs.” Jason glanced down at my wedding dress, now a torn heap of fabric on the floor, and a mocking smile touched his lips. “Come closer, little siren.” The System shrieked again. 【HOST! LARRY CAN’T SEE YOU WITH HIM! IT’LL DEDUCT SURVIVAL TIME!!!!】 I jolted, scrambling to get up and lock the door. But Jason’s hand shot out, his fingers wrapping around my waist and pulling me flush against him. A clean, sharp scent of mint flooded my senses, overwhelming me. He was so impossibly clean, so pristine. His hand traced the curve of my waist before giving a light, sharp squeeze. A startled gasp escaped my lips. Then, he pushed open the window. Bright spring light poured in. A rack of clothes perfectly obscured Jason’s upper body. From outside, all Larry could see was me—cheeks flushed, straddling a pair of long legs clad in black suit pants, my expression one of pure panic. The System wailed. 【SURVIVAL TIME NEARING ZERO! COUNTDOWN: TEN, NINE…】 【AHHH, HOST, FORGET KISSING, SLEEP WITH HIM! IT’S FASTER!】 My hands fumbled frantically at Jason’s belt buckle. The next second, Larry’s enraged roar ripped through the entire courtyard. “AVA STONE, YOU STOP RIGHT THERE!” “I SWEAR, IF YOU AND THAT BASTARD WALK OUT OF HERE IN ONE PIECE TODAY, I’LL CHANGE MY LAST NAME!” Jason remained utterly composed, stroking my hair. “Put your hands behind your back.” “Huh?” Outside the window, a crowd of wedding guests was starting to gather. Jason calmly unwound his own tie and, in one smooth motion, bound my wrists together. He offered me a gentle, chilling smile. “Didn’t you want to sleep with me?” “Didn’t have the strength? Then how are you going to fuck me in front of everyone?” Not… Were all these people here because he’d called them? The precious survival time I had just earned was plummeting. With my hands tied, I was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack, my voice cracking as I sobbed. “Untie me! Or I can’t do it!” The look of detached amusement on Jason’s face vanished instantly. He raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a cold line. “You really want to?” “Does it look like I’m faking it?!” Under the crushing threat of imminent death, my body went limp. I collapsed into his arms, shaking with uncontrollable, desperate sobs. It was probably the first time Jason had ever seen someone cry because they couldn’t sleep with him. Outside, the crowd of onlookers grew larger. A black jacket was suddenly thrown over my head, covering me completely just as the first of them arrived. The countdown stopped. Jason’s voice was laced with a dark, mocking humor. “What’s with the drama? You’d think you have a terminal illness. Pathetic, Ava.” 3 Just as Larry was about to break down the door, Jason scooped me up. He carried me out the back, weaving through a maze of clothing racks, and settled me into his car. Inside, my heart was still pounding a frantic rhythm against my ribs. I couldn’t stop the hiccuping sobs. Jason’s expression was grim. “What are you crying for? Because you couldn’t sleep with me?” I nodded furiously, clinging to him like a limpet, silently counting the seconds as my survival time slowly crawled back up. Jason stared out the window, his expression cold and distant, lost in his own thoughts. The car glided into a gated community of sprawling villas. “Get out.” Jason’s voice was sharp. “Aren’t you coming?” “I have work to do.” That was absolutely not an option. The System screamed in my head. 【HOST, KISS HIM UNTIL YOU CAN’T KISS ANYMORE!!! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!】 I cautiously leaned closer. “Can I… can I kiss you?” Jason stared at my tear-dampened lashes for a long moment before his fingers closed around my chin, tilting my face up. He allowed my desperate kiss, his lips cool against mine. The rough pads of his fingers traced the line of my neck, sending an indescribable shiver through me. It felt so good. Suddenly, a sharp rap on the car window shattered the moment. My eyes flew open to see Larry’s face pressed against the glass. I let out a shriek, my heart nearly stopping in my chest. “You absolute moro—” 【Host, maintain your green tea persona.】 