My boyfriend and his childhood friend were both competing in the same dance competition. To ensure she won the championship, he actually hid razor blades in my dance shoes. My feet were a bloody mess, and I couldn’t go on stage. Afterward, he offered a fake apology. “Mia, your grades are excellent. Even if you don’t dance, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to succeed.” “But Chloe is different. She has to get first place to get into the city dance troupe.” The school administration was going to call the police, but because I loved him, I chose to give him another chance. I never imagined he would escalate. To completely eliminate any competition for his precious childhood friend, he locked me in an empty dance studio and smashed my feet with a hammer. 1 The moment the dance studio door locked, I stared at Liam Vance in absolute terror. “Dancing is my dream too, Liam. Please, don’t do this.” I begged him desperately, but Liam acted as if he couldn’t hear a word. He ordered his childhood friend to hold me down while he raised a large sledgehammer and approached me. “You’re so talented, you can have any dream you want. Why does it have to be dancing?” “Mia, don’t blame me. Blame the dance troupe for only having one opening.” I was the best dancer in the school. As long as I was competing, Chloe Sinclair had absolutely zero chance of winning. I came from a poor family. My parents died in a car crash when I was young, and my grandmother raised me. I had loved dancing since I was a child. When I found out that getting into the city dance troupe meant free tuition plus a monthly stipend, I started practicing like my life depended on it. My grandmother was getting older and could no longer support us. Since my freshman year of high school, I spent every spare moment dancing. For two whole years, all my effort was dedicated to this one audition. The first prize in the previous competition came with a ten-thousand-dollar cash reward. I had planned to use that money to buy medicine for my grandmother. The rest would have paid for my senior year tuition. But all my beautiful plans were destroyed by Liam’s selfishness. I had already lost one opportunity. If I failed this audition, I would have to drop out of school. But none of that mattered compared to my physical safety. I couldn’t become a cripple. I couldn’t become a burden to my grandmother. Before Liam could swing the hammer, I screamed. “Liam! I won’t go to the audition tomorrow! I forfeit!” Seeing the hesitation in his eyes, I pleaded earnestly. “I promise, I’ll accept your financial help. I won’t compete with Chloe anymore. Just please don’t hurt me!” Liam finally wavered. He threw the hammer aside and lunged forward, hugging me tightly. “Why didn’t you just agree earlier?” “Mia, I didn’t want to hurt you, but Chloe has sacrificed so much for me. I’ve already failed her once. Helping her achieve her dream is the only way I can repay her.” Just as I thought I had convinced Liam to let me go, his phone rang. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the name “Chloe Angel” flashing on the screen. My heart sank. While he answered the phone, I broke free from his friend’s grip and sprinted toward the door. “Help!” “Is anyone there?! Please help me!” My hand had barely touched the doorknob when I was grabbed from behind, a hand clamped over my mouth, and dragged back. Liam was still on the phone. Chloe’s voice echoed through the silent night, crystal clear. “Liam, I just found out. The dance troupe has already decided to select Mia. Her audition tomorrow is just a formality.” 2 Chloe started crying as she spoke. “Why am I working so hard if I can never achieve my dream? What am I doing wrong? Liam, tell me, am I just destined to be a loser as long as Mia is around?” “Why does everyone choose her and not me?!” Listening to Chloe’s broken sobs, Liam’s gaze toward me turned dark and ruthless. He lowered his voice and said, “Chloe, I promise you, Mia will never have the chance to dance again.” “You’re going to nail that audition tomorrow.” He hung up, picked up the discarded sledgehammer, and walked toward me again. “I’m sorry, Mia. Chloe lost her innocence trying to save me. I should have stayed with her and protected her for the rest of her life, but I rejected her for you.” “We both owe her. After this, we’ll be even.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I never knew Liam and Chloe had that kind of history. I shook my head frantically, trying to stop his insane actions. But he was completely out of his mind. When the excruciating, bone-shattering pain exploded from my ankle, my entire body convulsed into a tight ball. I opened my mouth wide but couldn’t scream. I even forgot how to breathe, how to let my heart beat. The world seemed to plunge into a dead, silent darkness. All I could see was an endless sea of blood red. When I regained consciousness, I heard Liam’s hoarse, heartbroken sobbing. He was holding me, his entire body trembling violently. “Mia, forgive me just this once. I promise I will love you and take care of you for the rest of my life.” “I’ll spend my entire life making this up to you.” I opened my eyes and looked at my twisted, shattered ankle. The crimson blood almost completely engulfed me. The pain radiated through my entire body, draining all my strength, leaving me paralyzed in Liam’s arms. My dream, my life, completely destroyed by him. What was the point of him taking care of me for the rest of my life? “Mia, if you want to cry, just cry. If you want to curse me, curse me.” “I know I wronged you, but I had no other choice. This was the only way I could repay Chloe. Only then could we be together with a clear conscience.” “A clear conscience?” I repeated those words, slowly lifting my eyes to look at Liam’s tear-stained face. “You smashed my ankle. I might never be able to walk normally again, and you’re telling me about a clear conscience?” “You pursued me. You wanted to be with me. I never asked you to give up Chloe for me. Why should I have to suffer the consequences of your guilt toward her?!” “If I had known this was the price of being with you, I would have rather never met you.” Using every ounce of strength I had, I shoved him away and began to slowly, agonizingly drag myself toward the door. Every inch I crawled tore at my soul with excruciating pain. A long, gruesome trail of blood trailed behind me. My words infuriated Liam. He yelled defensively, “Is it a crime that I love you?!” “If I didn’t love you, why would I have rejected Chloe? I already promised to take care of you forever! What more do you want?!” “You only lost your chance to dance! Chloe lost her entire future with the man she loves! You have me, isn’t that enough?! Why do you have to steal her future too?!” He was the one who committed the atrocity, yet he was having a hysterical breakdown, blaming me. Blaming me for being greedy, for being ungrateful. Right before I lost consciousness, I looked at him with profound disappointment. “Liam Vance, we are done.” “I will never, ever love you again.” 3 The way Liam and I met was incredibly cliché. During my freshman year, I was cornered and harassed by some local thugs in an alley. He swooped in like a hero, fighting them off. He took a knife wound for it—a deep gash on his arm. I was incredibly grateful and deeply admired his heroism. After that, he pursued me relentlessly. I slowly fell for him, falling deeply in love. It was only after we got together that I learned about his childhood best friend, Chloe Sinclair. Liam always maintained a clear boundary with Chloe. I thought he was just being considerate of my feelings. I never imagined they shared such a dark secret. In his own words: he couldn’t give Chloe his love, but he would give her anything else she wanted. Just because Chloe said she couldn’t win first place with me around, Liam hid razor blades in my dance shoes the day before the competition. Afterward, he carried me frantically to the hospital, begging the doctors to make sure my feet wouldn’t scar. I received over thirty stitches that night. Terrified that anesthesia would affect my future dancing, I gritted my teeth and endured it without painkillers. I passed out from the pain several times, only to be jolted awake by more agony. Meanwhile, Chloe took her friends out partying until dawn to celebrate her first-place win. She even brought the ten-thousand-dollar prize money in an envelope when she came to visit me in the hospital. While Liam was out buying food, Chloe gloated, “So what if you’re his girlfriend? I will always be the most important person in his heart.” “Believe it or not, with one word from me, he could make sure you never dance again.” I recorded her saying that and played it for Liam, demanding to know what their relationship really was. Liam angrily smashed my phone and told me to trust him. “No matter what happens, I love you.” “I only owe Chloe a debt of gratitude, nothing more. Mia, I will give you all my love.” It turned out that Chloe had confessed her feelings for Liam long before high school. But Liam only saw her as a friend and never thought of her romantically. Chloe refused to give up and followed him everywhere. To the bar, to play basketball, to illegal street races—she was always there. Once, Liam was targeted by some thugs seeking revenge. To help him escape, Chloe was sexually assaulted by them. Afterward, Chloe begged him not to go to the police. She didn’t want the stigma. Liam was consumed by guilt, but he still didn’t want to date her out of obligation. Since then, he granted her every wish, even destroying my dance career for her. It was the third day when I finally woke up in the hospital. I tentatively tried to move my foot, and agonizing pain instantly shot up my leg. I couldn’t help but groan, alerting the caretaker beside me. “You’re awake! How are you feeling?” I looked at her blankly. Just as I was about to ask what happened, I saw the TV on the wall. It was broadcasting a replay of the city dance troupe selecting dancers from a local high school. On screen, Chloe, wearing a leotard, looked graceful and slender. She smiled radiantly, her movements elegant, quickly earning applause from the crowd. To my surprise, the dance troupe had expanded their recruitment this year, accepting three students from our school. “Those girls are so lucky. I hear once you get into the city troupe, room and board are completely free.” “If they get into a good university, the troupe even pays their tuition. As long as they keep performing, they’re set for life.” The caretaker sighed sympathetically as she looked at me. “But don’t lose hope, dear. Your boyfriend said you have excellent grades. You can do scientific research or something. You won’t necessarily need to walk around a lot.” 4 “I don’t have a boyfriend.” I cut her off coldly and asked her to get the doctor. I asked the doctor about my condition. When I learned I would never walk normally again, a suffocating despair washed over me. “Doctor, I used to be a dancer. Getting into the city troupe was my dream. What about my future…” “Sigh.” The doctor sighed softly, advising me to stay positive. “You’re still young. There are many paths you can take. Don’t give up.” After the doctor left, Liam arrived. And Chloe was with him. She actually pushed a wheelchair into the room. The moment she saw me, she rushed over with fake concern. “Mia, you’re finally awake.” “You have no idea how worried Liam and I have been these past two days.” She looked deeply concerned, while Liam stood nearby, looking pleased. “Mia, Chloe knew you hadn’t been eating or sleeping well. She really cares about you.” Liam even added that Chloe had bought the wheelchair with her own saved-up allowance. “You refused the money Chloe offered you last time. You can’t refuse her gift this time.” “Yes, Mia. It breaks my heart to see your feet like this. You’ll have a lot of trouble getting around after you’re discharged, so please accept my gift.” I glared at them with pure hatred. “Since when does an abuser giving a gift to their victim mean anything good?” “Are you two trying to put on a show of eternal friendship or some tragic romance? I’m not in the mood for a performance. Get out!” My ruthless sarcasm instantly angered Liam. It also made Chloe’s eyes well up with tears. She looked at Liam, looking wronged and humiliated. “Liam, I know Mia hates me. I’ll leave.” Instead of leaving, she threw herself into Liam’s arms and started crying. “Liam, what can I do to make Mia less angry? If I could, I’d give her my spot in the dance troupe.” A flicker of heartache crossed Liam’s eyes. He pulled Chloe behind him and glared at me. “Mia, why are you taking your anger out on Chloe? I did all of this. If you want to hate someone, hate me. What’s the point of these passive-aggressive attacks?” “Chloe doesn’t know anything. She came here out of the goodness of her heart.” I was so angry I almost laughed at their sheer audacity. “If she didn’t know anything, why did she bring a wheelchair?” I pointed at Chloe. “I’m a cripple now. I can never dance again. And she says she wants to give me her spot in the troupe? Don’t you see how incredibly insulting that is?” I didn’t want to waste another breath arguing with them. I turned my head toward the window and issued an ultimatum. “Liam Vance, we are broken up. Stop acting like you care.” “And the fact that you intentionally assaulted me? I’ve already called the police. I will seek justice through the law.” Liam stared at me in disbelief. “Break up? I don’t agree to that.” “And I already told you I’d compensate you. You actually want to call the police and have me arrested? You are so heartless. I really misjudged you.” Just as he finished speaking, Chloe suddenly swayed and collapsed against him. “Liam, my heart is racing.” “I don’t know if it’s because I haven’t eaten in two days and my blood sugar is low, but I feel so dizzy!” She closed her eyes and went limp in Liam’s arms. Liam quickly picked her up and rushed to find a doctor. Before he left, he threw one last threat over his shoulder. “Mia, I’m letting this go because I know you’re upset. But don’t forget, I’m paying for all your medical bills right now.” “If you break up with me, you’ll be kicked out of this hospital immediately. You won’t even have a place to sleep.” 5 My chest tightened, and a wave of indescribable bitterness washed over me. My grandmother’s health was too frail to care for me in this state, and it was true—I didn’t have the money to pay my medical bills. But that didn’t mean I was going to let him control me. After Liam left, I found an excuse to send the caretaker away. I pulled my phone from under my pillow and dialed a number. “Principal Huang, I am willing to accept your sponsorship. Can you accept a cripple as your future employee?” “Okay. My current address is… I will see you in three days.” Liam thought I was just trying to scare him, that I wouldn’t actually press charges. When the police arrived to investigate, he was still lying, claiming he didn’t mean to smash my ankle. “It was an accident. I didn’t do it on purpose.” “She’s my girlfriend, and I’ve already compensated her. I paid for her surgery.” “My friends can testify for me. We were arguing, we were both angry, and I accidentally hurt her. It wasn’t intentional.” Infuriatingly, he had destroyed the security cameras in the dance studio beforehand, and his two friends backed up his story. There wasn’t enough evidence to charge him with intentional assault. Ultimately, under police mediation, the Vance family agreed to pay me one million dollars for post-operative care. “It’s 20,087,650 dollars.” I handed the itemized bill, calculated by my lawyer, to the Vance family. “If you refuse to pay this in full immediately, we’ll see you in court.” Liam’s parents, eager to sweep this under the rug, quickly signed the settlement agreement. Liam, however, acted as if he had suffered a massive humiliation. “Mia, you’re threatening to sue me over two million dollars?” “You know I’m going to inherit the family business. I can’t have a criminal record. And you’re still trying to sue me?” I expressionlessly accepted the money from the Vance family and left the police station with my lawyer. Liam resentfully chased after me and blocked my path. “Don’t you understand? If you just stayed with me, I could give you so much more.” “But spending two million to see your true colors is worth it. Mia, I am so disappointed in you.” His tone was icy, his eyes full of mockery. “You better not regret this later. I would never accept a cripple as my girlfriend anyway.” My foot was still healing, and I was confined to a wheelchair. But right then, I grabbed the armrests and painfully forced myself to stand. With every ounce of strength I had, I slapped Liam across the face. “Don’t you forget, you’re the one who made me a cripple. What right do you have to mock me?” Smack. Liam’s head jerked to the side. Half of his face turned bright red, with five clear finger marks stinging his skin. Hearing the commotion, his family rushed out and threatened to sue me for assault. “You have the audacity to act like this right outside a police station?! Liam must have been blind to ever fall in love with a girl like you.” “Look at you, acting like a common street thug. You don’t even have a fraction of Chloe’s grace. Even if your foot wasn’t crippled, you’d never win first place.” As they were pointing fingers and yelling at me, Liam suddenly roared. “Enough!” He gave me one last resentful, humiliated look, then dragged his family away. Everyone thought I would transfer schools, or maybe even leave the city entirely. But I didn’t. I used the settlement money to move my grandmother into a top-tier nursing home. Then, I met with Principal Huang, who had come to discuss the sponsorship. When he saw me, he was confused. “You have money now. You don’t need our sponsorship at all. Why do you still…” I smiled bitterly. “That money cost me my future and my dreams. I’d rather not have it.” 6 Principal Huang was the principal of a middle school in a neighboring county. For years, he had been sponsoring outstanding students from impoverished families to attend university. But his sponsorship came with conditions. Any student who got into a top university had to return and teach at his middle school for five years after graduation. He had approached me before my junior year of high school, but at the time, I was determined to join the dance troupe, so I politely declined. Now that my dream was shattered, I couldn’t think of any other company that would hire a cripple after I graduated from college. Principal Huang was deeply sympathetic to my situation and quickly finalized the sponsorship agreement. To ensure I could focus entirely on preparing for the college entrance exams, he rented an apartment for me off-campus. “Don’t feel burdened by this. All these expenses will be deducted from your future salary.” While I was trying to find a new path for my future, someone secretly photographed me with Principal Huang and posted it online. They claimed I was a sugar baby for an older man. “Didn’t expect a cripple to be in such high demand these days.” “So what? Her foot is ruined, not her face. As long as she’s pretty and willing to put out, why not?” “Maybe cripples are better in bed.” Everywhere I went, I heard these disgusting rumors. Some people even had the audacity to ask me my nightly rate to my face. “Hey, I’m younger and stronger than that old man. Serving me is way better than serving him. What do you say? Want to try it tonight?” I didn’t want to engage with these pathetic losers, but walking with crutches made me vulnerable. While trying to dodge them, someone tripped me, and I fell hard onto the ground. Just as the guy reached out, pretending to help me up while trying to cop a feel, a cold, hard voice rang out. “Let her go.” It was Liam. Without a word, he grabbed the guy by the collar, pinned him to the ground, and started beating him mercilessly, until the guy’s mouth was bleeding and he was begging for mercy. “Liam, stop! You’re going to kill him!” Chloe was crying, trying to pull Liam away, but he was like a madman, throwing punch after punch. I watched this unfold with complete apathy. Then, I picked up my crutches and struggled to my feet, limping away step by step. Chloe rushed over to grab me. “Can’t you see Liam is defending you?! How can you just walk away without saying a word?!” I shook her off, a cold smile forming on my lips. “If someone stabs you, and then calls an ambulance right as you’re bleeding to death, are you supposed to thank them?” Liam froze. Even from a distance, I could see the heartbreak in his eyes. Hilarious. I was the one being questioned, the one being attacked. What was he so heartbroken about? I walked past Chloe and kept going. Even when I was far away, I could still hear her screaming. “Liam, please stop hitting him! Didn’t you hear what Mia said?! She hates you! No matter what you do for her, she will never forgive you!” Later that evening, police sirens echoed across the campus. Students returning from outside looked at me strangely. “Her ex-boyfriend got arrested for defending her, and she’s just sitting there calmly taking notes.” “Liam is such an idiot. They’re broken up, and he’s still fighting her battles. A heartless bitch like her deserves to be crippled.” “You guys probably don’t know this, but I heard she extorted the Vance family for over two million dollars when they broke up!” “She’s so quiet, but she’s actually ruthless.” Just another version of the rumors. I didn’t even have to guess who was so obsessively tracking my life. 7 The college entrance exams were looming, and time was tight. I didn’t have a single second to waste on these rumors. I definitely wasn’t going to argue with ignorant people. In a month, we’d all go our separate ways, and my future would never cross paths with theirs again. But no matter how aloof I acted, trouble still found me. The next day, Chloe cornered me in the restroom. Her eyes were swollen, and she glared at me with pure venom. “Mia, Liam got arrested because of you! Are you happy now?” “He lost his temper and hit that guy because of you, and you just walked away without a word.” “You have to come to the police station with me right now and testify that he was acting in self-defense.” Under Chloe’s relentless badgering, I went with her. At the police station, I was perfectly calm during the questioning. “The student who was beaten didn’t touch me inappropriately. I didn’t feel any malicious intent from him.” “Liam assaulting him has absolutely nothing to do with me. I have nothing else to say.” “Of course, I take full responsibility for my statement.” Because of my testimony, Liam’s self-defense claim was thrown out. He was charged with intentional assault. Unfortunately for him, the boy he blinded in one eye came from a prominent family, not someone who could be bought off with loose change. The Vance family spent a fortune trying to keep Liam out of jail. I heard they spent over twenty million in bribes alone. Ultimately, the Vance family decided to send Liam abroad. Chloe threw multiple tantrums in front of me, calling me a curse. She blamed me for destroying Liam’s future. “Liam promised we would go to A University together. After graduation, he would take over his family’s company, and I would be his assistant. Now, because of you, everything is ruined!” I sneered and looked at Chloe. “Are you saying that if Liam goes abroad and comes back, his family won’t let him inherit the company anymore?” “Or is it that the Vance family is only paying for Liam to go abroad, and he can’t take you with him this time? Are you afraid he’ll find someone new over the next few years and forget all about you, his ‘old love’?” Chloe’s face flushed with anger. “What are you talking about?! What new love, what old love?! Liam and I have the purest friendship!” Just as she was about to attack me, Liam appeared. He ordered Chloe away and cornered me in the study hall. “Mia, I came to say goodbye.” He said he didn’t blame me for what I said at the police station. “You were angry. You wanted revenge. I accept that.” “Mia, I’m just worried that after I leave, no one will protect you. What will you do if you run into trouble again?” I self-deprecatingly held up my crutch. “Before, I fought thugs bare-handed. Now, thanks to you, I at least have a weapon.” “Mr. Vance, if you truly want what’s best for me, why don’t you take Chloe with you? That way, she won’t be constantly harassing me and interfering with my studies.” Liam looked at me with complex emotions. After a long pause, he nodded. “Okay. I promise you.” A week later, both Liam and Chloe completed their paperwork and left the country. Without those two plagues, high school felt significantly brighter. On the eve of the college entrance exams, Principal Huang was invited as a special guest speaker to give a motivational speech to the students. 8 He specifically mentioned my name on the podium. “Mia Harrison is not the first student from your school to sign a sponsorship agreement with us, but she is the most unique.” “After suffering a malicious physical attack, she didn’t give up or fall into despair. She remained resilient and continued fighting for her future.” “Students, we should all learn from Mia. No matter when or where, never easily give up. As long as you keep moving forward, you are making progress!” Thunderous applause erupted from the audience. The malicious rumors surrounding me vanished with it. After the exams, everyone exchanged contact information and formed group chats. I received many private messages apologizing to me, as well as many words of encouragement. To my surprise, there was also an email from across the ocean. Liam only wrote one sentence in the email. “Mia, if you don’t meet anyone who captures your heart during your four years of college, will you look back at me?” I deleted and blocked the email address, tossing it into the trash along with my past with him. College life was fulfilling and intense. Besides attending classes and participating in clubs, I also went to the hospital for regular physical therapy. Medical technology in our country was rapidly advancing. In my senior year, I underwent a cutting-edge bone graft procedure. It was incredibly expensive, but the results were miraculous. At the graduation ceremony, after four years, I stepped onto the stage once again. I flawlessly performed the dance I never got to finish four years ago. I became famous overnight. The video was shared across all major platforms, amassing over a hundred million views. Someone recognized me and left a comment. “I went to high school with her. If someone hadn’t broken her ankle in her senior year, she definitely would have been recruited by the city dance troupe.” “I also know her family was really poor. Just her grandmother taking care of her. She was planning to use the competition prize money to buy medicine for her grandmother, but someone hid razor blades in her shoes on the day of the competition.” The official account of the city dance troupe actually sent me an invitation. They asked if I was still willing to join them. Looking at the invitation, four years late, my eyes filled with tears. “If you want to go, go. Achieving your dream is the most important thing.” Principal Huang, whom I had invited along with my grandmother to attend my graduation, had told me from the start that he wouldn’t force me to work for him after graduation. But I couldn’t break my promise. “You were the guiding light when I was lost. Since I chose this path, I can’t go back on my word.” “Whether in life or work, you must be a person of your word. My grandmother taught me that.” I politely declined the dance troupe’s offer to be their lead dancer and resolutely followed Principal Huang back to the county to become an ordinary teacher. Every day, facing the innocent, eager faces of my teenage students, I felt the weight of responsibility on my shoulders. Occasionally, I encountered students in early romances, and I used examples to guide them in the right direction.

