I took two deep breaths , but the noise outside was still driving me crazy . I tried a different tactic . " Aren't you worried they'll disturb Erica ? " 1/0 09:08 Chapter 2 " Erica went to work this morning . " Great . So I was the only one being tormented . I hung up and stormed upstairs to change . If I couldn't fight them , I could at least flee . I used Hans's card to check into a five - star hotel and took a glorious afternoon nap . 09:08 Later that day , I got a text from my father . It was an ultimatum : come work at Hans's company , or all my credit cards would be cut off . I ignored it , happily swiping Hans's card instead . " I'm sorry , miss , but this card has been declined , " the smiling cashier informed me . Fuming , I called Hans again . " You froze the card ? " " Come to my office . I'll unfreeze it . " I gritted my teeth . " Hans , I'm a spoiled brat who knows nothing about business . What could I possibly do at your company ? " His disdain was palpable through the phone . " You think I expect you to actually do anything ? I just can't stand seeing you with so much free time on your hands . " 10 Hans was getting his revenge . My brazen attitude had finally pushed him too far . And I had to admit , for a villain , he knew exactly where to strike . In this world , no money meant no life . The only silver lining was that his affection level for me had crawled up to 40. At least I was officially more likable than a random dog now . At two o'clock sharp , I clicked my heels into Hans's office . He was in the middle of an international video conference and didn't have time for me . Instead , his assistant handed me a file . I flipped it open . Responsible for Mr. Thorne's daily meals and well - being . Includes coffee runs , lunch orders ... This wasn't a job . This was a nanny position . I snapped the folder shut just as Hans finished his meeting . He looked at me . " There's an auction tonight . You're coming with me . " I nodded , my face a blank mask . " When do I get my card back ?" " There's a three - day probationary period , " he said , steepling his fingers on the desk , his dark eyes fixed on me . " We'll talk about it after you pass . You've got to be kidding me . I wanted to strangle him . Gritting my teeth , I opened my banking app . Thankfully , I still had a few thousand dollars in my account . If I was care- ful , it could last me a month . Just then , a notification popped up on my phone . I tapped it . It was a voice message . " Hey beautiful , when are we finally going to meet ? " 11 I could feel the murderous intent radiating off the villain . Under his terrifying glare , I calmly switched off my phone screen , meeting his gaze without flinching . " So sorry about that , Mr. Thorne . Forgot to turn down the volume . " The new guys my friend had sent over were all such sweet - talkers . They called me " beautiful " and " angel , " and I was eating it up . I had planned to meet one of them tomorrow , but it looked like that would have to be postponed . Hans's eyes were practically daggers . His long fingers tightened around his pen , knuckles turning white . " Already found my replacement , have we ? " 2/9 09:08 Chapter 2 " Of course not . He's just a friend , " I said with a wave of my hand . 09.08 His expression grew even colder . " Right . I should call your father and congratulate him . I didn't know he had another son so late in life . As an elder , I should probably send a gift . " He actually picked up his phone to call my dad . " Wait ! " I yelped , stopping him . " Don't ! We can talk about this . " My father adored me , but he treated Hans like his own son , which was why he was so obsessed with me marrying him . If he found out I was texting other guys behind Hans's back , he'd probably fly home and scatter my ashes himself . " Delete him , " Hans commanded . " Fine . " It was no big deal . I still had two others . He rounded the desk and snatched my phone . As his long fingers scrolled through my chats , his face grew progressively darker . " Host , villain's kill - o - meter is at 100 ! " the System shrieked in my head . That high ? I glanced towards the door , wondering if I should make a run for it . " Oh , wait , never mind . It's not directed at you , " the System added . " He wants to murder Boy Toy Number One . " Oh . Well , that was fine then . 