I slapped a hand over my mouth and scrambled down, hiding myself beneath his legs and looking up at him with pleading eyes. Thankfully, Larry couldn’t see clearly into the car. He kept knocking, his voice tight. “Buddy, do me a favor.” Jason glanced down at me, then pressed my head lower. “Good girl. A little lower, and he won’t see you.” From this… compromising position, the minty scent of him was even more intense. The window lowered a crack. “What is it?” Jason’s voice was coolly indifferent. “Ava ran off.” Jason’s eyebrow twitched, his expression unreadable. “Oh. Well, she’s certainly… playing with fire.” Larry lit a cigarette, his frustration palpable. “Help me out. Some guy carried her out the back door. I remember you had men stationed back there; they must have seen something. Find out who he is. I’m going to make sure he can never have children again.” A jolt of panic went through me, and I accidentally knocked my head against… a certain part of him. Jason let out a soft hiss, his eyes narrowing as he looked down at me. “Well now, do you want to make sure I can’t have children either?” I clamped my mouth shut, not daring to make a sound. Larry, however, squinted through the crack, trying to get a better look. He froze. “Who’s the girl? She looks… flexible.” “Someone new. She’s a biter.” Larry pressed closer, practically trying to shove his head through the gap. “So young. Not going to introduce her to your friend?” He reached for the door handle. The driver instantly hit the locks. Jason smiled. “She’s shy. Easily scared. Next time, maybe.” With that, under Larry’s suspicious gaze, Jason raised the window. He lifted my face and noticed my lipstick was smeared all over his trousers. He patiently wiped the smudges from my lips. “Now what are we going to do? Looks like your ex-fiancé is interested in you again.” “Which means,” he added softly, “I’ll just have to hide you away.” 4 “Jason Calloway is a total psycho.” I lay sprawled on Jason’s massive bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. After locking me in his villa, that psychopath had simply left, replaced by a secretary who delivered mountains of living supplies. The walk-in closet was now overflowing with silk nightgowns and designer bags. The System, ever the pot-stirrer, commented, 【Host, he certainly has a flair for keeping someone. Very ceremonial.】 But did I need money? No. I needed him. Yet for some reason, Jason was content to just dangle me on a string—close enough to see, but never to touch. As my survival time dwindled, I paced like a caged animal. 【Host, why don’t you jump out the window? Jason is at a gala not too far from here. If you leave now, you can still make it.】 So I did. I actually ran for it. The villa’s security system erupted in a deafening shriek. A second later, my phone rang. It was Jason. I answered, and his voice, cool and amused, slithered through the line. “Darling, is this your idea of sincerity? You’d better pray I don’t catch you.” I hung up, annoyed, and glanced at the timer floating in my vision: ten minutes left. I pushed myself to run faster. The ballroom was a cacophony of voices and music. I scanned the crowd, turning this way and that, when suddenly, a hand tangled in my hair and slammed me against the wall. Pain shot from the back of my head down to my tailbone, making me hiss. “Ava. Where have you been the last few days?” Larry materialized behind me, his face a thunderous mask. I held my breath, my entire body tensing. The last time he and Jason were in the same room, I’d nearly died. “Larry,” I said softly, “let me go.” “Let you go? So you can run back to your lover and live happily ever after?” He tightened his grip, yanking my hair viciously. “Tell me, who is he? I’d like to teach him that not all trash is worth picking up.” I’d almost forgotten what a hateful monster Larry was. Back when Phoebe ignored him, he’d used me as her stand-in, forcing me to lose weight until I was as fragile and willow-thin as she was. The moment Phoebe spoke to him again, he’d find me, his stand-in, an eyesore, and demand I gain weight so I wouldn’t resemble her. This vicious cycle had gone on for six months, leaving me with a chronic stomach condition and frail health. “System, can I call him a fucking asshole?” 【Your persona is a manipulative siren, Host,】 the System said regretfully. 【You can’t break character.】 I was being choked, struggling for air, when Phoebe appeared out of nowhere. She gasped, covering her mouth as her eyes instantly filled with tears. “Larry… why are you letting her filthy hands touch you?” Larry whipped his head around, a flash of panic in his eyes at the sight of her. “Phoebe, it’s not what you think—” “You liar!” Phoebe’s voice was thick with tears. “Don’t touch me! You’ve been touched by her. You’re so, so dirty…” Seizing the opportunity, I broke free from Larry’s grasp and scrambled toward the hallway. But Phoebe stuck out her foot, tripping me. I lost my balance, crashing into a table of beer bottles and falling heavily to the floor. Shards of glass bit into my palm. Phoebe was sobbing hysterically. Larry wrapped his arms around her, then kicked me. “Hey. You upset my girl. Apologize to her.” I bit my lip, my eyes fixed on the ten-minute countdown. The primal urge to survive drove me to crawl forward. Phoebe’s eyes glinted with malice as she lifted her foot, the sharp point of her stiletto heel aimed straight for my hand. In a flash of desperation, I grabbed a large piece of broken glass and plunged it into her ankle. A bloodcurdling scream tore through the ballroom. An ice-cold notification sounded in my head: 【Attacking an NPC. Survival time deducted by five minutes.】 