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After my family went bankrupt, I took a desperate risk and drugged my lifelong nemesis. Suddenly, I could hear his inner thoughts: [Baby is so cute. Her hands were literally shaking when she spiked my drink just now.] [Hiss~ Baby is so petite. I don’t know if she’ll be able to handle the next few hours.] [Because later, even if Baby cries and begs me, I’m not going to stop…] I froze in the doorway. Laying on the bed, Carter’s face was flushed. He tugged at his collar, looking extremely uncomfortable, yet glaring at me with eyes as cold as ice: “It’s so hot. Chloe, what the hell did you just give me to drink?” At the exact same time, an avalanche of his inner thoughts flooded my mind: [Baby likes the forced-proximity trope. I need to act more reserved.] [Baby’s waist is so tiny. I want to hold her.] [Baby’s hands are so small. I want to kiss them.] [Baby’s legs are so pale. If I put them on my shoulders…] I was absolutely terrified. “You sick pervert, stay away from me! AHHHH!” 1 Carter and I had been mortal enemies since we were kids. If I skipped class, he reported me. If I dated someone, he took pictures and showed my parents. And vice versa. If he got into a fight, I snitched on him. My name is Chloe Vance, but he gave me the nickname “Chloe Cat.” In return, I just called him “Carter the Dog.” But today, I suddenly discovered that my lifelong nemesis… Might actually have a massive crush on me? 2 I backed away to the hotel room door, gripping the handle, planning to make a run for it. Carter grabbed my wrist, spun me around, and pinned me against the door. You don’t really notice it when he’s just being his usual lazy self, but when he invades your personal space like this, his entire aura becomes incredibly dangerous. I heard him let out a soft “Tsk.” “Chloe Cat, what are you running for? That glass of water at the banquet earlier… you’re the one who gave it to me, right?” It was true. I did give it to him. If my family hadn’t suddenly gone bankrupt, I never would have taken the insane risk of drugging my worst enemy. Honestly, right as I was handing him the glass, I regretted it. But he snatched it right out of my hand and downed it in one gulp. Almost like he couldn’t wait. With no other choice, I brought him to this hotel, figuring I could at least snap some compromising photos and blackmail him. But I never expected him to actually like me. And I definitely never expected him to be such a pervert! AHHHH! My eyes darted around guiltily, but I forced myself to stay calm: “How can you accuse me of something like that? I was just worried you’d get too drunk, so out of the goodness of my heart, I poured you a glass of water. And this is how you repay me…” “And now you’re being so mean to me! I’m so scared~~” Gag. I was literally making myself nauseous with this fake, whiny baby voice. Let’s see if this grosses him out! Sure enough, Carter frowned deeply. I felt a surge of joy. I knew it! How could my nemesis possibly like me? I definitely just hallucinated all that mind-reading stuff. But the very next second, I heard his thoughts again: [How is it possible that even when she’s acting whiny she’s this cute?! I want to kiss her to death. I want to lock her up so I’m the only one who ever gets to see her.] Me: … So apparently this counts as being cute to you?! I was feeling completely disoriented. He raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing on his lips, and asked in an almost seductive tone: “I feel so uncomfortable… Chloe Cat, won’t you help me?” As he said this, his voice grew husky, and he guided my hand downwards. My hand, trapped in his grip, was pulled along, lifting the hem of his shirt. Revealing a solid, well-defined six-pack. I quickly looked away, chanting internally: Form is emptiness, emptiness is form. (A Buddhist mantra to suppress desire). Yet my hand betrayed me, instinctively feeling around a bit more. His body was actually… incredibly nice… Sleeping with him… maybe wouldn’t be such a bad deal for me either? Just as I was about to succumb to temptation and surrender completely, a flurry of footsteps echoed from the hallway outside. The sound grew closer, and it clearly wasn’t just one person. Carter froze slightly. Perfect opportunity! I snapped out of it and forcefully shoved him away. 3 “Carter? Are you in this room? Are you okay?” A hesitant, questioning voice accompanied a knock on the door. I recognized that voice. It was Sarah, my ex-fiancé’s new fiancée, and also an underclassman from Carter’s department at university. I remember clearly: a month ago, right after my family went bankrupt, my ex-fiancé, Noah, couldn’t wait to cancel our engagement and publicly announce his relationship with Sarah. He had completely forgotten that without the Vance family’s backing, an illegitimate son like him would never have been able to gain a foothold and build his own power amidst the ruthless infighting of his wealthy family. I didn’t try to force him to keep the engagement. I only hoped that, for the sake of the support the Vance family had given him in the past, he might lend a hand and help us out of our crisis. Instead, he held Sarah in his arms and mocked me without any attempt to hide his disdain: “Who needs the Vance family’s help? Back then, your family was the one desperately throwing themselves at me. Sarah is kind and gentle; she is the one I truly love.” Then, he publicly announced his relationship with Sarah, leaving me standing there, enduring the mockery of everyone present. When a tree falls, the monkeys scatter. When a wall starts to crumble, everyone pushes. I understood that perfectly now. If it weren’t for that, I wouldn’t have been desperate enough to try and seduce my worst enemy. But I had no idea what Sarah was doing here. Trying to catch us in the act? After all, rumor had it that Carter confessed his feelings to her in college and was rejected, and ever since, the word on the street was that he was hopelessly, unrequitedly in love with her. No wonder he and Noah had been bitter rivals for so many years. Even if he supposedly liked me now, who knew if seeing his “first love” again would reignite old feelings? Plus, looking at Carter’s current condition… I seriously doubted if I could actually handle him. Running away was definitely the best strategy. 4 I quietly crept toward the door handle. I had just opened it a crack when, completely unexpectedly, the person next to me slammed it shut with a loud BANG. Carter scooped me up, pinning me against the door. His breathing had grown significantly heavier, and he was panting slightly. Crap. The drug is definitely kicking in. No, wait. More accurately, the drug should have kicked in ages ago. Carter was just too good at holding it together, enduring it until now. But… could I really handle him like this? I couldn’t help but swallow hard. I should definitely run. “Help, mmmph…” I kicked my legs frantically. Completely unprepared, he tilted my chin up and kissed me aggressively. He kissed me fiercely and urgently, as if trying to merge my entire body into his. The knocking on the door outside grew louder: “Carter, are you in there?” It was Sarah. She was probably drawn by the sound of Carter slamming the door. “Carter, you absolute motherf—…” I started cursing him out. But the next second, my mouth was blocked again. [Baby tastes so sweet. Kiss, kiss, kiss.] [What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her. What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her again. What’s this? It’s my wife. Kiss her again and again.] Me: … The knocking outside grew even louder, and if you listened closely, it sounded a bit frantic. “Chloe Vance, are you in that room?! What have you done to Carter?!” “Carter, are you okay?! Open the door quickly!” Separated only by a single door. Inside, Carter and I were entangled in a desperate struggle; outside, Sarah and her group were pounding on the door like maniacs. The BANG BANG sound got louder and louder. I suspected they were going to break the door down soon. I heard Carter’s inner voice. [So annoying. Do these people have zero self-awareness? Why do they have to interrupt me and Baby?] [I am so sick of this Sarah girl. Every time I go looking for Baby, she’s always right there, making passive-aggressive comments and trying to frame Baby.] [Looks like I need to put some pressure on the Hayes family so Noah keeps a tighter leash on his little mistress, instead of letting her run around causing trouble because she has too much free time.] Huh? So he doesn’t actually like Sarah? I could feel them literally kicking the door outside now. The next second, Carter just pulled the door open. 5 Camera lenses and flashing lights hit us immediately. He pressed the back of my head, burying my face in his chest. Ugh, kill me now. The social death is so severe I can never show my face in public again. Carter’s eyes were dark, his tone instantly dropping below freezing: “Is there a problem?” Sarah had several people trailing behind her, both men and women. And… a group of reporters. They were all staring at us, dumbfounded. They had all come because Sarah told them Chloe Vance had drugged Carter, hoping to catch a good show and mock the bankrupt heiress. But looking at the situation now, it seemed like they had arrived at the absolute worst time, interrupting the “Crown Prince’s” intimate moment. Rumor had it that this guy… didn’t have the best temper. Who knew if he was going to completely lose it? They instinctively backed up a few steps, leaving only Sarah standing in the front. Sarah composed herself and bit her lip slightly: “I just saw Ms. Vance… it looked like she poured a packet of white powder into your glass. I was really worried about your safety, Carter, so I followed you to check…” “But looking at it now, it seems I’ve just caused trouble for you.” After delivering her pitiful little speech, she lowered her eyelashes, looking wronged as she stared at the floor. Carter’s eyes were cold, his voice deep: “At least you know.” He choked off whatever Sarah was going to say next right in her throat. Sarah looked up, staring at him in sheer disbelief. Someone in the back couldn’t stand it anymore and rushed forward. “Carter, don’t go too far! Sarah only brought us here because she was worried about you! And instead of appreciating it, you’re standing here lecturing her?!” I instinctively looked up. Carter tightened his grip, pressing me firmly against his chest. Still angry, I secretly punched him in the chest. I didn’t notice, but a faint smirk touched the corners of his lips. Faced with the guy’s accusation, he just replied indifferently: “None of your damn business.” He caught my thrashing hands. And lazily lifted his eyelids. “However, I feel obligated to remind Ms. Sarah that making a massive public spectacle by bringing a mob to my hotel room and attempting to break down my door constitutes a severe invasion of my privacy and defamation of character. Tell your fiancé that we might be seeing each other in court. Best of luck.” Without giving anyone a chance to react, he slammed the door shut. 6 “Hey, Carter…” He let go of me and rushed straight into the bathroom. Then, the sound of the shower running echoed through the room. I suddenly felt incredibly guilty. The person who gave me the drug had guaranteed that the effects were incredibly potent and the results absolutely undeniable. He had held it in for so long; he must be in agony. This feeling of guilt lasted until he finally came out, and I heard his inner voice: [If I knew the drug was this strong, I wouldn’t have given her this specific one.] [But thankfully, she actually believed what I told her and chose to drug me to seduce me! Chloe Cat really does just want my body!] I stood frozen in place. When I made the decision to drug him, it was actually because an online friend encouraged me to do it. I got the drug from him, too. He even helped me formulate a detailed plan, afraid I might mess it up. Since I was never the sharpest tool in the shed to begin with, I just obediently followed his instructions. At the time, I even thought, Wow, this guy is really nice! But looking at it now, the whole thing was orchestrated and directed by him, and I completely wasted 50,000 bucks! “CARTER!” I was absolutely furious. Gritting my teeth. I charged forward and tackled him to the floor: “You! Evil! Dog!” “Give! Me! Back! My! Fifty! Grand!” His body went completely stiff. “What 50 grand?” [There’s no way she figured it out, right?] [How could she? With the IQ of someone who spends $100 to buy three roses when they cost $30 each?] … I seriously wanted to curse him out. Why did he have to throw in personal insults?! I glared at him, trying to find some hint of guilt or remorse in his eyes. But unfortunately, there was none. He was still playing dumb. … Forget it. Drugging him was wrong of me in the first place. Might as well take a step back. This was the perfect opportunity to exploit his obsessive crush. 7 I took a deep breath and spoke slowly: “Ahem. Carter, bringing you to this hotel on my own was my mistake. But you forcefully kissed me… you tarnished my innocence. You owe me compensation for emotional distress.” “Not a lot. A million dollars is fine.” I looked at him expectantly. Carter, however, intentionally dragged out his words, acting incredibly nonchalant. “But my money—is only for my girlfriend to spend.” His wet, short hair hung over his forehead, obscuring those incredibly captivating, soul-stealing eyes. “If you want the money, why don’t you—” “Deal! I accept!” I cut him off. Hilarious. Even though I always treated him like a pesky little brother, who would say no to money? Once I became his girlfriend, I would leverage his obsessive crush to mercilessly extract cash from him. Carter smiled and shook his head. “Hold on. I don’t think I’ve agreed yet.” [They say you love what you can’t have, and you ignore what comes too easily.] [If I agree to her terms this easily, she’ll definitely think I’m cheap, and what if she gets bored of me right away?] Me: “…Then what do you want to do?” Carter sat on the sofa, slowly and methodically unbuttoning his shirt, revealing his pale, exquisite collarbones. “How about this? Why don’t you try seducing me first?” 8 But why did it feel like he was the one seducing me? I took a deep breath, turned around, and pretended to leave: “Never mind then.” Carter grabbed me. “How about this? One hug, 100 grand. One kiss, 500 grand.” I raised an eyebrow. “What? Are you trying to be my sugar daddy?” Carter quickly looked away, the tips of his ears turning red. “Just a method to humiliate you.” He forced a stiff, unnatural smile onto his face, looking incredibly punchable. “After all, you hate me so much. The more uncomfortable you are, the happier I am.” Is that so? Because I could hear his thoughts perfectly clearly: [Stupid mouth, I command you, if you don’t know how to speak properly, shut up!] [Waaah, offering her money is just a tactic to make Baby stay with me~] I stepped closer, poking his collarbone repeatedly with my finger. Carter’s Adam’s apple bobbed heavily. A rare look of helplessness flashed in his eyes, making him look incredibly alluring. His chest rose and fell slightly. I tilted my head. And offered an innocent smile. “Carter, I’m just curious… is your mouth the only hard thing on your entire body?” Is it really that hard to admit you like me? Carter grabbed my hand, flipped our positions, and pinned me beneath him. His voice was magnetic, laced with a hint of huskiness: “There’s another place that’s also very hard. Do you want to test it out?” 9 “No thanks.” I expressionlessly kneed him in the leg. He winced in pain and let me go. “Chloe Cat, why do you kick so hard?” I rolled my wrists, expressionlessly leaned over, and gave him a quick hug. “I accept your offer. But the price goes up.” 200 grand for a hug. But we can skip the kissing. “Hurry up, transfer the money.” I rushed him. My phone rang, reminding me that the time for my job interview was approaching. I sent a message to HR, telling them I wouldn’t be attending the interview. But I still put on a show of grabbing my purse and pretending to leave. Carter stopped me. “Where are you going?” “Job interview.” I waved my phone at him. Even if he was my sugar daddy, my family’s massive debt couldn’t be paid off overnight. So, before I drugged him, I had made a few backup plans and arranged several job interviews in advance. “Come work at my company. I happen to need a secretary right now.” “…” “Free room and board, full benefits, a million-dollar annual salary, weekends off.” My eyes lit up, but I still feigned reluctance: “Ahem. Well, since you’re inviting me so sincerely, I guess I can force myself to accept.” I heard his pitiful inner voice. [She really only likes my money…] [But it’s fine. At least I can use my money to make her stay.]

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391731”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

After a massive fight and breaking up with my boyfriend… I angrily posted on my social media: [Currently single. The first man to appear in front of me within thirty minutes will be my new boyfriend.] Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang. Standing outside wasn’t my ex begging for forgiveness. It was my childhood nemesis, Ethan Vance. 1 “What are you doing here?” I leaned against the doorframe, frowning at the man in front of me. I obviously didn’t think Ethan came because of my post. After all, even though we grew up together, we’ve never gotten along. He was the straight-A student who constantly ranked first, and I was the slacker who always brought up the rear. He despised my lack of ambition; I despised his pretentious, holier-than-thou attitude. Unfortunately, my parents absolutely adored him and trusted him implicitly. After I moved out, they frequently asked Ethan—who lived nearby—to “keep an eye” on me. Ethan always played the role of the perfect student, so he executed even this annoying task with absolute precision. He lowered his eyelids, his expression indifferent, and delivered a line that didn’t surprise me at all: “Auntie asked me to check on you.” I knew it. Even if 99% of the men in the world were lining up to be my boyfriend… Ethan Vance absolutely wouldn’t be one of them. I let out an “Oh,” and said, “Well, as you can see, I’m fine.” I raised my hand to close the door but suddenly met resistance. Ethan pushed against the door with one hand and held out a bag with the other. “My mom told me to bring you some chocolates.” Even though I hated Ethan, I always had a great relationship with his mother. She knew I loved chocolate and often brought back different brands for me when she traveled abroad. I peered into the bag. Besides a few boxes of chocolates… There was a rare, out-of-print foreign book I had been searching for forever. I was genuinely surprised. “Is this from your mom too?” Ethan didn’t confirm or deny it, looking as if he had no idea what was in the bag. My mood instantly improved, and even Ethan looked a bit more tolerable. My tone warmed up significantly. “Thanks. Have a safe trip back.” Ethan stood outside, unmoving, his hand still pressing against the door. His tone was flat: “Is this how you treat a guest?” Technically speaking, kicking him out right after he delivered a gift was a bit ungrateful. But who was Ethan? He was as disciplined as a clockwork machine. He went to bed on time, woke up on time, and the number of times he deviated from his schedule over the years could be counted on one hand. Furthermore, he smelled faintly of fresh body wash, clearly looking like a man who had just showered and was ready for bed. I glanced at his slightly damp hair, a bit surprised. Would a meticulous guy like Ethan actually leave the house without fully drying his hair? After a moment’s thought, I stepped aside and offered tentatively, “Want to come in?” He walked in without a second’s hesitation. Mr. Robot-Ethan was incredibly organized; everything had to be placed with strict, rigid precision, just like him. I, on the other hand, was used to grabbing things and leaving them wherever. My apartment was a chaotic mess, practically tap-dancing on his last nerve. Sure enough, he stopped in the living room, scanned the area, and frowned slightly: “You…” “The front door is right there.” I cut him off. “If you don’t like it, leave.” Ethan shut his mouth. Winning the first round, I walked to the kitchen island with satisfaction, grabbed an open bottle of wine, and poured two glasses. I slid one glass toward Ethan. “Here.” Ethan never drank. He stared at the glass in front of him with absolutely no intention of touching it. Normally, I would just ignore him, but I was in a terrible mood tonight, and he had practically thrown himself into my line of fire. I glanced at his rigid, perfect posture and a mocking smirk curled my lips: “Ethan, you really are as boring as ever. “If you keep acting like this, you won’t find a girlfriend for another thirty years.” I wasn’t being polite. Ethan was devastatingly handsome and incredibly capable; he never lacked pursuers. Yet, he had never been in a relationship. I had mocked his ‘ancient relic’ demeanor more than once, noting that any girl who got close to him would quickly find him dull and suffocating. Usually, Ethan would completely ignore my provocations. But today, he gave me several strange looks, then looked down at the wine. Finally, as if making a massive decision, he picked up the glass and downed it in one gulp, right in front of my shocked eyes. “Cough!” He choked and coughed twice, a flush of red appearing on his pale face. “Ethan.” My mind went completely blank with shock, so much so that I almost forgot how much I hated him. I instinctively reached out and pressed my hand against his forehead. “Did you finally run a high fever and fry your brain?” A man who hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol in over twenty years had just obediently downed a whole glass. I tried to hold back, but couldn’t: “Did you… did you get diagnosed with a terminal illness?” Otherwise, I truly had no explanation for what I just witnessed. “No.” Ethan held out his hand. “Phone.” I asked automatically, “Don’t you have your own?” “I left in a hurry and forgot it.” Ethan said, “I need to call my mom.” If he wanted to call anyone else, I would have kicked him out to use his own phone. But since his mother had just given me such an incredible gift, out of respect for her, I decided to be nice to him. Ethan took the phone and walked straight to the balcony. I narrowed my eyes. Did he really need to go that far just to talk to his mom? My intuition told me that Ethan was acting very strange tonight. But we weren’t close, loving friends; we were mortal enemies in a fight to the death. So, I really didn’t care. 2 After finishing his call, Ethan lingered in my apartment for quite a while, showing absolutely no signs of leaving. Seeing that it was almost past his strict bedtime, I reminded him, “Aren’t you going home to sleep?” In my entire memory, Ethan had only stayed up past 10 PM twice. Once was when all the adults were out of town, and I spiked a dangerously high fever. Ethan was forced to take on the heavy responsibility of looking after me, staying by my side the entire night. The other time was when I went out with friends, my phone broke on the way back, and I was severely delayed. When I finally got home, Ethan was there. Even though my parents insisted he stayed up late because he was worried about me, I still firmly believed it was far more likely he just wanted a front-row seat to watch me get yelled at. “Mm.” Ethan suddenly spoke up: “That post on your social media… delete it.” I froze for a few seconds. “What?” Ethan repeated himself: “The post about the first person to appear in front of you within thirty minutes becoming your boyfriend. Delete it.” Confusion and bewilderment rolled through my mind, finally settling into sheer irritation. Maybe it was the alcohol amplifying my depression, or maybe Ethan’s words reminded me that the specific person I wanted to see hadn’t shown up. Or maybe having my vulnerability exposed in front of my lifelong nemesis made me feel humiliated. Or perhaps his commanding tone simply pissed me off. I clenched my fists, glaring coldly at Ethan, and enunciated every word: “What does that have to do with you?” “Ethan, do you actually think that just because my parents asked you to ‘keep an eye’ on me, you actually have the right to dictate my life?” The anger rising in my chest began to burn away my rationality. “Who do you think you are? What gives you the right?” “Mia!” Ethan let out a low growl. His face was flushed bright red, though whether from anger or embarrassment, I couldn’t tell. The alcohol had clearly stripped away his legendary self-control. This was his first time losing his composure like this. “How does it have nothing to do with me?” Ethan’s voice was low and strained. “You said the first person to appear in front of you in thirty minutes would be your new boyfriend. I am the only one here!” “So what?” I sneered. “The ‘person to appear in front of me’ definitely doesn’t include you. Even if every other man in the world died, it still wouldn’t be you.” “Why not?!” Ethan’s eyes turned red, his hands trembling slightly at his sides, as if he found my words completely unacceptable. He took a step closer, his presence aggressive and demanding. “We met first! Why does every single one of them get a chance, but I don’t?!” Ethan and I rarely spoke politely to each other, but we had never ripped into each other like this before. I fully expected him to turn around and leave, and probably ignore me for at least a month. I absolutely never expected to hear a question that sounded so incredibly… jealous. I was completely stumped, unsure of how to answer. Ethan stopped right in front of me, standing incredibly close. He lowered his head, looking like a pitiful, abandoned puppy, yet murmuring like a desperate lover, “Why… why not me?” I took a deep breath and looked away. “Ethan, you’re drunk.” “I am not.” He reached out, half-encircling me, trapping me firmly between the kitchen island and his chest. Ethan asked stubbornly, “Why not?” There was nowhere left to run. “Because I don’t like you, and you don’t like me.” “Other couples can be all lovey-dovey every day. If we kissed, I’d probably throw up last night’s dinner.” “Who says?” Ethan seemed incredibly determined to prove me wrong. He cupped the back of my head with one hand and leaned in, kissing me with an undeniable, unyielding force. He held my shoulders, pulling me in so tightly it felt like he wanted to crush me into himself. I had no idea how things had escalated to this point. Ethan’s kiss was inexperienced, but fierce as a violent storm. My head spun, my legs went weak, and he effortlessly pinned my struggling hands behind my back. Half-carrying me, he walked straight toward the bedroom. “Ethan!” My heart was beating so fast it felt like it was going to pound out of my chest. The last shred of my rationality screamed that the Harrison and Vance families were lifelong friends, and we couldn’t let things spiral past the point of no return. “We can’t do this.” Ethan completely ignored me. He reached over, grabbed a hair tie from the vanity, and loosely bound my wrists. He pinned my hands above my head. “Who says we can’t?” His cool lips crashed down on mine again. “I can.” Drunk people are famously unreasonable, and a drunk Ethan was apparently the most unreasonable of them all. I caught sight of the bedside lamp out of the corner of my eye. Just as I was calculating the exact angle and force needed to knock him out without causing permanent brain damage, the head buried in my neck suddenly went completely limp. The sound of deep, even breathing echoed in my ear. Me: “…” I struggled to untie my wrists, then shoved the heavy weight entirely crushing me. He didn’t move an inch. “Ethan.” “I don’t feel good,” he mumbled, instinctively rolling over. Relieved, I was just about to get up and leave. Two arms suddenly shot out from behind me, yanking me back into a tight embrace. “Ethan!” I tried my old excuse. “I need to use the bathroom.” The arms around me didn’t loosen; they tightened, pulling me even closer into his chest. I seriously started to suspect he was faking it. After struggling and failing to push him away, I decided to just give up. Sleeping in someone’s arms is still sleeping. Besides, even though I didn’t like Ethan, his face and body were undeniably top-tier. Technically, I wasn’t really losing out. Plus, just imagining the absolute horror on his face when he woke up tomorrow and saw this… I found the idea hilarious and couldn’t wait to see it. While my mind was wandering through endless scenarios, the person next to me shifted closer. A soft, affectionate murmur whispered my name: “Mia.” It felt like an electric shock running through me, leaving me completely stunned. I had known Ethan for over twenty years, and I never imagined a day would come when we’d be lying together like this. Let alone hear him say my name with that tone of voice. And surprisingly… it wasn’t as unbearable as I expected. Just like the sudden kiss didn’t actually make me want to throw up. In fact, it wasn’t terrible at all. His lips were unlike his cold, hard exterior; they were incredibly soft and carried a crisp, minty scent. I let out a long sigh. I really had been single for too long if even my lifelong nemesis was starting to look appealing. It was getting cold; it was definitely time to find a new young boyfriend. 