12 After the tragic loss of Boy Toy Number One , I reluctantly accompanied Hans to the auction . Given his status , we were seated in a private suite on the second floor . Directly across from us , in another suite , were the hero and heroine . I wasn't sure if they were doing it on purpose , but Leo had his arm wrapped possessively around Erica's waist , the perfect picture of a doting couple . I idly popped grapes into my mouth , enjoying the show as Hans's face shifted from pale to green to black . " Hurts , doesn't it ? " I said , crossing my legs nonchalantly . " See , that's what a real boyfriend looks like . All your gifts and grand gestures just make you look like the backup plan . " System : " Warning ! Villain's affection level has decreased by 1. " I ignored it and continued , " Hans , I don't think you have a chance . This obsession is just going to drive you crazy . " System : " Warning ! Warning ! Villain's affection level has decreased by 5 ! " So annoying . " Turn off the affection level notifications , " I told the System . After a moment of silence , it confirmed , " Affection level notifications have been disabled . " " You know , Hans- " My words were cut short . A hand , smelling faintly of mint , brushed past my cheek . A moment later , a grape was slipped between my lips . Hans looked at me with disgust . " Can't even food shut you up ? " I swallowed the grape and finally fell silent . But it was as if he'd developed a new addiction . He kept feeding me , one grape after another . Jesus Christ , I never knew this masochist had a feeding fetish . My mouth was nearly full when I glanced across the room . Erica was nestled in Leo's arms , eating grapes he had peeled for her . Son of a bitch . I was just a prop . 09:08 Chapter 2 13 Hans won the bid for a necklace . 09.08 It was supposedly once worn by the queen of some European country . He and Leo had gone head - to - head for it , driving the price from twenty million all the way up to a hundred million . I wasn't surprised . Erica had mentioned admiring the necklace earlier . The two men were just trying to outdo each other to win her favor . After the auction , Hans drove me home . As I saw Erica getting into a car behind us , a thought struck me . " Hey System , what's Hans's affection level for Erica ? " " Beep ... crrrk ... " The System's voice sounded strange , staticky . " System ? You okay ? " After a long pause , it finally answered . " The villain's affection level for the heroine is ... 30. " 14 I thought I'd misheard . I made it ask again , and again , but the answer was the same . " Host , I think ... maybe the villain doesn't actually like the heroine ! " the System said , its confidence suddenly restored . I rolled my eyes . " You're the one who told me the villain was in love with the heroine . Now you're saying he's not ? You know , System , for all my failures , you deserve most of the credit . " The System sounded uncertain again . " I find it strange too . How could it only be 30 ... " I ignored it , convinced it was just malfunctioning . The moment this mission was over , I was putting in a request to have it serviced . When Hans dropped me off , he followed me inside . It looked like he was planning to stay the night . I didn't mind . After all , he'd paid for the place . He walked me to my bedroom door and handed me the box from the auction . " What , you want me to deliver your gift for you ? " I snapped . There was a limit to how much of a prop I was willing to be . He gave me a look of pure disgust . " It's for you . " E ? " He didn't explain . " You can have the morning off tomorrow . We're leaving for a business trip in the afternoon . " With that , he turned and left . I stood there , holding the hundred - million - dollar necklace , watching his retreating back . " System , " I whispered , " do you think ... he's starting to like me ? " Giving a girl a necklace like this had to mean something , right ? The Systern was ecstatic . " Definitely ! The villain is totally falling for you ! " The thought kept me up all night . It was an unexpected victory after I'd completely given up . I decided then and there . It was time to get back in the game . 15 Okay , game over . I'm out again . The moment I came downstairs this morning , I saw her . The heroine , Erica Meadows , sitting in my living room . She and Hans were chatting and laughing , having a wonderful time . And while Hans's expression was still cool , the easy way he responded to her ... that was not the behavior of a man with an affection level of 30 . 