It was the voice of the 【Arbiter】, the ultimate authority over all Systems, whose judgments were absolute. The timer above my head turned a threatening red. The System shrieked. 【Host! You have to find Jason, now!】 I gritted my teeth, staggered to my feet, and burst through the main doors. My eyes scanned the area, and there he was—Jason, surrounded by a crowd, walking slowly in my direction. 【Host, lure him somewhere Larry can’t see! And then get on him!】 That was exactly my plan. Jason murmured something to the person beside him and then started walking toward me. My face was pale, my heart pounding as I darted down the corridor, searching for the perfect place to strike. His lazy voice drifted from behind me. “Ava. Don’t tell me you escaped just to get yourself all battered and bruised.” His legs were long; one of his strides was worth three of mine. He followed me at a leisurely pace, like a predator letting its prey have a head start. The countdown in my ear was like a death knell, hammering on my frayed nerves. As I picked up speed, Jason’s voice turned cold. “You’d better run faster. Because if I catch you, you know what will happen.” Finally, around a corner, I spotted an empty reception room with its door ajar. The countdown was almost at zero. I spun around so fast that Jason didn’t have time to react. I grabbed him, dragged him inside, and slammed him down onto a sofa, kissing him with a wild, desperate frenzy. The timer, which had been about to hit zero, began to slowly tick back up. Jason’s entire body went rigid, the icy fury in his eyes slowly melting into confusion. My lips were on his, silencing any words he might have spoken. His large hand slid down my back, gripped the collar of my dress, and with a gentle tug, pulled me away from him. His handsome face was dark with anger. “Ava, stop—” “Don’t talk! Just let me kiss you!” Like a starving ghost, I lunged at him again, devouring him, ravaging his lips. The cool scent of him mixed with the rich aroma of wine was intoxicating, pulling me under. But it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t getting enough time. Panting and dizzy, I grabbed his tie. “Jason, let’s sleep together! Right now!” It turns out, in the face of death, a person loses all sense of reason. So much so that I failed to notice we weren’t alone. In fact, there were quite a few people in the room. “You—you let go of our Chairman!” a trembling voice stammered from behind me. I whipped my head around. A dozen pairs of eyes were staring fixedly at my hand, which was currently trying to unbuckle Jason’s belt. Their expressions were grim. Could someone please tell me where this group of middle-aged men came from? And then Jason, that bastard, started to laugh. “Congratulations,” he said, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “You just announced your intention to screw me in front of my entire board of directors.” 5 Once again, Jason looked thoroughly ravaged. My lipstick stained his thin lips, and his tie and shirt were hopelessly wrinkled. He looked listless, like an innocent man who had been utterly taken advantage of. Seeing this, the board members grew even more protective, slamming their hands on the table and rising to their feet. One of them, with tears in his eyes, sputtered, “How could you… sleep with him! He has a weak heart! What if something happened to him?!” Jason let out a short, sharp laugh. “She’s right. She charged at me like a little bull. Nearly took my last breath.” That damn psycho… he was enjoying the show again. Suddenly, the emotional dam I’d been holding back for so long finally burst. Faced with their accusatory glares, I buried my face in Jason’s chest. When I looked up, my eyes were red and brimming with tears. “Jason,” I choked out, “is it a crime to love you this much? Why are you letting them humiliate me like this?” Jason’s expression froze, the handsome lines of his face hardening into a dark scowl. “Out.” My mind was a whirlwind of curses. I started to get up, but Jason’s arm snaked around my waist, holding me in place. “I was talking to them,” he growled. “Get. Out!” The board members looked horrified. “We can’t! Sir, you have a heart condition! You can’t engage in such… strenuous activity—” “Get