3 Early the next morning, still half asleep, I vaguely heard noises coming from the living room. Listening closely, it sounded like people whispering and the thud of heavy items being moved. Did a group of thieves break in?! Last night, I was forcefully dragged into the bedroom by Ethan. My phone wasn’t nearby, so I couldn’t call security or the police. Gathering my courage, I grabbed a baseball bat, crept to the door, and peeked out through a tiny crack. Three men in moving company uniforms were quietly carrying boxes from the hallway into my apartment. And the guy in a tailored suit, keeping his voice down while directing them… who else could it be but Ethan? I dropped the bat, pulled the door open, and stepped out. “Ethan, what the hell are you doing?” Some of the boxes were open, leaving their contents completely visible. Specifically, a few incredibly dense, headache-inducing academic books that I had only ever seen in Ethan’s private study. Why was Ethan moving those things here? “Moving in.” Ethan didn’t even blink. He said it as casually as commenting on the weather. …Moving in? Moving what in? Why the hell are you moving your stuff into my apartment?! The sheer volume of questions briefly short-circuited my brain. It took me a long time to finally find my voice. “Ethan, did you get alcohol poisoning last night and suffer permanent brain damage before the paramedics arrived?!” Why else would he move into the wrong apartment? Faced with my aggressive attack, Ethan remained perfectly calm. “No. “Mia, I am deeply sorry for what happened after I got drunk last night. But I will take full responsibility for you.” The three movers, who had been diligently working, instantly froze, their ears practically twitching in sync. We literally just shared one kiss! Could you not phrase it like we did something incredibly scandalous?! “Ethan, get this through your head: absolutely nothing happened between us last night.” I grabbed his arm and dragged him into the bedroom. “Hurry up and move your stuff back.” “No. I have to take responsibility.” “Take responsibility for what?!” I was starting to deeply regret not throwing him out last night. Instead of watching a good show, I had walked straight into a trap. I spoke rapidly: “I don’t need you to take responsibility! If kissing required ‘taking responsibility,’ I’d have hundreds of people to take responsibility for! “Besides, whatever happened last night absolutely does not count as a real kiss. “Now get out!” Ethan frowned deeply. “How does that not count as a kiss? Exactly how many people have you kissed?!” …Is that really the main takeaway here? The main point was the last sentence! “I’m not leaving.” Ethan stated flatly, “I already terminated my lease. I have nowhere else to go.” “?” Ethan, the ultimate control freak who mapped out every major and minor life event on meticulously color-coded spreadsheets, somehow found himself with ‘nowhere to go’? I didn’t buy it for a second. “Get out!” “Fine.” Ethan agreed, seemingly admitting defeat. But before I could celebrate, he pulled out his phone. “In that case, I’ll just have to call Auntie and Uncle to explain exactly what happened last night…” “!” My parents were absolutely obsessed with Ethan. They practically wanted to adopt him as their live-in son-in-law. If they found out about whatever happened between us last night, they would absolutely force me to marry him. I violently snatched the phone from his hand. “Don’t! “It’s just moving in, right? It’s just taking responsibility, right?” I forced a smile that looked more like a grimace. “If you like it here so much, just stay! Why bother the old folks?” 4 At first, I thought Ethan was just messing with me. But after a week passed, he seemed perfectly at home in my apartment, looking even more comfortable than I was. No, this isn’t working. I watched Ethan casually setting out breakfast and shook my head violently. This couldn’t go on. I had to find a way to pack him up and ship him back before my parents found out. Having this massive, looming presence in my house made me want to escape every single second. After work, I dragged my best friend, Chloe, to a bar, engaging in my usual routine of aggressively complaining about Ethan: “It was bad enough when he used my parents’ vague instructions as an excuse to constantly check up on me, but now he actually moved in! “He makes breakfast every morning, and if I don’t eat it, he threatens to tell my parents! “No matter how late I get home, he’s always sitting there waiting for me, completely destroying his own legendary biological clock! “He reorganizes all my stuff until it’s perfectly neat, and he even does my laundry…” Chloe stayed silent for a moment, her expression incredibly complex. “Are you actually complaining… or are you flirting and bragging?” “Pfft!” I spit my drink out halfway across the table. “Do you honestly think I would ever flirt with Ethan or brag about him to anyone?” As my best friend since middle school, Chloe had a front-row seat to the entire history of my mutual hatred with Ethan. Sure enough, after a second of deep thought, she decisively changed her tune. “Definitely complaining.” I patted her head in relief. “Good girl.” “But abnormal behavior usually means something is wrong.” Chloe’s face turned serious, offering a subtle warning. “A guy like him, pushing thirty and still single? He probably has some hidden, unspeakable issue.” I caught on immediately. “You mean he’s impotent? And to get revenge on me, he decided to legally bind himself to me so I can never experience the joys of womanhood and spend the rest of my life in misery?!” Chloe: “…” Okay, maybe it wasn’t that diabolical. But either way, Ethan was definitely up to no good. I had to be extremely careful. But after brainstorming with Chloe for half the night and downing a few bottles, we hadn’t come up with a single solid plan. As we walked out into the cool night air, just as I was about to call a designated driver, a guy in a crisp white dress shirt walked up to me. He bowed slightly, offering a respectful, gentle smile. “Ms. Harrison.” It was the guy we saw inside the bar earlier; Chloe had bought him a drink. I gave him a brief nod and looked away. But he didn’t seem inclined to leave. He smiled and asked, “Are you heading home, Ms. Harrison? Would you like me to drive you?” I narrowed my eyes and looked at him again. He met my gaze steadily, neither overly eager nor overly subservient, a warm smile on his handsome face. He was actually kind of interesting. I curled my lips into a meaningful smile. “I already have someone waiting for me at home.” “Ms. Harrison.” He stepped a little closer, a clean, woodsy cologne washing over me. “You’re joking. Everyone in the circle knows Arthur left for City Z a long time ago.” Arthur, my ex-boyfriend. When I made that post on social media, I didn’t block anyone except my family. Everyone knew exactly who it was meant for. But Arthur took the earliest flight to City Z the very next day and still hadn’t returned. To outsiders, there were only two possibilities: either Arthur didn’t want to date me anymore and ran as far away as possible, or Arthur offended me and I banished him. Regardless of which one it was, it pointed to one undeniable fact: Arthur and I were completely, unequivocally over. “What? Do you think I can’t live without Arthur?” I asked lazily. He panicked for a second and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant, I just…” “Forget it.” I tossed him my car keys. “Drive me home.” Objectively speaking, this young, handsome guy was exactly my type. Unfortunately, I already had the ancient relic known as Ethan waiting at home, so I probably wouldn’t be able to enjoy this beautiful encounter. But deep down, I still harbored a tiny, delusional sliver of hope. Like maybe Ethan had a sudden crisis of conscience and moved out, or maybe he got caught up with work and didn’t come home. That tiny sliver of hope was brutally shattered the second I opened the front door and saw Ethan sitting there like an NPC at a fixed spawn point. “Mia.” The permanent frown line between his eyebrows deepened significantly when he saw the man behind me. “Who is he?” The guy who drove me home clearly didn’t expect to actually find another man in my apartment. Faced with Ethan’s interrogation, he didn’t back down in the slightest. Instead, he tilted his head and smiled at me. “Ms. Harrison, the guy you have at home seems to have a much worse temper than the last one.” Ethan’s face instantly turned ash gray with rage, his clenched fists cracking audibly. “That’s enough.” I pulled a stack of cash from my bag and stuffed it into the handsome guy’s pocket. “You can head back now.” “Okay.” He obediently handed me a business card. “Whenever you want to see me, I’m always available.” “Mia.” Ethan watched him walk out the door with freezing eyes, then turned to me. “Aren’t you going to explain yourself?” “What is there to explain?” I brushed it off. He suppressed his rage, his voice dropping incredibly low. “Don’t forget, you are a taken woman now.” A taken woman? What century was that dusty old phrase from? Ethan’s dedication to this ‘boyfriend’ roleplay completely exceeded my expectations. I just found it absurd. “Ethan, stop acting stupid. We are fundamentally incompatible. “We weren’t compatible in the past, we aren’t compatible now, and we will never be compatible in the future.” “And you’re compatible with him?!” Ethan’s eyes were bloodshot. He grabbed my shoulders tightly, his voice rising in agitation. His grip was so strong I felt like he was going to crush my bones. The alcohol coursing through my system, combined with the physical pain, made me incredibly irritable. My days of forced patience had finally reached their absolute limit. I violently shoved his hands off me and snapped coldly, “Ethan, that is enough! “If you want to play the role of my boyfriend so badly, then listen closely. “This is who I am. If you want to stay by my side, you have to endure it. If you can’t endure it, then get the hell out!” The air in the room instantly froze. The hands I had slapped away hung uselessly at his sides. Ethan lowered his head, his expression unreadable. He looked profoundly lonely. Like I had committed some unforgivable, catastrophic betrayal against him. For some inexplicable reason, my heart gave a painful twinge, but I quickly suppressed it, walking past him toward my room. 5 In the middle of the night, I woke up with a parched throat to find a glass of warm water sitting on my nightstand. I didn’t need to guess who put it there. I sighed, remembering the harsh words I threw at Ethan earlier, feeling a sudden surge of guilt. The light under the other bedroom door was still on; the occupant apparently hadn’t slept yet. I walked up to Ethan’s door, debating whether to knock and apologize. Just as I finally made up my mind, with a sharp click, the light under the door vanished completely. Me: “…” Why is he so petty? Early the next morning, two portions of breakfast were laid out on the dining table as usual. But Ethan sat down straight away, not bothering to urge me to eat like he usually did. “Ethan.” I sat across from him. He kept his eyes lowered, eating his oatmeal, completely ignoring my existence. “I drank too much last night, and I said some things I shouldn’t have.” I said sincerely, “I’m sorry.” It took a very long time before Ethan finally gave a noncommittal “Mm.” Ethan rarely got truly angry, and when he did, it was impossible to read him. It wasn’t until I gasped from burning my tongue on the hot oatmeal, and he wordlessly slid a glass of water toward me along with his familiar, nagging scolding, that I knew he wasn’t really mad anymore. I had a meeting scheduled today, followed by a business dinner. Knowing it would run late, and assuming Ethan would wait for me again, I called him. “I’m having dinner with a client tonight, so I’ll be home late. Don’t wait up.” A manager I was close with happened to walk by, winking at me playfully. “Ms. Harrison, reporting in to the man at home?” What? Reporting in?! And besides, even if I was reporting to someone, it definitely wouldn’t be Ethan! The phone in my hand suddenly felt like burning coal, but I couldn’t take back what I’d already said. Ethan just said “Mm,” sounding like he wanted to add something. I hung up quickly before he could. “I have to get back to work. Gotta go, bye!” Since I had given Ethan a heads-up, when Chloe asked me out after dinner, I agreed immediately. To avoid waking Ethan up, I intentionally stayed out until nearly midnight, waiting until he was definitely asleep before going home. The living room lights were blazing, and a certain someone who was supposed to be sleeping was sitting perfectly upright on the sofa. “Why are you only getting back now?” “Why aren’t you asleep yet?” We both spoke at the exact same time. Ethan sniffed the air. “Did you drink?” I instinctively rubbed my nose. “Didn’t I tell you I had a business dinner tonight?” Ethan called my bluff with a deadpan expression. “You never drink at business dinners.” “Chloe asked me out after dinner.” I sheepishly admitted the rest. Ethan remained noncommittal. “Did you go see that guy from yesterday?” “No.” I had no idea where the business card from yesterday even went, and I definitely wasn’t going to ask Chloe for his contact info. He was just a guy; he wasn’t worth the effort. Ethan walked over to me, leaning in close, as if trying to determine if I was lying. I thought he was going to grab my shoulders and interrogate me again, so I took a step back. Ethan’s hand slid down my arm, taking the bag I was holding, and hung it on the coat rack. Huh? What kind of opening is this? Ethan clearly had no intention of explaining my surprise. He turned and walked into the kitchen. His tall silhouette in the kitchen, bathed in the warm, soft glow of the lights, looked completely devoid of its usual coldness. It was an incredibly cozy, heart-fluttering scene—if the person in it wasn’t Ethan. “Here.” Ethan quickly returned with a glass of warm honey-lemon water and handed it to me. In a flash, I remembered the conspiracy theories Chloe and I had brainstormed about him. Honestly, if this version of Ethan asked me to hand over my entire multi-billion dollar inheritance, I feel like I’d do it without hesitation. Lust destroys the mind, Mia, I gritted my teeth, furious at my own weakness. Ethan’s massive personality shift felt like he’d been possessed. Not only did he stop giving me endless, unsolicited lectures, but he also single-handedly took over all my daily needs and chores. Admittedly, as an enemy locked in constant conflict, Ethan could infuriate me to the point of a stroke. But as a friend trying to bury the hatchet, he took care of me flawlessly. In a few fleeting moments, I even started to feel like we were an actual, genuine couple. While alarm bells blared in my head, another part of me just wanted to sink into this comfortable illusion for a little while longer. The person most affected by this shift was undeniably Chloe. “Mia Harrison, oh, Mia Harrison.” She pointed an accusing finger at me. “You have completely fallen from grace! You wake up at 7 AM, go to bed by 10 PM, and you won’t even drink with me anymore!” “Even Cinderella got to stay out until midnight! How is Professor Vance stricter than a literal fairy godmother?!” It wasn’t that Ethan was psychotically controlling my bedtime. It was just that staying out late partying, only to come home to a silent Ethan serving me tea and water, made me feel incredibly guilty. It felt like I was a terrible, neglectful partner leaving my devoted, suffering spouse at home while I went out seeking cheap thrills. Obviously, I wasn’t going to say that to Chloe. I offered an apologetic smile. “I promise I’ll stay out as late as you want tonight!” She snorted, finally looking somewhat appeased. “Oh, by the way,” Chloe said, “Are you going to the alumni mixer tomorrow?” I wasn’t busy, so I agreed. “Yeah.” Chloe teased, “Then you better make sure Professor Vance prepares a pumpkin carriage that doesn’t turn back into a pumpkin until at least midnight! 10 PM is way too early.” Me: “…”

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I gave up on my mission. Right before faking my death to escape, I played a nasty trick on the psycho second male lead. I forged a pregnancy certificate and staged a car crash—two birds, one stone—wanting him to suffer for the rest of his life. Who would have thought that three years later, a glitch in the system would drop me right back in front of him? In a dimly lit VIP club room, he leaned back lazily on the leather sofa, an aura of “do not approach” radiating from him. The moment he saw me, he pushed away the drink someone was offering him. His dark, stormy eyes locked onto me, and he enunciated every word clearly: “I’m done drinking. I’m prepping for a baby starting today.” 1. The person offering the drink froze, their hand suspended in mid-air. Catching on, they put the glass down and chuckled teasingly. “I wonder who’s lucky enough to catch Mr. Sterling’s eye.” The beautiful women standing obediently nearby instantly perked up. Each one stood taller, subtly showing off her assets. Hoping to hook Ezra Sterling and secure a one-way ticket to the top. But Ezra’s gaze, laced with a potent mix of hatred and something darker, never left me. His thin lips parted slightly. “Long time no see, Chloe.” His tone was far from friendly. I didn’t reply. Instead, I screamed at the System in my head. [You better give me a damn good explanation for why you pulled me back into this world without my consent.] Faced with my interrogation, the System stammered at first. Then, it just gave up and went full defeatist. [Ezra is too smart. He sensed my presence while you were doing your mission. After you left, he threatened me with the lives of half the characters in this book, demanding I bring you back. What was I supposed to do?] [You could have just died,] I retorted. The System’s silence was deafening. After a long while, it finally spoke up. [I may not be human, but you are a real bitch.] Even its robotic voice managed to convey a distinct sense of annoyance. But I was even more annoyed. [I already gave up on the mission, and you approved it. Whatever crazy shit Ezra pulls has nothing to do with me anymore. You had no right to drag me back.] The moment those words left my mind. The System suddenly snapped. It started blasting me with electronic screeches. [Well I brought you back! So what?! So what?! SO WHAT?!] [That little stunt you pulled before leaving made him go completely psycho! I sent so many people to take your place and ‘save’ him, and they all failed! You clean up your own mess! If this fails, I’m getting kicked out of the System Association, and then we’ll both just die together!] I frowned in displeasure. I wanted to keep arguing with the System. But Ezra pulled me back to reality. “Everyone, get out!” His voice was heavy with oppressive authority. Although the beautiful women looked disappointed and unhappy… They knew better than to linger, filing out the door one by one without hesitation. I trailed at the back of the line, trying to slip out too. Unsurprisingly, I was blocked. I looked up. The person blocking my path was an old acquaintance: Leo, Ezra’s best friend. 2. Back when they were in school, Ezra was ostracized because of his sick mother, his abusive father, and his extreme poverty. Leo was the only one who never abandoned him. If Leo had a bite to eat, he’d give half to Ezra. When fists rained down on Ezra, Leo took half the blows for him. You could say very few people loved Ezra more than Leo did. But simultaneously, no one hated me more than Leo did. Because during those years, following the System’s orders to “save the delinquent youth,” I constantly interfered, trying to alter Ezra’s life trajectory. I tripped him up on the dark path he was choosing, desperately trying to pull him back to the right track. During this process, I inevitably caused him a lot of pain. Especially when I abandoned the mission and used a fake pregnancy to stage my death. In the hours before my soul was pulled back home. I saw it with my own eyes: the usually arrogant, untouchable Ezra. Holding that fake lab report, crying so hard he collapsed to his knees and couldn’t get back up. Leo was right there beside him. Perhaps, in that moment, a sliver of conscience had awakened within Ezra. But by then, he had gone too far down a path of no return. Prison bars were his inevitable destiny. My rescue mission was doomed to fail. So I proactively told the System I was quitting, giving up the 100 million dollar prize. I figured giving up the money was better than giving up my life. Now that I was back, I knew Ezra wouldn’t let me go. And neither would Leo. I looked at Leo. “Ezra said everyone get out. Please move.” Leo shot me a glare. His tone was ice-cold. “The people leaving don’t include you. Stay put!” After three years apart, Leo’s disgust for me had only deepened. Knowing that reasoning with him was like playing the lute to a cow, I didn’t waste my breath. I turned back to face Ezra. Under the dim club lights, he radiated a wild, untamed arrogance. Three years hadn’t mellowed his pride at all; it seemed to have only intensified. He muttered something to the guy who had offered him the drink earlier. The guy immediately stood up and scurried out with an apologetic smile. Once he was gone, Leo, knowing his place, also stepped out of the room. Finally, it was just me and Ezra. 3. Ezra stood up and walked toward me. He was steeped in a dark, violent aura—something carved into his bones from years of fighting his way up from the bottom. He backed me up step by step until I was pinned against the wall. Then, he effortlessly lifted me with one arm, bringing me up to his eye level. “Long time no see, Chloe.” This time, I replied, “Long time no see, Ezra.” Ezra smiled brightly, then, without warning, a tear slipped down his face. He spoke in a tone that bordered on psychotic. “You finally came back to my world, baby.” With that, he leaned in to kiss me. Luckily, my reflexes were sharp. I slapped my hand over his mouth just in time. “Mr. Sterling, three years and you haven’t changed a bit. Still dancing on the edge of the law. Do you know what the penalty is for forcing yourself on a woman against her will?” Ezra let out a soft chuckle and set me down. His 6’3″ frame completely overshadowed me. He easily peeled my hand away from his mouth and pinned it above my head. His other hand began to wander, igniting fires wherever it touched. “Stop!” I commanded. “Impossible.” He looked like an absolute scoundrel. “Have you ever seen a wolf let go of meat that’s already in its jaws?” Seeing how shameless he was, I went up on my tiptoes and bit hard into his pale neck. I needed to show him I wasn’t just meat waiting to be slaughtered. The pain made him hiss. The hand wandering at my waist stopped, moving up to pinch my chin instead. “Biting again? Baby, you really haven’t changed at all. But that’s okay. I have a gag at home. We’ll put it on you later. And if you still won’t behave, I’ll tie your arms and legs too.” I could hear the barely contained excitement in his voice; his body was practically vibrating. But I couldn’t help but frown. I had been forced to wear that gag once before. Ezra loved beautiful things. In his words, ugly things ruined the mood. So the gag he used on me was encrusted with various colored gemstones. It looked like a piece of art. It looked pretty on, but it was heavy, completely immobilized my jaw, and felt like actual torture. Not to mention how awful it would be with my limbs tied up. “Put a gag on your mother! Ezra, I’m leaving! Let me go!” His eyes darkened. He licked the blood from the corner of my mouth. And spoke with a bloodthirsty gleam. “Because I was careless, you left me for three years. Chloe, I won’t make a stupid mistake like that again. You faked a pregnancy certificate, so you must really want a child. Then let’s have one. It’s not hard, baby.” 4. With that, he started doing whatever he wanted. No matter how much I yelled or struggled, he didn’t care. He knew my body entirely too well. Soon, my breathing grew ragged, and my brain felt starved of oxygen. All reason vanished, leaving me entirely at his mercy. But at the most critical moment, he stopped. Our eyes met. His face was full of roguish smugness, a smirk he couldn’t hide. I suddenly realized how embarrassing I was acting and turned my head away, refusing to look at him. But he effortlessly forced my face back to him. “Against your will? Madam, are you really unwilling?” A surge of anger from being toyed with and humiliated flared up inside me. The desire to get revenge, to tie him to a bed, feed him an aphrodisiac, and watch him lose his mind, grew stronger by the second. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. I whispered sweetly in his ear: “Ezra, this place is so gross. I don’t like it here. Let’s go home, okay?” “Okay.” He agreed immediately. He bent down to smooth out my skirt. Completely unaware of the danger approaching. 5. Ezra knocked on the door and called for Leo. Leo opened the door immediately. I stepped out of the room first. And walked right into an old acquaintance heading toward the VIP rooms: Asher Hayes. The male lead’s younger uncle, the fourth male lead in the book. A blue-blood elite who transitioned into business, and one of the very few men who could actually go toe-to-toe with Ezra. Whenever I got into trouble, he was the first person I’d look for, and he would always good-naturedly clean up my messes. You could say Asher was the one guy in this entire book I actually wanted to sleep with. And I actually tried. I remember kissing him once when I was drunk. His lips were soft and bouncy. It left a lasting impression. Unfortunately, Ezra caught me right in the act. Before I could take things any further, I was dragged away. That night, Ezra completely lost control, and I almost died in bed. I knew perfectly well that Asher was the only one who could help me escape Ezra right now, so I ran straight to him. I grabbed his arm. “Help me, Asher.” Asher stood frozen, his eyes filled with disbelief. He called out tentatively, “Ms. Chloe, is that you?” “It’s me,” I answered. “But didn’t you pass away in a car crash?” “Didn’t die completely. I’m back.” Asher’s eyes turned red. He looked like he wanted to say a million things but couldn’t. From behind, Ezra’s furious roar echoed. “Chloe! Come back here! Don’t make me say it twice!” His voice was loud, which I knew was a sign of his inner panic. I deliberately hid behind Asher, sticking my tongue out at Ezra. “No. What are you going to do about it?” The veins on Ezra’s forehead popped in rage. The System’s ear-piercing scream echoed in my head. [Host, are you not even going to try and stop this?! Aren’t you afraid someone’s going to get killed?!] I smiled. [To be honest, I’m loving this right now. Two incredibly hot guys are about to fight over me. It’s like playing a 3D dating sim. It’s awesome.] [Since you’re acting like this, don’t blame me for what happens next.] [What do you mean?] As soon as I thought that, I felt myself lose control of my body. 6. The System controlled my body, making me walk right up to Ezra. Then, right in front of Asher, it forced me to kiss Ezra. Ezra didn’t hesitate to deepen the kiss. Our lips and tongues tangled. I was screaming silently in my head. [Motherfucker, System, you are insane! Do you not care about Asher’s feelings at all?!] Even though my back was to Asher right now. I could feel his burning, incredibly hurt gaze boring into me. The System sighed and started defending itself. [I have no choice! Asher is a good boy, he won’t go psycho. We have to placate the actual lunatic first!] The kiss ended. Ezra wrapped his arm around my waist, looking provocatively at Asher. He spoke just loud enough for Asher to hear. “Chloe, you taste so sweet. So soft and fragrant.” If the System wasn’t controlling me… I think I would have literally slapped Ezra to death. I screamed frantically at the System, [If you have any guts, stop controlling me.] The System complied. I regained control of my body. The moment I turned around. I saw Asher looking completely shattered, like an abandoned puppy. He asked me cautiously, “Chloe… you… just a second ago, you wanted me to…” Ezra interrupted him with a mocking sneer. “Back in the room just now, I didn’t take good enough care of Chloe, so she got mad. She was just playing a joke on you, Mr. Hayes. Don’t take it seriously.” Asher’s face was pale, but his eyes were still full of hope. It seemed like as long as I opened my mouth and explained, he would believe me. I opened my mouth to explain. The hand at my waist suddenly tightened. Ezra’s voice sounded in my ear, pitched incredibly low, like a whisper from hell itself. “Chloe, Asher isn’t like us. I’m the only one who can walk the path you want to walk.” I scoffed coldly. “Stop trying to fucking manipulate me. Asher and I walk the path of light; you’re the only one crawling around in the dark.” 7. After snapping back at Ezra. I was organizing my thoughts, preparing to explain everything to Asher. But before I could speak. The System took control again. It used my mouth like a keyboard to type out its own message. “Mr. Hayes, just like Ezra said, we had a little fight. You’re just a pawn in our little game.” “I’m selfish, self-serving, manipulative, and I always go whichever way the wind blows. You shouldn’t be surprised. I’m completely unworthy of you. Marriage is off the table, but we can still be friends. While I won’t take a bullet for you, I won’t stab you in the back either. I’m leaving. Let’s hang out sometime.” Under Asher’s deeply wounded gaze. The System forced me to walk out. Ezra followed closely behind. It wasn’t until we were outside the club that I was truly me again. The heartache felt incredibly real. I turned around, wanting to go back and explain to Asher. But Ezra grabbed my wrist. He spoke with absolute certainty, “The damage is already done. How are you going to explain it? Tell him a ‘System’ controlled you and those words weren’t your own? Why would he believe you? Chloe, you have no way back.” I smiled bitterly. The only man who was perfectly my type had been hurt by me just like that. The thought of never being able to flirt with him again made my heart ache so much I couldn’t breathe. But it was fine. There were other hot guys waiting for me. The future was still bright. Outside the club, a Maybach was waiting by the entrance. Ezra opened the car door for me. “Get in.” I followed his command. Once I was seated, he spoke to Leo in the driver’s seat. “Drive.” The engine roared to life, and the privacy partition smoothly slid up. By the time I realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Ezra grabbed me by the waist, easily lifting me and smoothly parting my legs so I was straddling his lap. I reached out to push him away. But he effortlessly caught my wrists and pinned them to his waist. In the confined space, I had nowhere to run, pressed tightly against him. “What are you doing? Didn’t you say you wouldn’t do anything against my will?” “That was your rule, Chloe. You’re selfish, self-serving, and manipulative. Well, so am I. How could you ever take a promise from me seriously, baby?” 8. Ezra got straight to the point. With aggressive intensity, he used his tongue to pry open my tightly shut teeth, launching a full-scale invasion. My curses were blocked in my mouth, turning into muffled whimpers. The Maybach drove aimlessly around the city all night. The cramped space made the already exhausting physical exertion even worse. I felt sick and uncomfortable whether I was conscious or not. I had no choice but to surrender and beg for mercy. “Ezra, please let me go. I can’t take it anymore.” He took a few seconds out of his busy schedule to reply. “If you can’t take it, you stay on the bottom. I can take it, so I’ll stay on top.” Me: Ugh. 9. It wasn’t until the sky was starting to lighten that Ezra finally told Leo to drive back to the villa. And I finally got to sleep in a real bed. “Plan B.” Exhausted beyond belief, I forced myself to spit out those two words. The effect was instantaneous. Ezra’s hand, which was pulling the covers over me, froze. The atmosphere in the room instantly plummeted. Seeing his silence, I continued, “Ezra, isn’t this our old rule? You don’t wear protection, I take the pill. I’m the one taking the loss here, okay?” As soon as the words left my mouth. Ezra lay down next to me, pulled me into his arms, and made a dying struggle. “The pills we had at home expired. How about we just skip it this time?” I lifted my leg and kicked him. “The pills might be expired, but your little swimmers aren’t! Go buy some right now! If I actually get pregnant, I’ll marry Asher and make the kid call him Dad. Buy one, get one free—I bet he wouldn’t turn down that deal.” My blunt words pissed Ezra off so much he said “Good” three times in a row. “Chloe, you’re really something.” “Thanks for the compliment,” I accepted it calmly. Ezra got up and walked out. Afraid he wouldn’t follow instructions, I couldn’t help but remind him, “Wake me up when you get back. I need to take it ASAP.” “Yeah, got it.” Ezra agreed resentfully and left the room. A wave of exhaustion washed over me, and I fell asleep. In my hazy state. I heard the System’s voice. [Your bodies have connected, but your hearts are still miles apart. This won’t do. I need to step in.] Hearing that, I blurted out almost instantly: “If you dare mess with me, I will poison Ezra, break the entire plotline, and we can all die together.” But the sound of footsteps approaching right after made me feel like the System had stabbed me in the back again. Then I heard Ezra calling my name. “Chloe.” In that moment, I was completely awake. I wasn’t sure how much Ezra had heard. I also wasn’t sure if he would try to poison me first because of what I just said. I slowly opened my eyes and saw Ezra sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a pill in one hand and a glass of water in the other. I scrutinized him for a moment, but he looked exactly the same as usual. No hint of anything wrong. “Take your medicine.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391729”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

I run a side hustle selling my photos online for people to use as fake profiles for online dating. For an extra fee, I even offer custom voice messages and video calls. Everything was going smoothly until one of my regular clients messaged me: [I’ll pay you $15,000 if you meet up with him in person for me. You can keep whatever gifts he buys you, too.] Just as I was about to reject the offer, a photo of her ‘online boyfriend’ popped up on my screen. It was my absolute worst enemy. I stared at the screen, my face completely blank: [Are you telling me you’ve been using my photos and videos to date him?] 1 [Then you’re definitely being scammed, girl,] I replied earnestly. [Impossible,] she insisted. [He’s transferred me so much money. This is definitely the notoriously wealthy Sterling family heir.] Me: “…” I saved the photo of Arthur Sterling she sent me and ran a quick reverse image search. It was a generic paparazzi shot that gossip blogs had recycled a million times. I sent her the screenshot of the search results. She remained completely unfazed. [We’ve been working together for so long, why would I lie to you? My online boyfriend is 100% the Sterling heir.] I let out an exhausted sigh. Knowing the young master Arthur Sterling, his real-life romantic entanglements were already enough to drive him insane. Why would he have the time or energy for a fake online relationship? And especially… using my photos and videos. Forget falling in love with me through a screen; if he actually saw them, he’d probably throw up. I typed back to the client: [When he looks at my photos, what exactly does he say?] [He says I’m gorgeous! I mean, you are genuinely beautiful,] she paused, then added, [I even used your custom voice memo packages! Every time I send one, he transfers me $8,000!] Mother of God. If Arthur Sterling ever heard that sickly-sweet, high-pitched “baby voice” I put on for those recordings… he’d probably lose his appetite for three days straight. That confirmed it. The guy on the other end was absolutely, categorically not Arthur Sterling! Thinking about this, I went back and reviewed all the photos and videos I had sold to this client. The photos were standard, pretty selfies. But the videos… Lots of tight mini-skirts paired with cat-ear filters. …It’s fine. The guy wasn’t Arthur anyway. The client continued to beg me: [Please, babe, do me this one favor! I promise it’s completely safe! I already told him I’m not ready for any physical contact yet. And the meeting spot is a super crowded mall downtown.] When I didn’t reply immediately, she sent another frantic message: [If you really don’t want to stay, just show your face for one minute and leave! If you don’t, he’ll realize I’ve been catfishing him, and I won’t be able to milk him for any more cash!] A few seconds later, my bank app notified me of a $45,000 transfer. My fingers, which were hovering over the keyboard to type a rejection, froze. Then again… If this guy had the absolute audacity to use Arthur Sterling’s photo for online dating, how did he have the guts to meet up in person? Wasn’t he terrified of being exposed as a fraud? This girl might be able to pay me to act as her stand-in, but absolutely no one on earth could order Arthur Sterling around. Perfect. I’ll go see exactly what kind of freak this imposter is! I deleted my drafted rejection text. [Fine.] Looking at it objectively, this client was incredibly generous. Tsk. I bet the real Arthur Sterling isn’t even this generous. Terrified I’d back out, she quickly forwarded several screenshots of her chat history with the fake Arthur. It was an endless stream of Hubby kiss kiss and I only love my hubby. The chat was flooded with reaction stickers of cute kittens spinning, happy kittens, and whining kittens. Me: “…” The fake Arthur’s replies were incredibly consistent: [Baby, you’re so beautiful.] Transfer received. [Baby, you’re so cute.] Transfer received. … Transfer received. Transfer received. Transfer received. My god. This guy was a walking ATM. The client quickly dropped a location pin. [It’s at this mall.] I clicked on it. Oh, wow. The actual Sterling heir really did frequent this exact mall. It was very close to one of his family’s estates. Maybe I should… I pulled up Arthur Sterling’s contact in my phone. Is there any chance I could arrange for the imposter to run face-first into the real Arthur Sterling? That would scare him to death! Uh. I forgot. Arthur blocked my number. I silently locked my phone. 2 Following the client’s endless, neurotic instructions… I dressed up meticulously and arrived at the mall half an hour early to scope out the area. I never expected that I would actually run into the real Arthur Sterling here. He looked relaxed and indifferent, one hand casually tucked into his pocket. A girl was walking next to him, chattering away happily. Arthur wasn’t really listening; a lazy, detached smirk played on his lips. But the fact that he hadn’t shown any signs of annoyance the entire time was practically a miracle. I was stunned. It wasn’t until Arthur noticed me that his smirk vanished. He muttered under his breath, “What awful luck.” I heard him clearly, but my expression remained completely blank. The girl immediately linked her arm through Arthur’s, glaring at me defensively. “Who are you?” When I didn’t answer, she looked up at Arthur with a pitiful, victimized expression. Arthur scoffed. “Just some broke loser.” He wasn’t wrong. If I wasn’t broke, why would I be here meeting up with a fake Arthur Sterling for cash? I let out a dry, sarcastic laugh, my tone rising slightly. “Having the great Young Master Sterling despise me is truly an honor.” Hearing that, Arthur’s face darkened instantly. He crossed his arms, his words ruthlessly cutting. “Mia, can you even afford a single item in this entire mall?” “As long as you can afford them, that’s all that matters,” I smiled, pointing to a luxury boutique nearby. “Didn’t you buy me a bag from that exact store once?” The girl’s eyes widened in shock. “What is your relationship with him?” What relationship? We were each other’s first loves. Though dating this arrogant young master was easily the biggest mistake I’d ever made in my life. Arthur didn’t say a word, and I wasn’t in the mood to humiliate myself further, so I adjusted my bag and turned to leave. “Mia.” His tone was light and airy, but carried the exact same condescending, arrogant weight it always had. “Which poor guy are you scamming into paying your bills today?” I turned back. “Don’t worry, Young Master. So far, I haven’t managed to scam anyone more generous than you.” Of course, I wasn’t counting the money the client just transferred me. Arthur had been surrounded by sycophants his entire life; he never bothered hiding his emotions. Right now, for example, it was glaringly obvious he was in a terrible mood. Terrified he would intentionally ruin my upcoming meetup, I paused for a second and then decided to appease him. “You were right before. Someone like me will never be happy. But as long as you’re happy, that’s what matters.” Honestly, the whole “mortal enemies” thing was mostly Arthur’s one-sided hatred for me. I never liked making enemies, especially not with an ex who used to be incredibly generous with his money. But the young master, who was famously impossible to coax even when we were dating, was definitely not buying it now. He sneered, his words dripping with venom. “Don’t leave. I want to see exactly what kind of trash you’ve managed to hook this time.” I froze. I still didn’t know what kind of persona the client had established with the fake Arthur. What if she was playing the innocent, pure little flower? The whole thing would blow up in my face. With Arthur’s abrasive personality, he could expose me in two sentences. I swallowed my pride. “He’s not as handsome as you, and he’s not as rich as you. Young Master Sterling, why do you insist on humiliating me?” The girl next to him nodded in agreement. “Yeah, Arthur. Let’s just go.” Arthur didn’t even glance at the girl. His long, elegant fingers pulled a premium black card from his pocket. The girl took it, her entire demeanor instantly changing, and briskly walked away. “I’m going to go shopping then! Text me if you need anything, Arthur!” I smiled. “She’s cute.” Arthur ignored the comment, and showed absolutely no sign of leaving. He just stood there, staring me down. But he had always been like this—willful and unrestrained. In the past, when he had a high fever, I would pace around frantically, worried sick. He would just lazily grab my hand and smirk. “Want to see what 104 degrees feels like?” My eyes widened, my face flushing bright red instantly. Not from shyness, but from pure anger. “Are you psychotic?!” The corners of his lips curved up, and he couldn’t stop a muffled laugh. We eventually tried it, and he ended up in the ER. … They were all just immature, childish memories. I lowered my eyes. Arthur quickly lost his patience. He raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t just invent a guy, did you?” I stayed silent. His patience officially exhausted, he answered a call from a friend. “Yeah, I’ll be there in a minute.” Then he cast a final, sweeping glance over me, mockery swimming in his eyes. “Instead of carrying around that cheap, thirty-dollar canvas tote, maybe you shouldn’t have been so damn stubborn about your pride back then.” With that, his long legs carried him away, the distance between us growing rapidly. I watched his tall, retreating silhouette. Even his walk radiated a careless, arrogant swagger. After I broke up with Arthur, I packed up every single luxury item he had ever given me and shipped them all back to him. He only sent me one text in response: [I don’t collect garbage.] Then he blocked me. As for the luxury goods, mutual friends told me he threw them all into the massive dumpster outside his villa. My phone started pinging relentlessly with notifications. Ning: [Babe, are you there yet?] [Let’s just meet at the coffee shop, okay? I’ll text him and tell him I’m waiting for him there.] [Babe, answer me!] I reined in my emotions and replied: [Okay, I’m heading to the coffee shop now.] Once I got inside the coffee shop, I scanned the entire room. I texted the client: [Hey babe, bad news. Arthur Sterling isn’t here. Even worse news, there’s only one genuinely handsome guy in the whole place.] [Impossible! He just texted me that he arrived!] she replied frantically. I let out a long sigh. Until I saw that one incredibly handsome man walking directly toward me. The outer corners of his eyes tilted up slightly, and there was a small, striking red mole just beneath one of his eyes. He smiled warmly. He inexplicably radiated a dangerous, almost fox-like charm. I instinctively took a step back, instantly on guard. He spoke, his voice deep and magnetic: “Mia.” Me: “…” I quickly texted the client: [Isn’t your name Ning? You didn’t use my real name, did you?] She replied instantly: [Uh… yeah. I was too scared to use my real name, and since we were negotiating the photo prices at the time, I just accidentally gave him yours.] Me: [Brilliant.] I locked my phone, took a deep breath, looked up, and greeted the man. “Hi there.” Up close, the man was even more devastatingly handsome. His features were refined and delicate, but not feminine. He had a high, straight nose bridge, thin lips curled into a faint smile, and a subtle, sparkling stud in his left ear. He was significantly better looking than I anticipated; it was almost startling. Wait, he had absolutely no reason to use Arthur Sterling’s photos for online dating. I offered a polite, awkward smile. “You and the photos you sent me… look quite different.” He raised an eyebrow. “I’m fairly certain I never sent you a photo of myself.” Me: ? For a split second, my facial expression completely short-circuited. This guy never even sent a photo! How the hell was that client so absolutely certain he was Arthur Sterling?! “Then I must have remembered wrong,” I forced a strained smile, trying to suppress the urge to grind my teeth. “Do you mind if I run to the restroom first?” “Of course,” he smiled gracefully. Once in the restroom, I immediately dialed “Ning’s” number. The second the call connected, I unleashed a furious barrage: “I fucking told you! Your online boyfriend is NOT Arthur Sterling! He’s NOT Arthur Sterling! You wouldn’t listen, so I just assumed he was a normal catfish! Turns out the guy never even sent you a picture! What on earth made you think he was Arthur Sterling?!” The other end of the line was dead silent. After a long pause, a very distinct, very male voice blurted out, “Holy shit.” It was a guy! I was completely stunned. “He’s not Arthur Sterling? How is that possible? Then who is he?” he demanded, firing off questions. I was just as frustrated. “You’re asking me? Where did you even find this guy?! How can you be this incompetent?!” I thought I was dealing with a female scammer trying to milk a rich guy for cash. Who would have guessed it was a dude?! No wonder he needed to buy my custom voice memo packages! “What does he look like? Describe him right now!” The guy actually sounded more panicked than I did. Me: “Well, he’s actually incredibly handsome, so don’t worry about that.” The line went silent again. After a long, agonizing pause, his voice sounded completely drained of the will to live: “He doesn’t happen to have a small red mole under his eye, does he?” Me: “Yes, he does.” “AAAAAHHHHH! I’M DEAD!” …Now he realizes he’s dead. Where was this panic when he was scamming the guy for thousands of dollars?! If the guy he was scamming was actually Arthur Sterling, then he’d be dead. Knowing Arthur’s ruthless reputation, he’d literally skin the guy alive. After a while, he asked, his voice trembling in pure agony, “…What do I do now?” I was curious. “This guy seems a million times nicer than Arthur Sterling. Did you think Arthur was some kind of saint?” “No, you don’t understand. My older brother is infinitely more terrifying than Arthur. If Arthur wanted to destroy me, my grandmother could at least try to stop him. If my brother wants to destroy me, absolutely no one can save me!” Saying that, he started wailing again. My eyes widened in shock. “…What did you just say?” He was clearly in the depths of despair. “No wonder Arthur always calls me an idiot. Am I really that stupid?” Me: “…So what’s the plan now? Should I just make a run for it?” “No!” he hissed through gritted teeth. “If you run, he will 100% investigate. And he will 100% trace it back to me!” I was speechless. He blurted out a desperate solution: “Why don’t you just take over my WeChat account? We’ll just pretend you were the one talking to him the whole time! I mean, my brother is really good-looking, and he transfers a ton of money…” My pupils dilated in pure horror. Before I could answer, he started muttering to himself: “I had no idea he was this generous when he’s dating someone. Fuck, why is he so stingy with my allowance?” “Forget it,” I refused. Ever since I broke up with Arthur, I finally saw things clearly. What doesn’t belong to you will never belong to you, no matter how hard you try. Especially when it comes to these insanely wealthy, elite heirs. It’s better not to harbor any delusional fantasies about them. Besides, if I actually got involved with this man and Arthur found out, who knows what kind of psychotic episode the young master would have? Actually, no. He’d probably just mock the man: “Your taste is absolute garbage, getting involved with a woman like Mia.” I thought about this silently, then let out a heavy sigh. The voice on the other end of the phone whined, “I thought you guaranteed post-sale support!” They really are from the exact same family! This guy’s thought process was just as deranged as Arthur’s. I said flatly, “I’m hanging up.” “$75,000! I’ll add another $75,000!” he panicked. “I literally drained my entire Chinese New Year red envelope fund for this! You absolutely cannot let my brother find out!” Me: “…$150,000.” Him: “…You’re extorting me! You’re definitely going to milk a ton of money out of my brother anyway, do you really have to bleed me dry too?!” “Then never mind,” I said. “Deal!” he shrieked, completely broken. “What’s your brother’s name?” I asked. “Julian Thorne.” My head snapped up. “The Julian Thorne? Arthur Sterling’s older cousin who’s always abroad?” “Yes.” 3 I stayed in the restroom, smoothing out my dress, touching up my makeup, taking a deep breath, and finally walking out. Julian was waiting for me outside. To be honest, Julian’s demeanor didn’t exactly match his elegant, orderly name. He radiated a calm, calculated aura of someone who operated entirely outside the rules. He always wore a faint, polite smile, but he felt exactly like a cunning fox. Why would someone with this much wealth and power resort to online dating? I proactively looped my arm through Julian’s. He paused, a microscopic hesitation, and his smile deepened. “Do you want to go shopping first? Or grab something to eat?” he asked. “Whatever you want,” I replied. So, he took me from store to store, browsing endlessly. Unlike Arthur, Julian was incredibly patient, offering thoughtful feedback on how every bag and dress looked on me, and then flawlessly paying for everything. Arthur was too lazy to look. He would walk into a store, immediately sit down on the nearest plush sofa, stare at his phone, wait for me to pick what I wanted, pay the bill, and leave. It was incredibly bizarre. It felt like the universe had literally dropped a perfect boyfriend into my lap. But Julian was absolutely not as easygoing and accommodating as he appeared. People like him are the most dangerous. But right now… He even summoned two bodyguards to trail behind us and carry the mountain of shopping bags. “Mia, I made a reservation at that restaurant you said you wanted to try,” Julian said, a soft smile on his lips. “Let’s go!” I agreed enthusiastically. “Do you remember which one it was?” He lowered his eyes, his expression completely relaxed and casual. It was exactly the way a predator looks at prey trapped in its palm. …Which one? I have absolutely no idea! And I couldn’t exactly pull out my phone and text his little brother right now. The atmosphere instantly froze. My heart trembled, and I pressed my lips together tightly. I suddenly felt a chilling breeze on the back of my neck. I finally understood why the little brother said Julian was infinitely more terrifying than Arthur. Arthur’s emotions were written all over his face. If you pissed him off, the consequences were immediate and explosive. But Julian was entirely different. I couldn’t read him at all. Like right now, I had no idea what his sudden question was meant to imply. I opened my mouth, but before I could formulate a response, he smiled—a smile that didn’t reach his eyes—and his voice was warm and deep: “It’s fine. You’ve been busy, Mia. It’s completely normal to be forgetful. You’ll know it when we get there.” I nodded frantically, agreeing with everything. Julian was still a good guy! If Arthur had found out I forgot something important involving him, he would have cold-laughed and mocked me relentlessly for five straight hours without repeating a single insult. 4 When we arrived at the restaurant, the host immediately recognized Julian and greeted him respectfully: “Mr. Thorne.” He then escorted us to the most secluded, exclusive private dining room in the back. The ambiance was exquisite, complete with an indoor koi pond. I sat directly across from Julian. He had casually rolled up his sleeves, revealing his elegant, prominent wrists. The pale skin made the subtle blue veins even more striking. I didn’t reach for the menu. “You can order. I’m not a picky eater.” Julian chuckled softly. “Alright.” Taking advantage of the moment, I quickly texted the little brother: [You told Julian you wanted to eat at a Western restaurant?! I almost blew my cover! Are there any other crucial details I need to know? Tell me right now!] Suddenly, the door to the private room was pushed open. A painfully familiar voice rang out: “…Julian? When did you get back to the country?” My entire body turned to stone. Arthur clicked his tongue, his tone utterly bored. “I thought this room was empty, so I didn’t bother making a reservation. The other private rooms are full. Let’s just share.” I acted like a terrified quail, ducking my head as low as humanly possible. But I forgot that Arthur once told me he could recognize me even if I was burned to ash and scattered to the wind. … “Mia?” The lazy, bored voice instantly turned freezing cold. I didn’t dare lift my head. But unexpectedly, my phone lit up with a notification right at that moment: [Huh? That’s impossible. I never told my brother where I wanted to eat. I hate Western food! I told him I wanted the rustic iron-pot goose stew!] My pupils dilated in absolute horror. “Pick your fucking head up, Mia,” Arthur ground out through clenched teeth. Julian tapped his index finger lightly on the table. “Is that how you speak to your sister-in-law?” “What did you just say?” Arthur’s volume skyrocketed. Only then did I slowly, agonizingly lift my head, offering a pathetic, strained smile. “What a coincidence.” Then, following Julian’s lead, I added, “Little brother.” “Who the fuck is your little brother?!” Arthur instantly exploded, pointing directly at me and demanding an answer from Julian. “I dated her! Did you seriously not know that?!” Julian took a slow, elegant sip of his coffee. “I didn’t. Are you two still together?” “No, no! We haven’t been together for a long time! We broke up ages ago!” I quickly interjected. “Shut your mouth.” Arthur’s voice was heavy with suppressed, volcanic rage. Every single word sounded like it was being forced out through a grinder. He clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned bone-white. “Julian, did you seriously not run a background check on her when we were dating? Are you actually sitting here spewing bullshit, claiming you don’t know who Mia is?!” Julian sat with his legs crossed, his posture entirely relaxed. Even in this suffocatingly tense atmosphere, he managed a smooth, unbothered smile. “I do. So what?” The corners of Arthur’s eyes flushed red with fury. I sighed internally and spoke up. “Don’t be so angry. We just weren’t meant to be. Why don’t you have a glass of water and calm down?” Saying that, I prepared to stand up and pour him some water. “Mia.” Julian cast a light, warning glance at me. My chest tightened, and I immediately sat back down, perfectly still. Arthur stared in absolute disbelief. “You used to argue and fight with me every single day, and now you’re just obediently taking orders from him?! Did he brainwash you?!” Me: “…” Mostly, it’s just because Julian’s aura is significantly more terrifying. A long, agonizing silence passed. Arthur’s voice was slightly hoarse. “When exactly did you two get together?” I couldn’t answer that question. Julian answered calmly: “Late last year.” “When, exactly?” Arthur seemed determined to get the exact date, refusing to let it go. “The day after Christmas.” My facial expression completely froze. A cold, mocking sneer curled Arthur’s lips. “Mia. You are fucking unbelievable.” Arthur and I broke up on Christmas Day. But the person who started messaging Julian the day after Christmas wasn’t me! I remained completely silent, bitterly swallowing the truth, officially accepting the title of a ruthless, calculating woman who seamlessly monkey-branched from one cousin to the other. Seeing that I didn’t dare say a word, Arthur violently slammed the door and stormed out. 5 Julian, however, didn’t seem bothered in the slightest. He offered thoughtfully, “If the food isn’t to your liking, just let me know.” I nodded, trembling slightly. He gave me a surprised look. “Are you afraid of me?” When he smiled, the red mole near his eye was so dangerously captivating it was almost blinding. I parted my lips slowly: “…You ran a background check on me before?” He nodded, his tone casual and unhurried. “The family was curious about Arthur’s new girlfriend, so they had me look into it.” “Then why did you…” I was stunned. “…still get involved with me…” Julian’s smile deepened. “I thought my future sister-in-law was quite adorable a long time ago.” I awkwardly rubbed my nose. But I still felt like something was fundamentally wrong here. A long time ago? Before he even ran the background check? Wait, and what about his subtle test earlier?! Does he already know the person he was online dating wasn’t actually me?! That I’m just a hired stand-in?! I was terrified, not daring to speak recklessly. “Mia,” Julian said softly. “Come back to the Thorne estate with me next week.” I was shocked. “What?!” He offered a helpless smile. “You said before that you wanted to meet my family, and you brought it up multiple times. Did you forget, Mia?” My heart was pounding. Given my previous mistake, I didn’t dare give a casual answer. “…Oh, right.” “But I’m just… not quite ready yet.” I subconsciously gripped the hem of my shirt. “You mentioned before that your family requires a $4.5 million dowry. Mia, I can transfer that to your account at any time.” Julian looked at me with absolute seriousness. I was horrified. What insane, astronomical dowry?! Is that really what his little brother told him?! My voice shook. “No rush, no rush! Let’s just… take our time and see where things go…” By the end of the sentence, my voice was practically floating away. This entire family is absolutely terrifying. The atmosphere fell silent. Julian lowered his eyes, the smile vanishing from his face. He said softly, “I apologize. I was too impatient.” I froze for a second. Is he… actually deeply, genuinely in love? If he finds out that the person whispering sweet nothings to him all this time was actually a dude… And that I technically conspired with his little brother to deceive him… I rubbed my temples, feeling a massive headache coming on. The situation felt like it was spiraling completely out of control. Judging by his expression, Julian looked genuinely heartbroken. Sigh, it makes sense. If he wasn’t genuinely in love, why would he spend so much money on an online relationship? I quietly stood up. “I’m going to run to the restroom again.”

🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “MotoNovel” app 🔍 search for “391728”, and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel

When the kidnappers forced Liam Sterling to choose one of us to save, he abandoned his childhood sweetheart and chose me. But I didn’t go with him. Because I knew he would regret it. It happened exactly like this in our past life. After I was rescued, Liam’s childhood sweetheart was photographed in compromising positions by the kidnappers. The night she returned, she slit her wrists and died. Liam pretended not to care and went ahead with our wedding as planned, but he subjected me to endless emotional abuse throughout our marriage. Seven years later, when I finally forced him to agree to a divorce, he lost control of his emotions and drove our car off a cliff on the way to the courthouse. Even in his dying moments, he was still blaming me: “We owed Mia. We were supposed to spend our lives atoning for her. What right do you have to seek a peaceful life for yourself…” So, having been given a second chance, I refuse to live that life again. 1 “Chloe, come with me.” The moment I realized I had been reborn, a kidnapper was pressing a knife against both my and Mia’s necks. They demanded that Liam choose one of us to save. Liam’s gaze darted between the two of us. After a fierce internal struggle, he made the exact same choice he did in our past life— He reached his hand out to me. But I firmly shook my head. “Liam, save Mia first.” In this life, I don’t want to owe anyone anything, and I certainly don’t want to carry the weight of another life on my conscience. Hearing this, Liam seemed to let out a sigh of relief. “Chloe, you are my fiancée. I should save you first. But since you said it yourself, don’t blame me.” Then, he grabbed Mia and left the scene as fast as humanly possible, as if terrified I would change my mind in the next second. But I’m not like him. I don’t make a choice and then spend my life regretting it. In our past life, it went exactly like this. He arrived with the ransom, but the kidnappers suddenly increased their demands, saying he could only take one person. Forced into a corner, Liam ultimately chose me. However, during the time we went back to gather more money, the kidnappers lusted after Mia, took compromising photos of her, and were just about to assault her. Fortunately, we arrived with the police just in time. But even though they hadn’t gone all the way, a situation like that is enough to completely destroy a girl’s dignity. Mia returned home a broken shell of a person. That night, after everyone fell asleep, she slit her wrists. By the time she was found, it was too late. When Liam heard the news, he didn’t show the slightest hint of caring. He calmly handled Mia’s funeral and gave her family a large sum of money as compensation. Even when I suggested postponing our wedding, he flatly refused. “Chloe, marrying you has been planned for a long time. We can’t let an outsider affect it.” Yet, it was this “outsider” he obsessed over for seven straight years. He only married me to trap me, to make me atone for Mia. But what did I do wrong? 2 After Liam and Mia left, I started trying to figure out how to save myself. Because this time, I wasn’t sure if Liam would actually come back. In our past life, he used the excuse of giving Mia a comforting hug to slip a tracker into her pocket. So even when the kidnappers moved us, we were able to find Mia immediately using the tracker. But just now, he seemed to have completely forgotten about that. I guess, from the very beginning, the only person he ever wanted to save was Mia. He only reluctantly chose me because of my status as his fiancée, terrified of the public backlash if he didn’t. After all, ours was just an arranged marriage; our relationship was mediocre at best. But Mia had been by his side through his purest, most innocent years. They were childhood sweethearts, best friends, and soulmates. It makes sense that the Liam of our past life regretted his choice. In this life, he finally got what he truly wanted. I was happy for him. At the same time, I didn’t forget to look for a chance to escape. I knew that when the kidnappers moved locations, they would pass by an auto repair shop. The mechanics there were notoriously fierce and brutal fighters. In my past life, when the kidnappers passed by, they tried to temporarily commandeer the shop. They didn’t expect the owner to be a total badass who stubbornly refused. The two groups grabbed whatever weapons they could find and had a massive brawl. The kidnappers probably never imagined they’d run into people even more ruthless than they were. Terrified of escalating the situation further, they eventually scurried away with their tails tucked between their legs. Later, when the kidnappers were arrested, the owner of the repair shop even came forward to testify against them. 3 Just like in my past life, they left one guy in the van to watch me. The rest of them charged toward the repair shop. My hands were tied behind my back. The kidnapper in the driver’s seat completely ignored me, thinking I wasn’t a threat. Taking advantage of his inattention, I leaned over and used my teeth to pull the door handle. I shoved the door open and ran forward like a maniac. My target was the same as the kidnappers’: the auto repair shop. I wanted to make a bet. A bet that they wouldn’t just watch someone die without helping. So, I blatantly charged right in. The repair shop was already in total chaos. I immediately spotted the young owner. His features were sharp and defined, radiating an aura of unwavering righteousness. Combined with his agile, powerful fighting moves, he looked incredibly cool. Terrified of getting caught in the crossfire, I hunched over and sprinted toward him with lightning speed. But I used too much force and ended up tackling him straight to the ground. As I crashed into his chest, my face went pale with terror. “I-I’m so sorry.” I apologized incoherently. “Could you please, please help me?” The man glanced at me, his brow furrowing. The next second, he grabbed me and rolled several times across the floor. Then, with a loud CRASH, a heavy stool slammed into the exact spot we had just been lying in. If he hadn’t noticed it in time, I would have been seriously injured, if not worse. Still shaken, the kidnappers noticed I had escaped from the van. So, their objective shifted from taking over the shop to demanding I be handed over. The two sides faced off. I looked pitifully at the man beside me and whispered, “If you can save me, I’ll do anything you want.” He didn’t answer. Instead, he stared thoughtfully at the group of kidnappers. Someone behind him couldn’t help but warn him, “Noah, less trouble is better than more.” So his name is Noah. Receiving no answer after a long pause, my heart slowly sank. Forget it. Why force him? When the leader of the kidnappers yelled for me to come over for the third time, I took a step forward. But almost instantly, a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I was forced to stop. Noah stepped forward and announced to the kidnappers, “She’s under my protection today.” Perhaps even God was on my side, because the loud roar of motorcycles suddenly echoed from outside. A confident smile spread across Noah’s face. “My backup is here.” Hearing this, the kidnappers shot me a resentful glare, cursed under their breath, and left. My heart, which had been hanging by a thread, finally dropped back into my chest. I let out a long breath and suddenly felt the tension on my wrists loosen. Noah had cut the ropes binding my hands. 4 “My name is Chloe. Thank you so much for what you just did,” I said, reaching my hand out to him. Noah, however, kept his eyes fixed on my wrists. The ropes had left deep, bloody welts that looked terrifying. “Let me clean that up for you.” I shook my head. “It’s just a scratch. It’s fine.” “Who was it just now who said if I saved her, she’d do anything I wanted?” “…” Ignoring my protests, he gently but firmly pushed me onto a stool and brought over a first-aid kit. “This might sting a bit.” I bit my lip, watching him intently as he carefully treated my wounds. A sudden warmth bloomed in my chest. I remembered in my past life, shortly after Liam and I got married, there was a time he came home drunk. As I was helping him back to our room, I casually mentioned he should drink less. He flew into a sudden rage and violently shoved me away. I lost my balance and crashed to the floor. The jade bracelet on my wrist hit the hardwood and shattered into pieces, the shards slicing deeply into my wrist. I screamed, clutching my bleeding wrist and crying out in pain. But Liam just stared at me coldly and said: “Does it hurt? It should. Mia suffered a thousand, a million times more pain than you, but she can’t cry out anymore. If she hadn’t tried to save you, she wouldn’t have been assaulted by those kidnappers! She wouldn’t have…” I just sat there on the floor, my face full of disbelief. My heart turned to ice, inch by inch. It took a long time before I found my voice again. “But the kidnappers took both me and Mia to threaten you! And you were the one who chose to save me first! Why are you saying all this to me now?!” The drunkenness on Liam’s face seemed to have faded significantly, but his eyes remained ice-cold. “Chloe, I was always against this arranged marriage. If you hadn’t told my grandmother you liked me, she never would have forced me to marry you.” “So, what you’re saying is, if I weren’t in the picture, you would only have had to save Mia. Is that it?” “Haha…” I suddenly burst out laughing. “Liam, you’re literally insane. You don’t blame the kidnappers, you blame me instead.” I stood up and went back to my room to bandage my own wounds. From that day on, no matter how much it hurt, I never told Liam again. And now, the man in front of me, afraid that I was in pain, was clumsily blowing air onto my wounds. My eyes stung. I closed them, took a deep breath, and asked a question I already knew the answer to: “What are you doing?” Noah looked up, his smile pure and genuine. “When I got hurt as a kid, this is what my mom used to do. Does it feel any better?” I nodded. “Yeah, much better.” Receiving validation, Noah continued what he was doing. But the atmosphere was soon ruined by someone else. 5 “Noah! I heard someone was causing trouble at your shop, so I rushed right over…” “Holy crap! Where did you find such a gorgeous girl?!” A tall man with a full sleeve tattoo walked through the door. The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up. “Wow, this is rare. I think this is the first time I’ve ever seen a girl this pretty at your place…” As the tattooed guy spoke, a bizarrely shy flush crept over his face. Seeing this, Noah stepped in front of me, shielding me. “Thanks, but it’s already handled. As for everything else, it’s none of your business. I’ll buy you a drink sometime.” The tattooed guy froze, then caught on. “Bro, now that you’ve got a girl, you don’t even have time for your bros?!” He haughtily turned his head away and let out a loud “Hmph!” He actually looked like he was pouting. Noah rubbed his temples, then pulled him aside and muttered, “Can you read the room? Go find somewhere else to be.” “Noah, is she your girlfriend?” “Does it look like it?” “Yeah! You guys look like a perfect match.” “Good to know you have eyes.” “I don’t care, you have to invite me to the wedding.” “You’ll get your invite.” “…” The two men muttered to each other a short distance away. Even though they intentionally lowered their voices, I could hear every word perfectly clearly. To ease the awkwardness, I pretended to be very busy, looking left, right, up, and down—anywhere but at them. A few minutes later, Noah managed to shoo the tattooed guy away. Once he was gone, Noah asked me, “Where do you live? I’ll take you home.” Perhaps out of pure selfishness, I suddenly didn’t want to go back so soon. Anyway, my parents were always busy with their own things. Even if I didn’t come home for a month, they wouldn’t ask about it. As for Liam, if my guess was right, he had probably been reborn too. Right now, he must be desperate to stay by Mia’s side forever. In our past life, during our seven years of marriage, he never once took me to any public events, and we never shared a bedroom. When people asked about me, he always kept a cold face, eventually turning me into a running joke in our social circle. In this life, I just want to stay as far away from him as possible. So I looked at Noah and pleaded, “Could you take me in for a few days?” I carefully pinched the corner of his shirt with my fingers and tugged it gently. Based on what I knew from both lives, he seemed like a genuinely good guy. Plus, he had the ability to protect me. If I decided to cling to him, would he refuse? Noah suddenly leaned his face close to mine. His gaze was incredibly intense and burning. “Little girl, if you keep acting like this, I might actually take it seriously…” Because he was so close, I could even smell the fresh scent of soap on him. I instinctively swallowed hard. Just as I was about to speak, a familiar voice rang out from behind me. “What are you two doing?!” It was Liam… He had arrived with the police. 6 “Are you okay?” Liam looked at me, and the concern in his eyes didn’t seem fake. I threw my hands up. “Do I look like I’m not okay?” Liam remained silent. Mia walked in right behind him. She glanced around the repair shop, which had already returned to normal operations, and asked bluntly: “Chloe, how exactly did you escape from those kidnappers? “As far as I know, there were six of them. Your hands were tied, and you didn’t know the area. I’m genuinely very curious…” What was she trying to imply? “Everyone knows the Vance family and the Sterling family are planning a marriage alliance, but both families are also eyeing that plot of land in the South District. The auction is in ten days, highest bidder wins. “And then, at the most critical moment, something like this happens, with an astronomically high ransom demand. Chloe, it’s really hard for me not to think the worst.” She suspected I hired the kidnappers?! I admit, in both of my lives, I have never been this speechless. In my past life, I felt truly helpless and sympathetic toward Mia’s tragedy. But in this life, I practically saved her. And the first thing she does after being rescued is turn around and bite me. It was truly chilling. I suddenly raised my hand and shouted loudly, “Officer! This person is slandering me!” And then, we were all taken down to the station. While waiting to be interrogated, Mia was relentless. “Chloe, why are you afraid to speak?” I sneered coldly. “Why should I speak to you? You’re not a cop.” Mia was momentarily at a loss for words. Liam couldn’t stand it and immediately stepped up to defend Mia. “Chloe, Mia just wants to know the truth so she knows what she should and shouldn’t say during the interrogation.” “What? You guys planning to lie to the police?” Furious, Liam stood up, pointing at me. “Chloe, you are completely unreasonable!” Noah, who had just walked out of an interrogation room, saw this and stepped right in front of me without a second thought. “Put your hand down.” His tone was flat, but it carried an undeniable, oppressive authority. Hiding behind Noah, I couldn’t see their expressions, but I could vaguely smell gunpowder in the air. I heard Liam demand, “Who are you to her?” Noah turned his head to look at me, the corner of his mouth slightly raised. He asked back, “Who do you think?” I looked up at his ridiculously perfect side profile, which was so close to me. As if possessed by a ghost, I used my thumb and index finger to make a little heart shape at him. Seeing this, Liam’s face instantly darkened several shades. Right at that moment, an officer called him in to give his statement.

