Chapter 1
The moment I succeeded in winning over the brooding male lead, I chose to exit the world.
I didn’t hesitate for a second, not even when he begged me, broken and humbled, to stay.
Later, back in the real world, my life fell apart.
The System found me again. It offered me five million dollars to go back into the book and win him over one more time.
Just as I was about to agree, a stream of comments flashed across my vision:
“Holy crap, the ex who ditched Aidan is back.”
“LOL, does she seriously think he’s still in love with her?”
“The second ‘Tasker‘ not only got his Darkness Value down to negative one hundred, but she also chose to stay, giving him the fam-
ily he always wanted.”
“The happy couple is about to get married. Can the ex–wife please have some self–respect and not bother them?”
1
It took me a long moment to process it.
The “ex–wife” they were talking about… was me.
Beside me, the System was still buzzing in my ear, trying to sell me on the deal. “All you have to do is make Aidan Sterling fall for
you again, and you’ll get five million dollars. Even if you fail, you’ll get fifty thousand for your trouble. How about it? It’s a bargain,
right?”
It was a bargain.
And right now, I desperately needed the money.
But the comments echoed in my head.
I stayed silent for a moment, then said I needed to think about it.
So, the System decided to send me back into the book first. To be precise, it sent me back to the home Aidan and I once shared.
The tiny apartment, old but filled with a familiar warmth, was exactly as I’d left it three years ago. Aidan hadn’t moved a single
thing. Even the dress I’d accidentally stained just before I left was now hanging in the closet, clean and pristine, as if waiting for
- me.
I remembered that dress. It was from a famous designer, all the rage at the time. When Aidan had secretly bought it for me, I’d
chewed him out for spending so much money. He didn’t argue, just lowered his gaze, his long lashes shadowing his cheeks, and
waited for my anger to fade. Then, he’d coaxed me, in that soft, gentle voice of his, to try it on.
I looked down, the silky fabric cool against my fingers. I took a deep breath.
If Aidan had truly forgotten me… then why was this apartment still here?
I looked up again, my eyes scanning the small room. My gaze was suddenly caught by a white piece of paper taped to the window.
A few large, scrawled words were visible through the glass.
FOR SALE. PRICE NEGOTIABLE. URGENT.
The sharp, decisive strokes were unmistakably Aidan’s.
2
4
20.43 CO
A fresh wave of tiny text flooded my vision.
“Hahaha, look at her face. The ex–wife is stunned. He wasn’t holding onto their past; he just hadn’t gotten around to selling the
place.”
“She really thought he still loved her like before. Plot twist: now that he has our sweet Sophie, he won’t even give his ex a second
glance.
The only reason the System brought her back is to create some drama for Aidan and Sophie. Get ready for some prime humiliati-
on, folks.”
I pressed my lips together.
So that was it.
The System was willing to offer five million because it was certain I would fail. Its real goal was to cast me as the villain, the obst-
acle in the main couple’s love story.
He was getting my labor for a mere fifty thousand dollars.
Fifty thousand.
I laughed, a bitter, self–mocking sound. To play the fool for fifty grand…. it wasn’t a small amount. It was enough to cover a week of
treatment in the ICU.
I summoned the System and coolly accepted the deal.
The System was thrilled. It deposited a large sum of money into my account for expenses, though it could only be used within the
book’s world.
Since Aidan was so eager to sell this place, I might as well be the one to buy it.
I clutched my phone, my fingers dialing a number I knew by heart. It rang for half a minute before someone picked up.
A bright, clear female voice came through the line. “Hello? Who is this…?”
I froze for a second, then glanced down to confirm the number. It was definitely Aidan’s.
“Hi, I was passing by and saw the ‘For Sale‘ sign in the window…”
“You want to buy the apartment?” the person on the other end exclaimed, her voice bubbling with excitement. “That’s wonderful! Finally, someone wants it.”
I asked cautiously, “Are you the owner?”
“I’m the owner’s girlfriend. You can just call me Sophie.”
So, this was the second Tasker.
As my mind went blank, a brief murmur of voices came from the other end of the line, like two people whispering. It felt like an eternity passed before someone picked up the phone again.
Aidan’s cold, detached voice came through, sharp and clear. “Hello. Is it convenient to meet and discuss this in person?”
3
I waited in the coffee shop, a bundle of nerves.
Finally, a sleek, understated luxury car pulled up to the curb. A picture–perfect couple stepped out.
I badn’t seen Aidan in three years, but he was just as striking as ever. The last traces of youthful uncertainty in his features had
Chapte
been replaced by the quiet confidence that comes with power and wealth. He leaned casually against the car door. Sophie said something that made him smile, and he reached out to gently ruffle her hair.
From across the distance, his gaze drifted in my direction. It rested on me for a fraction of a second before moving on, as placid and undisturbed as a still lake.
I was still lost in a daze when Sophie sat down in front of me.
She offered me an apologetic smile. “My boyfriend had to run, he could only drop me off. I’ll be handling the details in his place.”
I nodded, my voice genuine. “I can tell you two are very happy together.”
Sophie’s smile deepened. “He runs a tech company. The net profit is in the nine–figure range every year. It’s not about the money from the apartment, you know? We just… don’t want to keep it around anymore.” Her tone was laced with a faint, unmissable sense of superiority.
I nodded again and, following procedure, asked to see the apartment.
Sophie paused, a flicker of awkwardness in her eyes. “I don’t have the keys. If you want to see it, my boyfriend will have to take you himself.”
I blinked, confused. “He didn’t give you the keys before you came?” Logically, any property sale involved a viewing. Aidan couldn’t possibly be unaware of that.
Sophie sighed, a hint of frustration in her smile. “I asked, but he wouldn’t give them to me. He’s never even taken me there.” She lowered her voice conspiratorially. “To be honest with you, this is the place he lived in with his ex–wife when he was just starting out. It just… gives me the creeps. That’s why I want it gone, and fast.”
“Oh,” I said. “In that case, I don’t need to see it. We can just sign the contract.”
Sophie’s face lit up. Afraid I’d change my mind, she immediately pulled out the sales agreement. But she didn’t have the deed, so we couldn’t transfer the title just yet. We’d still have to wait for Aidan.
With time to kill, I looked at this woman, a fellow Tasker, just like me.
My curiosity got the better of me. “How did you and he get together?” What I really wanted to know was how she had managed to win him over. The System had told me that after I left, Aidan had briefly relapsed into a second darkness. He’d attempted suicide, slit his wrists… his Darkness Value had skyrocketed to a level that threatened the stability of the entire world.