4/9 09:08 Chapter 2 446 09.08 I roared at the System , " Check it again ! What is his affection level for her , right now ! " The System jumped , startled by my tone . It whispered back , " Eighty . " I knew it ! This useless piece of junk ! No wonder he gave me the necklace last night . He wanted to trade it for my condo so he could be closer to her . The classic " close to the wat er , first to see the moon " strategy . I was going back to my checked - out life . After a brief hello , I left the condo , graciously giving them their space . Then , I immediately texted Boy Toy Number Two to set up a date . My friend replied , " For real ? What about your fiancé ? " I texted back , " My fiancé is dead to me . From now on , call me Queen Diana . " Boy Toy Number Two was handsome , with a sweet , boyish personality , but his eight - pack abs were the real deal . My eyes practically popped out of my head . I couldn't stop myself from reaching out and taking his hand . This was the life . Who cared about missions and villains ? " Warning ! Warning ! Level one alert ! Hostile entity approaching ! " the System blared . " Who is it now ? " I grumbled . System : " Your fiancé . The one you just declared dead . " 16 I was dragged home by Hans . He shoved me onto the sofa and loomed over me . " Diana . Care to explain ? " I smoothed my disheveled hair and met his fiery gaze calmly . " He's my next prospect . " Hans seemed taken aback by my honesty . He clenched his jaw , his grip on my arm tightening . " You want to break the engagement ? " " Look , you don't want to marry me anyway . What's the point of dragging this out ? " I sighed heavily , patting his shoulder with my free hand . " Mr. Thorne , it's not that I didn't try . You're just not into me . Am I supposed to waste my whole life on you ? " I was truly done . When this was all over , I would just accept the penalty . Hans's lips thinned . After a long moment , I heard him mutter , " Maybe if we just tried a little longer ... " I didn't catch the rest . He let me go , his cold mask snapping back into place . " Have you considered the consequences of breaking our engagement ? " I actually gave it some thought . " Becoming single and starting my fabulous life over ? " I asked hopefully . He looked like he wanted to eat me alive . His face was a mask of fury . " Starting your life over ? Diana , you wish . " See ? I've always been an optimist . Perhaps he'd gotten so angry he'd looped back to calm . He looked at me coolly . " Fine . You want to end the engagement , you can . Over the past three years , you've spent roughly two hundred million of my money . I'm not in the habit of financing another man's wife . I'll round it down for you . Two hundred million . " My smile froze on my face . Two hundred million ... There was no way I could come up with that on my own . And if my father found out it was a breakup fee , he wouldn't give me a dime . He'd probably fly back from overseas just to kill me . I quickly changed my tune , pouring Hans a glass of water . " Why bring money into this ? It's so tacky . If you're not in a hurry to break up , Mr. Tho- rne , then neither am I. " 5/9 09:08 09:08 Chapter 2 He didn't take the glass , just looked down at me . " Don't even think about it again . " 17 Erica sought me out . After the " boy toy " incident , Hans had me on a tight leash . Erica had to catch me during my lunch break . " Let's get straight to it , " I said as soon as we sat down . " I only have an hour . " Erica looked surprised for a moment , then nodded , her expression serious . " We're in the same business . " Huh ? Seeing my confusion , she clarified . " The System . " At that moment , my own System finally reacted . " Ping ! Detecting presence of System Unit 17 ! " You useless piece of junk ! I've met the heroine multiple times , and you're only detecting her now ?! Wait a minute . A thought struck me . " The past seven times ... were you here too ?! " Erica nodded , offering a slightly embarrassed smile . " Sorry . I chose to pursue two targets simultaneously . I didn't know you existed . " I understood immediately . Mission success was based on completion percentage , but some transmigrators chose to tackle multiple targets at once . Work one job , get paid for several . Who wouldn't want that ? No wonder winning Hans over had been so difficult . The woman in front of me was clearly a higher - level player . Losing to her made sense . The real blame lay with the main System for putting two of us in the same world . " I can give up on Hans ... " Before Erica could finish , I held up a hand . " It's fine , don't worry about it . Your affection level with him is already at 80. You're almost there . " " But you'll be penalized , " she said , looking at me with concern . I waved it off . " It's just a few points . " Erica thought for a moment , then took my hand . " If I succeed , I'll give you the points from Hans's route . This was a system error anyway . I'll file a report and request compensation for you . " Damn . She really was the heroine . What a class act . A