out.” For the first time, a raw, dangerous fury flickered in Jason’s eyes. The men scurried out, casting worried glances back at us every few steps. One of them even thoughtfully closed the door on his way out. So Jason had a heart condition. No wonder he always looked so pale and fragile, like a strong breeze could knock him over. Jason reached up and gently wiped the tears from my cheeks. “Don’t like an audience?” …Was I that kind of person? When had I possibly given him that impression? Perhaps my resentful glare was too obvious, because Jason pressed his lips together. “Fine. And here I thought you were so bold.” With that, his long, elegant fingers began to unbutton his shirt, one by one. His smooth collarbones were gradually revealed, a sight that made my blood run hot. Seeing me just staring at him, Jason’s lips curved into a smirk. “Weren’t you the one who wanted to sleep with me? This offer is for a limited time only.” The skin beneath my fingertips suddenly felt scorching hot. Jason was like a seductive fox spirit, his lazy gaze fixed on me. In the bright light, even the joints of his fingers seemed to glow with a faint pink hue. I felt a sudden shyness, unsure of where to even begin. His fingers traced a line from my neck, sliding slowly into my soft hair, and then his hand tightened its grip. A dark, dangerous desire swam in the depths of his eyes. “Come here, darling.” My body felt weak and pliant, and my voice trembled when I spoke. “Can we… turn off the lights?” “No.” “I want to watch you cry.” “It’s more exciting that way.” … An hour later, I stumbled out of the meeting room, my legs unsteady and my vision blurry. My knees buckled, and I nearly collapsed. The System smacked its lips contentedly. 【Host, that was good for a whole half a month of survival time. Jason is amazing.】 Yeah, amazing. I almost died. Jason, that wolf in sheep’s clothing, followed me out. He sauntered over, hands in his pockets, and leaned down to whisper in my ear with a smirk. “You got the back of your skirt dirty. Remember to throw it out when you get home.” My face flushed crimson. The next moment, a pair of hands settled on my hips. Jason untied his own jacket and wrapped it around my waist, giving my butt a light pat. “Go on, go play.” “…” I stood frozen. Jason chuckled again. “What? Can’t bear to leave me?” I took a deep breath and suddenly turned back to him. “Jason, can you stay with me tonight? All night?” His dark eyes studied me for a long moment before a slow smile spread across his face. “Alright.” I grabbed his tie, pulling him down for a fleeting, butterfly-light kiss. “Wait for me right here, okay?” Then, I turned and walked back toward the ballroom, a calm and determined expression on my face. The System was confused. 【Host, where are you going?】 A savage grin stretched across my lips. “Isn’t it obvious? I’m going to go carve up those two idiots.” I had half a month of life. It would be a waste not to spend at least some of it on revenge.

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384754”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

My brother was in love with the campus belle, Stella. Stella was in love with Sam Croft. For the sake of my brother’s happiness, I decided to sacrifice my feminine wiles and conquer Sam—the campus’s resident ice king—myself. After finally winning him over, a slip of the tongue during a moment of carelessness ruined everything. I tried every trick in the book, but Sam remained unmoved. Just when I was ready to give up and dive into the arms of a 6’2″ freshman jock, Sam appeared before me, smelling of liquor, his eyes rimmed with red. “It’s okay if I’m just another fish in your pond,” he said, his voice raw. “Just… keep fishing for me.” 1 The 10,086th time my brother, Leo, confessed his love to Stella and got rejected, I was standing off to the side, finishing an ice cream cone. After swallowing the last bite of the waffle cone, I dusted off my hands and strolled over to my heartbroken brother. I stood on my toes, slinging an arm around his shoulder like we were buddies. “Don’t be sad, big bro. I’ve got a plan.” His face lit up with hope. “Really? What is it?” “Stella just said she’s into Sam, right? So, I’ll go out and make Sam mine. Once he’s off the market, maybe she’ll finally give you a second look.” As I spoke, I discreetly plucked the small necklace box from the bouquet of roses he was holding and slipped it into my pocket. The hope on Leo’s face curdled into stunned silence, then morphed into pitying concern. “Nora… maybe we should get your head checked. And also, give me my necklace back.” He reached for my pocket, but I dodged him with a practiced move, snatching the