Chapter 3

Andrew's POV

"Is there a misunderstanding between you and Ms. Sturridge? Why don't you ask her to visit you at the hospital?" I asked, deliberately setting the hook to push Samuel into even deeper trouble.

As expected, Samuel—whose brain was entirely consumed by delusions of marrying into elite wealth—swallowed the bait whole.

He let out a sharp scoff before exclaiming, "You've hit the nail on the head, Andy! There's some pathetic simp hanging around Natasha right now, trying to drive a wedge between us. That loser is just getting in the way of our true love!"

He hung up abruptly without waiting for a reply.

I just stared at the darkened screen of my phone, a cold smile playing on my lips.

…

I ignored Samuel completely for the next few days. But it wasn't long before a breaking news headline caught my eye.

The young heir of the Gordon family had been brutally ambushed and was currently fighting for his life in intensive care due to massive blood loss.

Although the news broadcast blurred out the assailant's face, I recognized him instantly.

It was Samuel.

I never imagined he was unhinged enough to commit a violent assault.

Right on cue, the system wired 50 million dollars straight into my bank account—a handsome reward for subtly nudging Samuel further down the path of self-destruction.

…

Enraged, Natasha shipped Samuel off to Gold Miller Cave—a notoriously brutal place where he would face relentless torment. Yet, I couldn't shake the feeling that this still wasn't the end of it.

After all, Samuel was a certified lunatic. I had no doubt he would convince himself that even sending him to a horrifying place was just Natasha's way of playing hard to get.

Events proved my instincts entirely correct.

Not even two weeks later, Samuel managed to escape from Gold Miller Cave.

During that exact period, Natasha was preparing for her high-profile wedding to the Gordon family heir.

When Samuel found out, he panicked, convincing himself that Natasha was being forced into an arranged marriage against her will.

"Her mother must be coercing her into this marriage for business interests! Why can't we be together when our love is so pure? Why must the heavens play cruel tricks on us like this?"

At that point, I was completely numb to his insanity. Anyone with a functioning pair of eyes could see that Natasha avoided him like a plague victim. How on earth did he twistedly conclude that they were star-crossed lovers?

Yet, remembering the system's rules, I put on a sympathetic face and fed right into his ego.

"You're right, Sam. Great love always faces trials. I'm sure that once you overcome this hurdle, the two of you will finally be together."

Deeply moved by my fake support, Samuel resolved to crash the wedding.

I snickered quietly to myself as I watched him march off with his shoulders squared in reckless determination.

In our past life, Samuel had dragged Mom, Dad, and me down to our graves. In this life, I was more than happy to help accelerate his absolute ruin.

…

The next day, Samuel brazenly barged into the venue of Natasha's wedding ceremony, instantly becoming the center of attention as gasps echoed through the hall.

"What's Natasha up to now?"

The guests began to whisper among themselves, eagerly waiting to watch the Sturridge family suffer another public humiliation.

Natasha stood at the altar, her expression as dark and threatening as a gathering storm.

Yet Samuel remained trapped deep inside his main-character delusion. Gazing at her with adoring eyes, he choked out dramatically, "I know you're only marrying him under duress, Nat! That's why I'm here to rescue you. Leave this place with me!"

Absolute chaos erupted the moment those words left his mouth, with murmurs and harsh criticisms flying from every corner of the room.

Knowing Samuel was digging a grave from which he'd never return, I quietly slipped out of the hall.

An hour later, my phone buzzed with an unexpected call from Samuel.

He sounded breathless, his words tumbling out in jagged, stuttering gasps. "Get up to the penthouse suite on the top floor of the hotel right now, Andy. And bring a clean change of clothes for me."

I could already hazard a terrifying guess at what he had done, but I asked anyway, "What on earth did you do?"

A chilling draft swept down my spine the moment he answered.

I never in a million years thought he would be unhinged enough to pull something like this!