All Chapters of THE SYSTEM GAVE ME A GLOW UP (Ugly no more, men at my feet): Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

I stood in the driveway of the new estate, the keys heavy and cool in my palm. This wasn't just a house; it was a fortress of glass and limestone, six bedrooms of pure, unadulterated freedom.And it’s all for my dad.A cute little present from his now wealthy daughter. "Avery... sweetheart, I can't," my father, Richard, stammered, his eyes scanning the sprawling lawn and the sleek, modern architecture. "This is too much. How can you afford this?" I squeezed his hand. "Dad, for years you’ve worked to keep a roof over my head while being told you weren't doing enough. It’s my turn. The board at Greyhound Holdings takes care of its own, and I’ve had some... very successful investments." Behind us, I could hear the sharp, rhythmic clicking of heels on the pavement. Claudia and Emilia stepped out of their car, their faces a mask of poorly hidden greed and sheer shock. They had spent the entire morning complaining about the "small" size of the moving truck.But now that they were se

Get a hold of yourself, Avery. I was trying but it was like I had forgotten how to breathe. This man standing before me, Vincent Roland, had taken the literal air out of my lungs. Was it this possible to be this good looking? He took a few steps closer, his eyes never leaving mine. It took all my will power to not squirm. I had to get myself in order. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to wear a steel expression and look Vincent in the eye with as much false confidence as I could muster. ''It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr Roland'' ''Vincent'' He corrected. ''Right. Vincent'' He took my hand, turned it and kissed it. His lips brushing my fingers in a way that made my stomach drop. What was this reaction? Why was my body responding to this stranger this way? It was Dominic that I cared about. I was supposed to be attracted to just him but here was Vincent making my heart race faster that I believed was safe. ''It's an honor to meet you, miss....'' ''Let's leave that for a

The door hadn't even fully clicked shut behind Vincent Roland before the silence in the room became unbearable.My brain was still struggling to accept that I had just walked in to see that fool in my territory and even worse, around Avery.I stood frozen, the phantom sensation of his hand on my shoulder feeling like a brand. Every instinct I possessed was screaming at me to go after him, to drag him back and beat the living daylight out of him.Beat him for disrespecting me.Beat him for putting his filthy hands on Avery.I forced a breath into my lungs, my fingers curling into tight fists at my sides. I am a Greyhound. I needed to remind myself of that.It was imperative that I do not lose my composure. I do not let a man like Roland get under my skin and make me beahve poorly in front of Avery.But looking at her, standing there with her cheeks flushed and her eyes bright from his attention, I felt like my entire world was tilting on its axis.Did she also feel attracted to Vinc

The flash of the cameras was still dancing behind my eyelids as I stepped out of my car.One of the ones that Elias had bought for me during the very early stages of our relationship. It had been a grueling twelve-hour shoot for Vogue.It would be an understatement to say my my neck ached from the weight of the statement emeralds I had to wear all day.The price of being rich and beautiful. Usually, this was the part of the night I lived for.Finally getting off work and returning to the luxury penthouse that I shared with Elias,shedding the designer layers, and having him worship the ground I walk on.We were the "It" couple of the industry. The golden duo. People go crazy when two highly attractive people, top models for that matter get into relationships.Unsurprisingly, our faces sold watches, perfume, and the very idea of a perfect life. But as I stepped into the foyer, the air in the apartment felt heavy.The lights were dimmed low, and the sharp, smell of expensive bourbon

My phone began to vibrate on the mahogany desk for the 100th time and as always, Elias’s name kept boldly flashing across the screen. Since when did he ever want to call me like this?I have not seen or herd from him since that time at the hospital where I faked losing my memory of his cheating and him dumping me.What did he want this time?My finger hovered over the 'decline' button, while I interanlly dealt with a mix of annoyance and old, lingering hurt.It was more of a dull ache now but it still stung a little nontheless.I wish he would leave me the hell alone.Before I could touch the screen, the world froze. The blue light of the System surged, blindingly bright, drowning out the office lights.I hated when it did that.[EMERGENCY TASK ACTIVATED ] [OBJECTIVE: FOLLOW THE WOMAN IN BLUE] [TIME REMAINING: 05:00 MINUTES] [FAILURE PENALTY: 30% DEDUCTION OF TOTAL WEALTH]Emergency task? I don't know if I have ever had that before.My heart plummeted. A 30% deduction would wipe