roses from his other hand while I was at it. Ignoring the murderous glare he was sending my way, I made a quick escape. “You won’t be needing these anymore,” I called over my shoulder. “I’ll put them to good use!” 2 High ponytail, crisp white blouse, pleated skirt. Paired with a clean, “no-makeup” makeup look. I admired my reflection in the mirror, flashing my signature, award-winning fake smile. Perfect. He wouldn’t stand a chance. But just as I was about to head out, the heavens opened up and it started pouring. Time for a change of plans. I shoved the roses into the fridge, grabbed an umbrella, and bolted out the door. I stood in the covered walkway of the academic building. Just as I was making my Nth attempt to fix my wind-flattened hair, I caught a glimpse of Sam about to exit the building. Showtime. I quickly hung my umbrella on a nearby rack and stood by the entrance, feigning distress as I stared out at the downpour. As Sam drew closer, I turned and stepped into his path, pitching my voice to sound soft and helpless. “Excuse me,” I began, “I, uh, forgot my umbrella. Would you mind walking me back to my dorm?” I finished with a shy, doe-eyed look, my clothes slightly damp from the rain. The picture of a damsel in distress. Heh. The most skilled hunters often appear as prey. 3 Before Sam could answer, I saw someone grab my umbrella from the rack and start to walk away. “Hey! Umbrella thief! Drop my umbrella!” Forgetting my act entirely, I shot past Sam in pursuit. Hearing my shout, the thief popped the umbrella open and made a run for it, disappearing into the curtain of rain. Damn it! First my food deliveries get stolen three times, and now my umbrella. I was going to blast this thief all over the campus confession page! Wait… I forgot something. I turned around and found myself face-to-face with Sam. We just stared at each other. In that instant, all my carefully crafted plans and confidence evaporated. I cleared my throat twice, forcing my voice back into that delicate tone. “Um, I…” I stammered, unable to form a coherent sentence. Great. Not only did Sam know I’d been lying about the umbrella, but now I actually didn’t have one. Just as I expected him to refuse and walk away, he opened his own umbrella and stepped beside me, tilting it to cover me. An almost imperceptible smile played on his lips. “Let’s go. I’ll walk you back.” The moment we reached my dorm, I immediately pulled out my phone, ready to exchange contacts. “Thank you so much for walking me back. How about I get your number? I can buy you a coffee sometime to thank you properly.” Sam offered a polite but distant smile. “No need. It was nothing.” He started to turn away, but I quickly grabbed the corner of his sleeve. “Wait! Let’s exchange numbers anyway. There’s something important I need to talk to you about!” “Talk about what?” “Add me, and I’ll tell you.” A moment later, after he’d sent the friend request, I met his confused gaze with my sweetest smile. “About us dating.” … 4 Staring at the chat window with just our two names, “Sam Croft” and “Nora Hayes,” I was at a complete loss. My roommate, Cici, bounced over. “Nora, are you going to the big basketball game against Northwood State tomorrow?” “Nah, not interested.” “Really? Sam is playing. I wonder how many girls will be fighting to give him a water bottle this time.” She shot me a teasing look; she knew all about my grand declaration to conquer him. “Even if Sam is playing, I’m… definitely going! What time? We need to get there early to grab good seats!” I immediately opened my chat with him. 【Hey, I heard you have a game tomorrow! Can I come bring you water?】 After a long wait, a single, crushing reply came back: 【No need.】 Ha. Men. Playing hard to get, are we? When a man says no, he means yes. The next day, I did a complete 180 from my innocent look. I curled my hair into beachy waves, slipped into a ridiculously short skirt, and went for a full glam makeup look. I pulled the roses from the fridge and gave them a once-over. Yep, still usable. Waste not, want not. Then, I grabbed Cici and we sprinted to the gym. 5 Wow, Sam really was popular. The cheers in the stadium were deafening, and most of them were for him. Not one to be outdone, I whipped out the pair of five-dollar, fluorescent green pom-poms I’d bought from a street vendor the night before. I shook them with all my might, screaming at the top of my lungs, “SAM, LET’S GO!” Maybe it was my volume, or maybe it was the blindingly green pom-poms, but his eyes drifted in my direction, locking with mine for a brief second. He seemed momentarily stunned, but then he turned and sank a perfect three-pointer. The moment the halftime buzzer sounded, I