Chapter 2

I was an orphan.

I gave the world back the same coldness it gave me. There was no one I cared about.

Until the year I turned sixteen, when I was caught by chance in a street war between mob families.

It was Victor who threw himself in front of me, took the bullet, and saved my life.

The smell of his blood filled the air.

The moment my heart fluttered at the sight of his profile, I heard the system's cold voice for the first time.

[Host has developed feelings of love. System activated. Mission initiated.]

[Mission: win over Victor Lucchese within ten years, or the host will be erased.]

From that day on, I had someone I cared about.

A violent stab of pain yanked me out of my memories and back to reality. I knew what it was: the system, draining the life out of me.

I murmured to myself, "The villainess is about to die. That's the best ending there is."

Victor would never again have to worry that I would hurt his beloved Viviana.

And he would never again have to sacrifice himself, faking his way through life with a woman he didn't love.

I got up to take my bath, stumbled, and nearly fell.

Luckily Victor caught me in his arms.

His arms were so strong, his chest so warm.

It was just that none of it was mine.

Victor looked me over closely and frowned. "You look terrible. You need to go to the hospital."

I shook my head. "I don't want to."

This was the system draining my life; going to the hospital would only waste time.

"This isn't something you get to be stubborn about!" His tone turned hard, which was rare for him. "We have to go!"

With that, he called his advisor and gave the order,

"Fifteen minutes. Have the best room and the best doctors at the Family hospital ready."

Then, ignoring my protests, he scooped me up and carried me toward the underground garage.

[This villainess out-acts the male lead. She's faker than a three-dollar bill.]

[So what if she's a good faker? A villainess is a villainess. She'll never be the heroine.]

I wrapped my arms around Victor's neck and gazed blankly at his face.

His brows were tightly knit, his thin lips pressed into a flat line, drowning in worry.

At the hospital, once the tests were done and we were waiting on the results, he held my hand.

"Once you're well again, I'll propose to you all over again."

He thought for a moment, then added, "Fireworks? Or a drone show? Which do you like?"

The comments started drifting by again.

[Lies and pampering coexisting, but you can't deny the male lead is incredibly good to the villainess.]

[Guys, I'm so confused. Is the writer handing out fluff or heartbreak here?]

[Okay, I hate to admit it, but even this fake fluff is kind of sweet.]

Slowly, a thread of hope rose in me.

Maybe Victor really was anxious about me.

Maybe Victor felt even the tiniest sliver of love for me.

Maybe I could still go to Sicily with him and see the sea one last time.

Just as I was about to speak, Victor's phone rang.

He glanced at the caller ID, his brow creasing almost imperceptibly, then stood, walked to a corner, and answered.

My heart slowly sank. I had just caught a glimpse of the screen.

It was Viviana.

I couldn't hear what was said on the other end.

His fingers tightened at once. "I'm on my way."

He hung up, looked at me, and said, torn, "Scarlett, I..."

He paused for a second, his eyes darting away on instinct.

That one second stretched longer than all the tenderness before it.

"Viviana needs you? Go." I forced myself to stay calm. "I'm fine."

Victor let out a sigh of relie, and turned to leave.

I didn't dare watch him walk away, and turned my head aside on instinct.

Right then, my eyes were my rawest wound; one more look and they would bleed.

After a good while, the test results arrived.

I opened them alone.

Multiple organ failure. Vital signs in continuous decline. Estimated survival: under forty-eight hours.

It was no surprise, but seeing the death sentence with my own eyes still left me sad.

The nurse who brought the report reminded me, "Your condition is very serious. You should notify your family as soon as possible."

I thought of my parents, long gone, and of my fiance whose heart belonged to someone else.

I lowered my head. "Sorry. I don't have any family."

The nurse gave me a pitying look and tucked the blanket in around me.

While I was still lost in a daze, Victor called.

His voice on the line was frantic. "Sweetheart, could you come up to the room on the top floor?"

"Okay. Victor, my results are in..."

"I'll be waiting."

Before I could tell him what they said, the line went dead.

I pressed my lips together, pulled out my IV needle, and went up to the top-floor room.

The moment I pushed the door open, I froze where I stood.