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After chasing the cold, aloof campus idol for a month with no success, I tried a different approach and threw money at him instead. I didn’t expect him to get even colder, to the point where his only responses were “Mm” and “Ah.” Me: “Liam, I want to eat an apple. Peel it for me, but the stem can’t fall off.” Liam gave a simple “Mm” and silently picked up a paring knife. Ten minutes later, I picked up a gleaming, freshly peeled apple from the plate for the third time. With one light bite, the stem snapped off again. Liam violently stabbed the knife into the rolling apple, a rare look of impatience crossing his face. My heart skipped a beat. I was just about to tell him to stop when I suddenly saw strange lines of text appear in the air: [Ahhhhh! I’m witnessing an iconic scene! The devoted second male lead is furiously peeling apples!] [Chloe, do NOT tell him to stop! Let him peel! Let him peel for his life! Let him peel his feelings away! What he hates are the fragile apples and his own clumsy hands!] [Yes, yes, yes! And absolutely do NOT ignore him, or he will literally cry himself to sleep under the covers!] I froze, swallowing the words “Forget it, I don’t want it anymore” right back down my throat. Right now, Liam was crouching on the floor, his shoulders trembling slightly. For the first time, I felt a flicker of doubt: Was this 6-foot tall, notoriously cold and silent campus idol not actually angry, but… feeling wronged? I instinctively walked over and patted his shoulder. Liam slowly turned his head, his face wearing its usual “stay a thousand miles away” icy expression. “Do you want me to keep peeling?” I don’t know if I was influenced by the floating text, but I actually noticed the corners of his eyes were red, and a faint glimmer of tears shone in his eyes. A trace of guilt welled up inside me uncontrollably. I carefully chose my words for a compromise. “It’s too late today. Can we peel more tomorrow?” Liam’s expression froze, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the apple. I lowered my eyes and softened my voice. “Actually, I didn’t even want to eat an apple that badly. I just wanted…” Before I could finish the words “you to keep me company,” Liam stood up abruptly. He slammed the dusty apple onto the table with a loud smack and ground his teeth: “Chloe, do you think I’m incompetent? Are you disgusted by me?” Huh? The floating text also paused for a second. [Are my eyes playing tricks on me? In the original text, didn’t Chloe just get mad and go back to her room? Why is she coaxing the second male lead?] [Serves old Liam right for not having a wife. His girl is showing weakness, and he’s just pushing her away!] [Emm… Did you guys forget? The first time the second male lead used a coffee machine, Chloe mocked him, threatened to dock his pay, and was incredibly arrogant. It’s actually pretty normal for him to react this way.] [I remember that too! When Liam made breakfast and did laundry for Chloe, she complained relentlessly about it.] Uh, I think that actually happened. Feeling incredibly guilty, I looked away. A month ago, an accident resulted in Liam and me forming an unhealthy “sugar baby/sugar mommy” relationship. Wanting some privacy for the two of us, I specifically rented a luxurious, 3,000-square-foot villa not far from campus. But Liam became even colder than when I was pursuing him. My highly experienced friend gave me some advice: “You can’t spoil a man, babe. First, you have to let him know who’s boss. “Trust me, you have to do the exact opposite of what a wild horse expects. Break him in enough, and he’ll behave!” To “break” Liam in, I truly did go out of my way to maliciously make things difficult for him. The text was still scrolling: [Putting myself in his shoes, it really would be hard to feel any good intentions from her. I know I couldn’t.] [Sigh, I really don’t want my favorite ship to end in tragedy T~T] [Chloe, don’t give up! Actually, if you just tell him you like him, he’d go through fire and water for you! He’s just stubborn!] [Yes, yes, yes, I think so too.] Perhaps completely brainwashed by the floating text, I bit my lip, silently turned around, and pulled out a wet wipe. Then, mustering all my courage, I took Liam’s hand. The moment we touched, a jolt of electricity shot straight to my brain. Liam’s fingers trembled violently. But in the end, he didn’t pull away, letting me wipe his hand. “I’m not disgusted by you, Liam. “I never was. On the contrary, I… I really like you.” My ears were burning hot, but I couldn’t resist taking a quick peek at Liam. His expression was frozen, but my reflection filled his pupils. The text went wild: [Chloe is doing great!] [Say more, say more! He absolutely loves hearing it!] Feeling incredibly encouraged, and egged on by the text. With a deafening heartbeat, I pushed forward. “Let’s… let’s get along from now on. I won’t make things difficult for you anymore, okay? “But you have to be nicer to me too. Don’t always wear that stone-cold face.” After saying that, I quickly lowered my eyes. My heart was pounding like a trapped deer, waiting for Liam’s response. One second. Two seconds. Time seemed to stretch infinitely. As I was growing confused, a soft chuckle suddenly hit my ears. Liam forcefully shook off my hand, took a step back, and mocked me coldly: “A slap in the face, followed by a piece of candy. “Chloe, are you trying to play me to death?” [Uh, what?!! Feeling bad for Chloe for a minute!] [All I can say is old Liam is single through his own sheer effort. What a waste of that peerless face.] [I’m just waiting for Mr. Regret to regret this. Some people don’t even deserve a redemption arc.] Being repeatedly misunderstood completely evaporated the courage I had so painstakingly gathered. All that was left was grievance, humiliation, and rapidly erupting anger. “Yes! I am trying to play you to death!” I viciously threw the wet wipe at Liam, my expression and tone turning icy. “Other people who keep a campus idol as a sugar baby would have devoured them completely by now! What kind of idiot just occasionally teases you and then has to tiptoe around your bad moods like I do?!” Liam shook his head in self-mockery, wearing an “I knew it” expression. He raised his hand and unbuttoned his white dress shirt. Revealing smooth, defined chest muscles and tight, firm abs. “Isn’t this what you want?” I bit my lip. This was a scene I had eagerly anticipated in my dreams. But in this moment, I only felt utterly humiliated. Liam took off his shirt and, leaving no room for refusal, picked me up and set me on the back of the sofa. He grabbed my hand and forcefully pressed it against his heart. Looking me dead in the eye, he was incredibly aggressive: “Take it. Why bother with all those high-sounding words?” I had long since lost the mood to pay attention to the floating text. I struggled wildly, kicking and scratching. “Let go, you bastard!” Soon, several red scratch marks appeared on Liam’s chest. But the difference in physical strength between men and women is vast. From beginning to end, I was firmly trapped in his arms. He even managed to free one hand to pinch my chin. “Just because you’re different from other rich girls, and only occasionally make things difficult for me, I’m supposed to be eternally grateful to you?” Tears were forced to my eyes, but I stubbornly refused to let them fall. “I am different from other people! I genuinely wanted a future with you! “But not anymore. You… you’re just a bastard!” Liam let out a laugh, but it looked worse than crying. “See? When I act like a condescending bastard just once, you feel this terrible. “But when you use ‘genuine feelings’ as an excuse to trample me underfoot and act like a bastard in every possible way, you still expect me to be grateful. Based on what? “Chloe, I feel pain too.” His words were like a sharp knife plunging into my heart, completely destroying the sense of superiority my money had given me. I suddenly felt like a clown—pathetic and ridiculous. The dam broke, and tears poured out uncontrollably. I violently shoved Liam away. In a fit of rage, I used all my strength to slap him across the face, shouting the question that had always lingered in my mind. “Then why did you accept my money in the first place?! Taking my money and giving me the cold shoulder every single day—how high and mighty does that make you?!” After saying that, I didn’t dare look at his reaction. I fled, rushing into my room. [The sky is falling, my ship has completely sunk. The plot is back to square one. It seems our girl ultimately can’t escape the tragic female lead storyline.] [They both have mouths! Why can’t they just communicate clearly?!] [I feel like they did communicate clearly. They’re just both too stubborn for their own good. Sigh, the romance is dead, blame shared equally, let’s all go home.] [Wait, why is Liam gripping the paring knife with his left hand? He’s bleeding so much, and Chloe just wiped that hand for him.] [Holy shit, he made Chloe cry, and now he knows he messed up! If he doesn’t actually like her, I will livestream myself eating shit!] The text was scrolling furiously with discussion. But right now, I had buried myself in a soft pillow, sobbing uncontrollably. I completely missed the message about Liam’s finger bleeding. I don’t know how much time passed, but I felt utterly exhausted. Yet, every time I closed my eyes, Liam’s mocking expression became even clearer. Unable to resist, I checked the floating text. [Sigh, it’s 2 AM. Why is Mr. Regret still peeling apples?] [Just caught up on the thread. @IfOldLiamDoesn’tLikeChloeIWillEatShit, don’t worry, bro, you won’t have to eat shit. Old Liam loves Chloe to death. Later, when Chloe is imprisoned and killed by the male lead, it’s Liam who remembers her kindness, avenges her, and dies in a fire.] [@BetterLateThanNever, sis, don’t worry. I have self-awareness. Old Liam is like me—raised by a grandmother because our parents were awful. For people like us, who lack love, even a little bit of warmth will make us devote our entire lives to someone. Chloe accidentally helped Liam’s critically ill grandmother. Liam is definitely eternally grateful to her. He’s just too stubborn and can’t get past the ‘sugar baby’ hurdle.] [Sigh, I feel like they’re in a dead knot that’s hard to untie. Chloe thinks Liam is naturally cold, so she acts tough and makes things difficult for him. Liam thinks the rich girl Chloe just wants to play with him, so even if he likes her, he’ll always wear a cold face. It’s an endless loop.] Reading the text, I fell silent. I inexplicably remembered the night before I “bought” Liam. My friend, seeing right through me, whispered in my ear: “He’s a tough nut to crack. Even an experienced player like me couldn’t get anywhere. “I heard his family situation isn’t great. His grandmother is seriously ill and they need money badly. But he looks down on our kind of money.” I froze, then slapped myself hard. Why had I never thought to learn more about his family situation? He was barely 20 years old, yet life had forced him to fight in underground boxing rings and work as a restaurant server. And in his moments of absolute despair, I had to repeatedly shatter his pride in the most frivolous ways imaginable. Thinking about the tragic ending for both of us mentioned in the text, my emotions were incredibly complicated. Barefoot, I quietly walked to the door of Liam’s room. Right now, he was sitting in front of his computer. His left hand was wrapped in gauze, and he held a paring knife in his right. His long fingers moved deftly, quietly and intently peeling an apple. My heart suddenly began to ache. Due to insomnia, I woke up very late the next morning. Liam was sitting at the dining table, seemingly having waited for me for a long time. Breakfast was as extravagant as always. Next to the toast sat three crystal-clear, peeled apples, complete with their stems. There also seemed to be two large jars of freshly made apple jam. I opened my mouth, but the apology ultimately didn’t come out. After eating in silence, Liam slid a document across the table. Along with the keys to the villa. “Ms. Vance, as of today, it’s exactly been one month.” His voice remained flat and emotionless. “After today, I will not be coming over anymore. Please understand.” An awkward atmosphere spread through the silent space. My chest felt like something was suddenly blocking it, making it hard to breathe. I didn’t have the courage to look at the contract he returned. Nor did I have the courage to ask him to forgive my absurdity and ignorance. I stood up and nodded calmly. “That’s for the best.” Liam clenched his fists. A moment later, he started clearing the dishes from the table. Watching his long fingers gently and skillfully handle everything. I felt incredibly sad. “Today is my birthday.” “I know.” [Waaah, what a tragic morning.] [@IfOldLiamDoesn’tLikeChloeIWillEatShit, come out and eat your shit. Absolute nonsense. You’re probably the only one who thinks this heartless man likes Chloe.] I sighed softly in my heart. It seemed he was determined to leave. “My family is throwing a birthday party for me tonight. There will be a lot of people there. Come back with me just this once. After today, everything from the past month will be wiped clean.” Liam paused, then said softly, “Okay.” The birthday party was held at the Vance family estate. Before Liam and I even walked through the door, we heard people gossiping. My rival, Sarah, was sitting in the middle of a crowd, looking arrogant as she spoke passionately: “I really don’t know what our Chloe is thinking. So many people like her, but she insists on chasing that campus idol.” “Which campus idol?” “Liam from University A, obviously. The one who looks all cold and noble, like he’s above mortal desires. But I heard a little rumor.” Everyone’s curiosity was piqued, but Sarah stopped talking. Once everyone gathered around, she smiled mysteriously and lowered her voice, though just enough so everyone could still hear: “I heard that campus idol Liam is a huge fake. He looks proper, but he actually loves money to death. A month ago, he was bought by a rich older woman in our circle for a huge sum! “And the craziest part is, that rich woman plays hard. On his very first day, Liam was covered in injuries and limping.” A collective gasp echoed through the living room. Then, the discussion became even more intense. I sharply noticed that Liam’s knuckles were white, and his face was turning a sickly shade of pale green. I was both sad and furious. The Liam I knew was a warrior who could snatch victory from the jaws of defeat in a boxing ring just to support his family. He was a saint who would rather go hungry himself to save a stray cat. He was a young man who, despite growing up in the mud, remained completely untainted, filial, and kind. Even though I acted foolishly, I had never physically harmed him. And the only way he would get injured was if he was hurt by an opponent in an underground boxing ring. I never thought that a whim while I was drunk would bring him so many vicious rumors. I strode over to Sarah and grabbed her by the hair. “How did you sneak in here? I don’t recall inviting you.” Sarah looked panicked for a second, then pointed at my sister, Mia, and screamed for help. “Let go of me! Mia invited me!” I looked at my twin sister, dressed in a Lolita dress, sporting twin ponytails, her face a little pale. She shrank back, looking incredibly innocent. “Sister, I’m sorry. I didn’t know you didn’t like Sarah.” The floating text suddenly scrolled wildly. [Chloe, don’t believe this wicked witch! She’s the psycho male lead’s accomplice!] [Same face, but why does it look bright and beautiful on Chloe, but so hypocritical on the evil supporting character?!] I froze for a moment, and Sarah broke free from my grip. “Why are you glaring at Mia?” She smirked triumphantly, looking down her nose at me. “You probably don’t know this yet, but that campus god you’ve been chasing around school has already been bought by someone else.” People around us started whispering. The looks they gave me instantly carried a subtle hint of strangeness. I raised my hand and slapped Sarah with all my might. I had gotten my nails done specifically before coming here, and five red marks quickly appeared on Sarah’s face. I sneered, “Do you not have a brain? You just believe whatever people tell you?” I looked coldly around the room. “Listen up. Liam is my boyfriend. If I hear any of you gossiping behind our backs again, we don’t need to be friends anymore.” Sarah held her cheek, laughing out of pure anger: “Boyfriend? “Keep dreaming! Does Liam even know you’re a couple? Today is your birthday, so where is this ‘boyfriend’ of yours?!” “You…!” I instinctively looked behind me, only to realize Liam hadn’t followed me inside. In an instant, I felt my momentum deflate. Of course. I had brought him nothing but pain and humiliation. Why would he get involved in this? Seeing me hesitate, my rival became even more arrogant: “Chloe, there has to be a limit to how much you’re willing to humiliate yourself! He’s probably acting like a lapdog in some rich woman’s bed right now!” I bit my lip hard, my chest heaving with anger. I immediately started looking for the butler, wanting him to throw her out. Just then, a large, slightly calloused hand suddenly engulfed mine, pulling me behind him. Liam’s undeniable, icy voice rang out through the hall. “Miss, you might be mistaken. I was the one who pursued Chloe. “Today is Chloe’s birthday, and I want her to have a wonderful day.” His voice was slow and deliberate, but filled with overwhelming authority. “If anyone spreads rumors again, I wouldn’t mind getting the police involved.” Intimidated, Sarah stood rooted to the spot, not daring to say a word. The butler finally appeared with the security guards, and I instructed him to escort Sarah out. In front of everyone, I took Liam’s hand and led him upstairs. As Sarah was forcibly dragged out, she had a hysterical realization, struggling wildly: “Chloe! Were you the one who bought Liam?!” The text mocked her relentlessly: [The young couple literally just announced their relationship publicly, and she’s still talking about ‘buying’. Respect, okay?!] [How pathetic. She’s being dragged out with no escape, and she’s still struggling!] [Inexplicably feel like Sarah is kind of cute. If she knew she actually guessed right, I wonder how she’d react. Hahahaha.] [Newbie here asking a weak question: Am I remembering it wrong? I don’t think this scene was in the book. Wasn’t the original plot that Chloe and Liam had a falling out, and she gets imprisoned after her birthday?] [But I prefer this version of Chloe! I want her to be with someone where the feelings are mutual. Being imprisoned is not a good look for women!] Holding Liam’s hand, I had no time to read the text. Only I knew that from the moment he appeared, my heart rate had been skyrocketing. I had never wished for the staircase leading to my bedroom to be longer, just a little longer, as much as I did right now. But reality is reality. Soon, Liam and I arrived at the bedroom. As soon as the door locked. He proactively let go of my hand and took two steps back. After a moment of silence. “I’m sorry.” “I’m sorry.” We spoke in unison. He politely waited for me to speak first. “Just now… that was just a tactical move. Once this blows over, I’ll tell everyone we broke up. “You don’t need to feel pressured.” Liam looked at me quietly. The resistance and rejection from before had completely vanished. He really doesn’t like me. I smiled bitterly in self-mockery. “I didn’t think things through before. I never thought it would bring you so many nasty rumors.” Liam shook his head. “Chloe, you don’t need to apologize.” He frowned, seemingly struggling internally. Two seconds later, he turned his head away. “You weren’t the only one with selfish motives. A month ago, my grandmother, who I depend on for survival, was critically ill. I desperately needed that money to save her life. “And also, I really do… for you…” His tone was more candid and relieved than ever before, carrying a trace of gentleness. Hm? I pricked up my ears, waiting for the rest. But there was no more. Liam suddenly strode toward the TV. “Chloe! Come here, quick!” I approached curiously and leaned in. Liam pointed at an object the size of a thumb. “It’s a micro-camera. Why is this in your bedroom?” He looked at me as he spoke. The next second, he pulled my frozen, trembling body into his arms. “Don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid. I’m here.” Buried in Liam’s chest, my body shook slightly. I closed my eyes, my mind full of the text that appeared the moment Liam pointed at the camera: [Oh boy, the countdown to the thrilling imprisonment plot officially begins!] [Our cute little Chloe probably doesn’t even know her adopted brother is the male lead yet. Because of his unrequited love, he’s rushing over with his ‘tools’ right now!] [Poor baby. I really don’t want to see a trash man abuse the female lead.] I understood every word written there, but strung together, it was unbelievable. My adopted brother, Arthur, was always gentle and refined, highly valued by our parents. It was hard to imagine him liking me, let alone wanting to imprison me. But remembering the look in his eyes when we were alone… Belatedly, goosebumps covered my entire body. “Liam, will you still protect me?” I grabbed the hem of Liam’s shirt, my voice muffled. He would definitely say no, right?