grabbed a water bottle and charged toward him. And was promptly swallowed by a wall of people. There were so many girls trying to give him water. I fought my way through the crowd, even spotting Stella in the mix. A quick glance back revealed my brother, Leo, staring forlornly from the stands. With one last push, I broke through and held the water out to Sam. “You worked hard out there, senior.” But his response was the same as before. “Thanks, but no.” 6 A player next to him laughed. “Dude, a pretty girl offers you water and you say no? Hey, if he doesn’t want it, I’ll take it. I’m dying of thirst.” He reached for the bottle. Just as I was about to hand it over, it was snatched from my grasp by a pair of long, elegant fingers. The teammate’s hand was left hanging in the air. We both turned to look at the hand’s owner. Sam leisurely twisted the cap off, took two long swallows, and then glanced at his teammate. “Sorry,” he said coolly. “I’m thirsty too.” My heart did a little flip. Okay, maybe this mission wasn’t a lost cause after all. I looked at the other player apologetically. “Sorry about that. Let me buy you another one.” Sam shot him a sideways glance. “He can buy his own.” The teammate just grinned knowingly. “Yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ll get my own.” He winked and jogged off. Sam finished the water, looked at me, and said, “Wait here a second,” before running off. He returned a minute later holding a light button-down shirt. He glanced away, a hint of awkwardness on his face, as he handed it to me. “There are a lot of bugs in here. You can wrap this around your legs. To keep them from biting you.” Bugs? I hadn’t seen any bugs. I looked down at my miniskirt and understood. I took the shirt and tied it around my waist. Yes! Getting him to accept the flowers was going to be a piece of cake! I shot a triumphant look at my brother in the stands. When I turned back, Sam’s face had darkened, and he was already walking away. 7 Unsurprisingly, our team won. I picked up the roses I’d stashed and was about to walk over to Sam when a shadow fell over me. I looked up to see a clean-cut, handsome guy smiling at me. “Hey, I was watching you during the game. Can I get your number?” “Sorry,” I said, trying to step to the right. He mirrored my movement, blocking my path. “Come on, just your number. We can just be friends.” I could see Sam and his team about to leave. Clutching the roses, I dodged around the guy. “Sorry, no phone, I live under a rock.” As I hurried away, I glanced back toward Sam and saw that he’d been watching us the whole time. “Sam!” By the time I caught up to him, his expression was thunderous. Wasn’t he happy about winning? I held out the roses. “Congratulations on the win!” He didn’t take them. He just stared at the bouquet for a long moment. Then, he let out a short, cold laugh. “Regifting, are we?” My heart skipped a beat. I nervously tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. How did he know these were the flowers my brother failed to give Stella? I examined the bouquet again. They were only a day old, and I’d kept them in the fridge. There was no way he could tell. I forced a laugh, about to make something up, when one of his teammates came over to drag him to the victory party. Sam’s eyes were dark pools as he looked at me one last time before turning to leave. “Your shirt,” I said, starting to untie it from my waist. Without looking back, he called out, “Don’t need it. Just throw it away.” 8 I angrily shoved the roses into a trash can. This was all my brother’s fault. The water bottle went fine, but the roses were a disaster. There must have been something wrong with them. Then I untied the shirt from my waist and threw it in the trash too. 【Forget it. I’m done. This is too much trouble.】 I sent the text to my brother, and a second later, a notification popped up: $50,000 has been deposited into your account. It was followed by another text from Leo: 【Keep pushing! I believe in you!】 The audacity! How could he…! I could. I meekly retrieved the shirt from the trash can. What can I say? He gave me too much money. Over the next few weeks, I became Sam’s shadow. I brought him breakfast, engineered “coincidental” run-ins, and crashed his classes under the guise of wanting to learn. The result? The breakfasts were usually rejected, ending up in either my brother’s stomach or his roommate’s. When we “bumped into each other,” he’d ignore my dazzling fake smile and walk right past me. And during class, whenever I’d start chattering, he’d just say, “Nora, if you’re going to crash a class, at least pay attention.” So, after all my hard work, all I had to show for it was a new reputation as a pathetic clinger. 