LOGINOn the third day of attempting to conquer Blake Stone's heart, he confesses his feelings to me. But the thing is, the affection meter displayed above his head shows the number "0". After we start dating, Blake pampers me to no end. He even proposes to me in a grand fashion on our sixth year anniversary. With tears in my eyes, I'm about to nod when I see a range of comments floating across my vision. [Blake must be exhausted from all the acting, huh? He has to reel in his disgust and keep up the act with Joanna for six years in order to protect Keira from her.] [That idiotic replacement actually got so immersed in this act! I'm laughing my ass off right now!] It's as though my blood had transformed into ice. No wonder the number never changed throughout the years. At the same time, the system's icy voice rings out in my mind. "The final phase is now activated. The countdown to the time left to conquer your target's heart has started. You have ten days left. If you fail, you'll be wiped out from this world." I just smile as I draw back my hand that was about to wear his ring. Then, I wipe my tears away. "I'm sorry, but I'm sick and tired of this stupid strategy game."
View MoreBlake abruptly grabbed my hand. "You're not going to die! I've already contacted the best doctors. We'll go to them—there has to be a way…""Blake, it's pointless." I gently pulled my hand back. "This is my punishment for failing the romance strategy game. Neither of us can change the rules of the game."He froze. "Romance strategy game? What are you—"I smiled. "You don't need to know. You just need to know that for me, these past six years were only a dream. And now… it's time to wake up."He just stared at me, like he couldn't understand a word I was saying.Before my eyes, the countdown timer went on.10, 9, 8, 7…I stood up and walked to the railing. The sea breeze lifted my hair. At the horizon, the sky was turning pale. The sun was about to rise."Blake." I kept my back to him. "Promise me one thing.""Anything.""If I die, don't hold a funeral for me. Cremate me and scatter my ashes into the sea. I want… to be free to go anywhere I want."Blake's voice shook. "Anna…"
As I slowly lowered my hands, the lights faded, and the music cut off. The curtain fell.There was silence, then the applause crashed over me. I lay on the stage, gulping for air. My heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would tear out of my chest.The countdown timer flickered like mad in my mind. 2 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes.I had two days left.Professor Cale rushed onto the stage and helped me up, tears spilling down her face. "Joanna, you were amazing. Absolutely amazing!"I hugged her and said softly, "Thank you, Professor. That was… my last performance."By the time I left the theater, the sky was dark. Blake was waiting for me at the door. He pulled off his mask, tear tracks still visible on his face."Anna," he rasped. "That scene…""I did it for you," I said calmly. "And for myself. Now, it's time for us both to take our bow and exit."He stepped forward, reaching for my hand. Then, he froze halfway. "If… If I'd figured things out earlier—""There are no if
Blake turned to look at me. "Anna, what I said was true. At least in the moment I said it, it was real."I looked at his red-rimmed eyes, suddenly finding him ridiculous. "Blake, do you even know what it means to love someone?"He fell silent."Loving someone means wanting her to be free. It means watching her soar higher. It means that even if she stops loving you, you respect her choice. It doesn't mean locking her in a cage, clipping her wings, and then saying, 'See? No one but me will ever want you.'"That's not love. That's possession. And you've never loved me. You just needed someone there to prove you could be loved and needed. That someone could've been me, or Keira, or any other woman willing to pull off this performance with you," I said.Blake's face slowly turned pale. He parted his lips to argue, but no words came out. Because he knew I was right.The comments floated past my eyes.[She's completely seen through him.][Blake has never ever loved a real person. He
"I don't regret loving you, giving up my career, or believing your lies. What I regret most is not slapping myself awake and walking out without looking back the day I found out the truth," I said evenly.I threw back the covers, got out of bed, and walked to the window. "Just go. I don't want to see you for the next five days. If I'm still alive in five days…"I turned to look at Blake with a small smile. "I'll see you in court. Intentional assault should be worth a few years, right?"All the color drained from his face. He stumbled back a step and had to brace himself against the wall to stay standing."Anna…" He called my name, his voice shaking. "Do we really have to end up like this?""You're the one who crossed the line first," I said. "The moment you put a knife to my wrist, there was no going back."He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, something inside had shattered. He said, "Fine, I'll go. But I'm not giving up on you. I'll spend the res












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