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For five years, I was deep undercover within an enemy intelligence network. When my cover was blown, I did the unthinkable to survive: I betrayed the man I loved, Arthur Vance. He managed to escape the ensuing ambush by the skin of his teeth, dragging a mangled, ruined leg behind him. When he was awarded the Medal of Honor, Arthur hobbled up to the podium on crutches. The commander asked him if he had any final requests the agency could fulfill for him. His eyes were as cold as a frozen lake. His thin, hard lips parted to say: “Bring Chloe back.” “And execute her.” Consequently, the agency raided the entire enemy compound but found no trace of me. All they found was a single VHS tape, left specifically for Arthur. 1. When Arthur received the tape, he scoffed with pure disgust. “This is just evidence of her crimes.” “She will be nailed to the pillar of shame in history.” His eyes were dark and cold, the cynical twist of his lips oozing profound mockery. His aide, pushing Arthur’s wheelchair through the park, spoke up cautiously. “General, aren’t you going to see what’s on it?” After receiving his Medal of Honor, Arthur had been promoted to General. His crippled leg had become a lifelong badge of honor. He let out another cold laugh. “Watch what?” “Watch how she sold out her country? How she wagged her tail and begged the enemy for mercy?” “I’m afraid it would dirty my eyes.” The aide choked on his words for a moment, remaining silent for a few seconds before bracing himself to speak again. “But… the envelope the tape was in specifically had your name on it.” “For Arthur Vance’s Eyes Only.” “This tape was meant for you.” Arthur paused. His narrow eyes squinted, a sharp, calculating light flashing across them. The enemy network hadn’t been completely eradicated; remnants were still out there. Perhaps there were clues hidden within the tape? “Hmph. Fine. I’ll see what kind of tricks they’re trying to pull.” “The main thing is, we still haven’t found Chloe.” “A despicable traitor like her… public outrage won’t be quelled until she’s dead.” He had to find Chloe, and then watch with his own eyes as she faced the ultimate punishment. 2. December 15, 1986, 3:10 PM. Chloe was stripped completely bare, shivering violently, her body covered in a horrifying mosaic of purple and blue bruises from the cold. A masked man in black stood nearby holding a bucket of freezing water. With a loud splash, he threw the water over Chloe’s shivering body. She jerked violently, her hanging hair freezing into icicles almost instantly. “Kill… just kill me!” She gritted her teeth, her lips purple as she growled weakly. But the masked man acted as if he hadn’t heard her, throwing bucket after bucket of freezing water over her. Until Chloe completely lost consciousness. Only then did a chilling, sinister voice ring out. “Drag her back. Don’t let her freeze to death.” A group of men then untied Chloe from the wooden post and dragged her away. The screen went black for a brief moment. Sitting in front of the screen, Arthur’s eyes were colder than the frost outside the window. “A sympathy play?” “Heh. This is just another one of their schemes.” “A traitor deserves every ounce of torture she gets.” Standing beside him, the aide pressed his lips together, his voice low. “General, should I keep playing it?” Arthur leaned back against the soft sofa, saying casually: “Play it.” “I want to see how long she can keep this act up.” 3. December 16, 1986, 3:10 PM. This time, the recording was in a dark, windowless room. Chloe was still completely exposed, her body now covered in overlapping whip marks. Her delicate, pale face had been ruined. The skin was split open, and blood continuously oozed from the deep gashes. “Are you going to talk?” It was that same sinister voice coming from off-camera. Chloe smirked, her eyes resolute, almost fearless. “Arthur has already wiped out your entire network.” “You guys are just grasshoppers at the end of autumn—you can’t jump anymore.” After saying that, she bared her teeth, letting out a series of wild, trembling laughs. “Keep hitting her.” As soon as the vicious command dropped, the whip struck Chloe’s body mercilessly again. She shuddered violently, biting down on her teeth so hard they looked like they might shatter. “We have already won!” “You… you all just… wait to die…” She refused to submit, even in the face of death, her beautiful almond eyes flashing with a sharp, ruthless light. Outside the screen, the aide was holding his breath, a look of deep pity crossing his face. “General, could Chloe have been framed…” He frowned as he spoke, his eyes no longer daring to look at Chloe’s slowly splitting flesh. Arthur shifted his gaze, giving the aide a look of pure disdain. “Just from this?” “You lack experience. You’re too naive.” “They’re trying to use my past relationship with Chloe to threaten me.” “Why would I ever feel sorry for a traitor?” 4. December 17, 1986, 3:10 PM. Chloe’s teeth were gone. Her soft pink lips parted to reveal nothing but bloody, raw gums. “Are you going to talk?” Still the same cold voice, not a trace of change from yesterday. Like a repetitive machine. Chloe’s head hung low. Blood mixed with saliva slowly dripped from her mouth. “I will never betray my country.” Her eyes were stubborn. Even without teeth, her pronunciation was incredibly clear. “Do you regret letting Arthur go?” That voice finally showed a hint of emotion. Chloe froze. The cold, hard look in her eyes finally softened into something warmer. “No. I don’t… regret it.” “He definitely hates me now. That’s okay. As long as he’s alive.” With that, she closed her eyes, two streams of clear tears rolling down her cheeks, washing away some of the blood on her face. The screen went dark again. The aide’s face was looking pale. “General, there must be more to this story.” Arthur frowned, but his sharp, falcon-like eyes remained utterly unfeeling. “She was undercover for five years before being discovered, after all.” “They wouldn’t just let her go.” “A fence-sitter like her… neither side would let her off easily.” As he spoke, a flash of contempt crossed his eyes. He leaned back against the sofa again, watching the tape. 5. December 18, 1986, 3:10 PM. Chloe was missing a hand. Blood was everywhere. Her face was as pale as a sheet of paper. “General!” The aide finally couldn’t hold back a gasp of horror. “They chopped off her hand!” His eyes turned red, and even his voice was trembling. As Arthur’s aide, he naturally knew the story of Arthur and Chloe. They grew up together, childhood sweethearts who were supposed to get married. Then, she received an urgent mission to go undercover, and vanished for five whole years. To everyone in their unit, Arthur and Chloe were the quintessential heroic, patriotic couple. He didn’t believe Arthur had absolutely no feelings left for her! On the sofa, Arthur’s hand resting on his knee tightened slightly. His knuckles turned white. A faint redness crept into the eyes staring at the screen. After a long while, he stretched his rigid body and let out a heavy breath. “It’s too fake.” “Where did they find this actress?” “Someone as terrified of dying as Chloe would have definitely given up all the agency’s secrets. Why would they chop off her hand?” “Ridiculous.” Despite his words, his gaze involuntarily drifted back to Chloe’s severed hand. The empty forearm ended abruptly. The blindingly red blood soaked through the gauze, dripping onto the floor, pooling into a mirror-like puddle. He frowned unconsciously, a dull ache throbbing somewhere deep in his chest. But quickly, the memory of her betraying him flashed in his mind, and that sliver of softness completely vanished. He exhaled, his eyes clearly conveying his thoughts: “Chloe, if you knew this was how it would end, why did you do it in the first place?” 6. December 19, 1986, 3:10 PM. Arthur finally believed that this tape was the enemy’s revenge against him. In the video, a naked man wearing a black hood climbed off Chloe. Then, another one climbed on. And it was still that same question: “Are you going to talk?” Chloe screamed in agony, biting down hard on the man’s ear. But without teeth, it caused him no pain. “Animals!” “I’m going to kill you all!” With a mouth full of blood, her screams cracked and broke. The hatred exploding in her eyes was like a raging fire, ready to burn the entire world to ash. Sitting on the sofa, Arthur violently tried to stand up, but his body tipped over, and he crashed onto the floor. “General!” The aide rushed over to help him. Arthur was shaking all over, his face even paler than Chloe’s. “It has to be fake! It’s fake!” “Chloe already surrendered! How could they still treat her like this?!” He gripped the aide’s sleeve tightly, tears pouring down his face. It felt like someone had violently seized his heart, suffocating him. He could only gasp desperately for air. The tape hadn’t stopped. Chloe’s screams continued. “Arthur! Save me!” “Save me!” “Arthur… waaah…” Her helpless cries were like a knife, slicing his heart apart piece by piece. He crawled all the way to the screen, his hands tightly shielding Chloe’s body, sobbing uncontrollably. “Chloe, where are you?! Where are you?!” “I forgive you! I forgive you! I’m coming to save you!” “Wait for me…” He pounded fiercely on the screen, hating himself for not being able to reach through it. No matter how much he screamed, those animals wouldn’t stop. Not until they had tortured Chloe half to death did they finally relent. And by then, Arthur had completely passed out in front of the screen. 7. When he woke up again, Arthur couldn’t bring himself to hate Chloe anymore. He would rather be betrayed by her a hundred times over if it meant she was alive and well. “Where is the tape?” He lay in the hospital bed, his voice hoarse as he spoke. The aide looked at him with heartbreaking pity, trying to dissuade him. “General, don’t watch it anymore.” “I think… Chloe must have perished.” “Today is already December 30th.” It had been over ten days. Chloe’s chances of survival were practically zero. Arthur’s chest clenched in pain, his eyes turning red. He tried desperately to hold back his tears, but they broke through anyway. “Show it to me.” He commanded, masochistically. “General…” The aide tried to protest again, but Arthur cut him off fiercely. “Show it to me!” “Chloe is definitely still alive!” His eyes were wide, filled with a stubborn, desperate obsession. The aide sighed and finally continued playing the tape for Arthur. 8. December 20, 1986, 3:10 PM. Covered in wounds, the light in Chloe’s eyes was completely gone. She was like a lifeless slab of meat, tied to the wooden post, entirely at their mercy. “Are you going to talk?” That voice sounded again. Chloe didn’t speak. Her shriveled, bloodstained lips moved, but in the end, no sound came out. “Suffering all this just so you don’t implicate Arthur… is it worth it?” “He escaped. He’s going to get promoted, get rich, and live a life of luxury.” “And you?” This was the classic interrogation tactic—using the soft approach when the hard approach failed. Arthur’s grip on the bedsheets tightened, his breathing stalling. In the video, Chloe’s eyes stared blankly at the ground, but the corners of her mouth twitched up into a relaxed smile. “If my cover was blown, how could Arthur possibly survive?” “It’s better that I play the villain, sever his attachments, and win him a sliver of a chance to live…” After saying that, she closed her eyes, tears mixing with blood as they rolled down her face. Lying in the bed, Arthur wept a river of tears. He raised his hand and slapped himself viciously across the face. “Arthur Vance! You bastard!” “Why were you so stupid?!” “Why didn’t you take Chloe with you?!” “The one who should be tortured is you! IT’S YOU!” Arthur sobbed until he passed out again. 9. In his dreams, Arthur returned to the time before they went undercover. On the training grounds of the military base, he was sweating profusely under the blazing sun. Under the large tree bordering the field, Chloe, her hair in two thick, shiny black braids, was fanning herself while holding a piece of watermelon, waiting for him. Whenever this happened, his comrades would always tease him. “Arthur, hurry up and get over there! Don’t make your little wife wait too long.” “Yeah, the sun is so hot, what if she gets a sunburn?” “You’d be heartbroken.” They threw comments back and forth, and Arthur felt an incredible sweetness in his heart. He could always catch the hints of envy in his comrades’ words. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and grinned at them. “Stop joking around. When you guys settle down, you’ll have someone to care for you too!” His words brought a wave of laughter. “Look at him, he’s already treating her like his wife.” “Everyone on the base knows Arthur is going to marry Chloe eventually. It’s just a matter of time…” As they ran off, Arthur quickly sprinted toward Chloe. “Were you waiting long?” “You silly girl, it’s so hot. Why did you come out here?” Arthur wiped the sweat from Chloe’s forehead with an aching heart, then snatched the fan from her hand to fan her himself. Chloe’s eyes curved into a gentle smile, handing the watermelon to Arthur. “Arthur, you must be thirsty, right? Hurry and eat this, I just took it out of the fridge.” “It’s still cold.” She offered the watermelon to Arthur like it was the most precious treasure in the world. Arthur took it, snapped it cleanly in half, and handed one half back to Chloe. “Let’s eat it together.” Chloe took her half. They shared a smile, and before even taking a bite, the sweetness had already reached their hearts. That day, under the shade of the tree by the training field, they ate watermelon, laughed, and played, happy as if they had fallen into a jar of honey. But happy days are always fleeting. And dreams, eventually, must end. In his sleep, tears unconsciously fell from Arthur’s eyes. Oh, how he wished he could live in this dream forever, and never, ever wake up.

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My fiancé was incredibly busy; almost everything fell to his brother. From delivering contracts to proposing, from choosing our dream home to picking out a wedding dress, there was no sign of him, even three days before our engagement. His brother told me, “Ms. Harrington, my brother acts this way because he has a woman he loves but can’t have. The walls of his room are covered with her pictures, please don’t mind.” I minded very much. So, at the last minute, I swapped fiancés with his brother. He didn’t object, even happily saying he’d attend the engagement party. But on the day of the engagement, my fiancé was nowhere to be found. When I finally found him backstage, he was locked in a fierce brawl with a man who bore a striking resemblance to him. “You knew I’d been in love with her for years, why didn’t you tell me she was the one I was supposed to marry?” “Why should I tell you? I have just as many photos of her in my room as you do. Brother, you taught me: if you want something, you go after it yourself.” 1 “The contract… isn’t it with you?” I frowned at the young man in front of me. He was handsome, alright, but he didn’t seem very bright. “Uh… this is my own contract for later. Your marriage contract got… eaten by the driver on the way.” He stammered, and I looked at him suspiciously. A week ago, I’d added Liam Vaughn, my fiancé-to-be, on social media. It wasn’t until this morning that he sent his first message: [Been a bit swamped lately. My brother will be passing by your company this afternoon. I’ve asked him to drop off the contract. If it’s all good, just sign it and send it back with him.] I replied with a “Got it.” In the afternoon, sure enough, the front desk announced someone was here to deliver a contract. But the man who walked in had a rather nonchalant expression until our eyes met, and he suddenly sprang up from the sofa. Then, holding the contract, he claimed it was lost. “I’ll text your brother and ask him to send another copy.” I couldn’t help but feel a little annoyed. Was the Vaughn family trying to make a statement? We’d confirmed the arranged marriage a month ago, and I hadn’t even met the elder son. Now, the younger son couldn’t even deliver a contract without losing it. Were they trying to intimidate me? Frowning, I was about to text Liam Vaughn. I, Stella Harrington, wasn’t desperate for this marriage alliance. There was no need to make things so awkward. “No, wait!” The man hurriedly cut me off. “I’ll bring the contract tomorrow. Or, how about I treat you to dinner first, and I can tell you the contract details on my brother’s behalf?” I looked at his flushed ear tips, then at the watch on my wrist. I nodded, agreeing. While waiting for our food, he suddenly seemed to make a decision and began introducing himself. “My name is Ethan Vaughn, I’m 6’2”, weigh 162 lbs, I work out regularly, and I have abs…” I frowned, cutting him off. “Does this have anything to do with the contract?” His face flushed even redder, and he looked at me with a hint of grieVaughn. “It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with it, but you’ll be my sister-in-law soon, so I wanted to introduce myself…” I was speechless. Looking at his rather pitifully handsome face, that inexplicable annoyance suddenly vanished. “Alright, go on.” Ethan, however, fell silent. He just stared at me quietly, then suddenly spoke. “Ms. Harrington, did you… change your name?” I blinked. “No… Oh, yes.” If a stage name counted. He let out a long breath, then stopped chattering, and ate in silence. Though he wasn’t talking, his eyes remained fixed on me. I felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, so I focused all my attention on the food. Surprisingly, everything he ordered was what I loved. After dinner, he took out his phone. Thinking I’d have to add him eventually anyway, I didn’t refuse. But after I got home, I still messaged Liam Vaughn. [Didn’t receive the contract. Please send another one tomorrow.] It took a while for him to reply. [My brother told me. Apologies, he’s always so clumsy. He’ll resend a copy tomorrow.] I sighed, remembering Ethan’s intense gaze, and then Liam’s cold, unwilling-to-say-more attitude. I didn’t reply. 2 The next morning, I saw Ethan downstairs. He was holding a folder, leaning against the car window, looking as if he’d been waiting for a long time. When he saw me, his eyes lit up. “Ms. Harrington.” He walked over quickly, his steps a little rushed. “I’ve brought the contract.” I reached out to take it, but he put it behind his back again. “No rush. How about you accompany me to pick out the wedding rings first today?” I paused. “Is that what your brother wants too?” I was about to lose my temper, but Ethan’s tone was sincere. “Can’t be helped, he’s busy.” Thankfully, Ethan was quite humorous and handsome. He chattered away with me on the drive, lifting my mood considerably. He took me to a high-end design store, which surprised me. I knew the place; my friend had her wedding ring custom-made there. But the lead time was very long, and for arranged marriages like ours, it was usually just a formality. “Ms. Harrington, how long the lead time is depends on how much money is put down.” Ethan was serious. “I can get you your desired ring within three days.” When it came to measuring the size, before I could figure out how to get Liam Vaughn’s size, Ethan had already extended his hand. I stared, dumbfounded. He grinned at me, showing his teeth. “Ms. Harrington, my brother and I have very similar builds. If it fits me, it’ll definitely fit him.” Suppressing a strange feeling in my heart, I twitched my lips. What a good brother, taking care of everything, and seemingly happy about it. The store assistant hadn’t quite heard what we said and looked at me enviously. “Your boyfriend is so good to you. He’s handsome and rich. Our boss usually doesn’t take urgent orders. How much did he pay to cut the line like this…?” Another assistant chimed in. “The lady is also beautiful, like that celebrity I used to watch on TV. A handsome man and a beautiful woman. Your boyfriend’s eyes are practically glued to you.” No one dislikes compliments. My face flushed, and I instinctively wanted to explain. “No, he…” Before I could speak, Ethan leaned in. “Thank you, we’ll pick up the rings in three days.” An unfamiliar scent enveloped me. Ethan stood behind me, one hand casually resting on the counter. Although he maintained a respectable distance, I could smell the faint scent of cedar mixed with soap on him. Behind the assistant in front of me was a mirror. At first glance, he seemed to be half-embracing me, truly like a couple deeply in love. Watching the intense gaze of the man in the mirror as he looked down at me, my heart suddenly skipped a beat. Before I could turn around, he sat up straight. “Let’s go.” After choosing the rings, I brought up signing the contract again. But the moment it was opened, my gaze froze. Ethan Vaughn… I frowned, looking up at him. “Why isn’t it Liam Vaughn’s name?” Ethan blinked, then leaned in to look, his cool, fragrant scent growing stronger. The distance was so close I could even see the tiny hairs on his face. “Oh dear, I messed up again.” I almost suspected he was doing it on purpose. He frowned, annoyedly rubbing his head. “I’m so clumsy, I messed this up too. Ms. Harrington, you’re not angry, are you?” A hint of manipulation. I looked at his tightly pressed lips and pitiful expression, and all my anger instantly vanished. “Never mind. I’ll just sort it out with your brother later.” But he shook his head. “My brother is too busy. You can sign the contract when you meet him later.” I nodded. “That’s the only way.” He added, “But my brother won’t have time recently. He even gets annoyed when I text him. Ms. Harrington, you should wait until he contacts you about it.” I choked, feeling that something wasn’t quite right. But looking at his sincere eyes, I couldn’t put my finger on it. “Alright, I understand.” Seeing me agree, Ethan’s lips curved slightly. “Then I’ll bring you to pick up the rings in three days. See if they fit?” What else could I say? I could only nod in agreement. Three days quickly passed. Apart from Ethan sharing a bunch of useless daily updates with me, Liam Vaughn’s social media was dead silent. 3 I was used to it. It was an arranged marriage, after all. In our circle, it was tacitly understood to be just a nominal connection, binding the interests of the two families. There really wasn’t much to talk about with a stranger. It was Ethan, on the other hand, who made me wonder if he was interested in me. Every day, it was “Good morning, Ms. Harrington,” “Good night, Ms. Harrington.” After breakfast, I stepped out, and sure enough, saw Ethan’s handsome face. “I’ve brought the rings.” He pulled me towards the car. A strange feeling settled in my heart, looking at his intimate, eager expression. The car door opened, revealing a flurry of flowers and balloons, and I froze completely. Ethan took the ring from the passenger seat, knelt on one knee, his eyes sparkling. “Ms. Stella Harrington, will you marry me?” My mind didn’t process it at first. “What?” A flicker of guilt crossed Ethan’s eyes. “Come on, Ms. Harrington, an arranged marriage needs some ceremony too, how can we not have a proposal?” Without another word, he took my hand and tried to put the ring on. I stared, dumbfounded, as he fumbled three times, his fingers trembling, unable to get it on. Sweat began to bead on Ethan’s forehead. “Did your brother ask you to do this too?” Seeing him so nervous, I actually felt like laughing. Ethan was silent for two seconds, then squeezed the ring as if deflating. “No, he didn’t say anything. I just wanted to make it up to you myself.” “How can a girl get married without even a proposal?” I hummed, then took the ring myself and slipped it on. Ethan’s eyes shone as he watched me. Then, he put the men’s ring on his own finger. Faced with my confused gaze, he said, “I’m just trying it on to see if it fits. I’ll give it back to my brother when we get home.” However, he dragged me around shopping all day, paying for everything, and that ring remained firmly on his finger. That night, after much thought, I still messaged Liam Vaughn. [Did you receive the ring?] Liam Vaughn replied quickly. [Yes, I got it.] I let out a sigh of relief. It seemed I was overthinking things. But over the next month, Ethan almost single-handedly managed everything. He appeared at my door every day. Picking out our future home, planning the engagement party details, he even found the officiant for the engagement ceremony. The officiant smiled, eyes crinkling. “I’ve never seen such a meticulous groom. You’re truly blessed.” I twitched my lips, watching Ethan bustle about, but said nothing. The date grew closer, but I still hadn’t met the legendary fiancé. Almost everyone assumed my fiancé was Ethan. Who would have thought that my actual fiancé and I still hadn’t met? Even our messages hadn’t gone beyond my last query about the ring. Until three days before the engagement party, I finally texted him, feeling a bit exasperated. “We at least need to take the engagement photo for the poster, right?” Even the wedding dress, Ethan had accompanied me to try on. When he paid, a crowd of sales associates surrounded me, praising me like a blooming flower. But I couldn’t feel happy. I knew that in an arranged marriage, neither party needed to feel genuine affection. But such a cold, dismissive attitude still irritated me. This time, Liam Vaughn replied quickly. [Apologies, I truly forgot due to being busy recently. See you tomorrow.] 4 I sighed, tossing my phone aside and rubbing my temples. Ethan’s messages kept popping up. [Sister, I found a stray cat at the villa entrance. Its eyes are round, and it reminds me so much of you.] [Typo, it looks so much like you.] The strangeness in my heart grew, and I didn’t reply. Recently, Ethan had become increasingly clingy. That peculiar feeling was as if we were the young couple about to get married. I decided to keep my distance from him. Even if it was an arranged marriage, with Liam’s attitude, it would likely be like most arranged marriages in our circle after the wedding—we’d each do our own thing. But I didn’t want to mess with his brother. The next day, I quickly got ready and went to the bridal shop. On the way, I thought about the envious looks of the sales associates when I tried on dresses, and their expressions when they looked at Ethan. A mischievous anticipation grew in me. I wondered what their faces would look like when they saw that the person coming for the engagement photoshoot wasn’t the same one who accompanied me to pick out the wedding dress. I sat in front of the bridal shop’s floor-to-ceiling window. Liam’s message still said he was on his way. [I’m here. Remember to bring the contract.] I texted him. He replied with “Got it.” But I waited and waited, and Liam Vaughn still didn’t appear. Just as I was growing extremely impatient, a Maybach slowly pulled up in the distance. Through the window, the man who had just gotten out of the car and I made eye contact. He got out of the car and walked towards me. 5 My phone chimed, but I didn’t open it. I just frowned, watching Ethan, who had already walked up to me. “Why are you here?” He chuckled. “I live nearby. Just came to see your engagement photos with my brother. How is it going, alright?” I didn’t speak. Ethan looked around, his surprise a little exaggerated. “How come he’s not here yet? Oh, perhaps my brother hasn’t been around this area for a long time and doesn’t know it’s rush hour now.” My mood soured even more. He sat down opposite me, unabashedly staring. “Ms. Harrington, my brother acts this way because he has a woman he loves but can’t have. The walls of his room are covered with her pictures, please don’t mind.” I froze. “What?” Ethan covered his mouth, looking a little apologetic. “Didn’t anyone tell you, Ms. Harrington?” I shot up from my seat. I could accept my fiancé having a sweetheart, but I couldn’t accept him being deeply in love with someone else, hiding everything, and still being with me. Moreover, I didn’t want my future marital home to be plastered with photos of another girl. I pulled out my phone. “Thank you for telling me this. I’ll make things clear with your brother. I do mind this. Let’s just call off this marriage.” My family wasn’t short of other potential alliances, and I had truly been at my wits’ end with Liam Vaughn’s attitude lately. Liam Vaughn’s message was still on my phone. [Apologies, Ms. Harrington, I left early but I’m still stuck in traffic. I’ll be there in about half an hour. Please wait a little longer.] I typed a reply. [No need. Don’t bother coming.] Someone gently pulled my wrist. Ethan’s dark eyes stared fixedly at me. “Ms. Harrington… no, Stella, the Vaughn family isn’t the only one who can marry into the Harrington family.” 6 I paused. Ethan’s voice seemed to possess a captivating charm. “Stella, I’m not inferior to Liam Vaughn in any aspect, and I’m also of marriageable age.” His words were almost an open declaration. I looked at him in silence. “You like me?” Although it was a question, I was certain. I wasn’t a fool, and I’d never lacked suitors since childhood. Ethan’s behavior these past few weeks had been unbelievably obvious. The man opposite me smiled. His smile was beautiful, his eyes crinkling, like a cunning little fox. “Yes, I do. If the marriage alliance were with me, the two families would still cooperate. Would that be alright?” My heart skipped a beat. After two seconds of silence, I nodded. “Let’s discuss it with both sets of parents.” Even if I didn’t marry into the Vaughn family, there would be the Davies or the Blackwood family. The next potential fiancé might be even worse than Liam Vaughn. In any case, a fiancé who was so handsome, liked me, and was so proactive… accepting him wouldn’t be a bad thing. Ethan’s breathing quickened slightly, and he took a sudden step closer. “Really?” I nodded, not missing the wild joy in his eyes. “I’ll tell my dad right away.” As he pulled out his phone to call, he reached into his pocket and pulled something out. Then, he put it on his own ring finger. I stared, dumbfounded. Wasn’t that the ring? Liam Vaughn had said Ethan had already given it to him? “Yes, my brother is truly insufferable. He still hasn’t taken Ms. Harrington seriously, and Ms. Harrington is too kind to complain.” “Dad, to appease the Harrington family’s anger, I’ve decided to sell myself to them.” “Don’t worry, Ms. Harrington has already agreed. I’ll behave myself.” My lips twitched. Looking at Ethan, who was seriously spouting nonsense, I felt like laughing. I also called my dad. The person for the arranged marriage wasn’t important to him; what mattered were the connections and benefits the Vaughn family could bring. He had no objections either. After hanging up, I saw a message from Liam Vaughn. [What does this mean? Apologies, Ms. Harrington, I apologize for being late, but marriage is not a child’s game. I hope you can understand, for the sake of our families’ cooperation.] [I will make it up to you later. I’ll be there in ten minutes.] Ethan took my phone, strutting like a proud rooster, and pressed the voice message button. “Brother, you don’t need to come. The family alliance hasn’t ended. Ms. Harrington decided to switch partners.” The phone rang, and for the first time, I heard Liam Vaughn’s voice. It carried a hint of anger. “Ethan, stop messing around. Give the phone back to Ms. Harrington.” Before I could speak, Ethan eagerly explained. “Seriously, we’ve already gone in for the wedding photoshoot. Don’t bother coming. That’s how it is.” He hung up. Then, he suddenly buried his head in the crook of my neck. I was startled. Ethan shivered, giggling. He was like a cat who’d stolen a fish, so happy he was practically bouncing. I stopped trying to push him away, letting him nuzzle me. Emotions can be contagious, and I started to feel a little happy too. After all, compared to the always distant Liam Vaughn, whom I’d never even met, I preferred this manipulative little puppy in front of me.