9 I was trailing behind Sam, holding a taro boba tea, chattering away. “Hey handsome, special delivery. It’s got taro, it’s got milk tea… but if you want the boba, you’ll have to come and claim it yourself.” The figure in front of me stopped dead. I didn’t react in time and walked right into his back. “Ow,” I muttered, rubbing my nose. “Why’d you stop all of a sudden?” Sam turned to face me. “Nora, why are you always following me?” “I’m pursuing you, obviously,” I said with a grin. He was silent for a moment, his expression unusually serious. He looked me straight in the eye. “Do you like me?” His gaze was intense, complex, as if he could see right through me. There was a hint of darkness in his eyes, a flicker of something that looked almost… lonely. I froze for a second, then my eyes darted around nervously as I forced a laugh. “Of course! Why else would I have been chasing you for so long?” I didn’t look at him, so I missed the brief, stunned expression that crossed his face. After a long pause, all I heard was a nearly inaudible sigh. When I turned back, a cool, soft pressure met my lips. A warm hand cupped the back of my head, and the clean scent of pine filled my senses. My brain completely short-circuited. All I could see was Sam’s face, magnified before me, his eyes closed as he kissed me gently. Before I could even process what was happening, he pulled back slightly, drawing me into an embrace. “Then let’s be together.” My head was still spinning. I leaned against his chest, dazed. “Okay.” 10 “No way, Nora! You actually did it!?” Under the stunned gazes of my brother and Cici, I lifted my chin with a smug little smile. “Sam Croft? Conquered.” I patted Leo’s shoulder like a disappointed mentor. “Bro, if you still can’t win Stella over now, maybe you should start questioning your own charisma.” “Get off me!” he swatted my hand away. After we got together, the tables turned completely. Sam brought me breakfast, Sam bought me coffee, and Sam came to my classes to sit with me. Everything was great. Except for my brother. When I arrived at the private room in the bar, Leo was a sobbing, snotty mess, clinging to his friend. Yep. Rejected by Stella for the 10,087th time. The moment he saw me, he stumbled over, crying. “Even without Sam in the picture, she still doesn’t like me!” I pushed him away with a look of disgust. He wiped his tears and looked at me. “Since it didn’t work, you don’t have to keep pretending to be with Sam for my sake.” “I…” Seeing my hesitation, Leo forgot to cry. He stared at me in shock. “Nora, don’t tell me you’ve actually caught feelings.” Caught feelings? I wasn’t sure. But my mouth moved faster than my brain. “Of course not! It’s not like I actually like him. Besides, why would I give up a whole pond full of fish for just one guy?” “Nora.” I froze at the sound of that voice. I whipped my head around to look at the doorway. Sam was standing there, his expression hidden in the shadows, making it impossible to read. 11 Sam stepped out of the darkness, and the dim lights of the room slowly illuminated his face. He was smiling, but the smile didn’t reach his eyes. Draped over his arm was a women’s trench coat. I watched, stunned, as he walked toward me. “Sam, what are you…” He held the coat out to me. “It’s getting cold outside.” “You were… When did you get here?” I wanted to ask if he’d heard me, but the words wouldn’t come out. “Just got here. Why?” “N-nothing.” “I’ll go now. You guys have fun.” As I watched him leave, a strong, unsettling premonition washed over me. I didn’t see the self-mocking smile that twisted his lips the moment he turned away. Something was wrong with Sam. Very wrong. He must have heard what I said. But why didn’t he say anything? 12 My brother’s grumbling voice broke through my thoughts. “That kid Sam just gets on my nerves. Nora, when are you going to dump him?” When I didn’t answer, he continued, “Nora, I know you have a lot of admirers, but you’ve never even dated before. Where’s this ‘pond of fish’ you were talking about? You were just…” I clapped a hand over his mouth. “Bro, you’re rambling.” I scrolled aimlessly through my phone. When I finally came to, I was staring at my chat with Sam. The image of his empty smile flashed in my mind, and the unease in my heart grew stronger. I stood up and headed for the door. I had to find him. “Where are you going, Nora?” I shot my brother a guilty look. “I have to go. You guys carry on. I’ll be back to comfort you after your next rejection.” “Hey! Can’t you wish me some luck for once?”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “384753”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel