Chapter 2

Catherine and Gabriel were having fun at Natalie's school event, and anyone who saw them would praise them for being such a loving family.

Yet, instead of going after them, Leslie was here bothering me while I was waiting for death.

An inexplicable wave of frustration surged through me.

Leslie had been my first target for this mission. She was my older sister by three years and used to treat me like the most precious treasure in the world.

When I was ten, the System had informed me in a slightly surprised tone that her love meter was at 90%. I just needed to work a little harder, and I would be able to return home.

However, that was when Gabriel entered our lives.

He was the nanny's son. During an altercation with me, he rolled down the stairs and ended up with bruises all over his body.

Leslie happened to be standing at the doorway at the time, and she stared at me with a cold look that I had never seen before.

"Noah Jackman, when will you change that spoiled rich kid attitude of yours? I've noticed that you're becoming more vicious as you get older."

Her words had stabbed deep into my heart like a dagger.

The System then told me that her love meter had dropped to 50%, so the chances of me succeeding in winning her heart weren't very high.

It turned out to be right, for ever since that day, Leslie's attitude toward me had grown increasingly cold, while her love meter dropped lower and lower.

In fact, she even went as far as to suggest to our parents that they send me to a boarding school, all to prevent me from hurting Gabriel again.

After I was sent to that nightmare of a school, I stopped treating her like my sister.

"Leslie, what are you doing here?"

"Your acting skills are truly terrible. Have you forgotten that this hotel belongs to the Jackman family? You deliberately chose to book a room here, all so I would come rushing over, didn't you? Why can't someone like you just go die already? You don't deserve to be my younger brother!"

Even though I had long since given up on her, the mockery and disdain in her tone still hurt me deeply.

Just then, I recalled how much she used to love me when we were young. I decided to place my hopes on her still having some feelings for me, the younger brother she had watched grow up.

Grabbing the hem of her shirt like how I used to as a little boy, I begged her to fulfill one last wish of mine.

"Leslie, could you please kill me—"

Yet, I had barely finished speaking when she shoved me away in disgust.

Caught off guard, I fell to the floor and was momentarily stunned.

"People like you should've died long ago. But if you're going to die, die someplace far away from me. I don't want to have to deal with your funeral."

I had been wrong—so utterly, ridiculously wrong.

How could Leslie possibly still have feelings for me?

With some effort, I managed to slowly stand up before I turned to look at Leslie fearlessly.

It had been a really long time since I had actually taken a good look at her.

Once elegant, upright, and deeply indulgent toward me, Leslie now had more striking features, though she had also grown distant and cold.

Without any warning, I slapped her across the face.

For the sake of winning her favor, I had given up on the fortune our parents left me, all so she, a fake heiress, could start over.

Yet, all I had received in return was an indifferent, "You owe me this."

I might owe others, but I'd definitely never owe her.

At this thought, I raised my hand to slap her again, only for her to stop me.

"Noah, you've gone nuts!"

She was furious. If looks could kill, I would have died a thousand times over.

Once upon a time, I used to get terrified whenever she got angry. Now, however, I simply laughed.

"Yeah, I've gone crazy. What are you going to do about it? Kill me? Go ahead and do it if you can! Come on!"

I stalked closer to her, but she hastily released her grip on my wrist and retreated, eyes wide.

"You're truly wicked to the core! Even when you want to die, you're still trying to drag me down with you!"

With that, she practically fled from the room.

Staring at the reddened skin on my wrist, I let out a soft laugh. I had assumed she would be the one to help me get back home, but alas, she wasn't.

After cleaning up, I headed to Miranda Suller's boxing gym.

Miranda was the real daughter of the Jackman family and also my high school classmate. After I was sent to the boarding school, she became the only source of light in my life.

Back then, whenever the other students picked on me, she would definitely step forward to defend me. She had charged into a toilet to rescue me, gotten into an argument with the teachers over me, and even exposed the fact that she was involved in underground boxing.

"Noah, for some reason, I just feel this overwhelming urge to protect you whenever I see your face. We look so alike. I've always dreamed of having a younger brother. Will you let me protect you from now on?"

Because of that, I had assumed that I would succeed in winning her love.

However, just as her love meter reached 95%, Gabriel transferred to the same school, once again getting in the way of my mission target and me.