Now You Love Me?

"Breaking out the champagne already? You sure know how to stay in your boss' good graces."The system chimed in furiously, "This is all your fault! Why did you have to remind him that it's your birthday? Could you stop triggering his cheap sense of guilt for once?"A throbbing pain split through my skull. Days of overtime had drained every ounce of energy I had left. I leaned weakly against the sink, feeling hollow inside.The system piped up timidly. "What if you just asked him to sleep with you?"I let out a sharp, bitter laugh. "How about I ask him to die instead?"If only it were that simple.The creator of this damned game had made sure there were no loopholes. Words like sleep and die were automatically banned. Repetition wasn't allowed either.Seven years in, even being turned down after a proposal was one of the last cards I had left to play.Things had reached an impasse.The sound of running water echoed softly through the bathroom.I sat on the toilet while staring

Only the kidnapper and I remained."I want the car!" he barked.Before I got in, the captain gave me a subtle nod. According to the plan, they would track the vehicle's route. All I had to do was buy some time and cooperate until they could take him down.My hands were tied as I was thrown into the passenger seat. Just before the door slammed shut, I saw Ryan breaking through the crowd, throwing his arms around an unconscious Elaine.…The car sped down the empty highway. The rope rubbed my wrists raw until blood began to drip down my hands. As the last police car disappeared into the rain, the kidnapper gave a cold laugh. "Stop waiting. They're not coming for you.""What do you mean?" I asked. My voice was trembling.He turned on the radio, humming along with the static. The radio broadcast was playing Elaine's interview.Her voice quivered over the broadcast. She sounded as if she'd been deeply shaken. "I heard the kidnappers say they were meeting at Southgate. Please, yo

When Ryan left, the slam of the door was so loud it jolted Elaine awake.Elaine ran after Ryan, desperately begging him not to leave. She even fell to the floor in her frantic attempt to stop him. But when she looked up, he was already gone.Ryan started the car."Mr. Jamison, you shouldn't be driving in this state," Joe cautioned. "Wait a moment; I'll send the driver to pick you up."Ryan coldly said, "Give me the address.""Mr. Jamison—""I asked for the address!"His hands trembled on the steering wheel. "It's just a woman. Do you really think she can shake me like this?"Joe gave him the address.Half an hour later, Ryan staggered into the morgue. His eyes immediately went to the body lying in the center, covered by a white sheet.Tasha's colleague, Amy, stood behind him. Her eyes were swollen from crying. "You're Tasha's boyfriend, right? She told me once that there was someone she truly liked, someone she had loved for seven years."Ryan's hands trembled as he drew b

He couldn't forget Elaine because that year had been the lowest point of his life.Elaine had been the first person to see past his family name and fortune, to approach him for who he really was.Her voice and her smile had anchored his heart, leaving a fragment of warmth he chased blindly for years, until Tasha came into his life.He had always doubted her. He was convinced she was drawn only to his power and status, so he divided his heart in two. One half chased his first love, while the other tested her sincerity. He told himself that if he could be ruthless enough, he could bend other people's hearts to his will.However, those who toyed with hearts would eventually pay the price.For Ryan, that reckoning arrived seven years too late.When he finally understood that Tasha had loved him without faltering throughout all those years, the feelings he had buried so carefully erupted like a dam breaking. And just as suddenly, the flood withdrew. Tasha was gone.All that rem

Ryan stared at her in disbelief. "Tasha, I know I was wrong. I got revenge for you. Elaine's dead. Can you forgive me?"Tasha didn't even look at him. Instead, she began muttering incoherently, "System, are you still there?"The long-silent system suddenly came to life."What's going on? Wait, what the hell? Why is he here?"Tasha shrugged. "I don't know. The moment I came out, he was standing right in front of me. The mission's already completed, so why is he still in my world?" "Give me a second, Tasha. I'll check with the programmers," the system said. "This has to be a bug. Something like this shouldn't be happening."As Ryan overheard her conversation, his face twisted in confusion. "Tasha, who are you talking to? What mission? What are you saying?"Tasha said indifferently, "You really don't know? The only reason I stayed tangled up with you for seven years was because I accepted a mission. Once you rejected me a hundred times, I could return to reality and collect a heft