wide grin spread across my face , and I squeezed her hand back . " Just one question . " Erica : " What is it ? " " While you're at it , can you request to win me over too ? " 12 The heroine got to work . Every evening , I'd see Erica walking towards my condo , a box of homemade pastries in hand . I'd be lounging in my hammock on the balcony , which gave me a perfect view of the two of them chatting in my yard . My System , upon learning about the presence of its former master , System Unit 17 , had joined me in giving up . Apparently , 17 had been its mentor , but my System was so useless that it failed its evaluation for three years straight and was kicked out . And then , lucky me , I got stuck with it . " Sigh , " the Systern lamented . " Maybe in the next world , we should try for two targets ? " " I'm flattered you think so highly of me , " I said dryly I glanced down again , and my eyes met Hans's . His message was clear : Don't interfere . I calmly got up and went back inside . Fine by me . I was getting tired of watching their sickeningly sweet drama anyway . 6/9 09:08 Chapter 2 09.08 I took a shower . When I came out of the bathroom , there was an unexpected guest in my room . I was topless , my skin flushed and rosy from the hot water . An unnatural expression flickered across Hans's face . He quickly turned his back to me . I calmly wrapped a towel around myself . " Need something ? " " Have you been watching us this whole time? " he asked , still not facing me . He'd recently gotten a haircut , leaving his ears exposed . Under the lamplight , I could have sworn they were turning red . " Yep . Her pastries look delicious . You should save me some next time . " They always made my mouth water , but I didn't want to be a third wheel . I don't know what I said that set him off , but he abandoned all pretense of being a gentleman and spun around to glare at me . " And you're not even jealous ? " 19 Hans looked furious . Because I wasn't jealous ? I thought for a moment , then put on a sad expression . " Oh , I'm used to it . After all , she's the one you love . I wish you two a long and happy life together . " That only made him angrier . I could practically see the hair on his head standing on end . Seriously ? He gets mad even when I'm wishing him well ? I didn't get it . The System's voice echoed faintly in my mind . " Could it be ... that he's mad because you don't care that he's with another woman ? " That actually made sense . So , I decided to try the opposite approach . My expression instantly turned cold . I looked down my nose at the villain before me . " Hans , this is my house . In the future , I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring other women here for your little romantic rendezvous . " His features softened immediately . Even the frost in his cold eyes began to thaw . " It won't happen again , " he said . 20 True to his word , I didn't see the heroine at my house again . During that time , my relationship with Hans improved significantly . Though I had been cold and harsh to him at first - blaming him for seven lifetimes of failure - I let go of my grudge once I found out I'd been competing against Erica . There's no shame in losing to a pro . And I couldn't blame Hans ; a master - level player was just that charismatic . A container of barbecue was placed in front of me . Hans , just back from working late , looked tired . " Eat this and throw away the trash . Don't leave it overnight . " I nodded , finding him more and more agreeable . If you took marriage out of the equation , Hans actually made an excellent roommate . I took the barbecue out to the balcony . From the yard next door , I could hear the faint sounds of an argument . I found a good spot and leaned over to get a better look . I couldn't make out the exact words , but it was something along the lines of " You don't have me in your heart . " I figured it out pretty quickly . The master player had slipped up . I called Hans over and pointed to the bickering hero and heroine next door . " Hans , this is your chance . " He merely glanced over , then said , " Eat your barbecue while it's hot . " " You're not even going to do anything ? " I thought he was a lost cause . 