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I was a master in the art of seduction, a professional femme fatale. Now, I was a ‘green tea’ side character in a novel, destined to be cyberbullied to death. The Kingston University gossip forum was plastered with a photo of me and the male lead, Alexander. [Heard Alex has a crush on someone. Don’t tell me it’s her?] [Get ready to watch Cinderella marry into the Sterling family fortune, folks.] The girl fueling the speculation in the comments was my own roommate, Isabelle. She smiled sweetly at me. “You should totally just confess to him. It’s not like he has a girlfriend.” A line of text, visible only to me, scrolled past my vision: [The male lead doesn’t have a girlfriend, but he has a fiancée!] [The female lead is so kind! She knows the side character has a crush on the male lead, so she’s hiding her identity as his fiancée.] [Side character, stop dreaming. The male lead only has eyes for his roommate.] [As soon as this clown confesses tonight, the male lead will officially announce the female lead as his girl.] A slow smile spread across my lips. I logged into a new account and posted a selfie, careful to keep my face hidden. The caption read: [My best friend keeps pushing me to confess to her childhood sweetheart. What should I do?] 1. Since the photo was tagged with a Kingston University IP address, it quickly circulated among the student body. The comments started rolling in: [You into him?] [Damn, that figure. I’m in love. Is your friend playing matchmaker? Trying to keep the good stuff in the family?] [Is he hot?] I replied to each one. To the first: [A little.] To the second: [Maybe. She’s always pushing us together, dragging me to every event.] To the third: [He’s gorgeous. But our families… we’re not exactly in the same league.] The replies turned into a chorus of good-natured teasing. [We all got into Kingston, who cares about family background? Unless he’s someone like Alexander Sterling, then yeah, maybe you should worry a little.] [Worry about what? Go for it, girl! Even if you break up, you might walk away with a multi-million dollar breakup check.] I liked every single one of their comments. The invisible text feed in my mind went wild. [Does she really think a thirst trap will seduce the male lead? Dream on. He only follows Isabelle.] [This post is so ‘green tea.’ Thank God the male lead won’t see it, or he might misunderstand the female lead.] This text feed—this constant stream of commentary on my life—was actually quite useful. It gave me a ton of inside information. A sly grin touched my lips. I might not know the male lead’s account handle, but I knew my roommate Isabelle’s. I tapped into her profile and went straight to her ‘following’ list. She only followed 36 people. [LOL, is she seriously trying to find his account? Pathetic.] [Give it up. You’ll never find it.] I scanned the list, eliminating one by one, until my eyes landed on a profile with a single follower: ‘momo.’ It was the only account that followed Isabelle exclusively and had a local IP address that never changed. I hit ‘follow.’ The text feed exploded. [WHAT THE HELL! You devious witch!] [How did she find it?!] Alexander’s account was a ghost town. Besides a few close friends from his inner circle, no one knew ‘momo’ belonged to him. When a notification for a new follower popped up, he frowned slightly. A Cup of Green Tea? Who was that? Shrugging it off, he closed his phone, figuring it was just a misclick. The text feed was gloating. [The male lead didn’t even bother clicking on her profile.] [That little green tea bitch. Her username fits her perfectly.] [This story is a slow-burn romance between childhood friends. The male lead is a man of honor; once they’re married, he’ll be completely devoted to the female lead. The side character’s looks won’t matter.] [The female lead thinks the male lead is cold to her and doubts his love. But later, when she sees him brutally reject the beautiful side character’s confession, all her insecurities will vanish.] [The clownish side character is nothing but a litmus test for their love.] I glanced at my bank account. Before I’d been transported into this world, Isabelle had convinced me to buy a dress for $20,000. She’d insisted I needed a “battle robe” for my big confession, claiming no one in their circle would be caught dead in cheap, off-the-rack clothes. Driven by a desperate need to fit in, the original owner of this body had gritted her teeth and bought an absurdly tacky, out-of-season designer gown. Now my balance was zero, and my credit card was maxed out. I stared at the empty account, my expression cold, and without a moment’s hesitation, listed the dress for sale online. Rule number one of my playbook: Never spend a dime of your own money on a man. 2. Isabelle’s social media was a masterclass in cultivating the perfect heiress persona. Her posts painted a picture of a flawless fiancé: handsome, wildly rich, and utterly devoted. Whatever she wanted, he provided in a heartbeat. Because their engagement was a recent, private family arrangement, she never revealed their identities. Instead, she’d frequently reward her most enthusiastic “shipper” fans with gifts in the comments. Her sappy, romanticized stories about their relationship regularly racked up tens of thousands of likes. Her account hadn’t always been so popular. It blew up after she posted about the “engagement gift” from her fiancé—a penthouse in the city’s most exclusive high-rise. I left a comment under the post: [I’m living for this! Your fiancé is so good to you, sis. I wish I could land a guy like that. What’s his type?] Isabelle loved when her fans gushed over her relationship, but my comment made her frown. She replied: [He has very high standards. He prefers girls who are accomplished in the arts, and they have to be brilliant, of course. You have no idea how hard I had to work just to get him to notice me.] Then, she liked another comment just below mine. [The most important thing is being from the same world.] Her followers went crazy in the replies. [An heiress who gave up studying abroad to get into Kingston for love!] [The vibrant, beautiful socialite vs. the cool, aloof childhood sweetheart!] [He just had to turn around to see she was always there waiting for him.] [It all paid off! After the engagement, his attitude completely changed. He used to be so distant, but now he gives her anything she desires.] [Her man’s family is loaded, and he’s already starting his own company in college. What a go-getter. Meanwhile, I’m just trying to get through the semester.] As the only one who knew the real story, I knew their actual romance didn’t start until after my character was written out of the picture. Theirs was a “marriage of convenience turned true love” plot. Right now, Alexander was only being attentive because of their families’ arrangement. Tsk. These two were using the original girl as a pawn. 3. A smirk played on my lips as I uploaded a new video to my profile: me, playing the piano. A top-tier seductress had to be well-versed in the arts of the upper class. Piano, equestrianism—I’d mastered them all. I replied to Isabelle’s comment: [I have lots of talents! And I’m learning new things every day~ All for the guy I’m crushing on.] My comment reeked of “green tea” one-upmanship, and plenty of people clicked on my profile out of curiosity. They filled my replies with sarcastic comments: [What a coincidence, ‘A Cup of Green Tea’ is a Kingston beauty too.] [I bet she just tagged the university IP. Show us your student ID if it’s real.] I ignored them. It didn’t take long for actual Kingston students to recognize the background of my first selfie as a campus dorm. The most-liked post on my page was still the faceless selfie with the caption: [So conflicted. My friend keeps pushing me to confess to her childhood sweetheart. What should I do?] Isabelle would never connect me to her timid, gullible little roommate. The original girl was utterly talentless. Not long ago, Isabelle had dragged her to a birthday party and pushed her to play the piano to get Alexander’s attention. The poor girl had stumbled through a cringey rendition of “Happy Birthday,” earning snickers from Isabelle’s friends until Alexander had stepped in to save her from further embarrassment. That was the moment the original girl had fallen for him. She had no idea her own roommate was his fiancée and, goaded by Isabelle, was about to walk into the most humiliating confession of all time. Alexander would announce his engagement on the spot, leaving her a laughingstock in front of the entire school. Afterward, the female lead, Isabelle, would write a viral post about her “insecure” but “beautiful” roommate, framing it as a tragic tale of unrequited love. This would paint the original girl as a scheming, social-climbing witch, and the resulting wave of cyberbullying would drive her to her death. The text feed flickered: [This side character is so manipulative. Is she just trying to get attention?] [It doesn’t matter. After Alex rejects her tonight, she won’t be a problem anymore.] Isabelle was about to message Alex when she noticed his follower count had ticked up by one. Suppressing a surge of irritation, she clicked on my profile. As she scrolled through my posts, a flicker of annoyance crossed her face. The silhouette in the photos felt disturbingly familiar. And my strategy for building a following was almost identical to hers: a mix of showcasing talents and vague posts about a secret crush. She knew Alex’s private account was a closely guarded secret, shared only with a few of their friends—a fact she’d flaunted in their group chat. She figured I must be some other heiress who’d caught wind of it. So, she went directly to my photo and tagged Alexander. [@momo, nice body. Your type?] Alex’s gaze lingered on the screen for a second, the photo flashing past his eyes. “Boring…” he typed back. Isabelle saw his reply and laughed out loud, quickly sharing the exchange with their circle as a joke. The text feed lit up: [LMAO, he saw her carefully curated photo and just replied ‘boring.’] [All that effort for nothing. So pathetic.] [She’s just a clown. Without her confession, Alex probably wouldn’t have even agreed to make his engagement to Isabelle public.] [He’s still secretly developing his game, ‘Mythic Realms,’ behind his family’s back. It’s in beta right now, and he doesn’t want any drama.] [They’ll fall in love after they’re married~ The male lead isn’t frigid at all. Once they’re together, he’ll drive the female lead crazy in bed.] [His family is super old-fashioned. They hate that he’s into gaming. His childhood sweetheart will be the only one who understands him.] [His game will become a massive hit, a national sensation. The first streamers who played it will make tens of millions.] I absorbed the information from the feed. A few days ago, I had already applied for the closed beta of Mythic Realms. Isabelle didn’t even know the game existed yet. This was the perfect way in. 4. I chose my in-game ID: A Cup of Green Tea. A smirk touched my lips as I multitasked, sending a message to Alex while grinding levels in the game. According to the novel, the male side character, Noah, was also in this beta. He was Alex’s roommate and ran in the same circles. He was the one who, after reading Isabelle’s sob story, had been the most vicious online, convinced the original girl was a homewrecker. Stupid, reckless, and self-righteous. The perfect tool. I spotted Noah, sent him a party invite, and then, at the very last second, kill-stole his mob. I switched on my mic and cooed, “Thanks, sweetie.” Noah’s hands fumbled on his keyboard, his triumphant grin freezing on his face. Meanwhile, Alex’s phone buzzed with a message from his best friend: [Dude, some chick in a voice changer just stole my kill! My server-first achievement is gone!] [I’m so pissed! This ‘A Cup of Green Tea’ is at the top of the leaderboard now! So shameless!] The text feed chimed in: [The side character’s tactics are so cheap! Who kill-steals like that?] [She’s obviously trying to get the male sidekick’s attention. Forget it, he only likes sweet, innocent girls.] After following Alex, I had sent him only one message: [Thanks for sticking up for me the other day, Alex~ Can I treat you to dinner tonight to say thank you?] Then, I posted a screen recording of my gameplay to my new social media account, making sure to tag #MythicRealms. The caption was simple: [This game feels incredible!] With its smooth gameplay, high-energy editing, and killer soundtrack, the video quickly gained traction. Alex saw the familiar ID and a flash of surprise crossed his face. He tapped on my profile picture. The first thing that autoplayed was my edited gameplay video, the thumbnail a triumphant shot of the kill-steal settlement screen over Noah’s character. The text feed buzzed: [LOL, he’s such a typical guy, only interested in the game.] [Suddenly I’m not worried anymore. He’s definitely not going to pay any extra attention to her.] [So what if she’s good at games? It won’t change anything.] As the video neared its end, he was caught off guard by a sultry, honey-sweet voice. “Thanks, sweetie.” The comments on the video exploded at that exact moment. Alex’s finger paused. He dragged the progress bar back a few seconds. And listened again. In the original story, he was a secret audiophile, a fact he only discovered in bed with the female lead. I had intentionally placed that voice clip at the end of the video. I was betting he’d watch the whole thing. The text feed was a stream of outrage— [What is this side character even doing, trying to sound so seductive!] Alex only allowed himself one more replay before closing the video, a model of restraint. On my profile, the only full-body picture was one of my back. The composition was perfect, showcasing an incredible figure without any obvious editing. He should have just exited the page. But his eyes lingered for a moment longer. Something about it felt familiar. He clicked on my newest video, a clip of me playing the piano, the fluid melody pouring from the speakers. The caption read: [If my confession fails tonight, I’m changing my username to ‘Lilith Wrecks Scumbags’.] He suddenly realized who I was. Isabelle had just messaged him. [Come to the dorm tonight. My little roommate has something to say to you.] Alex: [Lilith again? You haven’t told her about us?] Isabelle’s reply was vague: [A girlish crush is understandable. You can just turn her down privately.] He wracked his brain, trying to remember if he’d ever done anything to offend Lilith. The only memory that surfaced was the clumsy birthday song she’d played. In his mind, Lilith was just a pretty face who stammered whenever he was near. Online, however, she was a completely different person. By all accounts, he should have refused to meet me for dinner. And yet, he hesitated. First, he left a comment under my piano video: [You just started learning? You’re improving fast.] The text feed went into a frenzy. [??? Why is the male lead even talking to her?] [She’s such a fake! The female lead has been playing piano since she was a child. The side character is nothing in comparison!] I replied with a cute emoji, lying without a hint of shame: [Yep, I’m a quick study. My teacher says I’m a natural!] [I pick up everything super fast!] Alex’s gaze fell on the word ‘scumbags’ in my caption. His fingers hovered for a moment before he switched to our private chat and sent a reply. [I’ll pick you up at five.] Isabelle had told him to come at eight. He figured a quiet, early rejection would be more considerate. He refused to believe that the fleeting ripple of interest he felt would ever make him betray his fiancée. The male lead of the novel was a man of principle. Tonight’s confession was doomed to fail. All I needed to do was shift my position from ‘other woman’ to ‘innocent victim.’ I smirked and replied with another cute emoji: [Okay! (´｡• ᵕ •｡`)] Then I sent another message. [Can we not go somewhere too expensive?] [kitten_begging.gif] Alex raised an eyebrow. I sent him a screenshot, my tone pitiful. [My roommate said I had to buy a nice dress, and now I’m broke.] The screenshot showed Isabelle’s enthusiastic recommendation for a ridiculously overpriced dress, along with my payment confirmation for $20,000. Alex stared at the photo of the gaudy red gown and fell silent. Less than three seconds later, he replied. [Send me your account number.] I didn’t play coy. I sent it immediately. A moment later, a deposit of $30,000 hit my account. A triumphant smile graced my lips. The text feed erupted. [Not just a manipulative green tea, but a gold digger too!] [It’s his fiancée’s fault, so it’s only right for him to clean up the mess! It’s definitely not because he’s interested in the side character!] [She already sold the dress! And she’s still lying to him about it! What a bitch!] Meanwhile, Isabelle was busy replying to her followers, who were all dying to know what her mysterious fiancé was really like. She replied to a fan in her comments, [He’s not a fan of the spotlight, but I can try to find some pictures of us when we were kids.] That comment instantly shot to the top. Mine was right below it. The text feed was ecstatic: [Childhood sweethearts for the win!] I scoffed. If they were truly in love after knowing each other for ten years, they would’ve been together long ago. Isabelle wouldn’t need to resort to these games. Normally, a man who was already taken wouldn’t be on my radar. But since they had dragged me into their mess, all bets were off. 5. It was the first day of the closed beta, and not many players had spent real money yet. When Alex logged in, he saw a familiar name shoot up the top-spenders list. ID: A Cup of Green Tea. Sitting pretty at number two. Number one was Noah. Which pushed him down to number three. He remembered Lilith’s pathetic plea about being broke and felt a muscle in his jaw twitch. He knew her family background; there was no way she could afford to spend like this. It was one thing for her to play the game because she liked him, but it was another to watch her get sucked into reckless spending. The text feed was filled with comments calling me a spendthrift. Just then, Alex’s phone buzzed with a message from me. [I’m here.] 6. Alex had been waiting for a few minutes. His striking looks were already drawing scattered glances from passersby. When he saw me, he froze for a second. I had chosen a simple, form-fitting dress, my makeup understated with a nude lipstick. A soft breeze swept a strand of hair across my face. I closed the distance between us. “Sorry to keep you waiting.” A faint, alluring scent drifted from me. The male lead had a weakness for peaches, so I’d chosen a delicate peach-scented perfume. A simple anchor. From now on, every time he ate a peach, he would think of me. Alex’s gaze settled on my face again, lingering for a beat too long. His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Get in,” he said, his voice a shade deeper than usual. He took me to an exclusive private restaurant, the kind of place I couldn’t afford on my own. But I knew a man like him would never let a woman pay. I accepted the menu and ordered without hesitation. When the food arrived, his eyes widened slightly—I had ordered all of his favorite dishes. “Looks like my wallet is only good for one dinner with you,” I said shyly. He shot me a look. “Spend your money wisely. A few less in-game purchases and you could afford to eat.” So blunt. I met his gaze, cutting straight to the point. “How did you know I was spending money in the game? Do you play Mythic Realms too?” Alex gave a clipped, “Mm.” The conversation flowed easily after that. Most of the dinner was spent talking about the game. I guided the conversation, and he chimed in readily. The man across from me was relaxed, his features softened, clearly in a good mood. I didn’t rush a confession. I just chatted, subtly closing the distance between us. From the game’s soundtrack to our favorite music. From the game’s lore to our favorite books. It was uncanny; no matter what he brought up, I could keep the conversation going. He was noticeably more talkative. [How does the side character know so much about everything?] [He’s talking way more than usual today. It’s like he’s trying to test her, to figure out her limits.] A man’s curiosity and admiration for a woman are a dangerous combination. I shot him a fleeting glance. In my previous life, I was eight years older than him. If he thought he could figure me out so easily, he was sorely mistaken. It was only when the conversation turned to various musical instruments that I simply smiled and nodded. He looked puzzled when I didn’t respond. I looked at him, my expression a mixture of helplessness and peace. “These are a bit beyond me,” I said, lying smoothly. “My family couldn’t afford lessons for things like that. I only just started learning the piano.” Just as a look of apology crossed his face, I chimed in with a sweet, admiring tone, “But you know so much. You’re incredible.” The tips of his ears turned red. I watched him quietly. At his age, Alexander was no stranger to eager, young admirers. He’d seen them all. But I had no interest in playing the part of the lovelorn girl in the inferior position. I preferred to be in control. He was so engrossed in our conversation that he’d let his guard down. So when I stood up and moved closer, he didn’t even realize anything was wrong. His cool, clear eyes just watched me with a hint of confusion.

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