7/9 09:08 Chapter 2 09.08 He was silent for a long while before finally saying , " Diana , from now on , Erica Meadows and I have nothing to do with each other . " 21 I thought Erica and Hans had just had a fight . But the next day , Erica told me , " Hans's high affection level was because of an item I was using . " I didn't understand . " What item ? " " In my last world , I successfully captured three male leads at once , and the system rewarded me with an affection - boosting item . In this world , all key male characters started with an affection level of sixty or seventy towards me . " Damn . I wanted an item like that . " But , " Erica sighed, looking at me , " every time I failed before , it was right after I married the hero . The villain's affection for me would plummet . I thought it was my fault , but then I saw you . " " Your presence , " she explained , " negates the effect of the item , causing the villain's affection level to drop to its natural state . And every time I got married , the villain would go dark , and your mission would be declared a failure , pulling you from the world . " " So , we've both been repeating this , over and over again . " 22 It all finally made sense . Why Hans's affection for Erica was so volatile . The item made him inevitably drawn to her , but as a key character in this world , he couldn't be completely controlled by it . And I was the variable that broke the spell . " So , " I asked the System , " what's his affection level for me right now ? " " Eighty - five . " I nearly jumped for joy . It was like winning the lottery after deciding to just give up . Erica was no longer pursuing Hans ; the points from the main hero were far more valuable , and she wouldn't risk the greater prize for a smaller one . And Hans's affection for me ? It was just one step away from the finish line . 23 I never expected my own father to be the ultimate wingman . I don't know what " unfounded " rumors he heard , but he flew in from overseas and demanded that Hans and I get married within the month . Naturally , I had no objections . I looked at Hans . He slid a folder across the table to me . I was puzzled . " A prenup ? " I opened it . Inside were pages and pages of wedding dress designs . Stunned , I stared at him suspiciously . " You've had this planned for a while ? " " No , " he denied instantly . Then , with an air of forced nonchalance , he steepled his fingers on his lap and looked at me coolly . " Only for a couple of days . " I rolled my eyes . " Hans , is it that hard to admit you've fallen for me ? " He looked a little flustered . I continued , gloating , " I told you from the beginning . I'm beautiful , graceful , and a total catch . Anyone who can't see that is blind . " Hans's expression became unreadable . I asked the System , " What do you think he's thinking right now ? Is he thinking his life is complete now that he gets to marry me ? " 8/9 09.08 Chapter 2 The System replied immediately , " He's probably thinking , ' Do I really have to go through with this ? " " 09.08 24 Hans and I spent the next few days in a blissful honeymoon phase . I sacrificed my body and soul , shamelessly flirting and seducing him , but his affection level stubbornly remained at 95. It just wouldn't budge . On our wedding day , Erica came . I had the System constantly monitoring Hans's affection level for her . It stayed at a steady 30. Perfect . His feelings for me were rock solid . Erica smiled and handed me a gift . " Congratulations on your wedding . Don't forget to grab dinner with me after our missions are complete . " I nodded and asked about her own mission . She glanced at Hans , who was a short distance away , and lowered her voice . " I'll be leaving today . I may not have captured the villain , but the points from the hero are more than enough to let me live lavishly for a while . " After Erica left , Hans came to my side , a hint of displeasure in his voice . " How did you two become friends ? " I gave him a disdainful look . " Should I have become her enemy because of you ? " Ha . As if any man was worth that . 25 Three months into our marriage , life was sweet . I had to admit , Hans was a wonderful husband . He let me do whatever I wanted , encouraging my lazy , spoiled lifestyle . The only problem was his affection level , which was still stuck just shy of a perfect score . It was incredibly frustrating . " " Maybe ... " the System began tentatively , " you should try ... that ? " " What ? " The System instantly downloaded a very ... spicy movie clip into my brain . The more it showed me , the more excited it became . " Whips , candles , the whole nine yards ! " " Isn't that ... a bit much ? " I said , my mouth twitching . System : " Do you have any better ideas ? " Damn it ... Here goes nothing . 26 That night , I was exhausted , but Hans was full of energy , carrying me to the bath . The moment the hot water enveloped me , I felt myself drifting off to sleep . System : " Ping ! Villain's affection level has reached 100. " ... He really was a masochist . 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